The Style Guide

Welcome to the Graduate Institute for the Social Sciences' Style Guide for Theses and Dissertations.

The thesis or dissertation is an important document that shows what you are capable of in the academic environment. It may play a large role in your winning acceptance into further studies in other academic programs or into teaching positions at universities around the world.

If you are a student of another institute or university, you are welcome to use these pages. Some of the departments within the Graduate Institute for the Social Sciences require that their theses and dissertations be prepared  according to strict documentation styles (APA, MLA or Chicago Styles). All three styles are explained and examples are given for each in our Style Guide for Theses and Dissertations. However, you should note that in order to avoid unnecessary complications, the Institute has chosen to limit the use of these styles to referencing, both in the text and in the bibliography. You should therefore be aware that if you personally want, or if your department requires you to be in total compliance with any of the three styles, you will have to consult the corresponding three style manuals.

The requirements described in this handbook represent what the Institute for Graduate Studies in the Social Sciences considers the "default" requirements. All papers will be edited according to this style, but will respect department choices regarding citation and referencing styles.