Dissertation Project Guidelines

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 Contents
Title Page No.

1. Meaning of Dissertation...03
2. Process of Project Selection & Submission..04
3. General Framework of Dissertation.06
4. General Structure of Dissertation..07
5. Format of Dissertation Report.09

6. Methodology...12

7. Presentation & Analysis of Data.13

8. Discussion Result & Conclusion.....14

9. Appendix 1: Synopsis approval from dissertation guide...15

10. Synopsis Approval Performa....16

11. Prototype of Title Page.17

12. Guidelines for the assessment of the dissertation..18

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MEANING OF DISSERTATION

A Dissertation is a written thesis, often based on original research. This research is

usually an advancement of a new point of view or any raw idea. An important aspect of
a dissertation is the detailed and full of meaning analysis of a chosen subject, area a
topic, or a problem. It explores, examines and validates a new idea.

A dissertation can be from a sector / economy/ specialized area or government specific.

It starts with the problem identification and ends with the recommendations and
researched solutions.

RELEVANCE OF DISSERTATION

The dissertation is usually a requirement for an advanced academic degree. To complete

an advanced or Post Graduate course in Management, every student has to submit an
independent research report on his specialized/ Chosen area. It forms a necessary part
as partial fulfillment of the degree.

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PROCESS OF PROJECT SELECTION AND SUBMISSION:

1. Choosing a topic of research

A project is a written thesis on any chosen subject. It starts with the selection of the
area of study, deciding about the relevant topic of study through extensive preliminary
research, coming out with the current/ possible research problem, doing an extensive
research on the same, validating your ideas and solutions and making final feasible
recommendations.

The success of the project is highly dependent on the chosen area and subsequent topic.
The clarity on the topic gives us a clear pathway for furthering our research on the right
track.

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2. Once the dissertation topic is decided, the next step is to prepare SYNOPSIS of
your report. To know how to make a synopsis, refer to the guidelines of Synopsis
Appendix-2.

3. Send synopsis on decided topic to onlinedlsupport@amity.edu.

4. Once the synopsis is approved by the concerned faculty, the approval will come
on the students registered email id.

5. Only after the approval of the Examiner you can proceed further to complete
your Project Work. He/She may also ask you to resubmits the Synopsis if not
satisfied with the Work, or the proposed or is not relevant to the topic/area, it is
not an original work or insufficient.

6. After completing the Project Work, Students need to submit the Project Report
(min 60-100 Pages) in Hard Copy with Proper Hard Binding for the Final
Evaluation.

7. On Receipt of your Project Report, Examiner will conduct your viva through the
Email.

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1. GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF DISSERTATION
Basic Formatting and Grammar Rules

i) While the majority of the research proposal is written in the present and future
tenses, the reporting of research reviewed is the past tense (when the research has
already been done).

ii) A paragraph must have two sentences. It cannot only have one.

iii) A situation that continues or is still occurring in the present is written in the present
tense.

iv) Do not use I or you. All writing must be written in the third person. If it is
necessary to refer to you, then refer to yourself as the researcher.

v) Direct quotations (more than 40 words or four typed lines) should be enclosed in
quotation marks and the specific page number from the source of the quotation
included in the citation. See the APA manual (p. 292) or Concise Rules for APA Style (pp.
125-127) for more information regarding long direct quotation format.

vi) Do not use colloquialisms, such good to go, picking up the slack, or other phrases
or wordings. Be as precise as possible with word choices. Imprecision allows multiple
choices for interpretation, which is not desirable.

vii) Use multiple ways to cite someone when not quoting. Words to use include
stated, posited (if it is a proposed theory or viewpoint), said, found (if research),
suggested (similar to posited), though there are others.

viii) For the proposal, what will be done should be in the future tense, while past
research that has been cited is stated in the past tense.

ix) A situation that continues is written in the present tense. For example, Education,
today, with the advent of the No Child Left Behind Act, relies more on technology
through online testing than ever before.

x) The methodology and findings in the final dissertation are written in the past tense,
since the study has been done, at that point.

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2) General structure of the Dissertation

The following outline is indicative of the overall structure of a dissertation. Clearly it will
have to be adapted to the particular study you have carried out.

