Thesis & Article Writing - Format & Styles of Referencing - Research Aptitude Notes

Introduction on Thesis format

Thesis and Project Report Arrangement

• Cover page: includes the title, author, degree (“Thesis/Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Ph.D. of … in …”), and date.
• Cover page color: Pink
• Thesis/Project Approval Form.
• Plagiarism policy compliance statement.
• Copyright page that grants MU the right to use and reproduce fully or partially the work being presented.
• Dedication page (optional).
• Acknowledgments page (optional).
• Abstract: a concise summary of the essential information of the work being presented, namely of the study’s scope, purpose and results. The reference-free single spaced abstract should not exceed two pages.
• Table of Contents: includes all the subsections of each chapter and the list of appendices (if applicable) and page numbers.
• List of Figures: includes figure number, caption, and the page number.
• List of Tables: includes table number, caption, and the page number.
• Abbreviations page: lists all the abbreviations used in the text alongside their fully written unabbreviated form.
• Thesis/Project text; the layout is described in the next section.

Layout

The following presents a framework for a thesis. The information is offered as a general guideline. Students should always consult their advisor for additional guidelines.
In particular, the layout of project reports can be different depending on the type and scope of the project. Note that each chapter should start on a new page.

• Introduction: background; statement of the problem; definition of terms; purpose of the study; theoretical basis; contributions of the study; organization of the remainder of the study.
• Literature Review: chronological, categorical or related theoretical view points related to topic.
• Proposed Solution/Methodology: research design or approach (quantitative, qualitative or algorithmic); population and / or sample; collection and tabulation of data; and data analysis procedures.
• Solution Validation, Analysis of the Data, Results, and Discussion: presentation and discussion of the findings, including limitations.
• Conclusions, Recommendations: summarizes the entire research effort; addresses the initial purpose of the study (stated in the introduction); stresses the importance of the work accomplished; leaves a final impression on the reader. It can also include suggestions for further work.
• Bibliography/References: references should acknowledge any work done by someone other than the author. The reference should also include work performed by the author if presented or published at an earlier date. References should adopt one of the standard international styles; the American Psychological Association style for references and citation is recommended. For more information, contact the library.
• Appendices: material too detailed or lengthy for inclusion in the body of the study (e.g. questionnaires, maps). Appendices may also contain information that might clarify the thesis but is routine in nature or indirectly related to the thesis. Raw data and examples of calculation could be incorporated.

Style and Form

• Paper: Use high-quality acid-free A4-size paper, with only one side of the paper.
• Printing: A high-quality laser printer should be used for the final copy.
• Headings: In disciplines where section numbering is normally used, the following guidelines apply: Chapter title: 18 – 24 pt size, bold. Main Section Headings: can be numbered as chapter-number. Section-number (e.g., 3.2 for chapter 3, section 2) in 14 pt size, bold. Second Headings: can be numbered as x.y.z (e.g., 3.2.4 for chapter 3, section 2, and subsection 4) in 12 pt size, bold. First Subheadings: can be numbered as w.x.y.z (e.g., 3.2.4.1 for chapter 3, section 2, subsection 4, and sub-subsection 1) in 12 pt size, regular. Second Subheadings: preferably unnumbered, 12 pt, italics.
• Text Font: Acceptable fonts generated by word processing programs include, but are not restricted to: Times Roman 12, Helvetica 12, and Letter Gothic 12. The font provided through LaTex is acceptable. Bold and italics should not be used excessively in the text. Furthermore, colored text should not be used.
• Spacing: Double or one and a half spacing is required for the text. Only footnotes, long quotations, bibliography entries (double space between entries), table captions, and similar special material may be single spaced.
• Margins: Left, 4 cm; top, bottom, and right, 2.5 cm. These are necessary to allow for binding and trimming.
• Page Numbering: Preliminary pages of the thesis, that is, those preceding the text are to be numbered in Roman numerals. The first page must not show its page number. Pages of the text itself and of all items following the text should be numbered consecutively throughout in Arabic numbers, beginning with number 1 on the first page of the first chapter. Page numbers should be placed in the lower right corner or center of the page. Only the number should appear, not page 9.
• Tables and Figures: Figures and tables should be inserted at the appropriate place in the text. Figures must have numbers and captions under the figures. Tables have their titles and numbers above.
• Drawings: Any material which cannot be typed or computer generated should be drawn with permanent black ink in neat and heavy lines. Photographs of drawings are acceptable. Xerox reproductions of drawings are acceptable if they are of high contrast.
• Photographs: Mount small photographs with glue. Do not use rubber cement or tape. High-clarity Xerox copies of photographs are also acceptable. However, highquality scanned e-images can also be inserted into the thesis text.
• Footnotes: In disciplines where footnotes are normally used, they should appear at the bottom of the same page as their reference. Footnotes should be numbered in Arabic numerals. The footnote reference is superscripted and the explanation at the bottom of the page begins with the footnote reference number. Footnotes should have a smaller font size than the text (e.g. 10 pt).
• CDs and DVDs: identify with title, name of student, and date.
• Computer Software: Describe in separate section in prefatory pages (e.g., list of figures and tables). If applicable, state requirements for the use of the software (e.g., hardware, screen resolution type) and any other information necessary for proper viewing of the software.
• Oversized Material: Oversize foldout pages may be included, though ample margins for binding must be included. Leave oversize page unfolded. The bindery will fold and insert them. All pages must appropriately numbered if found in the text.
• Binding: Binding will be arranged by the library, for a fee, in order to ensure consistency. At least two copies of the thesis should be submitted to the library of the campus concerned.

