Full Formatting Service

Format My Thesis - Michael Done - Thesis Format Specialist
Michael Done
Owner and Manager of Format MyThesis
Thesis Formatting Specialist

Welcome. Are you …

    • A PhD or Masters candidate struggling to format your thesis?
    • Wasting precious time trying to get it right but still not getting the professional presentation you want?
    • Running out of time with your submission deadline looming and still lots of other loose ends to tie up?

I can definitely help you …

Introducing my Full Formatting Service

Let me do all the hands-on formatting for you.  In a fortnight or less!

This is how it works:  You hand me your thesis on a Monday morning.  By Friday afternoon of the following week, I hand the thesis back to you, fully formatted and ready to submit to Examiners (or to your Supervisors for their final review).

To ensure my formatting aligns exactly with your requirements, I may need to ask you for clarification or decisions on points that arise along the way.  And at the start of the second week, I’ll need you to review my first fully formatted draft and provide feedback, so that I can further fine-tune the formatting.  But apart from that, you leave it all with me.

Book NOW 

Use the calendar below to book in for my Full Formatting Service.  I reserve two weeks (10 working days) starting on a Monday to work on your thesis.  This includes a feedback step at the beginning of the second week where you review my formatted document and identify any final adjustments needed.

If you’re not 100% sure of your schedule, or if your preferred start date is unavailable, I recommend you book anyway.  Choose a commencement date based on your best guess or second preference.  The booking calendar often fills up very quickly, so it’s best to get in early.  Once you’re in the calendar, it’s often possible for me to move your booking to a different date, but virtually impossible to squeeze you into a packed calendar at the last minute.

Within 1-2 business days of receiving your booking, I’ll contact you by phone so we can chat more about your exact requirements, and address any questions or issues you might have.  If your preferred start date is unavailable, we can discuss this too as I sometimes have flexibility to move bookings to other fortnights.

FREEZE ON UPDATES DURING THE FORMATTING PERIOD:  During our formatting fortnight, there is a freeze on content updates. It’s impractical for me to accommodate content changes while I’m formatting.  So if you’re still needing to work on content changes (to your own copy) while I’m formatting, you’ll have to manually re-apply those changes when I return the formatted thesis to you.  Changing content may sometimes disrupt my earlier formatting, and depending on the time it takes me to fix those disruptions, you may incur extra charges. So it’s simpler and more economical if you book a fortnight where you can accommodate a content freeze.

How it works

  1. You use the Booking Calendar to select the start date of the fortnight in which you want me to format your thesis:
        • You first receive an automatic email response acknowledging your booking.
        • I then call you to chat about your thesis, and follow up with an email requesting more specific information to give me a more exact understanding of your thesis and your specific requirements.
        • Based on the information you send me, I provide you with a cost estimate.  I then hold your booking for up to 2 weeks while you decide if you wish to proceed.
        • If you decide to proceed, then within that same 2-week period you pay a non-refundable deposit to confirm your booking. Bookings automatically lapse after two weeks unless the deposit has been paid.
        • On receipt of your deposit, I lock your booking date into my calendar.
  2. You send me your source document(s) by the agreed commencement date:
        • I carry out the formatting work, in accordance with your stated requirements and preferences.
        • I maintain close contact with you throughout the process to ensure my formatting aligns with your needs and preferences.
        • I also notify you of any unforeseen issues I encounter that may have implications for our schedule or costs, and I outline your options.  You can decide on the action you want taken (and by whom – you or me) to resolve these issues.
  3. Mid-way through the formatting period (Monday morning of Week 2), I send you a watermarked PDF version of the formatted thesis for your review:
        • You check through the thesis and advise of any formatting corrections or adjustments needed.
        • I apply the required adjustments, then send the revised thesis (as a PDF) for you to re-check.
        • We repeat this cycle until all outstanding formatting matters have been resolved.
  4. I send you the up-to-date fully-formatted thesis (as a PDF) for your sign-off, and an invoice for the balance owing:
        • You do a final check, then let me know the formatting is approved. (Of course, if you notice something wrong that has escaped our earlier detection, I fix it).
        • You also pay the balance outstanding.  If your bank doesn’t do transfers instantly, you simply provide me with a screen-shot or other suitable confirmation that the payment has been made.
  5. I send you the thesis as a Word document for your final content updates. Then you return it to me so I can carry out the finishing steps.
      • I send you the fully formatted thesis as a Word document in which you can make any last-minute content changes.
      • You return the updated Word document to me.
      • I check your changes for possible impact on the formatting and make relevant formatting corrections and adjustments.  Note that the Full formatting Service includes two free hours to cover this.  Unless you make major changes (which is unusual at such a late stage), two hours normally covers it comfortably.
      • I then generate and send to you the final submission-ready files: (i) the up-to-date Word file (for later update if the Examiners require amendments); and (ii) two PDF files: the Screen Edition of your thesis for electronic submission (optimised for on-screen reading), and a Print Edition (optimised for 2-sided printing) in case you need to submit a hard copy.

