Writing Up - How Do I Produce My Thesis?

Rules and regulations

The rules and regulations governing research degrees awarded by the University of Portsmouth can be obtained from the University Registry. For details of thesis binding requirements see the Postgraduate Research Student Handbook. This includes the binding requirements for the final hardbound copy of your thesis in Section 13.

British Standard 4821

For further assistance you can consult British Standard BS4821: Recommendations for the Presentation of Theses and Dissertations (1990). Although the British Standards Institution has officially withdrawn this standard, it should still be consulted as it provides good guidance for the presentation of theses.

Some useful books

Holtom, Daniel and Elizabeth Fisher. (1999). Enjoy writing your science thesis or dissertation! : a step by step guide to planning and writing dissertations and theses for undergraduate and graduate science students. London: Imperial College Press. Two copies are shelved at 808.0665/HOL on the 2nd Floor of the Library.
Turabian, K. (2007). A manual for writers : of research papers, theses and dissertations (2nd ed.). London: Heinemann. 1 copy is shelved at 808.02/TUR in the General Reference Collection on the Ground Floor of the Library. Multiple copies of earlier editions of the book are shelved at 808.02/TUR on the 2nd Floor of the Library.
Allison, B. (1993). A guide to dissertation preparation. (4th ed.) Leicester: ARIAD Associates. Shelved at 808.02/ALL on the 2nd Floor of the Library.

To find other books on this subject, use the Library Catalogue and search for keywords such as thesis or dissertation or browse the Library shelves around 808 (technical writing) on the 2nd Floor of the Library.

The University’s Academic Skills Unit publishes a number of handouts and workbooks that may be helpful if you need to develop your writing skills.

Ensure you are using the correct citation and referencing style in your thesis. Harvard format - APA style is used by all Schools or Departments apart from the School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, who must use Vancouver format. Students in the School of Health Sciences and Social Work can optionally use Vancouver format if they wish to. Do check this and check also to see if there are any departmental variations to these formats.

Binding of theses

The University has no on-site bindery, so to have your thesis bound you will need to use an external commercial bookbinder. There are a number of bookbinders in the Yellow Pages or Thompson Local directory for the local area who can bind your thesis for you. Do ensure when handing your thesis over to a bookbinder that they have a copy of any University regulations related to the binding of theses. If they haven’t you must provide one. A few bookbinding services are shown below.

Masters Bookbinding thesis service (based in Reading) provides a guaranteed two-working day service. If you're really in trouble they offer a one-day emergency service, provided the work is delivered to them in by 9am. This service, while more expensive than some, has been a lifesaver for many an exasperated student!

Hollingworth and Moss (based in Leeds) offer a thesis binding service with online submission of manuscripts.

Flavell's bookbinders (based on the Isle of Wight) offer a thesis binding service.