Supplemental files can be important in furthering the understanding of your research for your readers. Usually, supplemental files come in the form of audio and visual files; however, they can also include different types of documents such as spreadsheets.
Many students will have a large array of filed to include as supplemental in their research and they may not know the best way to go about including this as part of their thesis. In this article, we are going to explain how to include supplemental files with a thesis.
Submitting Files
The best way to include supplemental files is through not having them on your thesis PDF. If you do this, then it can hamper the presentation of your work and many file formats are not compatible with PDF documents, furthering the risk of your corrupting your thesis document and making is unrecoverable.
At most institutions, there will be a separate portal for you to submit supplemental files, such as audio or visual files. You will need to provide a brief abstract explaining exactly what these files are and how they pertain to your thesis.
At many institutions, before you are allowed to submit supplementary files, you will need to ask for permission by filling in a form. If you are using copyrighted material, you need to provide your institutions with written permission for you to be able to use the multimedia file. Furthermore, if you are using third party licensed material, then you must also provide your college with written permission to distribute it.
With these steps in mind, you should be able to now submit supplementary files with your thesis. If you have any further questions, it is recommended that you talk to your supervisor who will have more information to give to you.
Formatting
It is good to know the best way to format your thesis before submission. Firstly, ensure that your fonts are embedded. This means that the font appears on your thesis PDF document the same way it appears on your original document. This greatly aids in making your work more readable and easier to follow for your readers.
Furthermore, because you will be writing large chunks of text in your thesis, ensure that it is easier for your readers to digest by writing in short paragraphs. Again, as with embedding the font, this aids in making your writing more understandable to your audience.
As you can see, there are usually extra steps required in providing supplemental files with your thesis. If you are still unsure with the process, then it is best to ask your supervisor for more advice on how you can submit supplemental files with your thesis. Remember to include all permissions for copyrighted material.