Title Page

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

CHAPTER 1 Introduction

CHAPTER 2 Literature Review

CHAPTER 3 Research Methodology

CHAPTER 4 Presentation of Data

CHAPTER 5 Analysis of Data

CHAPTER 6 Discussion and Interpretation of Findings

CHAPTER 7 Conclusions, Implications and Recommendations

References

Appendices

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3) Word Length

The typical length of the dissertation is 20,000-25,000 words. This length is exclusive of
title and contents page, figures, tables, appendices and references.

4) Plagiarism

Plagiarism, that is, the willful representation of an other persons work, without the
acknowledgement or the deliberate and unacknowledged incorporation in a students
work of material derived from the work (published or otherwise) of another, is
UNACCEPTABLE and will incur the penalty of outright failure. We have software
available to check Plagiarism.
5) Dissertation plan
It is recommended that the students should have a synopsis/dissertation plan to guide
them right from the outset. Essentially, the synopsis/dissertation plan is an outline of
what the student intends to do, chapter wise and therefore should reflect the aims and
objectives of the dissertation in detail along with detailed bibliography and critical
review of literature.

6. Planning the Dissertation (This entails the following)

Selecting a topic for investigation.

Establishing the precise focus of the study by deciding on the aims and objectives of
the dissertation, or formulating questions to be investigated. Consider very carefully
what is worth investigating and its feasibility.

Drawing up initial dissertation outlines considering the aims and objectives of the
dissertation. Workout various stages of dissertation

Devising a timetable to ensure that all stages of dissertation are completed in time.
Your dissertation will be reviewed and evaluated by the Amity Universitys Examiner.

It is advisable to start writing as soon as possible. Do not worry if you feel that your
material is not good enough, almost all early material is weak at the beginning.
Starting to write at an early stage will enable your supervisor to see what direction
you are taking, where your weaknesses are and give you constructive advice and you
will gain confidence from this feedback.

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7. The Role of Your Dissertation Guide / Examiner

Give possible directions for the study and advise on aims and objectives

Suggest some general areas of research for consideration and where possible, any
examples of current research relevant to the topic.

Examine written work and provide constructive criticism. It is not the

responsibility of the dissertation guide to correct spelling mistakes, etc. other
than to point out these are present: nor is it the duty of the dissertation guide to
organize the presentation content of the work, although advice may be provided
if enough work has been submitted.

Make student aware of inadequate progress or any other facts which could
impede the completion of a successful piece of work.

8. FORMAT OF A DISSERTATION REPORT

a. The Synopsis
A synopsis should provide an overview of your study in all its aspects. It should be
around 1500-2000 in words and should answer the following questions.
What does this research set out to do and why?
How did it seek to do it?
What are the general findings?
What do these suggest?
What conclusions are reached?
What are the implications of these?

Synopsis to be submitted will be strictly as per the guidelines. Guidelines for writing
synopsis is attached as Appendix 2 in this handbook.

b. Acknowledgements
In these sections you should express thanks to those who assisted you in your research.
These should be kept to a minimum and include academic supervisors and people who
participated in the fieldwork, any funding bodies and probably family, friend or relative.

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 c. Introduction
In the introduction you should introduce the reader to the background of the study and
the nature of the problem being considered. It should therefore set the study in context
explaining why this study is important, highlighting significant issues, problems and
ideas. The aim and objectives should be stated clearly.

d. Literature Review
In the process of creating the work it is very important to pay attention to the
dissertation literature review in order to prove your papers accuracy. Dissertation
literature review is a register or summary of used resources related to the topic of the
dissertation project. Here are a few guidelines you should follow during the dissertation
literature reviews writing stage.

In a dissertation a student is expected to provide a critical review of the existing

literature (published and unpublished) on the research area being investigated. This
does not mean that you have to indicate every book and article that has been written on
the subject but anything you read should be referenced appropriately. Nevertheless
your review should indicate that you have studied existing and recent work in the field.
The Harvard System (author/date) of referencing should be used. The literature review
should be:

Relevant: Literature used should support your arguments relating to your

research question and aim and objectives of the study. It should uphold
methodology. In some cases you may need to discuss literature review and its
relationship to methodology in a separate chapter.

Up-to-Date: Recent literature (not older than five years) is recommended unless
you are referring to classical works in your field of study. Sources used have to be
in their majority primary sources, secondary referencing may be used.

Comprehensive: Demonstrate that you have read extensively without being over
inclusive. Develop your ability to employ summary statements and to synthesize.

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 Use evidence: A literature review in this sense is just like any other academic
writing research paper. Your interpretation of the available sources must be
backed up with evidence to show that what you are saying is valid.

