Formatting your thesis

General guidelines

All graduate thesis submissions at the University of Waterloo must be structured according to the University's standards. We recommend using one of the approved templates produced by IST.

Microsoft Word template (WatIAM login required)
LaTeX template (for cloud-based editing in Overleaf)

Theses are submitted to UWSpace as PDF/A files, unless they are supplementary audiovisual files. Theses must be accessible as per the Accessibility for Ontarions with Disabilities Act.

Accessible formatting may include:

Appropriate heading structures
Descriptive link text
Accessible tables
Alternative text for images
Transcripts for audiovisual content

More information on how to create accessible documents has been included in the sections below.

Formatting with Microsoft Word

See ISTs e-Thesis guide for support with formatting your thesis in Word.

See the following WebAim resources to understand how to create an accessible Word file:

Formatting with LaTeX

Information Systems & Technology maintains instructions for formatting your thesis in LaTeX and exporting it to a PDF.

Accessibility in LaTeX is a known challenge. See the resources below to help you get started:

Accessibility checklist for LaTeX documents – Lancaster University
Making Accessible Documents Using LaTeX – American Mathematical Society
Creating Accessible LaTeX Documents – Michigan State University Libraries

Please fill out this IST support form should you require assistance with LaTeX.

Formatting with Adobe InDesign

There is no template for students who publish their thesis using Adobe InDesign. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that all required text and sections are present in their published document.

See the Adobe InDesign Accessibility page to learn how to create an accessible PDF.

Further Accessibility formatting resources can be found under the Accessibility and Universal Design Resources list, under the heading Documents, Emails, Powerpoints, and Materials.

Ensuring the best image quality

When exporting photographs, scanning images from print, or saving images where highlights and shading are present, save your image files as TIFF files, preferably at a resolution of at least 300 dpi. When saving graphics with areas of discrete colour and linework, save your images as PNGs. If these formats are unavailable, JPEGs are acceptable.