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How do I create an accessible thesis?

How can i add structure using heading styles, how do i add alternative text to images, how do i create descriptive hyperlinks, how do i ensure proper colour contrast, how do i create formatted and described tables, how do i add formatted paragraphs and lists, is there a way to check the accessibility of my thesis document, how do i save my thesis document as a tagged pdf, acknowledgement.

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Your audience may include a wide range of individuals with diverse abilities. Some of these abilities can impact how people access and read your thesis. Consider abilities such as visual, auditory, speech, physical, cognitive, neurological, or their combination and if there are barriers in your content that may affect an individual’s ability to interact with it.

Please note that MS Word thesis templates (e.g., monograph-style and manuscript-style) are available on the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ (OGPS) Preparation of your Thesis website. These templates and the accompanying ‘Formatting your thesis document in Microsoft Office Word’ guide (which provides detailed instructions on how to use the built-in formatting tools) support the creation of a more accessible thesis document.

In addition, following general principles of universally accessible content will support you in creating a thesis document that can be accessed and read by the widest audience possible.

Structuring your document with headings will help readers understand how the content of a page is organized and will allow them to easily navigate throughout the document.

In Microsoft Office (MS) Word, headings can be added to a document using the built-in Styles options. 

Whether you are creating your own thesis document from scratch, or are using an OGPS thesis template, be sure to follow these principles for document structure:

• Heading 1 should be the title of your document.
• Heading 2 should be used for section headers.
• Headings 3 – 6 should be used for sub-section headers.
• The document must have only one Heading 1.
• Do not skip heading levels, e.g., Heading 2 must be followed by a Heading 3 then Heading 4, except when starting a new section or sub-section.
• Heading names should be unique to prevent any confusion while navigating, skimming, or reading the whole document.

Alternative text (alt text) is a machine-readable tag that describes an image (e.g., photographs, figures, charts, graphs) in words. Alternative text is read by screen readers allowing the content and function of the images to be accessible to those with visual or cognitive disabilities.

Only informative images need alt text. A decorative image that provides no information and only serves an aesthetic purpose does not need alt text (some applications allow marking such image as ‘decorative’).

To add alt text to an image:

• Windows: Select the image, right-click and select ‘View Alt Text’. Add alt text in the ‘Description’ field.
• Mac: Select the image, right-click, and select ‘Edit Alt Text’.

What information should be included in alt text for images?

Alt text should convey the content and function of the image accurately and succinctly.

• Alternative text should not repeat captioning text nor any text about the image that is included in the body text of your thesis.
• The recommended number of characters for alt text is 125 characters or less for compatibility with popular screen readers.
• All alt text should end with a period ‘.’ so that the screen reader will pause after reading.
• If the image contains text, write it out verbatim in alt text.
• For informative images: describe the types and placement of objects in the image.
• For functional images: describe the action or behavior the image will perform (i.e., if the image acts as a link).
• The short description should be included in alt text and should identify the image, and then indicate the location of the long description. E.g., alt='Graph of quarterly temperature changes. Discussion available below.'.
• The long description should be included in the body text and should describe the essential information that is conveyed by the image.

Please refer to WebAIMs’s Alternative Text website for additional guidance in creating alternative text.

Users who navigate using a screen reader must be able to unambiguously understand the purpose of the link and skip links they are not interested in. To achieve this, link text needs to be:

• Descriptive: When writing URL text, make sure it can be understood without additional context. Do not use ‘click here’, ‘read more’, ‘link to’, etc.
• For online display: ‘Additional information about thesis formatting requirements is available on the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ Preparation of your thesis website.’.
• For print display: ‘Additional information about thesis formatting requirements is available on the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ Preparation of your thesis website at https://graduatestudies.uoguelph.ca/current-students/preparation-your-thesis.’
• Unique: Avoid similarly named hyperlinks if they link to different places.
• Visually distinct: Use the default blue underlined style for hyperlinks. If you change it, make sure the links are still high contrast and underlined. Don’t use underline for non-hyperlinked text.

