Research Template
Tutorial Transcript

Welcome to the UW-Stout Graduate School’s tutorial on using its research paper template.  By the end of the tutorial, you should feel more confident about meeting the Graduate School’s research paper formatting requirements.  Let’s get started.

First of all, note that you are at the Graduate School’s home page.  Obviously, you can access a variety of information through this site.  For now, let’s look at the research paper template.  To access the template, click on “Research Information.” Notice the resources that you can access from this site!  For now, let’s click on “Research Paper Template.” Click “Open.”

Notice that the document opens to a title page formatted exactly to Graduate School specifications.  A couple of things you should attend to.  Your title should appear in inverted pyramid style.  Notice how this title resembles an inverted pyramid?  Scrolling down the page, notice that the name of the research adviser is typed below the line; and signature on the line.

Let’s go to the Abstract page.  Notice the use of bold formatting.  Although contrary to the APA style manual, it’s exactly how your abstract information should be formatted.  Now check out the page numbers.  Typically, preliminary pages like the Abstract and Table of Contents are formatted so page numbers appear at the bottom of the page.  However, the Graduate School accepts preliminary page numbers formatted using lower case Roman numerals, which are positioned in the top right-hand corner.  Take note that helpful information about producing your paper can be found under each heading in the template.  For instance, helpful information about the abstract appears here - under the abstract heading.

Now let’s move on, through the Acknowledgments section to the Table of Contents.  Here we are at the Table of Contents.  Sometimes, students fail to notice the use of italics for subheadings in the Table of Contents.  Papers which do not conform to this convention are returned for revision.  Of course, your paper won’t be one of those!  As you scroll down the page to the Appendix entries, notice that a title is provided for each appendix.

As we scroll down further through the template, moving quickly through the List of Tables and List of Figures, you’ll notice that the List of Tables and List of Figures are formatted very similarly to the Table of Contents.

Okay, enough about preliminary pages.  Now, let’s scroll through the template to what’s called the body of your paper.  Here we are at chapter one.  See how the chapter heading appears with no special formatting and that the subheadings—for example, Statement of the Problem, Purpose of the Study, etc.—are italicized? This corresponds directly to how things appear in the Table of Contents.

Let’s scroll back to the Table of Contents to see that.  See how the subheadings are italicized? Very good.

Again, what you want to do to utilize this template to the fullest is to follow it very carefully and to read the helpful hints provided in each section.

Now, let’s scroll through to the end of your paper, where you’ll be listing your references.  Be very careful in formatting this section.  Pay special attention to the use of hanging indent, to spacing, to how you format online resources and to the use of italics.  The References section is extremely important and also labor intensive to construct.  Plan to spend a significant portion of your time on it.  The Library provides training in the use of Refworks, which, in addition to its organizational features, can reduce the time you spend formatting references.  Refworks, check it out!

As we continue to scroll through your paper, you’ll find the Appendix section.  After that, you’re finished.

Now you’re on your way.  Follow the template and it’s likely that the only email you’ll receive about your paper from the Graduate School is the one that approves it.  Happy trails from Claudia Johnston, Coordinator of Graduate Studies at UW-Stout