Professional Documents
Culture Documents
(UiTM)
PROJECT PAPER
HANDBOOK
Guidelines for the BBA
(Hons) Finance/Islamic
Banking Project Paper
-First Edition-
CONTENTS
~~~~~~~
Preface
1. Introduction
Course Objectives
Course Content
Role of Supervisors
Role of Second Examiner
Submission of Project Paper
Report Assessment
The Project Paper Process
2. General Format of Writing the Project Paper
Language
Paper
Font Size and Type
Font Style
Headings
Paragraphs
Line Spacing
Margins and Justification
Pagination
Use of Footnotes
Abstract
Body
Note on Plagiarism
Bibliography
Tables and Figures
Appendix
3. Guidelines for Research Proposal
Abstract
Introduction
Background of the Study
Research Problem
Review of Literature
Research Methodology
Conclusion/Planning
4. Structure of the Project Paper
Front Cover
Title Page
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Abstract
Acknowledgement
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Glossary
Introduction
Review of the Literatures
Research Design and Methodology
Data Analysis and Findings
Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendices
References
5. Never Do These Common Errors
6. Viva Tips
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Bibliography
Appendices
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PREFACE
This project paper handbook aims to facilitate and guide our BBA (Hons) Finance/ Islamic
Banking students in conducting their research. Thus, we feel that guidance is needed to help
ensure the quality of the project papers. This guideline has been produced in handbook for
easier reference and greater convenience to both supervisors and students. Please read and
follow these procedures carefully to avoid unnecessary, costly and time consuming revisions.
We wish you all the best in your project paper and we welcome feedback from supervisors
and students.
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1. INTRODUCTION
Course Objectives
The course is designed to enable students to exhibit their creativity and innovativeness in
soliciting, analyzing, synthesizing and reporting information about an area of their interest
experienced during the attachment and within the perimeters of the students program of
study.
Course Content
Students are required to address only specific issue pertaining to their field of study. If
necessary they have to conduct a comparative study of theory vs. practice whereby a
literature review must be incorporated to expose them to research articles in academic or
trade journals. They are then required to obtain information on practical aspect of the issue
being addressed at the organization where they are attached to. Based on theory/best
practice vs. organization practice, students then identify gaps or missing areas, and make
suggestions for improvements to the organization.
Role of Supervisor
To assist wherever possible and to advise prior to approval organizations identified and
proposed by the student under his/her advice
To facilitate and advise on the appropriateness of the area/topic of study for the project
report, identified by the student
To be available for consultation on any day of the week based on the mutual agreement
with the student
To inform and ensure that the students fulfill all rules, regulations and requirements of the
program, the Faculty and University
To bring the attention of the Head of Program, any difficulties or problems relating to the
industrial training and the students
To continuously assess and evaluate the students industrial training log book and
industrial training report and to submit the grade to the Head of the Program
1
Total
20%
20%
60%
Weightage
Supervisor
2nd Examiner
10%
10%
10%
10%
40%
20%
Language
The language of the project paper is English; preferably use British English rather than
American English. However, the final choice is up to the student, but it must be consistent.
Paper
Size
Quality
Color
Candidates must use Times New Roman font. No other fonts are acceptable
Font size:
For text use 12-point font
For tables and figures, use 10-point
For footnotes, 10-point
For title page, 18-font, Bold, Centred, please refer to Appendix A
For Table of Contents, please refer to Appendix
Please type in bold for headings and subheadings. Headings should be typed in all upper
case letters while sub-headings are to be typed in upper and lower case letters.
Font style
Only one fonts style (Times New Roman) may be used through the entire thesis.
Exceptional to this can only be made for tables/figures/illustrations imported from other
sources. Italic variants of the same fonts style may be used for tables, foreign words,
book titles or occasional emphasis. The usage of bold variants of the same style and
underlining in the text of headings and title is at the students discretion.
3
Headings
Chapter headings are to centred and written in bold, upper case letters. The font size is 16
point. Other sub-headings are to be aligned to the left margin and should be in 14 point
font-size. Sub-headings should be in upper and lower case. Underlining and boldfare in
the sub-headings is at the students discretion (however, constancy is needed)
Paragraphs
Spacing between two paragraphs in the basic text should be set at 2.0 spaces. The first
sentence of paragraph should be indented to 6 spaces. A heading that appears as a last
line on a page will not be accepted. There should be a minimum of two lines of a
paragraph at the bottom of the page under the headings.
Line spacing
The project paper should be typed on one side of the paper. The text should be doublespaced throughout, with single-spacing for exceptional circumstances only:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
Abstract
Appendices
Long headings or sub-headings
Long captions to tables, figures or plates
Bibliography
Tables
Quotations
Set the justification to full and the margins to the following measurements:
TOP
: 1
BOTTOM : 1.5
LEFT
: 1.5
RIGHT
: 1
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Pagination
All page numbers should be centred at the bottom of the page.
Title page: this page should not be numbered though it is counted as page number (i)
Preliminary pages: preliminary pages include all the sections that precede the text.
