By writing a thesis on topic X, you assume that nobody has discussed this topic so exhaustively or clearly before you. Throughout this book I have shown that you must be cautious in choosing a topic, that you must be wary enough to settle on a topic that is extremely limited, perhaps very easy, and perhaps despicably specialized. But on the topic you have chosen, be it even “Variations in Newspaper Sales at the Newsagent on the Corner of Washington and State during the First Week of August 1976,” on that topic you must be the utmost living authority. And even if you have chosen a literature survey in which you summarize all that has been said on a topic without adding anything new, you are the authority on what has been said by the other authorities. Nobody must know better than you all that has been said on that topic. Naturally, you must work with a clear conscience. But this is another story. Here I am discussing a matter of style. Do not whine and be complex-ridden, because it is annoying.
Attention: the following chapter is not printed but instead typewritten. It provides a model of the thesis’s final draft. The final draft entails two specific documents: the final written draft, and the final typewritten draft. It may first seem like writing the final draft is your responsibility and that this is wholly a conceptual issue, whereas typing is a manual matter that is the responsibility of the typist. But this is not really the case. Giving a typewritten form to a thesis also means making some methodological choices. If the typist makes them for you, following certain standards, your thesis will still have a specific graphic-expository format that also affects its content. It is more desirable that you make these choices yourself, and in this case, any kind of draft you have adopted (writing by hand, typing with a single finger, or—horror!—using the tape recorder) must contain formatting instructions for the typist.
For these reasons, you will find formatting instructions in this chapter that will help you impose a conceptual order as well as a “communicative façade” on your thesis. Also, you may or may not use the services of a typist. You could type it yourself, especially if your work requires special graphic conventions. You may be able to type at least a first typewritten draft on your own, and the typist will have only to clean up what you have already formatted. The question here is whether you can type, or can learn to type. If the answer is yes to either, remember that a used typewriter costs less than paying a typist to type your thesis.
6. THE FINAL DRAFT
6.1. Formatting the Thesis
6.1.1. Margins and Spaces
This chapter begins with its title, in full capitals, with lefthand justification (but it could also be centered on the page). The chapter bears a number, in this case an Arabic numeral (below we will see the available alternatives). Then, after three or four blank lines, the title of the section appears flush left, underlined, and preceded by the Arabic numeral of the chapter and that of the section. Then the title of the subsection appears two lines below (or double-spaced). The title of the subsection is not underlined, so as to distinguish it from that of the section. The text begins three lines under this title, and the first word is indented two spaces.
You can decide to indent the text only at the beginning of a section or at the beginning of each paragraph, as we are doing on this page. The indentation for a new paragraph is important because it shows at a glance that the previous paragraph has ended, and that the argument restarts after a pause. As we have already seen, it is good to begin a new paragraph often, but not randomly. The new paragraph means that a logical period, comprised of various sentences, has organically ended and a new portion of the argument is beginning. It is as if we were to pause while talking to say, «Understood? Agreed? Good, let us proceed.» Once all have agreed, we begin a new paragraph and proceed, exactly as we are doing in this case.
Once the section is finished, leave three lines between the end of the text and the title of the new section. (This is triple spacing.) Although this chapter is double-spaced, a thesis may be triple-spaced, so that it is more readable, so that it appears to be longer, and so that it is easier to substitute a retyped page. When the thesis is triple-spaced, the distance between the title of a chapter, the title of a section, and any other subhead increases by one line. If a typist types the thesis, the typist knows how much margin to leave on all four sides of the page. If you type it, consider that the pages will have some sort of binding which will require some space between binding and text, and the pages must remain legible on that side. (It is also a good idea to leave some space on the other side of the page.)
This chapter on formatting, as we have already established, takes the form of typewritten pages of a thesis, insofar as the format of this book allows. Therefore, while this chapter refers
to your thesis, it also refers to itself. In this chapter, I underline terms to show you how and when to underline;
I insert notes to show you how to insert notes; and I subdivide chapters, sections, and subsections to show you the criteria by which to subdivide these.
6.1.2. Underlining and Capitalizing
The typewriter does not include italic type, only roman type. Therefore, in a thesis you must underline what in a book you would italicize. If the thesis were the typescript for a book, the typographer would then compose in italics all the words you underlined.
What should you then underline? It depends on the type of thesis, but in general, underline the following:
1. Foreign words of uncommon use (do not underline those thatare already anglicized or currently in use, like the Italian words «ciao» and «paparazzi,» but also «chiaroscuro,» «manifesto,» and «libretto»; in a thesis on particle physics, do
not underline words common in that field such as
«neutrino»);
2. Scientific names such as «felis catus,» «euglena viridis,»
«clerus apivorus»;
3. Technical terms: «the method of coring in the processes of oil prospecting …»;
4. Titles of books (not of book chapters or journal articles);
5. Titles of dramatic works, paintings, and sculptures: «In her essay ‘La théorie des mondes possibles dans l’étude des textes: Baudelaire lecteur de Brueghel’ (The theory of possible worlds in the study of texts: Baudelaire as reader of Brueghel), Lucia Vaina-Pusca refers to Hintikka’s Knowledge and Belief in demonstrating that Baudelaire’s poem ‘The Blind’ is inspired
by Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting The Parable of the Blind»;
6. Names of newspapers, magazines, and journals: «see the article ‘E dopo le elezioni?’ (What is next after the election?) that appeared in L’Espresso on June 24, 1976»;
7. Titles of films, published musical scores, and lyric operas.
Do not underline other authors’ quotes. Instead, follow the rules given in section 5.3. Underlining too much is like crying wolf: if you do it too many times, nobody will take notice. An underline must always correspond to that special intonation you would give to your voice if you were to read the text. It must attract the attention of your listeners, even if they are distracted.
You can decide to underline (sparingly) single terms of particular technical importance, such as your work’s keywords. Here is an example:
Hjelmslev uses the term sign function for the correlation between two functives belonging to the two otherwise independent planes of expression and content. This definition challenges the notion of the sign as an autonomous entity.
Let it be clear that every time you introduce an underlined technical term you must define it immediately before or after. Do not underline for emphasis («We believe what we have discovered decisively proves our argument that …»). In general, avoid emphasis of any kind, including exclamation points. Also avoid ellipsis points used for anything other than to indicate a specific omission from a text you have quoted. Exclamation points, ellipses used to suspend a thought or sentence, and underlined nontechnical terms are typical of amateur writers and appear only in self-published books.
6.1.3. Sections
A section can have a number of subsections, as in this chapter.
If you underline the title of a section, not underlining the title of a subsection will suffice to distinguish the two, even if their distance from the text is the same. On the other hand, as you can see, strategic numbering can also help distinguish a section from a subsection. Readers will understand that the first Arabic numeral indicates the chapter, the second Arabic numeral indicates the section, and the third indicates the subsection.
6.1.3.Sections Here I have repeated the title of this subsection to illustrate another system for formatting it. In this
