Thesis Format and Style

Length of Thesis

Maximum length of the body of the thesis is 125 pages. Minimum length is 100 pages. Appendixes and Bibliography may go beyond the stated boundaries.

Standard for Format, Mechanics, and Style

There are three acceptable style manuals for preparation of theses. M.F.C.C. students are required to use the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) (5th Edition, c2001) in preparation of theses. OT and NT students are encouraged to use The SBL Handbook of Style. All other programs may use, MLA, Chicago, or APA and shall conform to the style manual Form and Style: Research Papers, Reports, and Theses, by Carole Slade, published by Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Form and Style deals with both research papers and theses and dissertations; be sure to use the theses-dissertations sections. The student is responsible for any corrections to be made if the format, mechanics, and style are incorrect.

Documentation

There are two basic systems of documentation: 1) notes and bibliography, and 2) parenthetical reference with a list of works cited. If the notes and bibliography format is used, the student may choose either footnotes or endnotes. Endnotes are to be placed at the end of the thesis, not at the end of each chapter.

Note: Exception to Form and Style: If parenthetical referencing is used, prepare a full bibliography, not just a list of works cited.

Note: If parenthetical referencing is used and an explanatory note is needed, use a footnote, not an endnote.

Elements of a Thesis.

There are three categories of materials in a thesis: the preliminaries, the body of the thesis, and the reference materials. See Form and Style for information on sequence and content of each. See attached sample pages for title page, and signature/disclaimer page. See Form and Style for other sample pages. If more than one sample is given, either sample is acceptable.

For further guidance on writing a thesis see: David Madsen, Successful Dissertations and Theses: A Guide to Graduate Research from Proposal to Completion. San Francisco/Washington/London: Jossey-Bass,1983.

Format for MFCC Thesis.

Because the M.F.C.C. program at MBBS integrates counseling and biblical theology, a thesis in this program should reflect a graduate level integration of the counseling and theological literature regarding the problem studied.

An M.F.C.C. thesis should normally use quantitative methods, including the collection and analysis of hard data. To clearly describe the process of data collection and analysis the thesis should include at least the following sections: (a) Abstract, (b) Introduction (c) Literature review, (d) a description of the methods used for data collections, (e) Results of data collection, and (f) Discussion. The introduction should clearly describe the research question and rationale for the study. The literature review should include a full review of the relevant counseling literature and a briefer, but still graduate level, review of the significant biblical and theological literature and discussion of their interaction. The methods section describes the data collection process sufficiently to permit replication of the study. The results section uses appropriate analysis techniques to summarize the data and draw implications from it. The discussion section includes the implications of the data regarding the original research question, implications for the integration of counseling and biblical theology, limitations of the study, and recommendations for further research.

A theoretical or exegetical thesis, while less common, is also acceptable. That thesis should also integrate counseling and biblical theology and should follow the same structure as a thesis from the theology department.

Printing Guidelines

Paper

The original copy of the thesis should be printed on 8-1/2 x 11 inch acid-free paper, which can be purchased at the Hiebert Library. This is the copy which will be bound for the Archives. Two extra sheets to be used as end sheets for binding are to be turned in with the original copy. The Library copy may be printed on 25% rag paper or acid-free paper.

Typeface

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Printer fonts which contain at least ten spaces or characters to the inch, such as Courier (10) or Times New Roman (12), should be used. Some computer printers offer smaller or larger type, as well as many different proportional fonts. These should not be used for theses. A letter-quality printer is required.

Margins.

The margins for the body of the thesis shall be: 1 1/2 inches on the left and 1 inch on the right, top, and bottom. Follow regulations for spacing of chapter headings and paging as outlined in Form and Style or the APA Publication Manual.

Spacing

The entire thesis must be double spaced with the following exceptions: chapter titles and headings, footnotes, table and figure captions, reference list items, and block quotations. Block quotations should be used for quotes that are five or more lines in length (three or more for poetry), and are indented only from the left margin. There should be no partially filled pages except at the end of chapters. (At least two lines of text must follow a heading at the bottom of a page. If there is insufficient space the heading must be moved to the top of the next page.)

Page Numbering.

The numbers should be placed in the upper right hand corner, flush with the right margin, preceded immediately by the surname of the writer. Preliminary page numbers are lower case Roman numerals centered at the bottom of the page.

Justification.