 Fees 

All prices quoted on this site are in Australian Dollars ($AUD).
If you are living in Australia, the prices quoted include GST.

  • Core Services Fee: $2,200

Core Services cover the complete formatting of a thesis with up to 80,000 words (total across the whole document), 10 chapters, 10 appendices, 10 figures, 10 tables, 10 equations, 40 internal cross-references, and 10 pages imported from external documents (e.g. PDFs, approval letters, questionnaires). The thesis chapters can be supplied to me in up to 10 separate files, and another 10 files containing appendices and other front and back matter sections (e.g. abstract, references, acknowledgements).

Core Services include the creation of two editions of your final thesis: (i) a Screen Edition optimised for on-screen reading; and (ii) a Print Edition optimised for hard copy printing.

Details of all included benefits are set out in the Core Services section below.

DEPOSIT: To secure your booking and lock it into my schedule, you’ll need to pay a non-refundable deposit of $300 within two weeks of making your booking.  For bookings made less than two weeks before the intended commencement date, the deposit must be paid immediately.

  • Extended Services Fees 

If your thesis is over 80,000 words long, has unusually large numbers of chapters, appendices, tables, figures, etc., or has other special formatting requirements, you may require services that extend beyond the Core Services.  In these cases, additional fees apply, details of which are set out in the Extended Services section further down this page.

  • Itemised cost estimate 

Prior to confirming your booking and paying your deposit, I’ll provide you with an itemised cost estimate based on your detailed requirements.  It will include the Core Services fee and, if relevant, any Extended Services fees that might apply in your case.

NOTE: I provide a cost estimate, not a firm quote.  My estimates are generally very accurate, but occasionally there are formatting complications which don’t emerge until I’m actually working on the document (much like the unexpected under-the-bonnet issues that sometimes emerge when you get your car serviced).  If this happens, I’ll advise you and await your approval before taking any action that will result in extra costs.

Core Services: What will you get? 

A fully formatted, university-compliant thesis document – structured, styled and stable

    • I deliver to you a robustly structured, submission-ready document which meets your university’s requirements for structure and layout, and which follows standard academic publishing practice.
    • I apply consistent page layout throughout the thesis, e.g. margins, line spacing, page numbering (Roman and Arabic), page headers and footnote positioning and numbering.
    • I apply a consistent, distinctive style to every type of content element in your thesis, i.e. headings, subheadings, main text, quotes, footnotes, tables, captions, etc.
    • I implement stabilising “smart” features to your headings, captions and cross-references (e.g. “see Figure 1.3″) which minimise the chance of formatting disruptions if you need to make late changes to your thesis content.
    • If requested, I ensure compliance with APA formatting guidelines, insofar as they can be applied to a thesis. Specifically this covers: heading styles/indentation; optional running head (on a chapter-by-chapter basis); body text, quotation and list styles/indentation; caption, footnote and table note styles/spacing; data table styling.  Note that does not include checking or ensuring compliance with APA referencing or writing standards. These are editorial matters, and need to have been attended to before you send your thesis to me. (See Exclusions below.)