Be selective: Select only the most important points in each source to highlight in
the review.

The type of information you choose to mention should relate directly to the
reviews focus, whether it is thematic, methodological, or chronological.

Use quotes sparingly: The survey nature of the literature review does not allow
for in-depth discussion or detailed quotes from the text. Some short quotes here
and there are okay; though if you want to emphasize a point, but if you find
yourself wanting to put in more quotes, check with your instructor.

Summarize and synthesize: Remember to summarize and synthesize your sources

within each paragraph as well as throughout the review.

Keep your own voice:While the literature review presents others ideas, your
voice should remain front and center.

Use caution when paraphrasing: When paraphrasing a source that is not your
own, be sure to represent the authors information or opinions accurately and in
your own words.

Now after you get draft in hand? The first thing is to revise. Spending a lot of time
revising is a wise idea, because your main objective is to present the material, not the
argument. So check over your dissertation help reviews again to make sure it follows the
assignment and/or your outline. Then just as you would for most other academic forms
of writing, rewrite or rework the language of your review so that youve presented your
information in the most concise manner possible. Be sure to use terminology familiar to
your audience; get rid of unnecessary jargon or slang. Finally, double check that youve
documented your sources and formatted the review appropriately for your discipline.

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9. Methodology

The purpose of this chapter is to indicate what you actually did in your research so that
your reader may evaluate the design procedure and findings of your study. The
methodology section should be well-structured, written in concise, matter-of-fact
manner and should provide answers to the following questions - What actually
happened - How? - To whom- With what result? - How were problems dealt with?
Approach to data?

The following is an outline of the Methodology Section

Review of Data Collection Methods
- Why were the data collection methods you chose the best suited to fit your research
question?
Secondary Data
- What secondary data was used? How does it feed into the current research?
Primary Data:
- A detailed description of research conducted, design of the tool, description of
fieldwork, you also need to mention any specific procedures used.
Criteria for Sample Selection
- Number of total sample, characteristics of sample and method of selection
Pilot Study
- To whom was the study administered, what changes were made to the research tool
Methods of Analysis-
- Briefly explain how you propose to analyze the data, if computer software is going
to be used, a description of the type of software has to be included.
Limitations
- What were the limitations of this study and how did you overcome these
limitations?

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10 Presentation and Analysis of Data
In the presentation of data you are to present the major findings of your research in a
summarized form and the details of the analyses which have been performed. The
content and style depend on the nature of the research method chosen, but in the case
of both quantitative and qualitative studies, the object is to present the data collected
to answer the research questions.

10.1 Presentation and Analysis of Qualitative Research

10.1.1 Presentation of data is mainly descriptive and this is usually presented in a
chronological order.

10.1.2 Analysis of data is conducted through the identification of themes. The research
tools in qualitative research include open-ended descriptions, transcripts of
interviews, essays and observations. These produce a mass of data which
sometimes can be difficult to sift. A useful way to process this data is to keep the
research question(s) in mind, to read through the data a couple of times until
particular issues or themes present themselves. These can be suggestive of a
structure for presenting the descriptive data.

10.1.3 Evidence is usually in form of quotations from the subjects being studied,
discussions of people involved, illustrations, photographs the variations are
unlimited.

10.1.4 You may find that there is evidence of difference of opinion. Include variations in
opinion and describe poles of belief. These add richness to qualitative research.

10.2 Presentation and Analysis of Quantitative Research

10.2.1 As a preliminary to working out results, any test given must be scored, data
inputted into the appropriate computer programme and additional material
gained from the sample must be sorted out. This is often purely mechanical work,
and it takes time but must be done accurately.

10.2.2 The data presented must not be in their raw form (this is placed in the
Appendices). The only time you would ever describe data on individual subjects is
when you have done a case study.
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10.2.3 In this section, the task is to summarise data meaningfully, through the use of
descriptive statistics. These include mean scores, medians, ranges, standard
deviations, correlation coefficients.

10.2.4 Visual presentation is very important in quantitative research. Graphs, tables,

histograms, bar graphs are simple ways in which to present condensed data but
they are also very effective.

11. Discussion of Results and Conclusions

11.1 This chapter should draw together all the issues of the research and link back to the
aim and objectives which were outlined in the Introduction and Methodology. Have the
aims set at the beginning been met? If not, why not?

11.2 Evaluate how your findings bear on issues or points raised in the Literature
Review.

11.3 What are the implications arising from the findings. Be careful with your
generalisations and your interpretations. Recommendations should be based on
evidence.

