College of Nursing - Dissertation Guide

10 Back Matter Back matter refers to documents placed after the narrative of the proposal and completed report. Reference list. All works cited in the dissertation must appear in the Reference List using APA formatting. Appendices. Appendices are used to present material that supplements the text but is too detailed or distracting for inclusion in the narrative. This material should be included if it helps the reader replicate, assess, or understand the investigation. Do not include lengthy program listings and other lengthy documents as appendices unless their content is critically relevant to the contribution the dissertation makes to the advancement of knowledge. Just because a program or data collection is a necessary part of the work does not mean that it must be published with the dissertation. Appendix A is reserved for the IRB permission documents. Other items that may be appropriate for inclusion in an appendix are correspondence from individuals involved in the study such as letters from officials granting permission to use facilities or supervisors granting permission to conduct the investigation, questionnaires, evaluation instruments, critical original data, complicated mathematical tables, novel algorithms, and data collection forms. Students should consult their chairperson regarding the suitability of inclusion of any lengthy material. Each appendix should be listed by letter and title in the table of contents. Appendices are lettered alphabetically in the order in which they appear in the narrative. After the Dissertation Defense Professional Editing The dissertation is considered completed (but not final) only after the candidate has: (1) successfully defend the dissertation, (2) the chairperson has received and accepted the post- defense revised version, and (3) the dissertation approval form (Appendix D) has been signed by all committee members. The dissertation is considered final only after the copy-edited revisions have been successfully completed, approved by the chairperson, and it is ready for printing and binding. The committee-approved dissertation must be copy-edited by an HPD approved copy- editor. Once the student submits proof that this editing has been completed, the manuscript is sent for binding. The committee is responsible for the content of the dissertation, but the copy- editor’s through line by line review assures that the technical details of the dissertation are accurate and consistent, and that the dissertation meets APA style guidelines, as well as the program’s format requirements. The candidate is responsible for the costs associated with copy- editing, and for a high quality dissertation report. Check with your chairperson on the list of approved copy-editors. Final Dissertation Report Copyright Permission Inclusion of any copyrighted materials must have letters of permission from the holder of the copyright. The student should prepare him or herself with information in the pamphlet, Copyright Law and the Doctoral Dissertation: Guidelines to your Legal Rights and Responsibilities available from ProQuest/UMI. Paper, Ink and Printing