THESIS

GUIDELINES
Sixth Trimester
Weightage : 16 credits
SS 2007-09

Sumanta sharma
Vijay kumar boddu
Alpi jain
Dipti sharma 1
 What is a Thesis ?
A Thesis is a formal document to prove that an
original contribution to Human knowledge has
been done .
Two important things:

Identify a worthwhile problem or question which has not been

previously answered

Solve the problem or answer the question

Research is simply “gathering the information you need to

answer a question and thereby
help you solve a problem.”

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Difference between A Master and
Doctoral Thesis
Master Thesis Doctoral Thesis
The contribution to knowledge The Ph.D. must be a
of a Master's thesis can be in substantial and
the nature of an incremental innovative contribution to
improvement in an area of knowledge.
knowledge, or the application
of known techniques in a new
area

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Why Thesis ?

Fulfills requirement of
getting Degree /Diploma

Provides an opportunity to
explore a topic in depth

Encourages a rigorous,
logical and systematic
approach to problem-
solving

Career development

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 Thesis Procedure
Select a Area /domain and narrow it down to a topic

Write a topic proposal and Scope of work

Choose an External Guide

Talk to Guide (Internal and External ) regarding the proposed topic

Submission of Thesis synopsis in hard copy to Internal Guide

Approval of thesis synopsis by allotment of Alumni Number sent through email

Submission of Response Sheets

Submission of Final Thesis (It should be between 10000 to 30000 words )

Appearing for the Viva Voce

Note 1 : The Topic has to be chosen in that field where the student has been specialized
Note 2 : There would be marks deduction or rejection of thesis for Non compliance of thesis rules
Note 3 : Student General Identification Number is different from Thesis Alumni Identification Number
Note 4: Synopsis should be of maximum of 3 papers

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 Thesis Synopsis
 Details of the student
[Name (as per IIPM records), Batch ,Section ,specialization ,Phone No and Email Id ]

 Desired Area student intends to do Research

(Ex :Advertising ,branding , Performance appraisal ,Industrial relations ,Recruitment ,
corporate finance , Capital Markets, Personal finance etc.)

 Title of the thesis

 Problem definition /hypothesis /Research objective

 Introduction to the Area of research (In brief )

 Scope of the thesis work

Synopsis format
Continues in next page
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 Thesis Synopsis
 Research Methodology

 Justification for choosing a particular research proposal

 Summer Training Topic ( In Brief )

 Details of the External guide

(Name of the Guide ,Qualification and Designation )

 Approval letter from External guide

( Signatory note from guide stating that he/she would guide you )
Note : The Approval letter should be either in the form of External guide’s signature in the
company’s letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guide’s signature
with company’s attestation or External guide’s signature attached with business card.
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 Thesis Guide
 Internal Guide is the Thesis In charge of IIPM (Dept of Projects)

 Student should have at least one External Guide

 A student can choose more than one person as his/her External Guide

(External Guide has to be necessarily from the industry .Institute reserves the right to
approve or reject the guide as suggested by the student)

 It is advisable to choose one of his/her Guide who is well versed in the area
(technical in nature ) one has chosen.
(For Ex :Hr Topics – Sr corporate Hr personnel)

 A Guide is expected to counsel the students with respect to his thesis work but not
to solve the problems.

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 Selection of Thesis Topic

 Current
 Commercially viable
 Challenging
 Available

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 Thesis Title
It should be precise.
It should be argumentative.
It should be an indication of the structure of the
thesis.
It should not be an announcement.
It should reflect the key idea (s) of your project.
Try and use only single sentence for the Title.
It should be specific.