They arranged and numbered using small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii etc)
Text page: page one should be the first page of Chapter One
Supplementary pages: no pagination
No hyphens, periods, underlining or other marks should be appear before, after or
under the page number
Use of Footnotes
Footnotes must not be used for citing references. They should be used only for useful
extensions and excursions of information in the body of the text. Footnotes should be
numbered consecutively with superscript numerals. Footnotes should be in single
spacing, font size 10-point.
Abstract
Abstract is one-paragraph, self-contained summary of the most important elements of
the project paper. It should NOT be more than 250 words in length.
Heading- the word ABSTRACT in all capital letters, centred at the top of the page.
Format: it should be written in block form (i.e. without indentations) and in complete
sentences
Content: The abstract should contain statements of the (1) research problem, (2)
methodology, (3) results and (4) conclusions and implications. Write in the past tense to
report specific manipulations and procedures you employed in the study and the present
tense to describe conclusions based on the findings.
Body
In the preparation of the body of the text, rules pertaining to margins, font type, font size,
line spacing, justification, pagination, etc. must be observed at all times without
exception.
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Text citations
Source material must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the author(s) and
date (s) of the sources. The underlying principle here is that the ideas and words of
others must be fully acknowledged. The reader can obtain the full source citation from
the list of references that follows the body of the paper.
i.
When the names of the authors of a source are part of the formal structure of the
sentence, the year of publication appears in parentheses following the
identification of the authors. Consider the following example:
Wirth and Mitchell (1994) found although there was a reduction in insulin dosage
over a period of two weeks in the treatment condition compared to the control
condition, the differences was not statistically significant. [Note: and is used when
multiple authors are identified as part of the formal structure of the sentence.
Compare this to the example in the following section.]
ii.
When the authors of a source are not part of the formal structure of the sentence,
both the authors and years of publication appear in parentheses, separated by
semicolons. Consider the following example:
Review of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some types
of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of physical and mental health
(Gartner, Larson, & Allen, 1991; Koenig, 1990; Levin & Vanderpool, 1991; Maton &
Pargament, 1987; Paloma & Padleton, 1991; Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins,
1991). [Note: & is used when multiple authors are identified in parenthetical
material. Note also that when several sources are cited parenthetically, they are
ordered alphabetically by first authors surnames. +
iii.
When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are included every time
the source is cited.
iv.
When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited, all authors are
included the first time the source is cited. When that source is cited again, the first
authors surname and et.al. are used. Consider the following example:
Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least some
types of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of mental physical and
mental health (Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991).
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When a source that has six or more authors is cited, the first authors surname and
et al. are used every time the source is cited (including the first time).
vi.
Every effort should be made to cite only sources that you have actually read.
When it is necessary to cite a source that you have not read (Grayson in the
following example) that is cited in a source that you have read (Murzynski &
Degelman in the following example), use the following format for the text
citation and list only the source you have read in the References list:
Grayson (as cited in Murzynski & Degelman, 1996) identified four components of
body language that were related to judgments of vulnerability.
vii.
A note on Plagiarism
UiTM IS STRICTLY AGAINSTS THE PLAGIARISM. Plagiarism is a very serious offence.
Plagiarism occurs when people steal the words, the ideas, and/or the work that rightfully
belong to others and then present these words, ideas, and/or work as if this material were
their own words, ideas, or work. Students must pay serious attention on this matter and
the best way to avoid plagiarism is to make proper documentation of the sources to which
referred to in the project paper.
THE FACULTY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO FAIL THE STUDENT CONCERNED & TO REPORT THE
STUDENT TO THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE UNIVERSITY.
Bibliography
Any research work, which makes use of other works, either in direct quotation or by
reference, must contain a bibliography, listing all of the sources. Only works directly cited or
quoted in the text should be included in the bibliography.
The bibliography must be presented according to the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (APA) format. The bibliography should be single-spaced, with a
font size of 12-points. All the references cited are listed in alphabetical order. Do not
number the references.
Pagination: the bibliography begins on a new page
Headings: BIBLIOGRAPHY (centred, in upper-case letters, on the first line)
Format: many references on APA format are available *on-line]. Among other are:
1. http://www.apastyle.org/
2. http://www.iirp.org/pdf/APAFormat.pdf
Use font size 10-point and single-spacing. Number all tables and figures with Arabic
numerals in the order in which the tables are first mentioned in the text. Title of the
tables and figures must be placed on the top. Charts and graphs must be centred. Source
(s) of data must be placed at the bottom left of the tables and graphs, printed in font size
10-point.
Appendices
All appendices should be placed after the bibliography. This section is optional and will
depend on the content of the individual project paper. Any figures or tables included in
the appendix should be numbered and captioned as for all text tables and figures.
