Style Guide

This page provides a basic overview of formatting and citation requirements for Koreastudies thesis submissions. For complete information, please download the full document. For questions not addressed here, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Download: Complete Style Guide (PDF)

Basic Requirements

1. Maximum 10,000 words (+/- 10%)
2. Word counts include footnotes but exclude bibliographies and appendices
3. Body text: Times New Roman, 12 pt., line spacing 1.5 or 2.0
4. Footnotes: Times New Roman, 10 pt., line spacing 1.0
5. All pages numbered except the title page
6. Use either British or American English consistently
7. Foreign words in italics (except in long quotes)
8. Use serial/Oxford comma

Structure

Title Page

Include: title/subtitle, student name, student number, email, supervisor initials and surname, degree title, academic year, word count.

Abstract and Keywords

• Abstract: approximately 150 words
• Five keywords covering the scope of research

Main Body

1. Introduction - Research question and motivation
2. Literature Review - Prior treatment of subject
3. Methodology - Research approach (where appropriate)
4. Body Chapters - Analysis and findings
5. Conclusion - Summary and discussion

Bibliography

Full bibliography (not reference list) with hanging indent formatting.

Footnoting

Use notes and bibliography system (not author-date). Follow Chicago Manual of Style.

Book:

Michael Pollan, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (Penguin, 2006), 99-100.

Journal article:

Joshua I. Weinstein, “The Market in Plato’s Republic,” Classical Philology 104:3 (2009): 440.

Chapter in book:

Henry David Thoreau, “Walking,” in The Making of the American Essay, ed. John D’Agata (Graywolf Press, 2016), 177-78.

Romanization

Use McCune-Reischauer (MCR) for Korean words. Exceptions for well-known names (Kim Il Sung, Park Chung-hee, Moon Jae-in, etc.).

Korean Sources

Include romanized author, romanized title, original Korean title in brackets:

Paek Haksun, Pukhan kwollyogui yoksa [북한 권력의 역사] (Hanul, 2010), 115.

Submission

Submit final thesis to supervisor via email.

File format: LASTNAME_Firstname_studentnumber_BAKS Eindwerkstuk

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I format names when a source has both Korean and non-Korean co-authors?

In footnotes, list all authors in the order they appear on the publication using First Name Last Name format — regardless of nationality. In bibliography entries, only the first author’s name is inverted (Last Name, First Name); subsequent authors remain in normal order. This follows standard Chicago style.

If a Korean scholar publishes in English, do I need to add Hangul?

No. The requirement to include the original Korean title in brackets applies only to Korean-language sources. If the work is published in English, cite it as you would any other English-language source.

Should I standardize the romanization of Korean authors’ names, or use their preferred spelling?

Use the author’s preferred spelling as it appears on the publication. Do not impose MCR romanization on personal names that already have an established English spelling. For example, if an author publishes as “Han Seungwoo,” cite them as Han Seungwoo — not as Han Sŭng’u. The MCR exception for well-known names extends to any author’s own established usage.

How do I order Korean-language and English-language sources in the bibliography?

Use a single alphabetized bibliography based on the romanized form of each entry. Korean-language sources are alphabetized by the romanized family name alongside English-language sources. Do not separate Korean and English sources into different sections.

Further Information

Consult the Chicago Manual of Style via the university library. The 18th edition includes Korean language guidance (Chapter 11, sections 11.95-11.99).