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 Sample Approved HR Topics
Resolving Team Conflicts with respect to LG Company
Employee attitude & Productivity – A study of Le-Meridian
Employee productivity & Training and Development
Competency mapping in Auto-component industries
Performance appraisal system at HCL Technologies
Work life balance of the front line field force
Employee’s morale and productivity
Attrition analysis and benchmarking retention strategies at
Bharti Tele –ventures
Improving manpower utilization through effective manpower
planning: A study of the Taj Group of Hotels, Chennai
A study on the impact of incentive programs on employee
motivation
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 Sample Approved Finance Topics
Credit appraisal process of home finance companies in India
Economic Determinants of Security analysis
Econometric valuation of CAPM model
Working capital management at Jubilant Organosys Ltd
Private banking model - ICICI bank
Study of Arbitrage trends in futures market
Impact of intangible assets on the market value of Infosys
Significance of CSR reporting in Annual reports
Value creation by using acquisition growth strategies
Human asset valuation in the IT sector
Fundamental study of Zinc in the global scenario
Credit risk analysis in SME banking (ICICI BANK)
Operational activities and capital enhancement of Oil India
Warehousing and logistics issues in commodity market
Direct and indirect benefits of agriculture futures for farmers
 Sample Approved Marketing Topics
Marketing of generic pharma products to Latin America
Distribution network at eSys Information Technologies
Global positioning strategies of the Bollywood industry
CRM at ABN Amro bank
An empirical study to enhance the market share of Airtel in Delhi &
NCR
Enhancing logistics efficiency in the dry cell market
WTO and its impact on Indian business – A study of polyester films
An empirical study of consumer behavior in the Hair color industry
An approach to enhance Garment sales at Sachitra Overseas
Sales Parameters of Various Insurance Companies
Study of brand loyalty in the Rum segment
Pricing Strategies of Indian Based IT Vendors- An
International Marketing Perspective

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 Sample Approved Marketing Topics
Impact of Value added services on the profitability of telecom service
providers - A study on Altruist Technologies
Strategies to increase the Market Share of Mother Dairy Ice Cream
Market Mapping of Havell’s Fan Division
An Empirical study to determine strategies for Coca Cola to increase
market share in Muzaffarpur
An Analytical Study of Channel Sales in Imaging Services Division of
HCL Infinet
An empirical study of the distribution network of Coca Cola in South
Delhi
Strategic factors for co-branding in the service sector
Dealer evaluation for Anchor Industries
Sales Promotion Schemes - A Study in Relation to Consumer
Electronics

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FORMAT OF A THESIS

The Manuscript consists of three main parts

 The Preliminaries

 The Content or the text

 The References

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 The Preliminaries
Title Page

Abstract

Certificate of Originality

Thesis Topic approval letter sent over email

Acknowledgments

Table of Contents

List of Figures & Tables

Synopsis

Note : Preliminary pages

Numbering should be in lower case Roman numerals; Centered at the bottom of the page;
Numbers at least ½ inch from bottom edge
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 The Preliminaries
Title Page

-- Institute logo ,Name and place;

-- Name of the Title ,Student and Guide ; Batch and Alumni No
-- It should contain all capital letters ; Counted, but not numbered ;

Abstract

-- This should include the problem under investigation; the research methodology
and theoretical orientation; and the expected out comes and implications of the
research
-- Not to exceed 350 words

Certificate of Originality

-- It should include original signature of the Guide .It indicates that the guide
has approved the thesis as a complete and final work requiring no further
alterations. This signatory format is completely different from the format when
submitted at the time of synopsis.
Note : The Certificate of Originality should be either in the form of External guide’s signature in the
company’s letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guide’s
signature with company’s attestation or External guide’s signature attached with business card.
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 The Preliminaries
Acknowledgments:

-- It should generally include acknowledgment of assistance

received from various persons .
-- Center the heading “ACKNOWLEDGMENTS”

Table of Contents:
-- Lists all sections with page numbers ;Double space between entries; Single
space within entries

List of Figures:
Required if figures appear in thesis
Non-text items; Numbered consecutively throughout

List of Tables:
Required if tables appear in the thesis
Tables should be numbered consecutively throughout

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 A General Thesis Content
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
Report of Data Collection – Findings &
Analysis
Recommendations
Conclusions & Implications

NOTE: Page Numbering should be in Arabic numerals ;Upper, right-

hand corner; At least ½ inch from edge
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 A General Thesis Content
 Introduction:
Introduction of research problem introduction of objectives
introduction of how objectives will be achieved (methodology).
 Literature Review :

Relevant literature to establish a sound base for the proposed

research

 Methodology (how the results were achieved):

Explanation of how data was collected/generated and analyzed
An explanation of methodological problems and their solutions
or effects

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 A General Thesis Content
 Results - report of data collection:
Report on the data collected using the research methods and
techniques . Analyze data, and patterns, in terms of data
collection methodology
 Recommendations:
It should be based on resolving the Research problem. A
thesis is written from a consultant’s perspective.
 Conclusions & Implications:
It should include how the data collected and the literature
reviewed, together contribute to answering the research
questions, and resolving the research problem.