When using colours in your document:

• When making the choice to use colour, consider whether a reader with colour vision deficiencies (CVD) or using a screen reader would still be able to understand the meaning conveyed. It is essential for colour to not be the only means of conveying information - consider adding other textual queues (e.g., text or numbers or % on a graph).

Avoid doing this:

Do this instead:

• Ensure sufficient contrast between background and text. Use tools like WebAim’s Contrast Checker or the Colour Contrast Analyser to check the contrast ratio between your background and text colours.

Tables should be created directly in MS Word as opposed to inserting an image or screenshot of the table(s) and should have a simple structure.

When creating tables:

• Only use tables to present data or information. Do not use tables to create document structure.
• Ensure the top row of the table defines your column names (e.g., variable names).
• Avoid split and merged cells.
• Consider adding alt text to provide a brief explanation of the table layout and navigation.
• Include a table caption to identify table’s purpose.
• Within the Table Design, ensure that the ‘Header row’ and ‘First Column’ are identified.

• Within the Table Properties, ensure that ‘Allow rows to break across pages’ and ‘Repeat as header row at the top of each page’ are both selected.

Avoid the use of hard returns (i.e., Enter key) and spacing to create white space in your document. To add spacing in your document, use the Paragraph Settings tools to add spacing, indentation, and breaks into your document.

To create structured lists, use the List Paragraph styles to create:

• Ordered (numbered) lists, or
• Unordered (bulleted) lists.

The MS Word Accessibility Checker will scan your document for common issues that may make your document less accessible for users with disabilities.  You can run an accessibility check at any time while you work on your document. You can also keep the checker open while you work to flag and fix issues as you go.

Note that not all accessibility issues/errors will be flagged by the built-in checker but running the accessibility check is a good first step and helpful to flag areas where improvements should be made.

To run the Accessibility Checker:

• Windows: Select ‘File’ and then ‘Info’. Click on the ‘Check for Issues’ button and then select ‘Check Accessibility’ from the drop-down list.
• Mac: Select ‘Review’ and then ‘Check Accessibility’.

After running the Checker, ‘Inspection Results’ may display one or more of the following messages:

• Error: identifies content that makes a document difficult to read and understand.
• Warning: identifies content that may make the document difficult to understand.
• Tip: identified content that may not present an issue to a reader but could be improved.

Clicking an item in the ‘Inspection Results’ list will take you directly to the issue. The item will be removed from the inspection results automatically once it has been fixed. You do not need to re-run the checker.

It is important to properly convert your document to a tagged PDF to avoid losing its accessibility features such as tagging and alt text.

Please do not ‘Print to PDF’ when exporting an MS Word document to PDF. A screen reader user may still be able to access the text of a PDF created in this way, but heading structure, alternative text, and any other tag structure will be lost.

To create a tagged PDF using Adobe Acrobat

In Adobe Acrobat, select ‘File’, then ‘Create’, and finally ‘PDF from File’. In the Open window, navigate to, and select the desired document to convert. Click on ‘Open’ to begin the file conversion.

To create a tagged PDF using the Acrobat Tab in MS Word

Click on the Acrobat tab in the main navigation tool bar. Click on ‘Create PDF’ and then click on ‘Options’. In the Adobe PDFMaker window make sure that the radio button for ‘Enable Accessibility and Reflow with tagged Adobe PDF’ is checked.

To create a tagged PDF using MS Word for Windows

In MS Word, select ‘File’ and then ‘Save As’. Select ‘PDF’ from the ‘Save as type” drop down list. Click on the ‘Options’ button and make sure the radio button for ‘Document structure tags for accessibility’ is checked. Click on ‘OK’ and then ‘Save’.

To create a tagged PDF using MS Word for Mac

In MS Word, open the File application and select ‘Save As’. Select ‘PDF’ from the ‘File Format’ list. Make sure the radio button for ‘Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service’ is checked. Then click on ‘Export’.

This guide was adapted with permission from Making Thesis Accessible by University of Toronto Libraries.

• << Previous: Thesis & Dissertation Submission Guide
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• Last Updated: Apr 3, 2024 3:50 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/atrium

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Doctoral Thesis Submission and Defence Schedule

It is the responsibility of the advisor to begin making arrangement for the doctoral thesis defence at least eight (*) weeks prior to the anticipated date of the defence.