Left-hand justification is preferred. Right-hand justification may only be used if all within-word and between-word spacing remains uniform.

Hyphenation

Words should be divided only between syllables. Some words, such as names, should not be hyphenated (Form and Style notes other exceptions which you should follow). If in doubt, it is better not to hyphenate. No more than two lines in succession should end in hyphens and a hyphen should never end a page.

Order of Pages

  • Blank Page (not counted)
  • Preliminary Pages, counted in Roman numerals as follows:
    • Title Page (counted as page i, not numbered)
    • Blank Page (counted as page ii, not numbered)
    • Copyright (counted as page iii, not numbered)
    • Acceptance, disclaimer, and permission (not counted or numbered)
    • Abstract Title Page (not counted or numbered)
    • Abstract (not counted or numbered)
    • Table of Contents (counted and numbered as iv, etc.)
    • Lists of tables/figures/plates (counted and numbered)
    • Acknowledgment (counted and numbered)
    • Preface (counted as page 1 and numbered 1, etc.)
  • Body (counted and numbered in Arabic numerals)
  • Appendices (counted and numbered)
  • Bibliographies (counted and numbered)
  • Clearance Forms for quantitative research projects (counted and numbered)
  • Blank Page

Title Page

The title page shall conform to the sample in Appendix B. at the end of this handbook.

Acceptance, Disclaimer, and Permission Page

The acceptance, disclaimer and permission page shall conform to the sample provided in Appendix B. It shall be of the same paper and type as the body of the thesis. The following disclaimer statement will be typed on the bottom of the page: "The views expressed in this thesis are those of the student and do not necessarily express the views of the Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary." The Adviser, Registrar and student will sign this page.

Copyright Page

Binding a thesis and placing it in a library is a form of publication. As such it is copyrighted material and should have a copyright notation. For example:

© 2004 your name; All Rights Reserved

Bible Useage

Scripture references

If used in the text of the thesis the name of the book is spelled out. If the reference is given in parentheses it is abbreviated.

Examples:

  • In Romans 1:16 we read, "For I am not ashamed..."
  • "For I am not ashamed. . .to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16).

Punctuation

Use the system of punctuation and capitalization found in the version of the Bible you are using.

Italicization

Words italicized in an English version of the Bible are not underlined in typing, as the purpose is different in normal writing.

Abbreviations of Bible Versions

Commonly accepted abbreviations for Bible versions may be used, but they should be identified in the introduction or at the first use, e.g., New International Version (hereafter NIV).

Commonly used abbreviations are:

  • ASV - American Standard Version
  • ERV - English Revised Version
  • JB - Jerusalem Bible
  • KJV or AV - King James or Authorized Version
  • NASB - New American Standard Bible
  • NEB - New English Bible
  • NIV - New International Version
  • NLT - New Living Translation
  • NRSV - New Revised Standard Version
  • RSV - Revised Standard Version
  • TEV - Today's English Version (Good News for Modern Man)

Abbreviations of Books of the Bible

The following abbreviations, taken from the University of Chicago Manual of Style, should be used, except for those using the SBL Handbook.

Gen.	    II Kings	  Isa.	     Nah.	Rom.	     Titus
Exod.	    I Chron.	  Jer.	     Hab.	I Cor.	     Philemon
Lev.	    II Chron.	  Lam.	     Zeph.	II Cor.	     Heb.
Num.	    Ezra	  Ezek.	     Hag.	Gal.	     Jas.
Deut.	    Neh.	  Dan.	     Zech.	Eph.	     I Pet.
Josh.	    Esther	  Hos.	     Mal.	Phil.	     II Pet.
Judg.	    Job		  Joel	     Matt.	Col.	     I John
Ruth	    Ps.		  Amos	     Mark	I Thess.     II John
I Sam.	    Prov.	  Obad.	     Luke	II Thess.    III John
II Sam.	    Eccles.	  Jonah	     John	I Tim.	     Jude
I Kings	    Song of Sol.  Mic.	     Acts	II Tim.	     Rev.

Language of a Thesis

If a student's preferred language is one other than English, and a thesis Adviser and grammarian can be found who are fluent in that language, the thesis may be written in that language. Application must be made for this modification in the original thesis proposal, showing that these requirements can be met.

A five-page abstract of the thesis must be written in English by the student and made available three weeks prior to the defense so that participants have opportunity to be familiar with the thesis. The defense will be conducted in English.