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 Research Methodology
It constitutes two parts
 Mode of data collection or generation
 Type of analysis of data

Considerations :
 It must be appropriate to the objective of your study
 Combined methodology is appreciated
 Justifications regarding specific methods chosen or used

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 Data collection methods
Primary Data
Original data collected for a specific research goal
Ex: Questionnaire surveys; Interviews: informal or structured
Observation: Participant (overt) or covert (masked identity) etc
Secondary Data
Data originally collected for a different study, used again for a new research
question.
Ex: Published statistics , Published texts , documents, forms ,reports etc

Qualitative data
Data involving understandings of the complexity, detail and context of the
research subject, often consisting of texts such as interview transcripts and
field notes, but also audiovisual material.
Quantitative data
Data that can be described in terms of objects, variables and their values.

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 References
Bibliography
-- It should include all works which are referred to in the thesis .
-- May be placed at the end of the main text .
-- Use any standard manual .If one is not using a style manual, single
space within each entry and double space between the entries.

Appendices
Inclusions : Articles , Questionnaire format ,Old forms or reports, Sample
filled questionnaires with Business cards attached
Exclusions : Case study, Power point slides

Response Sheets
All thesis should contain at least 6 Response Sheets in the
prescribed format

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 Layout Requirements
 Spacing
 Font
 Header and Footer
 Margins
 Paper
 Overall appearance
 Printing the final copy

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 Layout Requirements
Spacing
1.5 Inch space or Double space throughout
Exceptions: Title page and approval page, Table of contents, Captions, table or figure
headings, Extensive quotations, Footnotes or endnotes, Entries in reference section,
Appendices.

Font
Any standard font is acceptable ; Use the same font throughout; Use font size 12
Exceptions: Captions (not smaller than 9 point), Headings (not larger than 20 point)

Header and Footer

The Header should include the Institute’s Logo with Name (extreme left)
The footer should include the Student’s Batch ( Extreme left) and Thesis Alumni Id
Number ( Extreme Right )

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 Layout Requirements
Margins
Pages must have at least:1.5 inch left margin ; 1 inch top, bottom, and right margins
Exceptions: page numbers must have at least ½ inch clearance from each edge

Paper
8.5 X 11 inches (A-4 Size) , White bond,25% (or higher) cotton content .

Overall Appearance
All corrections should be made before final copy is printed
Unacceptable: Overstrikes or cross-outs ,Handwritten additions or corrections, Lines, dots or
shading from paste-ups .

Printing the Final Copy

--- Print must be sharp and of uniform darkness ;One side only .
Every content of the thesis should be in New Page

--Cover should include following – Bounded form (Black color) stating Institute Logo ,Name
and Place; Thesis Title ;Student Name ,Alumni No, Batch ; Thesis Guide ; Title and Alumni
No ( cover Side ); Capital letters in Golden color; Portrait format

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 Thesis Deadlines
Submitted to Internal Guide
Submission of Thesis synopsis in
Hard copy
(Due date: On or before 15th
October 2008)
Submission of at least six response
sheets before submission of
final thesis (Every time the guide is
consulted )
Note :Delay in synopsis submission
will attract penalty of 5 marks per
week from the last due date)
Submitted to Internal Guide
Submission of Final Thesis
(Due Date: 30th April 2009,)
One Hard copy + One soft copy)
Submission of Redo Final Thesis
(Due Date: Within 30 days from
the date of rejection )
Note : Delay in submission of
final thesis or redo thesis will
disqualify the student for
convocation.
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 Thesis work follow up – Response Sheets
Response sheet - format & submission:

Details of the student [ Name (as per IIPM records) ,Batch, Section, Alumni Id ,Phone No and Email Id )

Thesis synopsis ( Attached with the response sheet every time )

Progress of the work (should be sent as separate attachment ): Students are supposed to send actual work content
( like preparation of the questionnaire , data collection , analysis done etc. which is generally considered as the
main area of the thesis )

Note: -- Whenever a student sends his/her response sheet, he/she has to send all
the previous response sheets along with the thesis synopsis .

