How do you start the design of your dissertation well-prepared?
All publications have been written, you are ready to finish your dissertation: a good start!
We would like to give you a few important tips on how to start designing your dissertation well-prepared. After all, you can never be too well-prepared. We would also like to refer you to the entire design process of Personal Dissertation – it might be helpful to read through how our process works in detail. Additionally, there is a separate article in which we explain more about the first meeting with your Personal Thesis designer.
Tip 1: Planning
Universities are generally very strict when it comes to submitting your (printed) dissertations to the doctoral committee. This usually needs to be done well over a month before the defense of your dissertation. This deadline varies by university, so always double-check.
In addition, you will need to take into account the production of the dissertations. A printer typically requires three working weeks to print and deliver the dissertations (including one week for proofing). If you outsource the design to Persoonlijk Proefschrift, it is important to set aside time for the design as well. The entire process for designing your dissertation usually takes 4 weeks.
In short, make a brief overview of all dates and deadlines in your case.
Tip 2: Look for examples and inspiration
Before you start with the design, it is of course wise to have an idea of what you like. You can determine this by many examples of dissertations to look at and take photos of beautiful books (who knows, perhaps from colleagues) that you come across. You can then show these to your designer, so that the designer quickly gets an idea of your taste.
A neatly formatted dissertation will leave a good impression regardless, but by adding just an unexpected twist to the layout, you can surprise your readers and grab their attention. Need inspiration? Read more here about various sources of Inspiration for your thesis!
Tip 3: Collect all texts
Finally, we recommend gathering all texts in one place. As soon as the design phase begins, it is helpful to send all chapters in a single Word document (.doc / .docx). We can also process separate Word documents: please clearly indicate which chapter it concerns in the file name (for example: chapter1.docx).
For the best figure quality, save the figures separately. Microsoft Word compresses the figures, which often results in a slightly lower resolution than the original. Simply leave the figure in your Word file so we know exactly where it needs to be placed. Image resolution is checked by your graphic designer. If any figures are of truly poor quality, your graphic designer will indicate this. Read more here about how to provides Word documents for your thesis.
You are ready for it
By following these tips, you can outsource the design of your dissertation with peace of mind. Would you like to outsource the design to Persoonlijk Proefschrift? Then do a application. In any case, you are well prepared for the first step in the design process: a phone call with your personal designer. Read more about this here. first introductory meeting with the designer.
