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University of Edinburgh

Doctoral Thesis & Research Master's Thesis (M.Phil., M.Sc. by Research) Formatting Guidelines

Official layout specifications, binding margins, and document formatting requirements.

Governing Body: Academic Services & Edinburgh Research Archive (Scotland, UK)

Degree Scope:🎓 Ph.D. / Doctoralℹī¸ Master's / M.Tech. format requires departmental / DPGC confirmation unless a central handbook is cited
Official Handbook:
University of Edinburgh Regulatory Standards for the Format and Binding of a Thesis
View Official Handbook ↗
Paper Dimensions
A4 (210 mm × 297 mm)
Binding Margins
40 mm Left / 25 mm Right
Standard Typography
Arial (12pt)
Line Spacing
1.5x

1. Page Setup & Geometry

Page dimensions, binding margins, and print/digital alignments

A4
Top: 20 mm
Binding: 40 mm
[Header]Page 1
[Front matter]
Right: 25 mm
Bottom: 40 mm
Left (Binding Gutter)
40mm
Right Margin
25mm
Top Margin
20mm
Bottom Margin
40mm
Margin Specification: Binding Margin (Left): 40 mm; Fore-edge Margin (Right): 25 mm; Head Margin (Top): 20 mm; Tail Margin (Bottom): 40 mm.

2. Typography & Spacing Hierarchy

Font selections, heading styles, line spacing, and paragraph indentation

Arial
Body Font
Arial
Font Size
12pt
Line Spacing
1.5x
Paragraph Indent
0.5 in
Approved Typefaces:ArialHelveticaTimes New RomanCalibri
Spacing Exceptions: Single spacing for quotes, tables, notes, and bibliography.

3. Technical & Archival Compliance

ETD ProQuest repository requirements, table spanning, and vector DPI rules

Institute ETD / library deposit
Tables Layout

Table captions: above.

Figures & Graphics

Figure captions: below. Colour photography minimum 300 DPI.

Math & Formulae

Right-aligned equation numbers (chapter.seq). Preserves native MathML and Word equation blocks.

Archival Preservation

Library ETD guideline: PDF/A-1b (Note: ScholarSpec formats submission-ready Word .docx documents; export to PDF/A upon final committee approval).

4. Preliminary Pages Checklist & Order

Strict graduate school ordering, title page numbering suppression, and Roman pagination

Mandatory Sequence
  1. 1
    Title PageMandatory
    Pagination: suppressed counted
  2. 2
    Signed Declaration of AuthorshipMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
    Requirement: Regulation 34 declaration certifying own work, including explicit disclosure of any generative AI assistance.
  3. 3
    AbstractMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  4. 4
    Lay SummaryOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  5. 5
    AcknowledgementsOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  6. 6
    Table of ContentsMandatory
    Pagination: roman visible
  7. 7
    List of FiguresOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible
  8. 8
    List of TablesOptional / If Applicable
    Pagination: roman visible

6. Academic Integrity, Similarity & AI Policy

Plagiarism threshold, similarity checking software, and Generative AI disclosure rules

Policy & Disclosure
Generative AI Policy
Disclosure Statement Required

University of Edinburgh mandates a signed declaration in preliminary pages under Regulation 34 certifying thesis authorship and explicitly declaring any use of generative AI.

Chapter Opening & Print Setup

Chapter start placement, top margin drops, single vs double-sided print, and paper weight

Layout
Printing Format
Single or Double-Sided

8. Institutional & Departmental Policies

Signed Declaration:

Signed declaration under Regulation 34 certifying that the thesis has been composed by the candidate and declaring any AI use.

Word Count:

Word limit declaration must appear on the preliminary pages.

Repository Deposit:

Mandatory deposit in Edinburgh Research Archive (ERA).

Institutional Policy: Double-sided copies permitted; each chapter must start on a right-facing (recto) page.

Notice a discrepancy in this 2025 handbook?

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  • Binding edge (left): 40 mm, head margin (top): 20 mm, fore-edge (right): 25 mm, tail margin (bottom): 40 mm.
  • Line spacing: not less than 1.5 spacing (1.5x); single spacing for quotations, notes, and bibliography.
  • Signed declaration under Regulation 34 must certify authorship and explicitly disclose any generative AI usage.
  • Flag 2026-10-13: the current Thesis Format Guidance (2025-09) states no margins, spacing, paper size or pagination. The 40/25/20/40 mm margins and 1.5 spacing match only a legacy 2015 PDF.