Thesis Writing Guidelines

Theses can be written using a Word template or a LATEX¹ template.

¹LaTeX; is a typesetting program widely used in academia that is well-suited for preparing scientific and mathematical documents of high print quality. We believe that having our students create their theses using the LATEX template will minimize time lost on formatting, and for this reason, we . Accordingly, we have prepared a guide to help students who are unfamiliar with LATEX use the template easily. We have also included some tips and instructions within the template itself.

• Thesis Writing Guide
• LaTeX Thesis Template (Updated: May 21, 2026)
• Word Thesis Template (Turkish) – Updated: 02/24/2026
• Word Thesis Template (English) – Updated: February 24, 2026
• Common Mistakes
• Detailed Report on Word Template Updates (February 24, 2026)
• Guidelines on the Collection, Organization, and Public Access of Graduate Theses in Digital Format (October 31, 2025)

• The proposed thesis title should be short and clear, not exceeding 150 characters (including spaces).
• Symbols such as parentheses (), underscores (_), quotation marks, semicolons, or question marks should be avoided in the title.
• If the name of a province, district, or village is used, it should be written as “… province, … district, … village”.
• If the thesis is written in Turkish, English words should be avoided as much as possible.
• Abbreviations should not be used in the title, except for very common ones.
• In the thesis title, the names of institutions, organizations, companies, brands, and products should not be used in a way that creates the impression of advertising or promotion. However, names that are common in scientific/technical fields, open-source, and general-purpose names may be used when necessary. For example, open-source programming languages such as Python may be considered under this scope.

The Guidelines on Scientific Research and Publication Ethics adopted by the Council of Higher Education Council of Higher Education Guidelines on Ethics in Scientific Research and Publication.

For the “Ethical Guidelines on the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Research and Publication Activities at Higher Education Institutions,” click here click here.

When citing sources within the text and compiling the references section, IEEE or APA citation systems, and the same system must be used consistently throughout the thesis.

The YTÜ Institute of Natural Sciences recommends using the LaTeX thesis template with the online TeX editor overleaf.com. Institute staff does not provide technical support for TeX editors.

If you prefer using the LaTeX template with an online TeX editor, overleaf.com is recommended. Our Graduate School staff does not provide technical support for local TeX editors.

Theses must be prepared with spiral or cardboard binding for the initial submission and with cloth binding in the color codes specified below for the final submission. When printing the thesis, the text up to the table of contents should be printed single-sided, while the remaining sections, including the table of contents, should be printed double-sided.

In accordance with the letter dated June 3, 2020, No. 36054236-806.01.03-E.32794, from the Presidency of the Council of Higher Education, the signatures on the page containing the names, last names, and signatures must not be included on the CD.

When submitting a bound thesis, the physical copy of the thesis must bear the committee members’ original signatures. The signature pages must be exactly the same as the format provided in the thesis templates. Signature pages that do not conform to the template will not be accepted, even if signed by the committee, and the student must revise the relevant page to conform to the template and have it signed again.