Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need to use this LaTeX Thesis Template?

It is not compulsory to use the LaTeX Thesis Template or any other LaTeX template, but here is one, ready, tested and documented for you to use. It is a template and structured framework and written to keep you organised and let you start writing your thesis straight away without spending time worrying about the formatting and layout.

Of course, you can do all of this yourself manually, but why re-invent the wheel?

Can I use this template for my thesis? Will my Institution/University accept it?

The use of the template – particularly the style – depends upon your institution. Sometimes, there are strict, imposed guidelines for the thesis style you must comply to and on these occasions, the institution will have their own template that you must use instead and so you should not use the LaTeX Thesis Template provided here in this situation.

In the majority of cases however, there is no set style and the phrase: “something that just looks professional and formal” will apply. In this case, the LaTeX Thesis Template is suitable as it has been designed to be as “generic” as possible with a style and layout suitable for many institutions.

My advice is to check your institution’s style requirements by asking your advisor/supervisor and postgraduate administration office. It may also be helpful to print out the PDF Help file that comes with the LaTeX Thesis Template as it demonstrates the style used and in particular, pages such as the abstract, declaration, dedication etc.. and their order in the thesis

Can I change some of the formatting and layout in the LaTeX Thesis Template?

Yes you can, though the point of the LaTeX Thesis Template is that the formatting and layout is already done for you. If you need to change the template in someway and are somewhat knowledgeable in LaTeX, then this is fine.

In most cases you may only need to do some simple changes to the LaTeX Thesis Template in order to make it comply with your institution’s guidelines. There is a lot of documentation written about how to use LaTeX and its only an internet search away. Hopefully all of the questions you have will have already been answered by someone previously.

My subject is not mathematical, or even technical, can I still use the LaTeX Thesis Template?

Yes you can, although you wont need many of the initial preamble sections such as the “List of Symbols” and “List of Constants” etc so you can simply go ahead and delete those parts that you do not need. The “thesis.tex” file contains these sections and is heavily commented so you can quickly sift through and remove the parts you don’t need, the LaTeX Thesis Template will still look and work fine.

Do I need to install anything for this LaTeX Thesis Template to work, are there any “system requirements”?

The LaTeX Thesis Template will work with any default install of the LaTeX system (of course, you need to have the LaTeX system installed on your computer). You can use your favourite text editor or a special editor for “.tex” files (such as WinEdt, Kile, TeXShop, TexNicCenter etc..) to edit the LaTeX Thesis Template files and write your thesis.

Any extra packages needed by the LaTeX Thesis Template are actually included with it so you should not have to find, download and install any extra LaTeX packages for the LaTeX Thesis Template to work.

Will this LaTeX Thesis Template work on my Windows/Linux/Mac system?

Yes, if you have a normal/default LaTeX system installed, then the template should work fine. If you have downloaded the LaTeX Thesis Template and it will not compile properly on your system (even after running it through LaTeX and BibTeX a few times) then please contact me via a comment with the error messages and I will help you through the trouble-shooting.

The LaTeX Thesis Template has been tested on Windows, Linux and Mac OS X systems with the default LaTeX installed and there are currently no known issues.

I build the “thesis.tex” file for the first time and I get a load of warnings and the references and labels are missing, the Bibliography disappears too! What has happened?

This is a quirk of LaTeX and not the LaTeX Thesis Template. The “thesis.tex” file has to be compiled with LaTeX and BibTeX several times before the final document is “complete”. Run through the “thesis.tex” file a couple of times with LaTeX and BibTeX to obtain the final output and there should be no warnings or errors (at this point you can stop). This process needs to be repeated every time you change or add labels, references and citations to your thesis.

I’ve spotted a mistake or error in the LaTeX Thesis Template, what do I do?

If you see an error with the LaTeX Thesis Template, no matter how small (from a single spelling mistake all the way up to a serious fault that causes a complile error) then please let me know immediately by posting a comment at the bottom of the page.

I’ve tried hard to get rid of any errors in the LaTeX Thesis Template and I would be very happy if you spotted any remaining ones so I can correct them.

What “Technical Support” comes with the LaTeX Thesis Template?

As I have now moved on from my University days and into full time employment I’m afraid that I am no longer able to offer the email support that I was once able to – I simply do not have the time any more.

You don’t need to worry though, most of your questions about LaTeX in general can be answered by a simple internet search. Don’t forget that you can also ask people at your University or Institution, there are bound to be any knowledgeable people who would be happy to help you.

As a last resort, you can post a comment at the bottom of the page but I will only respond to genuine issues with the LaTeX Thesis Template and wont reply to questions that can be answered by either reading the Thesis Template Help file or searching the internet.

What do you want in return for letting me use your LaTeX Thesis Template?

There is just one thing and that is if you use the LaTeX Thesis Template for your own thesis and find it to be very useful, then please tell others about it who may also benefit from the LaTeX Thesis Template when the time comes for them to write their own thesis.

I Still Need More Support

If you are still having trouble with the LaTeX Thesis Template then you can try submitting a comment in the form and I will try and help you. Be aware that I have very limited time for supporting the LaTeX Thesis Template but the majority of requests I receive can be solved by simply spending a few minutes with a search engine and reading the manual. If you submit such a request, you will be told as such.

In most cases you will find the answer quicker by searching yourself rather than waiting for me to respond. If there is genuinely an error in the LaTeX Thesis Template, then let me know and I will get back to you.