1. At least eight (8) weeks prior to the anticipated date of the final examination the Advisory Committee should:

• Identify three potential external examiners.
• Contact the potential external examiners to verify their availability.
• Nominate to the Program Committee, the names of the three potential external examiners

2. Once the thesis has been submitted for examination, the Program Committee should:

• Assemble the examination committee according to Graduate Calendar regulations.
• Send the completed PhD/DVSC Final Examination form to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGS) at least four (4) weeks prior to the anticipated date of the final examination for approval

3. After receiving OGS approval, the Program Committee should:

• Send the final draft thesis to the external examiner along with a covering letter
• Provide copies of the final draft to each member of the examination committee.

4. At least three (3) weeks prior to the anticipated date of the final examination:

• If the Department/school provides a doctoral examination announcement, the student should submit the abstract and curriculum vitae to the Graduate Program Assistant. The only c.v. information which should be listed in the announcement will be: place of birth, previous degrees and Universities, awards during graduate study, and a list of publications (published or accepted for publication). Total c.v. information should not exceed 10-12 lines in the announcement.

5. At least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the final examination:

• If the department/school wishes the doctoral examination to be listed in "At Guelph", the student's name, thesis title, and the time and place of the examination should be sent to the editor of "At Guelph".
• The department/school prepares and distributes either a detailed doctoral examination announcement or a more simplified version, sending a copy to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies.
• The department/school verifies all arrangements for the external examiner's visit or video conference, including Red Car service (airport limousine), hotel accommodation, etc., as required. Also reminds the external examiner that the external examiner's report should be submitted to the chair of the department/school at least seven days before the examination. Please note that the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies will not release the external examiner funding allotment to the department/school until a copy of the external examiner's report has been received in the office.

6. At least one (1) week prior to the date of the final examination:

• The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies will send the set of examination forms to the chair of the examination committee.

Detailed Procedures

A. request for thesis examination.

Members of the advisory committee, following their review of the final draft of the thesis, indicate on the Examination Request form whether they consider that the thesis is ready for examination. This constitutes advice to the candidate. Regardless of the recommendation of the advisory committee, the candidate may submit a signed Examination Request form to the department chair and request that the examination be arranged.

B. Date of Final Examination

The signed and dated Examination Request form is sent to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at the time the thesis is to be sent to the external examiner. Normally, the date of the final examination is established at this time and is to be no sooner than four (4) weeks after the date on which the thesis is forwarded to the external examiner (unless other arrangements are agreed to by all members of the Examiniation Committee)

C. Report of External Examiner

The external examiner submits a report, comments, and any suggestions for revision to the department chair at least seven days before the examination. It is understood that, as a result of the final oral examination, corrections arising from the external examiner's report and from the comments of the examination committee may be necessary to produce an acceptable revised final draft of the thesis.

D. Following the Final Oral (Doctoral) Examination

•     The chair of the examination forwards the chair's report, the external examiner's report and the set of signed examination forms to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. The external examiner's report is also forwarded unless it has been sent to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies previously.
•     If the candidate is successful, he/she will submit via the Atrium, one PDF copy of the thesis in the final form, as soon as possible thereafter. The Certificate of Approval, duly signed; the Theses Non-Exclusive License, and the Request to Restrict Circulation of Thesis  (if required) must be     submitted at the same time to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies. In order to be eligible for graduation at the next Convocation, the candidate must make this submission no later than the "last date" stated in the Calendar.
•     If the candidate is not successful, subsequent actions are based on the reasons for rejection. A second opportunity for defence of the thesis may be granted.

E. Housing of the Thesis

The thesis will be housed permanently in the Electronic Thesis an Dissertations section of the Atrium at McLaughlin Library and subsequently harvested by the National Library of Canada , where it may be accessed at Theses Canada. If the student requires a bound copy of the thesis, please refer to item #14 in the thesis submission checklist.