“Smart” headings and automated Table of Contents

    • I apply self-adjusting “smart” numbering to every chapter title, appendix title and numbered section, guaranteeing automatic and 100% correct numbering throughout your thesis.
    • I generate an automated Table of Contents (TOC) based on these titles and headings.

“Smart” captions and automated List of Figures and List of Tables

    • I apply auto-numbering and self-adjusting “smart” captions to up to 10 figures and 10 tables.
    • I generate an automated List of Figures and List of Tables based on these captions.

“Smart” cross-references

    • I convert up to 40 cross-references (e.g. “see Figure 1.3″)  to “smart” cross-references.  A “smart” cross-reference hot-links to its target object, i.e. if the reader clicks on a cross-reference, they’re taken straight to the referenced target object.  Also, if the target heading number or caption number ever changes, a smart cross-reference will auto-adjust to match the change.

Figures

    • I resize, crop and (if requested) apply borders to up to 10 simple figure graphics (e.g. charts, photographs, jpeg images).

NOTE: By contrast, some complex figures sit outside the Core Services and usually incur an Extended Services Fee.  These are typically either: (i) composite graphics that have been assembled inside Word using multiple shapes and images; or (ii) image galleries where multiple images need to be presented as a grid or matrix. 

Tables

    • I format up to 10 simple tables, i.e. standard grid structures using no merged cells (except in “stacked” multi-level column headers).  I apply a consistent, elegant (and APA-compliant) table style to all your tables.

NOTE: By contrast, some complex tables sit outside the Core Services and usually incur an Extended Services Fee.  These are typically: (i) unusually long, i.e. span more than 2 full pages; (ii) make use of merged data cells; (iii) have an irregular row/column structure; or (iv) have multiple paragraphs of text or multiple data values inside individual cells.

    • I ensure that wherever tables span multiple pages, their column headers are automatically re-displayed at the top of the second and subsequent pages.

Equations

    • I correctly position and sequentially number up to 10 equations.

Page imports from external documents

    • I import up to a total of 10 pages (as single page images) from external documents (e.g. publications in PDF files, or approval letters, questionnaires and forms in Word documents).

To ensure that the original formatting of external Word documents is perfectly preserved, I don’t copy/paste these documents directly into your thesis, as this nearly always distorts the original formatting.  Instead I  convert them to page images (the equivalent of scanning each page) then pull those page images into your thesis as perfect replicas of the originals.

Page Layout Optimisation

    • Page Layout Optimisation enhances the readability and overall aesthetic of your thesis, giving it a discernible “professional edge”.  I scrutinise and optimise the layout of every page of your thesis. Where needed, I adjust the positioning of page-breaks and subtly (but indiscernibly) compress images, tables and text in order to:
    • Minimise gaping white space at the bottom of pages,
    • Minimise ragged ends of paragraphs, e.g. where there’s just a single word on the final line,
    • Minimise ragged ends of chapters, e.g. where there are just 2-3 lines on the final page,
    • Maximise flow and continuity for the reader, i.e. a smooth, “easy read”.

Print Edition and Screen Edition of your thesis

    • When I’ve completed your formatting, I provide you with two PDF editions of your thesis: (i) the Screen Edition, optimised for on-screen viewing (which is how most Examiners will be reading your thesis); and (ii) the Print Edition, optimised for production of a printed copy (if your university requires it or if an Examiner requests it).

PRE-SUBMISSION BONUS: I allocate two free hours to review and correct any formatting disruptions resulting from late changes you need to make to your thesis.

