Renmin University of China Undergraduate Thesis Template Formatting Guide

Overview of formatting requirements

Renmin University of China undergraduate theses stress academic integrity, uniform layout, and controlled length. Besides university-wide rules, colleges may add structure for case studies, surveys, or design reports. Cross-check margins, line spacing, abstract length, and main-body page limits with the latest college notice—stricter college rules override this overview.

Typical RUC undergraduate features include left binding gutter, 1.25× line spacing, Chinese abstract 300–500 characters, limits on main-body pages, and circled footnote numbers. Use the official Word template and styles for headings and body to avoid last-minute global reformatting.

Page setup

• Paper: A4 portrait.
• Margins: Top and bottom 2 cm each; on the left, documents often describe the text area as 1.5 cm from the paper’s left edge plus ~0.5 cm binding margin (roughly 2 cm total—use your college’s diagram for exact numbers). Right may mirror left or follow a separate label—set from the college layout PDF, not from memory.
• Binding: Left; for duplex, check odd/even inside margins against the template.
• Page numbers: Whether the cover and declarations are unnumbered and whether TOC and body are sectioned follows the college template; after each section break, verify “continue from previous” and starting numbers.

Fonts and typography

• Chinese body: Songti (宋体), 12 pt.
• English body: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Line spacing: 1.25× (distinct from fixed 20 pt or 1.5×—pasted text often drops this; unify with styles).
• Headings: Chapter titles often Heiti with descending sizes—use heading styles for TOC generation.

Mixing footnotes and endnotes breaks numbering; if circled footnote numbers (脚注圈码) are required, set them in the Footnote and Endnote dialog and confirm per-page restart vs. continuous numbering per college rules.

Cover and front matter

Typical cover fields:

| Field | Notes |

|-------|--------|

| Title | Full Chinese title; line breaks for subtitles per template |

| Name | As on student record |

| Student ID | Full ID |

| College | Official full name |

| Major | As registered |

| Supervisor | Name; add title if the form has a line |

| Date | Year and month (or exact date per template) |

Do not rewrite integrity pledges or academic norms pages—sign and date without covering binding lines. Abstract pages need keywords; keep the Chinese abstract within 300–500 characters (draft long, then compress).

Chapter structure

Required sections usually include:

• Abstract (Chinese, 300–500 characters)
• Abstract (English)
• Introduction (绪论)
• Main text (chaptered; main body must respect the college page limit)
• References

The introduction gives background, question, significance, and outline; the main text is the core argument—often within about 13 pages (or the current stated limit), including how figures count and whether duplex halves a “page”—follow the college explanation.

Reference list format

• Style: GB/T 7714-2005 numeric.
• In-text: Bracketed [1], matching the end list.
• Circled footnotes: If footnotes supplement points, keep a clear division: footnotes for notes; reference list for formal citations—avoid duplicate or conflicting formats for the same source.

Entry types include journals, books, theses, proceedings, online sources; chapters in edited volumes differ from collections—verify after export.

Common formatting mistakes

• Line spacing drifts to single or 1.5× after web paste—reapply 1.25× via styles.
• Left margin set as uniform 2 cm on all sides without extra binding space—text too close to the trim after binding.
• Main body exceeds page cap—monitor page count mid-draft.
• Abstract under 300 or far over 500 characters—use word count on the abstract only.
• Footnote circles vs. [1] style mixed for the same material—inconsistent style.

Footnotes with circled numbers

• In Word References → Footnotes, pick the circled number format or school-specified style.
• Choose per-page restart vs. document-wide continuous numbering per rules.
• Footnote text is often slightly smaller or same as body—unify; separator line style follows the template.

Writing and layout for ~13 main-body pages

• Allocate space across introduction / methods / results / discussion / summary—avoid one bloated section.
• Large figures or long appendices may move to an appendix if allowed to free body pages.
• Use styles and page breaks for chapter opens to reduce wasted blank pages.

Plagiarism check and submission

Before the similarity check, follow the system rules on excluding cover, declarations, etc. Badly formatted reference lists can skew matching. PDF and print copies must show the same title and author as the system.

Duplex printing and binding

If duplex is required, odd/even headers and page numbers must match the template; the cover is often printed single-sided. Glue binding with different cover and text stock can shift spine text—proof at the print shop.

Figures and formulas at 12 pt and 1.25× spacing

Figure width should not exceed the type block; wide figures may need sections or landscape pages. Right-align equation numbers with the margin; soft line breaks in multi-line equations should not add stray blank lines.

Typical reasons colleges return papers

• College or major name does not match student record.
• Abstract outside 300–500 characters or missing English Abstract.
• Main body clearly over the stated ~13-page cap when a hard cap exists.
• References not GB/T 7714 numeric.
• Footnote numbering does not match requirements (not circled or not continuous).

File naming and versions

Use names like Name_StudentID_UndergradThesis_Date_v2; keep a copy with advisor comments before merging revisions, then reapply template styles to avoid style corruption.

Minors, double majors, and field labels

The major on the cover should match the degree thesis major; for interdisciplinary topics, the cover “major” still follows registration unless the office approves otherwise.

Abstract vs. introduction

Timeline (undergraduate)

| Time | Action |

|------|--------|

| Topic chosen | Lock template, margins, line spacing, abstract range |

| First draft | Monitor main-body page count; reserve revision room |

| Advisor final | Freeze sections and page numbers; update TOC |

| Before similarity check | Verify references and footnotes |

| Submit | Print and electronic info consistent |

Export PDF with selectable text when possible—full-page image scans hurt checks and search.

How to generate RUC undergraduate format with AutoSCI

• Upload your thesis — PDF or Word
• Choose a template — “Renmin University of China Undergraduate Thesis” (中国人民大学本科毕业论文)
• Fill in cover fields — Title, author, supervisor, college, etc.
• Export — Word or PDF aligned with RUC rules

AutoSCI follows Renmin University of China’s current thesis norms for cover, pagination, fonts, and references.

Further reading (official sources)

Follow the undergraduate thesis guide from the RUC Academic Affairs Office and your college; margin diagrams in the college PDF override rough descriptions. If GB/T 7714 is updated, apply the university’s forwarded notice.