Forms Required Before the Thesis Defense

•  Examination Request form
•  PhD/DVSc Final Examination form

Forms Required for Thesis Examination

• Report of Doctoral Examination Committee
• Certificate of Approval (Doctoral Thesis)
• Recommendation for Degree  
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Undergraduate Honours Thesis

Undergraduate honours thesis in psychology, application form  (updated for fall 2024): request to enrol (microsoft word version), contact [email protected] if you require this information in an alternate format., important  professional etiquette when writing to potential supervisors, f24 applicant actions:.

• Prerequisites include: completion of PSYC*3000, PSYC*3290 and minimum 75% Psychology cumulative average
• While the minimum PSYC average is 75%, be aware that the actual average of those accepted tends to be higher. In F23 the minimum PSYC average of successful candidates was above 85%
• Link to:  Psychology labs and projects .
• Obtaining a supervisor's agreement greatly increases the possibility that you will be approved for the honours thesis, however be aware that it is still a competitive process. 
• You can find out who is accepting students by clicking on their profile at:  https://www.uoguelph.ca/psychology/directory/faculty
• You can not do an honours thesis without a supervisor.  
• Thesis supervisors can be faculty members from the Department of Psychology OR another department. 
• The course size for PSYC*4870 is limited to 50 students. (Each year, some qualified students are not accepted.) Students with an average below 80% are not usually accepted because demand for the class exceeds class size.
• Only consider the Honours Thesis if you intend to pursue a post-graduate degree in Psychology or Neuroscience (i.e. MA/MSc/PhD). You do NOT need an honours thesis to apply to social work, law school med school, or teacher's college.
• Complete the Request to Enrol 
• Submit to Sharon Helder at [email protected]

Fall 2024/Winter 2025 Honours Thesis: Application process and timeline (BAH.PSYC students)

There are some differences for BSCH.NEUR students. Contact a faculty advisor to discuss your application further. 

Tips for contacting a potential supervisor:

Before you contact them, familiarize yourself with their work: read their papers, know what type of work they do.

Be flexible in balancing your own ideas to fit within the research.

Be prepared to provide intellectual contribution to the project even if the work is already underway.

Be considerate: contact them during office hours if possible or set up an appointment.

Read more about professional email etiquette.

Course Outline Fall 2022/Winter 2023

Course Outline  Fall 2023 / Winter 2024

Course descriptions: 

• PSYC*4870 Honours Thesis I [0.50 credit]  Under individual faculty supervision, students plan, develop, and write a research proposal and prepare an extensive review paper on their area of research. Classes are held on how to create a research proposal (oral and written), research ethics (REB) protocols, and applying to graduate school.
• PSYC*4880 Honours Thesis II [1.00 credit]  Students conduct research and write an undergraduate thesis under the direction of a faculty member, present a poster, and reflect upon their work. Classes are held on how to create a poster and how to structure a thesis. 

Still have questions?

• Contact a Psychology Faculty Advisor .

Sample posters from previous thesis students:

Emilia Szwajka, William O'Grady Effects of social support on adolescent academic achievement Poster

Wing Tse, Leanne Son Hing, Ella Gomes, Mais Haj-Ayoub The influence of organizational factors on firefighters' well-being Poster   Photo

Previous years

Miranda Chan, Donnelle DiMarco, Dr. Harvey Marmurek The Effects of Divided Attention on the Testing Effect and its Transferability Poster

Cayden Genik and Dr. Ian Newby-Clark Flow of Consciousness Lab Poster

Effects of Memory Salience for No-Go Devaluation Amelia Luzy-Kocher, Brooke Pardy and Dr. Mark Fenske Poster

Bailey Bingham, Claire Coulter, Dr. Karl Cottenie, Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs Metacognition and exam performance: Tools for effective learning Poster

Sarah Hollywood, Rachel L. Driscoll and Dr. Mark Fenske Mood killer: Response inhibition reduces the capacity of erotic stimuli to elicit feelings of sexual arousal Poster

Jonah Stub and Dr. M. Gloria Gonzalez-Morales The Effect of Conversation Topic on Dominance Behaviour Poster

Aleece Katan and Dr. Heidi Bailey Self-Compassion as a Moderator of Reactions to Social Rejection Poster

Brianne Gayfer, Jasmine Mahdy (MA) and Dr. Stephen Lewis Peer Reactions to Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Disclosure Poster