This article contains a list of useful links about producing and converting your research thesis to a PDF/A-3. It contains direct links to the university thesis templates, training seminars, and guidelines.

This article is a repository – all the links and information listed along with the article are published on the following pages:

1. University thesis guidance
2. Word: creating a thesis: Six steps to PC thesis heaven series 
3. Producing your thesis in Word
4. Thesis Seminars: Using Microsoft Word to create your thesis
5. Videos of previous Doctoral College seminars and recordings
6. Creating accessible PDFs
7. Theses deposit through PGR Manager and Pure 
8. Submission and Completion | Quality Handbook | University of Southampton
   
   • Producing and submitting your thesis – student guidance

To convert your thesis to PDF/A-3 you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Pro installed on your computer. To know how to download and install Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, please read the article How to install Adobe Acrobat Pro.

How to create a PDF document compliant with the University guidelines

Step 1 – Download and start using the University Word templates

The University provides templates which meet the requirements set out in the "Producing and submitting your thesis – student guidance" guidelines.

Use these templates to produce the whole thesis in one long Word document. It contains all the required sections, including:

• The Title page
• Abstract page
• Styles
• Refreshable Tables of Contents
• Table of contents
• Table of Tables
• Table of Figures
• Bibliography

Download the template from the page Thesis templates.

Set out to create an accessible document as you work

Creating accessible documents in Word is one of the best practices you should always keep in mind.

Accessibility is an important legal requirement to ensure that information is available to all. The University is regarded as a public body under the 2018 accessibility regulations and so must be compliant with its requirements.

By using Word’s accessibility checker to create an accessible Word file, you will be sure that:

• All users can use it with or without the aid of assistive technology software and devices. 
• As much work as possible has been done in the source file.
• Accessibility features can also be migrated across to the PDF whenever a new version of the PDF is created. Not putting the work in on the Word file would mean that this accessibility work must be repeated in Adobe every time a PDF is created.
• You will save time when submitting your thesis and help meet some of the PDF/A-3 requirements for thesis submission to PGRManager and Pure.

To know more about this topic and find guidance, we recommend taking a look at the SharePoint page Creating accessible PDFs.

 

Step 2 – Build your document using Styles

Styles are a collection of formatting and reviewing features that have been given a name.

You can use styles to:

• Keep your formatting consistent and controllable
• Follow accessibility compliance
• Generate auto-numbered headings
• Use single-click document navigation
• Assist in generating a refreshable Table of Contents
• Assist in generating refreshable cross-referencing
• Set up the use of proofing with several languages

To make life things easier, as mentioned earlier, you can use the University's thesis template. It already has a range of Styles suited to meeting the University's regulations.

Resources

• To know more about Styles, visit the web page You want my advice? Learn Styles.
• From Producing your thesis in Word - Home, select the Styles drop-down from the menu bar to see all the resources available.
  

 

Step 3 – Manage tables, graphics, references, and layout settings

On every Word document, you can change the settings of:

• Tables
• Graphics
• References (including cross-references, footnotes, and table of figures)
• Layout settings

If you need guidance, please:

1. Open the SharePoint site Producing your thesis in Word - Home

2. Look at the menu bar and select the right tab to discover the content available:

 

Step 4 – Review your document

Standard checks

Before going further, review your document as follows:

1.    Open the SharePoint site Producing your thesis in Word - Home

2.    Look at the menu bar and select the Reviewing tab

Accessibility checks

To know more about this topic and find guidance, we recommend taking a look at the SharePoint Creating accessible PDFs.

 

Step 5 – Finishing check-list

Before converting your Word file to PDF format, be sure that the following checklists have been completed:

• Text
• Graphics
• Tables
• Reference
• Page layout
• Reviewing
• Accessibility check

We recommend running an accessibility check after making all the changes. Changing your file after running the check may have an impact on the accessibility of the file.

 

Step 6 - Convert your file to Adobe PDF

Follow the instructions below to produce a good baseline file to continue working on in Adobe Acrobat Pro. You can find further information on the SharePoint page Creating accessible PDFs.

We recommend installing Adobe Acrobat Pro before converting your file. If you need help, read the article "How to install Adobe Acrobat Pro".

 

Converting your file from the desktop version of Word for Windows

1. Before starting, ensure that:

1. You have added all required file properties and metadata
2. You have saved the file.

2. Complete the steps in the sections Setting Acrobat preferences for Windows (steps 1-16).

3. Open your file

4. From the menu bar, select the Acrobat tab

 
Please note: you will see the Acrobat tab only if you have previously installed the software.

