Given the ubiquity of word-processing and desktop publishing software, publishers have shifted many aspects of document design to the author. For example, universities have guidelines for dissertations; journals have guidelines for articles. These guidelines typically specify
Manually formatting each section, page, paragraph, or heading to conform with the required guidelines is time-consuming and subject to human error. However, settings such as typography and layout can be implemented in a template.
If you need assistance formatting your document according to a specific set of graduate school guidelines, submission guidelines, or organizational standards, I can create a custom template for you based on those guidelines.
A template functions like a cascading style sheet. Once created, the template is applied to your document, ensuring that it conforms to the required format in a consistent manner.
Contact me for a free consultation. We can discuss your format requirements as well as rates and turnaround time.
Based on the guidelines provided, I define settings for each functional unit of a document. For example, I set the size and orientation of each section as well as the font type and size of each heading.
Functional Unit |
Format Settings |
Document |
Front matter Back matter |
Sections |
Page orientation, size, & margins Headers, footers, & page numbers Pagination |
Paragraphs |
Alignment, indentation, & spacing Body text Lists & tables |
Cross-references |
Table of Contents [TOC] Lists of Tables/Figures Headings Captions |
Style |
Style guidelines [APA, MLA, ...] Graduate school guidelines Publisher specifications |
The table below shows the format settings I define, organized by functional unit.
My formatting rate is based on word count. This approach allows me to provide an up-front estimate based on your actual text. To generate the word count for a document in Word, select Tools | Word Count.
I format using Microsoft Word, so any of the following file formats are acceptable:
Based on the guidelines you provide, I create a Word template. A template consists of a pre-defined layout and a set of style codes that encode format requirements. Once the template is created, I attach it to your document.
Upon request, I can send the template and a list of shortcuts to you. You can either create a new document from the template or attach it to any pre-existing document.