11.3 Do you have suggestions for future research in this area?

12. References
Full details of all the books and journal articles cited or referenced throughout the
dissertation should be included in this chapter. A reader should be able to identify the
exact source and refer to it directly. The Harvard method of referencing is the
recommended system.

13. Appendices
The Appendices should include selective, supplementary material which is distracting
when placed in the main body of text. Only material which is necessary for a full
understanding of your study should be included. These include important forms,
questionnaires or interview schedules, description of equipment or settings, tables and
lists of data supportive of the study.

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Appendix 1: Synopsis approval from faculty / dissertation guide

Synopsis

Name
Roll Number
Course
Title of the Project
Name of Organization & Place where the
Project is to be conducted
Date of Submission

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 SYNOPSIS APPROVAL PROFORMA

Name

Roll Number

Course

Session

Study Center

Address for Correspondence

Name & Designation of the Project

Guide

Title of the Project

Name of Organization & Place where

the Project is to be conducted

Place

Date of Submission

Signature

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Appendix1:-Prototype of Title Page

Title

(Subtitle)

(Students name)

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of

Masters in Business Administration International Business
at the
Amity Center for E-learning
Amity University, Noida

Month Year

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 Guidelines for the assessment of the dissertation
While evaluating the dissertation, faculty guide will consider the following aspects:

1. Clear statement of the objective or objective(s)

2. Practical relevance of the objectives and methodology to the business world/economy
3. Sufficient background reading and review of the available literature critically by the student.
4. Development of an appropriate analytical framework for addressing the problem at hand.
5. Collection of suitable information / data.
6. Appropriateness & relevancy of the techniques employed by the student to analyze the data /
information
7. Valid conclusion drawn or not.
8. Layout of the written report.

Appendix 2: Guidelines for Synopsis

The synopsis is a brief out line (about five A-4 size pages or 1500 words is the maximum
limit) of your future work.

A synopsis must have the following headings:

a) TITLE: Should reflect the objectives of the study. It must be written after the whole
synopsis has been written so that it is a true representative of the plan (i.e. the
synopsis).

b) INTRODUCTION: Should contain brief background of the selected topic. It must

identify the importance of study, its relevance and applicability of results. It must clearly
state the purpose of the study.

c) OBJECTIVES: Objectives are statements of mentions. They inform the reader clearly
what the student plans to do in his/her work. The must identify the variables involved
in research. Objective should be sufficiently specific, measurable, achievable, relevant
and time bound

d) MATERIAL AND METHODS:

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e) STUDY DESIGN: Mention the name of the appropriate study design.

SETTING: Name and place where the research work is to be conducted.

DURATION OF STUDY: How long will the study take with dates.
SAMPLE SIZE: How many persons will be included. If there are groups how many per
group?
SAMPLING TECHNIQUE: Type of sampling technique employed.
SAMPLE SELECTION:
Inclusion criteria: on what bases will persons be inducted in the study.
Exclusion criteria: On what bases will persons be excluded from the study.
DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURE: A detailed account of how the student will perform
research; how s/he will measure the variable. It includes:
Identification of the study variables
Methods for collection of data
Data collection tools (proforma/questionnaire)

f) DATA ANALYSIS PROCEDURE: Relevant details naming software to be used, which

descriptive statistics and which test of significance if and when required, specifying
variables where it will be applied.

g) DATA COLLECTION INSTRUMENT:

The student must attach, as an annex, the proforma or questionnaire with the help of
which he/she intends to collect data. The proforma / questionnaire must match the
objectives and must not contain irrelevant sections like inclusion and exclusion criteria
etc.

h) REFERENCES

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HOW TO ENSURE THAT YOUR SYNOPSIS IS APPROVED IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT

a. Read the instruction given in login carefully and ensure correct format.

b. Abide by the instructions/guidelines and the model synopsis given in your Login

c. Cover all the headings

d. Be brief and to the point

e. Length of synopsis not more than 3 - 4 pages.

f. Submit only one copy of Synopsis

g. Examiner will evaluate your Synopsis and will give his/her comments. You can
proceed further to complete your Project Work, Only after the approval of the
Examiner. He/She may also ask you to resubmits the Synopsis if not satisfied with
the Work.

g. Do not submit extracts from any study already conducted in the Organisation.

h. In your own interest, do not delay. Submit your Synopsis NOW

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