In the context of thesis or report book preparation in Nepal, the standard paper size is A4, with margins of 1.5 inches (3.5 cm) on the left, and 1 inch (2.5 cm) on the top, bottom, and right. The text should be 1.5 spaced, using Times New Roman font at 12 points.
Here's a more detailed breakdown of the common guidelines:
1. Paper and Margins:
Paper Size: A4 (21 cm x 29.7 cm).
Margins:
Left: 1.5 inches (3.5 cm)
Top, Bottom, and Right: 1 inch (2.5 cm)
2. Text Formatting:
sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode
serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)
Spacing: 1.5 spacing throughout the text, including block quotes, footnotes, and references.
Font: Times New Roman.
Font Size: 12 points.
Line Spacing: 1.5 space (spacing before and after 6 pt.)
Page Numbering:
Preliminary pages (i, ii, iii...) should be numbered in Roman numerals.
Main text and end matter should be numbered in Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3...).
Page Number Placement: Centered at the bottom of the page.
3. Other Considerations:
Language: English or nepali both is the preferred language in Nepal.
Printing: Use a laser printer for high-quality printing.
Copies: Typically, multiple copies of the thesis are required for submission.
Figures and Tables:
Figures and tables should be placed in the text closely following the point where they are first discussed.
The table number and heading should be placed above the body of the table.
The figure number and the caption should be placed below the figure.
The text font size in tables and figures should be 10.
Thesis Length:
Thesis length varies depending on the academic level and field of study, but generally ranges from around 40 to 300 pages.
Master's theses are typically shorter (60-100 pages).
PhD dissertations are usually longer.
Sample Size: For research proposals, the sample size should be statistically valid.
5. For References or Bibliography
There are several reference styles used in academic and professional writing. The most common ones are:
APA (American Psychological Association) - 7th Edition
Used in social sciences, psychology, and education.
Example (Book):
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition if applicable). Publisher.
Example (Journal Article):
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
Example:
Smith, J. (2020). Introduction to Psychology (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
2. MLA (Modern Language Association) - 9th Edition
Used in humanities, literature, and arts.
Example (Book):
Author Last name, First name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.
Example (Journal Article):
Author Last name, First name. “Title of the Article.” Title of Journal, vol. XX, no. XX, Year, pp. XX-XX.
Example:
Smith, John. The Art of Writing. Cambridge University Press, 2020.
Brown, Linda, and White, Kevin. “The Impact of Climate Change.” Journal of Environmental Studies, vol. 45, no. 3, 2021, pp. 123-145.
3. Chicago Style (Author-Date & Notes and Bibliography)
Used in history, business, and some sciences.
Example (Book - Author-Date):
Author Last name, First name. Year. Title of Book. Place: Publisher.
Example (Book - Notes and Bibliography):
Author First name Last name, Title of Book (Place: Publisher, Year), Page number.
Example:
Author-Date: Smith, John. 2020. The Art of Writing. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Notes and Bibliography: John Smith, The Art of Writing (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020), 45.
4. Harvard Style
Common in business, economics, and social sciences.
Example (Book):
Author Last name, First Initial(s). (Year) Title of Book. Edition (if applicable). Place: Publisher.
Example (Journal Article):
Author Last name, First Initial(s). (Year) ‘Title of the article’, Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page numbers.
Example:
Smith, J. (2020) The Art of Writing. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, L. and White, K. (2021) ‘The impact of climate change’, Journal of Environmental Studies, 45(3), pp. 123-145.