Dissertation Submission Standards

A Ph.D. dissertation or D.Min. thesis represents the successful completion of a program of advanced graduate study, and a significant contribution to a field of academic and practical scholarship.

The JKM Library collects and stores completed Ph.D. dissertations and D.Min. theses produced by students at McCormick Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

We are not responsible for content, style, or formatting standards. Please consult your advisor and program director for the details relevant to your specific project and program of studies.

However, generally, the dissertation or thesis should conform to the scholarly conventions set forth in either:

  • Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 9th ed. (University of Chicago Press, 2018), or
  • The SBL Handbook of Style for Ancient Near Eastern, Biblical, and Early Christian Studies, 2nd ed. (Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2014).

See JKM's e-resources page for access to electronic versions of these style guides. Questions that go beyond the limits of Turabian can be answered by reference to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Also, check below for formatting requirements set by the bookbindery, to make sure your dissertation can be properly printed and bound!

Note: In some cases, the outdated 2005 Luther Seminary "The Shortcut" has been recommended as an abbreviated style guide. If you are using this, please be sure to also check CMS and SBL in their current versions. There is a Turabian Citation Quick Guide, but it does not include document formatting suggestions.

LSTC Ph.D.  |  McCormick, ACTS, Interschool D.Min.

 

Ph.D. Dissertations (LSTC)

The LSTC Advanced Studies Office requires the submission of a completed Ph.D. dissertation manuscript, in PDF form, incorporating:

  • a scan of your signed signature page, representing the approval of your defended thesis;
  • all editorial and formatting suggestions made by the dissertation editor; and
  • all corrections required by your committee as a condition of their approval.

 

Formatting Requirements

Please make sure, before you set the page numbers in your index, that you have formatted your document with:

  • US Letter page size (not A4)
  • 1" margins all around
  • page numbers centered in footer

This will ensure that our double-sided print of your dissertation will be properly readable when bound.

Export your finished document in PDF-A format to ensure that all fonts used are properly embedded, so that it renders correctly for the printer and your readers.

One copy of this completed manuscript PDF must be submitted to ProQuest ETD for digital storage, and one copy must be submitted to the JKM Library for printing, binding, and incorporation into our print collection.

It is your responsibility to see that your submitted dissertation PDF is complete and in correct order. We can help you, but the quality of your submitted manuscript is not the responsibility of the JKM Library, the Advanced Studies Office, or your advisor.

 

Submission Processes

If you do not submit your dissertation through ProQuest ETD, it will not be accessible to scholarship.

If you do not submit your dissertation to JKM for printing and binding, it will not be held in our collections.

These are the forms in which there is an accessible record of your achievement.

The LSTC Advanced Studies Office requires you to do both of these things as part of their process, and JKM will be happy to help you.

 

LSTC Submission Process

As you prepare to submit your dissertation, please consult LSTC's Th.M. and Ph.D. program manual for the current academic year, especially "Section 8: PhD Dissertation Policies and Procedures."

The deadlines for submission each year are set by the LSTC Advanced Studies Office. You are responsible for completing the doctoral process to their satisfaction, and will have to work with the Advanced Studies Office regarding adjustments to any dates.

That process includes submitting the finished PDF copy of your dissertation to the JKM Library, and submitting it through ProQuest ETD, and once those are done, you can request that the interim director of JKM sign and date your "Form K."

That signature notifies the Advanced Studies Office that your dissertation has been successfully received by both ProQuest and the JKM Library.

 

ProQuest ETD Submission Process

ProQuest ETD provides the industry-strandard comprehensive service for publishing, archiving, and disseminating graduate research, not to mention allowing you to receive royalties for your published work.

Participation in the ProQuest UMI ETD program is mandatory for all graduating Ph.D. candidates.

The ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator allows Ph.D. candidates to upload their approved dissertations to ProQuest electronically. Participating in the program:

  • significantly reduces publication turnaround time
  • eliminates the basic publishing fee for authors.

If you do not participate in the program, it will be much harder for your work to reach any readers; the ability to find your work in the ProQuest repository enables people to learn about and build on your work, and credit you. This includes those who come after you here at LSTC and McCormick!

 

The process of submitting your dissertation PDF through ProQuest ETD requires that you follow their instructions.

When you begin the process of submitting your dissertation (using the Submitting Your Dissertation/Thesis page), you will create a password-protected account.

As you submit your dissertation, the ProQuest UMI ETD will guide you through a step-by-step process to completion. Anytime during the submission process you can save your work and exit.

Before submitting your dissertation electronically to the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website you should:

The ProQuest UMI ETD website has answers for many of the questions that you may have in submitting your dissertation to ProQuest.

If you have any questions for which you cannot find the answer, you have the option of either contacting ProQuest using an online form (under the Training & Support tab) or calling 1-800-521-0600 (toll-free in the U.S. and Canada). The interim director of the JKM Library can also answer some questions.

Once you have completed this process, contact the interim director of the JKM Library, who will review your submission and submit it to ProQuest/UMI Dissertation Publishing. 

 

JKM Library Submission Process

As part of its collection development policy and to advance scholarship, the JKM Library collects one copy of the dissertation written by each Ph.D. degree candidate at LSTC.

The JKM Library will cover the cost of having one copy of your dissertation printed, bound, cataloged, and added to JKM's print collection.

JKM Library uses Wallaceburg Bookbinding to bind dissertations. They print dissertations double-sided, which changes some traditional guidelines. Make sure your manuscript follows our formatting instructions as included above.

If you want a personal copy of your bound dissertation, there are two ways you can get one:

  • You may purchase bound copies of your dissertation through ProQuest, or
  • You may ask the JKM Library to have two printed copies of your dissertation produced, one for JKM and one for yourself.

If you choose to have JKM print and bind your personal copy, you will need to pay us for the cost of its printing, binding, and shipping. Please contact the interim director of the JKM Library to determine the current cost and receive payment instructions.

If you have additional questions, please contact the interim director of the JKM Library.

 

D.Min. Theses (McCormick, ACTS, Interschool, LSTC)

Historically, the Doctor of Ministry programs have not incorporated the JKM Library as a mandatory step in completion of your program of studies. There are, as such, no rules demanding the submission of your D.Min. thesis to JKM as a condition of your graduation.

However, equally historically, the JKM Library has been pleased to receive and store print copies of D.Min. project theses as part of our service to the seminaries and the larger academic and church community. Today, we do this electronically.

Since there is no equivalent to the ProQuest ETD service for D.Min. project theses, since 2005 the JKM Library has developed and maintained its own digital repository: Learn@JKM

In cooperation with your advisor and program administrator, please submit a PDF copy of your completed D.Min. thesis, preferably with signature documentation of its successful defense and approval, and we will host a copy in our thesis repository.

Please contact the interim director of the JKM Library to arrange your submission, and to ensure that all relevant data about the submitted thesis is available to us for cataloging.