problem_sheet.md

Writing Theses in LaTeX Problem Sheet

Perform all the following exercises in a single LaTeX project. This will build up the basic structure of a thesis.

Creating a Document

• Create a new LaTeX project in whatever LaTeX editor you prefer
• If you did this in Overleaf, delete any sample text in the document
• Create a new report document
• Select the main font-size to 12pt
• Select the type of page you want to write on (A4)
• Set the margins such that they are symmetric and over 1cm
• Test how it looks with some blindtext or other nonsense text
• Verify page numbers appear on each page

Line Spacing

• Use the linespread command to make the spacing for document 1.5 or 2 times
• Include an indented quotation using the quote and singlespace environments
• Include a footnote with single-lined spacing

Title Page

• Make a title page you find aesthetically pleasing
• Ensure it follows all the requirements laid down by Imperial

Thesis Frontmatter

• Add an abstract
• Add a statement of originality
• Add a copyright statement
• Use blindtext or other placeholder text for the content

Contents and Appendices

• Add some chapters, appendices sections and sub-sections to your document
• Add a table and figure to your document (these can be very simple)
• Add a table of contents, list of figures and list of tables to your document
• Add a chapter to your table of contents named Supplementary Material without creating a new chapter in your pdf
• Add a new table to the list of tables in this new chapter without the table appearing in your document
• Add a new figure to the list of figures in this new chapter without the figure appearing in your document

Bibliography Management

• Create a .bib file with at least one reference in it
• If you use a reference management software, ask it to export your reference library as a .bib file, otherwise, make up a few references by hand
• Cite at least one references in your text
• Extension: Find a new reference, add it to your reference manager, then add it to your .bib file. Cite it in your text.

Thesis Structure

• Create a directory for each chapter and appendix in your thesis. Create a directory for the frontmatter too.
• Use the include command to include each document in your main.tex file
• Create a directory in each chapter directory for figures. You will need to update the file paths in your \includegraphics commands so the path point to these directories.
• If you're unsure of any syntax, you can consult the example or ask the tutor.
• Extension: Look through the example and try to understand how and why it is structured the way it is. Ask the tutor if you have any questions about it.