    • After I’ve completed the formatting, you may need to make late changes to your thesis content (most people do).  No problem.  I set aside two free hours of my time to scan for and correct any formatting disruptions resulting from your late changes.
    • Unless you make fairly substantial changes (which is unusual at such a late stage), this 2-hour free allowance is normally plenty of time.
    • In the unusual event that more than two hours are needed, the additional time is charged at $200/hr.

POST-EXAMINER BONUS: I offer two heavily discounted hours to review and correct formatting disruptions resulting from changes that the Examiners require you to make to your thesis.

    • If your Examiners require you to make changes after their assessment, you may need follow-up formatting services to rectify any formatting disruptions arising from those changes.  Your first two hours will be charged at a 50% discounted rate of $100/hr.  If more than two hours are needed, the additional time is charged at $200/hr.

Exclusions

Please note that I do not provide any of the following services:

    • Editing, proof-reading, spell-checks and grammar-checks.
    • Checking, correcting or manipulating the syntax or structure of citations within your text.
    • Checking, correcting or manipulating the syntax or structure of references within your bibliography.
    • Generating a bibliography, either manually or using referencing software.  This has to be taken care of (generally using a product like EndNote) before you send your thesis to me.
    • Formatting manual tables of contents, tables of figures, etc.  I always replace these with automated tables based on “smart” headings and captions, to ensure 100% accuracy and zero manual maintenance.
    • Checking, correcting or manipulating any aspect of your content to achieve compliance with particular writing standards or policies, e.g. APA 7 offers guidelines on the use of digits (e.g. “1”) and words (e.g. “one”) for numbers appearing in the main body text.  I do not check for your compliance on this.
    • Checking, correcting or manipulating your use of upper/lower case and punctuation in titles, headings and captions.

Extended Services and related fees 

If your thesis is unusually long or complex, or if your requirements fall outside the standard Core Services parameters, some Extended Services Fees will apply.

    • Some Extended Services are charged on the basis of quantities
    • All the rest are based on time taken and are charged at a rate of $200/hr

Extended Services charged on the basis of quantities:

    • Additional words (Core Services cover up to 80,000 words)
      Cost: $20 for each additional 1,000 words above 80,000
    • Additional chapters and appendices (Core Services cover up to 10 Chapters and 10 Appendices.)
      Cost: $20 for each additional chapter or appendix
    • Additional source files (Core Services assume that the thesis is supplied to me in up to 10 separate chapter files plus 10 files containing appendices and other front and back matter sections).
      Cost: $20 per additional source file
    • Additional tables (Core Services allow for up to 10 tables)
      Cost: $10 per additional table
    • Additional figures (Core Services allow for up to 10 figures)
      Cost: $10 per additional figure
    • Additional numbered equations (Core Services include formatting of up to 10 numbered equations)
      Cost: $10 per additional equation

Extended Services charged on the basis of time taken:

The prices shown for the various items below are indicative only.  They are based on the typical time taken, but every thesis is unique so actual prices can vary above and below these amounts.

Tables

    • Formatting complex tables, i.e. long tables (extending over 2 full pages); tables with merged data cells; tables with multiple paragraphs of text or multiple numerical values inside individual cells; tables comprising multiple joined tables; tables with coloured or shaded cells
      Typical cost: $20 per corrected table
    • Re-structuring/resizing tables to fit wide tables within page boundaries, manipulating positioning of data elements or paragraphs of text to achieve correct horizontal alignment of related data across columns.
      Typical cost: $20 per corrected table
    • Creating a customised table style – e.g. a special colour scheme for text or borders, or decorative features such as alternating (banded) row or column colours. (Note that this is a very unusual requirement – normally my standard table style does the job perfectly.)
      Typical cost: $50 per new style

Table data imports from Excel

    • Importing table data from external documents (e.g. Excel spreadsheets) then reformatting/restructuring them to match the style of other native Word tables in the thesis.
      Typical cost: $20 per imported simple table; $40 per imported complex table
      .

