Stanford University latex thesis style file (suthesis-2e.sty)

People might be interested in the university sponsored but student maintained wiki for thesis support. I've moved some stuff over there but it would be a good place for students to suggest tricks and tips. (I hope it is open to all Stanford students now.)

This site and style file is in the process of revision due to the implementation of online submission of theses by Stanford University.

This latex style file allows you to create a dissertation that fulfils the requirments of the Registrar's office (at least as far as style, content is your own problem). However, you should double check against the latest version of the electronic submission regulations (pdf file) or hardcopy submission regulations put out by the Registrars Office. I've also htmlized the 2009 electronic regulations. Please note that this style file is unofficial though I will make corrections as necessary.

Linguistics people check the Linguistics requirements.

Those of you looking for a Microsoft Word template for the thesis might want to check

Also some words of wisdom

What else is on this page:

Where to get suthesis-2e.sty

How to use

Read the .sty file; it has documentation. But I've extracted it here.

Example file

\documentclass[12pt]{report}
%or \documentclass[12pt,twoside]{report}
\usepackage{suthesis-2e}
%or \usepackage[online]{suthesis-2e}
% the online option is for online submission that the Stanford
% Registrar's office now permits. It will omit the signature and
% copyright pages and set the correct page numbering for the next page
% A cammand, \onlinesignature, will create the signature page that has % to be printed if choosing online submission and signed; % however, it should be the last command before the \end{document} \begin{document}
\title{How to Write Theses\\
  With Two Line Titles}
\author{John Henry Candidate}
\principaladviser{John Parker}
% \coprincipaladvisor{Ann Standin} \firstreader{John Green}
\secondreader{John BigBooty\\(Another Department)}
\thirdreader{Jane Supernumerary} %if needed

\beforepreface
\prefacesection{Abstract} % optional
\input{abstract}
have a separate abstract.tex file so you can also input it into the microfilm.tex template

\prefacesection{Preface}
  This thesis tells you all you need to know about...
\prefacesection{Acknowledgments}
  I would like to thank...
\afterpreface

\chapter{Introduction}
  ...
\chapter{Conclusions}
  ...
\appendix
\chapter{A Long Proof}
  ...
\bibliographystyle{plain}
\bibliography{mybib}
\end{document}

Documentation

This style file modifies the standard report document class to follow the Graduate Degree Support Section of the Registrar's Office's "Directions for Preparing Doctoral Dissertations". It sets the margins and interline spacing and disallows page breaks at hyphens. Note that printers vary so the margins may not be quite right, check. For a really careful check, latex the file 'testpage' (should be part of standard latex) and print. If the printer is off, use \voffset (vertical offset) and \hoffset (horizontal offset) before \begin{document} to make sure the printout is correctly placed (e.g., if it is 15pt too low set \voffset-15pt)

Use the report documentclass and, if you want a doublesided thesis, the twoside option:

\documentclass[12pt,twoside]{report}
\usepackage{suthesis-2e}
Note that one version of the thesis must be printed singlesided (for ease in microfilming); printing the doublesided version out singlesided is not sufficient, the margins on the bounding edge must be 1.5in (this is in contrast to the previous information given here 8/27/03).

As of November 2009, you can submit your thesis online either double or single-sided. Use

\usepackage[online]{suthesis-2e}
to create an acceptable format. However note that fonts must be embedded and that might require you to change how you latex. (This new option hasn't been fully tweaked so take care.)

The \beforepreface command creates the title page, a copyright page (optionally), and a signature page. The user should put preface section(s), using the \prefacesection{section title} command (unless he doesn't want these sections in the table of contents, in which case use \chapter*{}). The \afterpreface command then produces the tables of contents, tables and figures, and sets things up to start the main body (on arabic page 1 and on an absolute odd page if set doublesided).

The following commands can control what goes in the front matter material:

\title{thesis title}
\author{author's name}
\dept{author's department} - Computer Science if omitted
The following switches allow for modified title pages since certain departments/schools do not follow the regular format (if you don't fall into any of these categories don't worry).
\committeethesis
for a thesis in a committee (no dept.) use \dept{committee name}
\programthesis
for a thesis in a program (no dept.) use \dept{program name}
\educationthesis
for the School of Education. \dept doesn't matter
\humanitiesthesis
for a thesis also submitted to the Graduate Program in Humanities
\dualthesis
for a thesis in a dual language department. Define \languagemajor{language} as well as \dept{Department}.
\businessthesis
for the Graduate School of Business. \dept doesn't matter. (This one isn't actually given in the regs)
\lawthesis
for the School of Law. \dept doesn't matter. (This one isn't actually given in the regs)
\specialthesis
for a Graduate Special thesis (not actually given in the regs)
Other commands for modifying things
\principaladviser{the principal advisor's name}
(or \principaladvisor, if you prefer advisor spelled with o)
\coprincipaladviser{optional second principal advisor's name}
(or \coprincipaladvisor, use only if you have two principal advisors and only for the second one)
\firstreader{the first reader's name}
\secondreader{optional second reader's name}
\thirdreader{optional third reader's name}
\fourthreader{optional fourth reader's name}
\setlength{\signaturespace}{.2in}
default is .5in, can be adjusted to fit all signatures on the signature page into one page.
\submitdate{month year in which submitted to GPO}
date LaTeX'd if omitted
\copyrightyear{year degree conferred (next year if submitted in Fall quarter)}
year LaTeX'd (or next year, in September-December) if omitted. Use this to override if submitted in September but still in Summer quarter.
\copyrighttrue or \copyrightfalse
produce or don't produce a copyright page (true by default)
\thesiscopyrighttrue or \thesiscopyrightfalse
produces the style of copyright page listed by the Thesis Office or the style that everyone else uses (Thesis office by default).
\figurespagetrue or \figurespagefalse
produce or don't produce a List of Figures page (true by default)
\tablespagetrue or \tablespagefalse
produce or don't produce a List of Tables page (true by default)
This style uses interline spacing that is 1.3 times normal, except in the figure and table environments where normal spacing is used. I did check with the Registrar's office some years back and they said the output was fine (can someone check with them and see if this is still true). That can be changed by doing:
\setstretch{1.6}
(or whatever you want instead of 1.6) This command should be put before the \begin{document} command but after loading the packages.

You can also set any particular section in singlespacing mode by using the singlespace environment. For example

\begin{quote}
\begin{singlespace}
...
\end{singlespace}
\end{quote}

makes the quote singlespaced. See the documentation for setspace.sty for more information.

The example at the beginning shows the 12pt substyle being used. This seems to give acceptable looking results, but it may be omitted to get smaller print.

Embedded Fonts

(See also Thesis office instructions though they are mostly aimed at Word users at this time.

Embedded fonts and ideally Type 1 fonts are required for the online submission. This can be done in LaTeX but does require being careful. First know how to check whether your fonts are embedded.

Tricks of the trade I need feedback on other options.

Other hints