-- Response sheets can be sent through Email or can be given in person .

-- All response sheets need to be appended to the report

- - The Institute reserves the right to reject any thesis for which response sheets have not been received

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 Purpose of the Viva Voce examination
 
•To examine whether value addition to the existing knowledge was generated

•To establish that the research has been carried out independently and genuinely by the
candidate

•To determine the candidate’s understanding of the literature used in the thesis

•To examine the conceptual and logical approach and research techniques used in the
thesis.

•To allow the candidate to defend the originality of the thesis

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 The Indian Institute of Planning & Management
NEW DELHI, ESTD. 1973
N E W D E L H I  M U M B A I  B A N G A L O R E  C H E N N A I  P U N E   A H M E D A B A D   H Y D E R A B A D

THESIS EVALUATION FORM

Name of the Student: _______________________________________________________________________

Student ID No : ________________________________________________________________________

Title of the Thesis: _________________________________________________________________________

1. Research objective /problem definition: Weightage: 10 Marks _______

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Research methodology /Description: Weightage: 5 Marks _______

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Research results / analysis : Weightage: 20 Marks _______

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

4. Achievement of aims / research objectives : Weightage: 10 Marks _______

______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

5. Originality /Value addition : Weightage: 10 Marks _______

________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Quality of recommendations: Weightage: 15 Marks _______

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

7. Quality of conclusion : Weightage: 5 Marks _______

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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 The Indian Institute of Planning & Management
NEW DELHI, ESTD. 1973
N E W D E L H I  M U M B A I  B A N G A L O R E  C H E N N A I  P U N E   A H M E D A B A D   H Y D E R A B A D

8. Relevance of the Literature used : Weightage: 10 Marks ________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

9. Structure and presentation of the thesis: Weightage: 10 Marks _______

Use of Language :
(Writing style, Grammar, Punctuation,
Spelling and Communicativeness)

Layout requirements :
(Conformity with instructions)

Technical Presentation :

10. Assessment of Process : Weightage: 5 Marks _______

(Independency shown by student, Pace of work and Response sheets follow-up)

____________________________________________________________________________________

Any other comments:

__________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Overall Percentage of marks (Total marks 100):

Name of the examiner : _______________________________

Signature : ______________________________

Date of evaluation : ______________________________ 32

 Check list -1
 Ensure that the set research objective /problem has been achieved/solved.

 Ensure that your thesis extends the understanding of a subject and makes an additional
contribution to Human knowledge.

 Ensure that the data collected has been properly analyzed .

 Ideally a thesis is a combination of secondary as well as primary data. However the

requirements may vary depending on the topic chosen

 Ensure that the writing style should remain same throughout the thesis report. Plagiarism
would lead to rejection of thesis.

 Ensure that preliminary requirements (Thesis topic approval mail, Guide signatory page and
synopsis) have been met.

 Students must always use the thesis title as approved and sent to them by email

 Ensure that the structural requirements have been met.

 Ensure that grammar, punctuation marks etc have been met.

 The student should use Thesis Alumni Identification Number but not the Student General
Identification Number 33
 Check list -2
 The Final Thesis report should be between 10000 to 30000 words

 The format for the Approval letter is different from the certificate of originality which has to be arranged from
the external guide.

 The approval letter / Certificate of Originality should be either in the form of External guide’s signature in the
company’s letter head or email print out from his /her official email Id or External guide’s signature with
company’s attestation or External guide’s signature attached with business card

Ensure that Appendices include Articles ,News papers cuttings , Questionnaire format ,Old forms or reports, Sample
filled questionnaires with Business cards attached.

Ensure that Paper used in the thesis should of 8.5 X 11 inches (A-4 Size) , White bond,25% (or higher) cotton
content

Ensure all data , tables and graphs should be in the color format

Final Thesis should be submitted in the form of a single Hard copy along with a soft copy

There would be marks deduction or rejection of thesis for Non compliance of thesis rules

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Best of Luck !

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