Many of the settings discussed in this Guide are already included in that document. To save yourself time and effort, please consider using our Dissertation Template (link available in the box to the right). While we do follow the requirements from Rackham’s formatting guidelines to demonstrate the tools, in the end, you are responsible for verifying that your document meets the requirements that Rackham sets. To meet Rackham’s Dissertation Formatting Guidelines – as well as any set by your school or department – you will need to modify the default, standard Word document. This online guide is intended to show you how to use the tools to make the necessary modifications. Students at the University of Michigan are also encouraged to contact the experts at the Library's ScholarSpace anytime you run into a problem or have a question.
The earlier you begin to use these tools, the more time you'll save and the less stress you'll have as your submission deadline approaches. But using the special features described in this Guide will save you a great deal of work, particularly if you use our template.
Formatting your dissertation (or thesis) will likely take more time than you expect.