Student Name:
Matric No:
E-mail & Contact No:
Program/Batch:
Project Title:
Supervisor Name:
Supervisors signature:
Students signature:
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ABSTRACT
200-250 words abstract (please describe what you want to investigate, the basis for doing it
and how you intend to to it)
1.3 RESEARCH PROBLEM (should indicate what issues you are intending to answer at
the end of this study. Should state relationship/s you want to examine)
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY (please explain in what way is your research problem is
important in terms of either practical application or understanding of theories in the subject
investigated)
2. METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY (should describe how you intend to conduct your study by
explaining i) how you intend to collect data, ii) how you intend to analyze it iii) must be
able to show that your answers to i) and ii) will help you address your research problem)
Explains together the Scope of the Study and Research Hypotheses/Research Questions
-Proposal should be between 20-25 pages, however it is depends on your scope of study11
ABSTRACT
The abstract would comprise one paragraph. It should concisely mentioned the
purpose of the project, the issue of the study, the data and methodology, what
previous studies has achieved and the findings of YOUR study.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Student may wish to formally acknowledge anyone who has provided exceptional
assistance or organizations that have given the student ready access to their facilities.
The wording should be simple and concise.
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Narrated Abu Hurayrah [RA]: The Prophet [SAWS] said: He who does not thank Allah
does not thank people. [Abu Dawud]
In other words, whosoever does not thank people, has not thanked Allah .Supposed
someone did you a favor. Either you:
thank no one!
thank the person but not Allah [SWT]
thank Allah [SWT] and not the person
thank Allah [SWT] and then also thank the person
If your arm is too short to give a reward, keep your tongue long enough to thank.
If the report contains many tables and/or figures a list should be provided, giving the
table or figure number, the title and the number of the page as which it is presented.
GLOSSARY (OPTIONAL)
Generally, the following sub-sections are included in writing the introduction chapter
of the project paper:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
Background of the Study- This section should inform the reader with the
problem to be dealt with, by establishing a frame of reference for the problem.
Objective (s) of the Study, Research Questions and/or Hypotheses- This
section should describe in detail, the research objectives, research questions,
and/or hypotheses of the research.
Significance of the Study- This section should state the contribution of the
research to theory, practice and policy
Limitations of the Study- This section should discuss the
limitations/constraints of YOUR STUDY. (NOT YOUR LIMITATION i.e. lack of
time/experience)
Definitions of Terms- This section provides operational definitions of all
principal variables in the study
Organization of the Project Paper- This section is always placed last in chapter
one and informs readers on the summary of contents to be presented in each
of the remaining chapters.
This section should give detailed account of the topic to be studied, a comprehensive
discussion (with references where appropriate) of relevant work which has previously
been carried out by other workers on the field of the study. All material taken
verbatim from article, textbooks etc. must be presented in quotation marks. This
chapter needs to clarify the relationship between the proposed study and previous
work conducted on the topic. Sub-headings should reflect the major variables of the
literature review. It is recommended that the sub-section under each sub-heading
begin with sentence introducing the purpose, content or relevance of the literature to
be reviewed in the sub-section and end with a sentence summarizing the conclusions
or trends evident from the literature reviewed in that sub-section.
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This is the heart of the report where students will present a critical appraisal of what
has been written before, make comparisons and present arguments supported by
his/her analysis of the results. Student should make clear the logical steps which lead
to the conclusions he/she has drawn, and relate these conclusions to the objectives of
the project.
The conclusions should follows naturally from the analysis and should need no further
comment, apart from any qualifications, which may apply to the conditions under
which they hold. It is felt that actions should be taken on the basis of the conclusions
then such recommendations should be stated there. This chapter has the following
functions:
i. To conclude or summarize the findings of the study in the form of conclusions. It
is useful to begin the last chapter with a summary of the main findings. This
helps to orient readers to the discussion that follows.
ii. To interpret-Here, this section is designed to answer the following questions:
What do the findings mean?
Why did the results, if any, not turn out as expected?
What circumstances accounted for the unexpected outcomes, if any?
What were the some of the limitations of the study?
iii. To integrate- This section attempts to tie the results together to achieve
meaningful conclusions and generalizations
iv. To theorize- Wherever possible, the conclusions chapter should also attempt to
integrate the findings into an existing theory or generate original theory.
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APPENDICES
Any materials which is not necessary for the general reader to follow the reports
arguments should be placed in an appendix such material should, nevertheless, must
be relevant to the work, and is included for those readers who may wish to question
the findings or to pursue the work further.
REFERENCES
Detailed references should be given so that the reader may know what sources the
writer drew on, which information is attributed to which sources and to find the
original information to check it or obtain more information.
Pagination
The project paper should be paginated continuously in Arabic numerals placing the
number at the centre of the bottom of the page, about 1 cm from the bottom edge
the middle of the margin lines of text.
Corrections
Before sending the project to a binder the student should proof read it to correct any
typing errors. If the project paper is submitted with errors it will probably be returned
to the student for correction before it is finally accepted.
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5. VIVA TIPS
Best of luck!
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Bibliography
Fisher (2007). Researching and Writing a Dissertation- A Guidebook for Business Students
(2nd ed.). England: Pearson Education.
Project Paper Handbook for BBA (Hons) Finance (FIN 660), Unpublished, UiTM
Project Paper Committee (2008). Project Paper Handbook: Guidelines for the MBA/MMgt
Project Paper, Management Centre: IIUM
Faculty of Business Management, Unpublished (internal circulation), Syllabus ISB665,
Universiti Teknologi MARA.
Thomas and Brubaker (2008). Theses and Dissertation (2nd ed.). California: SAGE Publications
Company.
Appendix