Figures

    • Converting multi-shape complex graphics (that you’ve built within Word) into simple scalable images.
      Typical cost: $20 per complex graphic
    • Formatting image galleries (i.e. a grid or matrix of images with more than 2 rows or 2 columns).
      Typical cost: $20 per gallery (2×3; 3×2; 3×3); $30 (2×4; 4×2; 3×4; 4×3; 4×4); $40 (2×5; 5×2; 3×5; 5×3; 4×5; 5×4)  
    • Redesigning or enhancing graphics. (Note: This is a labour-intensive activity.  I’m very happy to do it for you, but it’s to your advantage cost-wise to have your graphics well-designed and finalised before they come to me.)
      Typical cost: $50-$100 per enhanced graphic

Figure imports from PowerPoint

    • Importing slides from PowerPoint
      Typical cost: $20 per imported slide (provided no redesign or enhancement is required)

Numbered Equations

    • Positioning and numbering extra equations. (Core Services include positioning and numbering of 10 equations.)
      Typical cost: $10 per additional equation

Page imports from external documents

    • Importing additional pages (as page images) from PDFs or external Word documents.
      (Core Services include a total of 10 imported pages from external files.)
      Typical cost: $5 per additional imported page

Multi-volume thesis

    • A multi-volume thesis (an extremely rare occurrence nowadays) requires a more complex numbering system across volumes and more advanced handling of Tables of Contents within each volume.  NOTE: I generally only accept work where the final thesis is to be a single, self-contained document.
      Typical cost: $200 per additional volume.

Other Terms and Conditions 

Timeframe and deadlines

    • Unless we have agreed otherwise, normal turnaround is 10 full business days from our agreed commencement date.  (This, of course, assumes your availability to do a timely review at the beginning of Week 2.) 
    • You must deliver all your source files and other requested information to me by 9am on our agreed commencement day.  Any time spent working on files that arrive late will be taken out of the free 2-hour allocation for late changes.  Time required beyond this allocation is chargeable at $100/hr for the first two additional hours, then at $200/hr after that.
    • I recommend that you book your work with me 2-3 months in advance. My acceptance of your work depends on my availability. So book ahead to avoid disappointment.

Urgent jobs and out-of-hours work

For urgent jobs, I may be able to shorten the normal 10 working day turnaround time, if my schedule and other commitments allow it.  There is an additional fee of $300 for each working day that you need me to take off the normal turnaround time.  The minimum turnaround I will commit to is 5 days.

My standard working hours are 9.00am to 5.00pm Mon-Fri.  If your shortened turnaround time requires me to work out-of-hours or on weekends or public holidays, these hours attract a fee of $200/hr in addition to all other applicable charges.

Rescheduling your booking

I realise things can change unexpectedly at your end, so provided I’m available in your proposed new fortnight, we can move your booking.  If you give me at least 2 weeks’ notice of the change, there is no charge.  However, if you give me less than 2 weeks’ notice of a change, a late change fee of $100 will apply.

Right of refusal

There are some extremely rare circumstances where I may decline a request to format a thesis. In particular, I generally don’t undertake work on a thesis if:

    • The vertical structure requires more than 9 numbered levels (maximum is 6 for chapters plus 3 for appendices). I decline these requests because Word supports only 9 numbered levels. It’s possible that other programs (e.g. Adobe InDesign) will be more suitable for your requirements, but you’ll need to engage a different service provider if this is needed. I format in Word only.
    • You require your final thesis to be managed as a set of multiple files under the control of a Word “Master Document”. I decline these requests because the “Master Document” feature is known to be susceptible to document corruption. I will generally only accept work where the final thesis is to be a single, self-contained document.

There may be other circumstances where workload or other factors make it impossible for me to deliver to your requirements or within your timeframe. Whatever the reason, I’ll always do my best to recommend alternative options or other service providers.