Layout/Format of a Research Report / PhD Thesis / M.Phil. Dissertation

But the most used and followed report structure is are as follow:

• TITLE PAGE:- Title of project, Subtitle (where appropriate), Date, Author, Organization, Logo
• BACKGROUND:– History(if any) behind the project
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:- Author thanks people and organization who helped during
• the project
• SUMMARY(sometimes called abstract of the synopsis):- A condensed version of a report – outlines salient points, emphasizes main conclusions and (where appropriate) the main recommendations. N.B this is often difficult to write and it is suggested that you write it last.
• LIST OF CONTENTS:- An at- a – glance list that tells the reader what is in the report and what page number(s) to find it on.
• LIST OF TABLES:- As above, specifically for tables.
• LIST OF APPENDICES:- As above, specifically for appendices.
• INTRODUCTION:- Author sets the scene and states his/ her intentions.
• AIMS AND OBJECTIVES AIMS:-  general aims of the audit/ project, broad statement
• of intent.
• OBJECTIVES:- specific things expected to do/deliver(e.g. expected outcomes)
• METHOD:- Work steps; what was done – how, by whom, when?
• RESULT/FINDINGS:- Honest presentation of the findings, whether these were as expected or not. Give the facts, including any inconsistencies or difficulties encountered
• DISCUSSION:- Explanation of the results.( you might like to keep the SWOT analysis in mind and think about your project’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats, as you write)
• CONCLUSIONS:- The author links the results/ findings with the points made in the introduction and strives to reach clear, simply stated and unbiased conclusions. Make sure they are fully supported by evidence and arguments of the main body of your audit/project.
• RECOMMENDATIONS:- The author states what specific actions should be taken, by whom and why. They must always be linked to the future and should always be realistic. Don’t make them unless asked to.
• REFERENCES:- A section of a report, which provides full details of publications mentioned in the text, or from which extracts have been quoted.
• APPENDIX:- The purpose of an appendix is to supplement the information contained in the main body of the report.

Few Other Important Terms & Terminology

Studies. They are called:

1. Conservative
2. Key points
3. Holistic

1. Conservative Style: Essentially, the conservative approach takes the best structural elements from essay writing andintegrates these with appropriate report writing tools. Thus, headings are used to deliberate upondifferent sections of the answer. In addition, the space is well utilized by ensuring that each paragraph is distinct (perhaps separated from other paragraphs by leaving two blank lines in

between).

2. Key Point Style: This style utilizes all of the report writing tools and is thus more overtly ‘report-looking’. Use of headings, underlining, margins, diagrams and tables are common. Occasionally reporting might even use indentation and dot points. The important thing to remember is that the tools should be applied in a way that adds to the report. The question must be addressed and the tools applied should assist in doing that. An advantage of this style is the enormous amount of information that can be delivered relatively quickly.

3. Holistic Style: The most complex and unusual of the styles, holistic report writing aims to answer the question from a thematic and integrative perspective. This style of report writing requires the researcher to have a strong understanding of the course and is able to see which outcomes are being targeted by the question.