JIBS Thesis LaTeX Template

This repository contains a LaTeX template that aims to match the official MsWord JIBS thesis projects' template. See the original .docx template here.

Tip: The latest release is always the most stable version. Check the Releases tab to download a ready-to-use snapshot.

Check out the preview: example_output.pdf

Repository Structure

main.tex                # Entry point
preamble.tex            # Packages and global formatting
config/                 # Personal and front page info
  ├── personal_info.tex
  └── frontpage_info.tex
macros/                 # Custom macros (figures, tables, abstracts)
  ├── table.tex
  ├── figure.tex
  └── chapter_abstract.tex
chapters/               # Thesis chapters
appendix/               # Appendices
figures/                # Charts, images, etc.
assets/                 # Logos and other static assets
build/                  # Generated PDF/output (gitignored)
references.bib          # Bibliography
example_output.pdf      # Example compiled thesis

Using VSCode? A preconfigured .vscode/settings.json is included for build-on-save. Otherwise, you can safely ignore this.

Writing Content

• Each chapter lives in its own file in chapters/.
• Create a new file (e.g., methodology.tex) and input it in main.tex:

\input{chapters/methodology.tex}

• Start each chapter with:

\chapter{Methodology}
\ChapterAbstract{A brief overview of this chapter.}

• Keep content and formatting separate: content goes in chapter files, formatting in macros/preamble.

Macros Usage

The template provides macros for consistent formatting.

Chapter Abstracts

\ChapterAbstract{<text>}

Italicized paragraph at the start of a chapter for a summary.

Example:

\chapter{Introduction}

\ChapterAbstract{
This chapter introduces the research topic and outlines the thesis structure.
}

Figures

\Figure[<width>]{<image path>}{<caption>}{<label>}

• [<width>] optional (default: 0.8\textwidth)
• <label> optional if referencing with \ref{}

Example:

\Figure{figures/model.png}{Conceptual research model}{fig:research-model}
\Figure[0.5\textwidth]{figures/icon.png}{Program icon}{fig:icon}

Reference in text:

As shown in Figure~\ref{fig:research-model}, the variables are related ... 

Tables

Use ThesisTable environment:

\begin{ThesisTable}{<caption>}{<label>}
    % tabular content
\end{ThesisTable}

Optional notes:

\TableNote{Notes: Data source, clarifications, etc.}

Example:

\begin{ThesisTable}{Descriptive statistics}{tab:desc}
\begin{tabular}{lccc}
\toprule
Variable & Mean & Std. Dev. & N \\
\midrule
Income   & 45.2 & 12.1      & 120 \\
Age      & 34.5 & 8.9       & 120 \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{ThesisTable}

\TableNote{Notes: Data from Statistics Sweden.}

Front Page

The macro \Frontpage generates the full front page.

Configurable in: config/frontpage_info.tex

Commands include:

\FrontpageDegree
\FrontpageTitle
\FrontpageAuthors
\FrontpageTutor
\FrontpageDate
\FrontpageKeywords
\FrontpageAbstractOptionOne
\FrontpageAbstractOptionTwo

Usage:

\input{config/frontpage_info.tex}
\Frontpage

Switch abstract option by commenting/uncommenting the appropriate command in macros/frontpage.tex.

Fonts

• Default: Latin Modern (lmodern)
• If you want a Times New Roman–like font, replace:

\usepackage{lmodern}

with:

\usepackage{newtxtext}
\usepackage{newtxmath}

Or use any other font of your choice.

References

• APA style via biblatex
• Add entries in references.bib
• Reference entries consistently: e.g., lastnameYear<keyword> -> smith2020growth
• Use \printbibliography in main.tex for listing references.

Best Practices (non-exhaustive list)

• Try to keep one sentence per line for easier revisions and version control.
• Use build-on-save or recompile often.
• Prefer global formatting for general rules and locally apply small changes when appropriate.
• Formatting options should be placed in preamble.tex.
• Let LaTeX take care of the page numbering (template already has it).
• Avoid manual spacing (\\, \vspace) .
• Avoid manual line breaks and page breaks.
• Use the provided tables and figures macros.
• For equations, use \begin{equation}, this lets LaTeX number the equations on a per-chapter basis automatically.
• Add all references to references.bib.
• Use a consistent name for the references entries, like lastnameYear<keyword> (keyword is optional) example: smith2020growth.
• Put new macros into \macros, avoid defining them elsewhere.
• Prefer latexmk for building.
• Content in chapter files, structure in macros, formatting in the preamble..
• Prefer \clearpage over \pagebreak.
• Keep main.tex clean, organize content info separate files.
• Don't manually write personal info in places, use the config/personal_into.tex commands.

Releases

• The template is versioned with Git tags and GitHub releases.
• The latest release is always recommended for students.
• Example: v1.1 -> stable release with full functionality.

Licensing

This template is provided under the MIT License: use, modify, and distribute freely for academic work. Attribution is appreciated but not required. Share with anyone you think could benefit from this template.

Contact

Email: tope23on@student.ju.se