Body of the Disquisition

The body of your disquisition consists of the following sections:

• Chapters
• Tables, Figures, Schemes, etc.
• References or Works Cited

All material in the body of the disquisition must adhere to the same general requirements as the rest of the disquisition, including font type, font size, and margin size. For more information, see General Requirements.

Page numbers must use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, and so on). The first page of the first chapter should be designated as page 1.

Chapters

The chapters contain the main content of your disquisition. This section of the guidelines covers formatting considerations for chapter naming, numbering, headings, and setting an individual paper or study as a chapter.

• Chapter titles are major headings and should be consistent with all other major headings in the document, such as the major headings on the prefatory material. The titles should be centered, written in ALL CAPS, and appear at the top of a new page.
  • You may not have more than one heading level formatted as a major heading. Subsections within a chapter must be formatted as subheadings. See the Headingssection in General Requirements for more information and examples on different levels of subheadings and numbered subheadings.
• Chapter label not required – You are not required to use the label “Chapter” in the title of each chapter. However, each chapter must begin with a major heading and appear at the top of a new page.
• Numbering chapters – You are not required to number each chapter unless you use numbered headings. For more information about numbered headings, see Headings.
  • When using numbered headings – If you use numbered headings, then the heading number must precede the chapter title (such as “1. INTRODUCTION”). You must use a period after the chapter number.
  • When using non-numbered headings – If you choose not to use numbered headings in the body of the disquisition but still want to use numbers in the chapter titles, then you must integrate them into the chapter title (such as “CHAPTER ONE. INTRODUCTION” or “CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION”). If you use a number in a chapter title, either written or numeric, you must use a period after the chapter number.
• Papers as chapters – If a chapter is an individual paper, study, or experiment, only the title of the paper or study should appear as a major heading (such as “PAPER 1. THE EFFECT OF RAINFALL ON SUGARBEET PRODUCTION”). The section headings within the paper (such as “Abstract”, “Introduction”, “Literature Review” and so on) are subsections within the chapter and must appear as subheadings under the major title heading.
  • You are not required to use “Chapter” in the name of each chapter. If you use individual papers, studies, or experiments for each chapter, then you can name the chapters “Paper 1”, “Study 1”, “Experiment 1”, and so on. However, the naming must be consistent for all chapters of such content.

Bulleted/Numbered Lists and Block Quotations

• Bulleted or Numbered Lists – When you include bulleted or numbered lists in the paragraph text, indent the bullets/numbers from the left margin so that the list is easier to read and distinguish from the rest of the normal paragraph text. Additionally, the text should be aligned with each other to the right of the bullet or number. Bulleted or numbered lists should be double spaced. We recommend aligning top-level bullets or numbers at one-quarter inches (0.25”) and the text at one-half inches (0.5”).
• Block quotations – Make sure block quotations use the same indent (one-half inches (0.5”) is recommended) throughout the document. Block quotations may be single spaced, as long as this is applied consistently to all block quotations.

Tables, Figures, Schemes, Etc.

Tables, figures, schemes, and other non-text items should be integrated into the text of your disquisition (not grouped at the end of a chapter). Ideally, a non-text item should be inserted on the same page where the item is first referenced in the text, or as close as possible to the first in-text reference. All tables, figures, schemes, and non-text items must have a label, number, and title, must fit within the page margins, and must have consistent styling across all occurrences of that type of item in the disquisition.

This document outlines the general requirements for non-text items in your disquisition. Beyond these general requirements, the tables and figures in the disquisition should follow the requirements of the style manual of your disquisition (to include titles, borders, alignment, and so forth). For example, if your citations follow APA style, then your table and figure titles should also follow APA style. For more information about how to format tables, figures, schemes, and non-text items, refer to the style manual for your discipline.