5. Select the button Create PDF. If the Word file has not been saved, then you will be asked to do so – select Yes.

6. In the Save Adobe PDF File As dialog box navigate to the location in which to save the file

7. In the File name field enter the name of the new file

8. Select Save

 

Converting a Word file to PDF using MS Word’s conversion tool

1. Select the File menu

2. Select Save a copy

3. Select Browse

4. Navigate to the required file location

5. Set the Save as type field to PDF (*.pdf)

6. Set the Optimize for field to Standard (publishing online and printing)

7. Select Options

8. In the Options dialog box tick the Create bookmarks using box, and beneath it select Headings

9. Tick Document properties

10. Tick Document structure tags for accessibility

11. Select OK

12. In the Save As dialog box you may want to tick Open file after publishing, then select Save

 

Converting your file from the desktop version of Word for Apple macOS

1. Open your file

2. From the menu bar, select the File tab

3. Select the option Save As…

4. In the Save As... dialogue box:

1. Enter the name of the new file
2. Navigate to the location in which to save the file
3. Select the file format to be PDF
4. Select the option "Best for electronic distribution and accessibility (uses Microsoft online service)"  

5. Select the button Export

 

Converting your file from Word web access

1. Open your file

2. From the menu bar, select the File tab

3. Select the option Save As

4. Select the option Download as PDF

5. Select the button Download

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Converting PDFs to PDF/A-3

If you are required to apply PDF archiving requirements (such as PDF/A-3) then you will need to ensure that the file is saved in a specific format.

PDF/A formats are an internationally recognised archive format. This means the document will be openable by future technology by meeting a set of strict requirements. A final University e thesis must be submitted in such a format and this is so our research will be available in years to come.

If you need guidance on creating a PDF/A-3 from your thesis’ PDF:

• Follow the SharePoint page Create accessible PDFs - Save (section "Use Adobe's Pre-flight tool to convert to PDF/A-3")
• Watch the video below or:

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Submission and completion

Find further information about this topic on the page Submission and Completion - Quality Handbook.

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Video tutorials

• Understanding PDF/A-3 requirements - overview
• Home page of the ‘Creating an accessible PDF’ website
• Doctoral College thesis in Word seminars
• PGR Session_Creating a PDF_A–3a version of your thesis from Word

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Common issues and fixes

No file title

If your document does not contain the document’s title, Adobe will show you an error message like the following one:

The document's title: 

• Does not coincide with the file name
• Is part of the file properties and metadata
• Is often a more meaningful and user-friendly name than the file name and this is the preferred metadata by accessibility screen readers. 
• For a PhD thesis, this should be the thesis title.

To fix this problem, follow the instructions listed in the page File properties and metadata.

 

No file tagging tree

If your document is missing the file tagging three, adobe will show you the following error message:

 
How to fix this problem:

1. Use the correct conversion options to bring this across – If you need help, read the information published within the section "Step 6 - Convert your file to Adobe PDF"
2. Also, check if the correct Heading Styles and hierarchy has been used in the source Word file. 

 

Use of symbol font which PDF/A-3 will not accept

If your document is using a symbol font (for example: Symbols, Wingdings), Adobe will show you the following error message:

How to fix this problem:

1. Run the Report.
   If you need help to create the report, read the guide Creating a PDF/A file conversion report. This guide explains how to get the PDF/A-3 error report and the example given in step 8 shows how individual instances of Symbol can be identified in the file.
2. Fix all examples in the source file. Find further information about symbols for PC and Mac in the page Symbols.
3. Reconvert to PDF then to PDF/A-3.

 

Unable to find the PDF/A-3 option in Adobe Pro

It might happen that you are not able to find the PDF/A-3 option or find that the PDF/A-3 option is disabled.

 
To fix this problem:
1.    Uninstall the software using the instructions given in the article "How to download software" (section How to uninstall a software")
2.    Re-install Adobe Acrobat Pro DC following the instructions published in the article "How to install Adobe Acrobat Pro". 

 

Preflight profiles do not appear on Acrobat installed on Windows PC

You might not be able to convert your PDF to PDF/A-3 because there are no profiles listed under the "Profiles" field. 

 
This problem affects mainly Windows users.

To fix this problem you need to import Preflight profiles as follows:

1. Open Adobe Acrobat
2. Select the Tool tab 
3. Select the Print production icon
4. From the right sidebar, select the option Preflight
5. Select the button Options
6. Select the option Import Profile…
7. A new window will be opened to select the path. From there:
   
   1. Select Local Disk (C:) from the sidebar on the left
   2. Select the folder Program files
   3. Select the folder Adobe
   4. Select the folder Acrobat
   5. Scroll down and select the folder plug_ins
   6. Select the folder Preflight
   7. Select the file Default.kfp
   8. The File name field will be populated with "Default.kfp"
   9. Select the button Open

Adobe will bring back all the missing default files and will populate your Preflight field:

 

No access to Adobe Pro

To know how to download and install Adobe Acrobat Pro, read the article "How to install Adobe Acrobat Pro".

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Related content

PGR Development Hub - Home

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Making inclusive font choices

Good practice for creating a PDF from your Word file

Good practice for formatting headings in Word

How to install Adobe Acrobat Pro

Missing Preflight Profiles in Adobe Acrobat

Create accessible PDFs - Save