Step 2: Downloading the Template Files
Now that both LATEX and an appropriate editor are available, you will need the files that are specific to the University of Rhode Island thesis format. The eight files which make up the template will produce this thesis. Follow the steps for installing these files based on which operating system you are using.
What the Template Consists of
The template contains eight files. Four of these files are style files which define the structure of the thesis and ensure that it conforms to the Graduate School's Guidelines for the Format of Theses and Dissertations. These files are:
- urithesis.cls - the main LaTeX class
- uribib.bst - the style for the bibliography
- uriref.bst - the style for the list of references in IEEE format, like [3]
- uriapa.bst - the style for the list of references in APA format, like (Toolan, 2006)
In general, these style files should never need to be modified, they just need to be in the same directory as your main .tex file.
The template also contains four example files to get you started. These files are:
- thesis.tex - the top level .tex file, and the only file that LATEX is run on
- abstract.tex - an example of the preliminary material
- chapter1.tex - an example chapter
- references.bib - an example bibliographic database
You will need to edit these files while writing your thesis, and add some additional files as well, but in their current form they will produce this thesis.
Installing the Template Files on Linux and MacOS X
Download the archive thesis.zip, then extract it somewhere on your system. One way to extract the archive is by typing the command
unzip thesis.zip
in a terminal window.
Installing the Template Files on Windows
Download the archive thesis.zip, then extract it somewhere on your system.