• Location in the text – When you insert a table, figure, or non-text item into the text, try to do so as close to the first in-text reference as possible, and at a natural break on the page (at the top or bottom of a page, between pages, or between paragraphs). In other words, as much as possible, body paragraph text should not be interrupted by an item. If a non-text item cannot fit on the same page where it is mentioned, then move it to the next page.
• Do not split the item, if possible – If a table or figure can feasibly fit onto a single page (to include its title and any notes), it should not be broken across two pages (some white space at the bottom of a page is acceptable to allow for this).
• Multiple-page items – Sometimes a non-text item simply cannot fit on a single page. When a table or figure continues over multiple pages, make sure that the title of the item appears on all pages of the item. On the subsequent pages, add the phrase “(continued)” to the end of the first sentence of the item title.
  • When a table must extend for multiple pages, the header row of the table should appear at the top of the table on all subsequent pages.
• Portrait vs landscape orientation – Tables, figures, and non-text items should appear in portrait orientation unless they are too large to fit within the required margins; then they can be converted to landscape orientation. However, the page numbers for such landscape items must appear in portrait orientation (on the landscape page, page numbers should appear in the left margin, centered vertically, and rotated 90 degrees). For an example of a landscaped figure, see Figure 3.
  • Note: If a table or figure appears in landscape orientation, only that table or figure (and its title/notes) may appear on the landscape-oriented page (in other words, headings or paragraph text should not appear on a landscape page).
• Numbering – All tables, figures, schemes, and non-text items must be labeled and numbered sequentially based on the type of item (such as “Table 1” and “Figure 1”). For example, you can have a “Table 1” and a “Figure 1”, but you cannot have two tables named “Table 1”.
  • There are two numbering scheme options. You can number the items sequentially according to the chapter in which they appear (such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and so on). Alternatively, you can number the items in the order that they appear, regardless of chapter or section (such as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on). Whichever option is chosen, it should be used in all item types (i.e., a disquisition should not contain both a Table 1 and a Figure 1.1).
• Titles – All tables, figures, schemes, and non-text items must have a label, number, and title (such as “Figure 1. Diagram of scientific method”) and must be included in the appropriate lists in the prefatory material. See the section on lists for how to format item titles within the appropriate list.
  • Long titles – When the title for a table, figure, scheme, or other non-text item is longer than one line, set it to be single spaced with a single blank line after, to help set it apart from the body text paragraphs.
• Font – The font used in the item titles must be same type as the rest of your disquisition.
  • In titles of tables, figures, schemes, etc., the font must be the same size and type as the text in the body paragraphs.
  • Within tables, the font must be the same type as the rest of your disquisition. The size can be adjusted as needed to fit the table onto the page.
  • Within figures, schemes, and other non-text items, the font may be different from the rest of your disquisition. However, the text must be easily readable at 100% view size/zoom.
• Formatting of item titles – The titles of tables and figures should follow the formatting rules for the style of your discipline. This includes capitalization (title case or sentence case), special formatting (like bold or italics), punctuation (after the item number and in the rest of the title), and location relative to the item being described (above or below). Note that the formatting must be consistent for all items of the same type throughout the disquisition. Refer to the style manual of your discipline for more information about how to format the titles of tables, figures, schemes, etc.
• Margins – Tables, figures, schemes, and non-text items must fit in the required 1 inch margins. Non-text items that are too wide to fit in the margins of the page in portrait orientation can be placed on their own page in landscape orientation. However, the page numbers must still appear in portrait orientation. (This requirement ensures that when your disquisition is printed, all the page numbers will appear consistently and correctly.)
• Spacing – Minimize the amount of blank space that appears before and after tables, figures, schemes, and other non-text elements. However, tables and figures and the titles for those items should be clearly distinguishable from the paragraph text. We recommend a single line of space between items and the body text or headings surrounding them.
• Citations – Academic honesty is essential in all disquisitions. If you use a table, figure, or non-text item that is not your original design, you must cite the original source of the item, and ensure the appropriate copyright permissions to use the item have been obtained (if necessary). You may use an in-text citation in the text of the title or caption of the item, or you may include the citation as a footnote under the item. Refer to the style manual of your discipline for more information about citations of non-text items.
  • If you have adapted the design of a figure or non-text item from another source’s original design, then you must include the citation of the original source in the title or caption of the image and ensure the appropriate permissions to use the item have been obtained (if necessary). You must also state that your figure or image has been adapted from the original source.

Equations

When you use several equations in your disquisition, you may want to number the equations within the text. However, if you number one equation in the text, then you should number all of the equations that appear in the disquisition.

You can number the equations sequentially according to the chapter in which they appear (such as 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, and so on), or you can number them in order of appearance, regardless of chapter or section (such as 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on). However, you cannot have two equations labeled as “Equation 1”, for example.

To number an equation, include the equation number in parentheses and place it to the right of the equation. To see an example of a formatted equation with an equation number, see our example document of non-text items.

The number of an equation must use the same font type and size as the paragraph text, while the numbers in an equation can use different font, if necessary for the equation. Equations should be centered on the page (like in the example above), to help differentiate them from the normal paragraph text.

You can include the label “Equation” or “Eq.” in the brackets before the equation number; however, the method must be consistent throughout the entire disquisition.

If you use a large number of equations in your disquisition, you may want to include a List of Equations in the prefatory material. Such a List is optional and not required, unless otherwise directed by the style manual of your discipline. For information about how to format Lists of non-text items, see List of Tables, Figures, Schemes, Etc. and List of Abbreviations/Symbols.

In the List of Equations, a brief title or description of the equation should be included in each entry. However, equations in the document chapters should not be given a title (only the equation and its number should appear).

References/Works Cited

Whenever you use information from another source, or reference data that you did not create or discover, you must cite the original source of the data. This includes, but is not limited to, text, tables, figures, and other forms of data.

Academic honesty is essential in all disquisitions. For more information, see the NDSU Policy on Academic Responsibility and Conduct.

• Citations – For in-text citations, footnotes, endnotes, or other citation formats, refer to the style manual of your discipline (such as MLA, APA, Chicago, and so on). References should follow one style manual consistently throughout the disquisition. When you include a URL (or other linked text) in a citation (such as citations for internet sources), make sure that it is not underlined or otherwise appearing as a hyperlink.
• Copyright – In some instances, copyright permission might be required to re-print content in its entirety. Most commonly, copyright permission is required to reprint your own previously published work.
• References sections (individual chapters and general) – If each chapter in your disquisition is a self-contained study or experiment, then you may insert a References or Works Cited section at the end of each chapter that lists the sources used in that chapter. Otherwise, you should insert a References or Works Cited section after the body of the disquisition, but before the appendix or appendices (if used).

In other words, you may include a References section either as a subsection at the end of each chapter (containing only the references that appear in that chapter), or as one References section at the end of the main document (containing all references used in the entire document). If you have a mix of content, such as previously-published works and chapters containing as-yet-unpublished material, you may have References sections at the end of each chapter as well as a References section at the end of the document.

For detailed information about how to format a References or Works Cited section, and where to place the section in the disquisition, refer to the style manual of your discipline.

• Spacing and indentation – The line spacing and indentation should follow the directions of the style manual that is used in your discipline. Spacing must be consistent throughout the References or Works Cited section(s).

For more information about how to use the style manual that is used in your discipline, contact your advisor or the NDSU Center for Writers.