Formatting Guidelines

Outer hard cover

• Your final report should be in form of Hard-
bind
• Colour- Black
• Ribbon colour- brown with a wooden pebble at
end
• Soon after hard bind- insert a thick art paper
for front and back.
• No any writing on top of the front surface of
hard bind
2
 information prints on spine of the
book
• Following information should print on the
spine of the hard bind in gold colour
• (Degree program name)__ research
topic__Submission Year
• Sample
BSc Business Management (HRM) Special Absenteeism & HR Practices 2018

3
Paper

1. Size: A4
2. Good quality WHITE paper (80 g/cm2)
3. Single-sided printing
Spacing

1. 1.5 spacing throughout the document

❖ Exceptions: Single Spacing

▪ Abstract

▪ Table of contents

▪ Captions, table, or figure headings

▪ Long quotations

▪ Footnotes / endnotes

▪ Entries in reference section

Font
1. Use Times New Roman as the Font type (Microsoft Word
default is Calibri and do not use it)

2. Font size is 12 point

3. Consistent font and font size for all text, including page
numbers.

4. Captions (not smaller than 9 point)

5. Headings (not larger than 14 point)

Margins

▪ All pages must have at least:

1. Left margin = 1.5 inches

2. Top, bottom, and right margins = 1 inch

❖ The only exception: page numbers (they are

½ inch from the bottom middle)
Preliminary Pages and Remaining Content

i.Title page/ Cover page- sent as an attachment

ii.Declaration
Sent as an attachment
iii.Certification
iv.Table of contents
v.List of tables
vi.List of figures/ exhibits
vii.Acknowledgements
viii.Abstract
The body
References
Appendices
Preliminary Pages

▪ Numbering
1. Lower case Roman numerals ( i, ii, iii, iv, v…)

2. Centered at the bottom of the page

3. Numbers at ½ inch from bottom -middle

4. Title page counted, but not numbered

Title Page

▪ Title Page
1. Counted, but not numbered

2. Name of degree must be accurate

Example
Declaration by the Candidate- Please use template
given by NSBM

The dissertation should have a signed declaration by the

candidate stating that:

(Sample)
The work described in this dissertation was carried out by me
under the supervision of …………….. and a report on this has
not been submitted in whole or in part to any university or any
other institution for another Degree/ Diploma.

Name of the Candidate

Signature
Date
(Sample)
 Certification by the Supervisor- Please use template
given by NSBM

In the subsequent page, a signed declaration by the Supervisor/s

certifying the work of the candidate stating the following should
be included:

(Sample)
I/We certify that the above statement made by the candidate is
true and that this dissertation is suitable for submission to the
University for the purpose of evaluation.

Name of the Supervisor

Signature
Date
(Sample)
Acknowledgements

▪ A brief note acknowledging the contributions of those

who should be remembered, given in a succinct and
touching manner…
Dedication Optional
1. No required heading

2. May be combined with acknowledgments.

❖ If combined with acknowledgments, dedication should
be located on acknowledgments page
I dedicate this work to my mother and father

15
ABSTRACT
▪ The abstract should follow on a fresh page.
▪ On this page, the title of the dissertation should be given with the
author’s name below it and the word ABSTRACT printed below in
capital letters (Font – 14).
▪ Double space has to be left below the word ABSTRACT. Abstract
should be written in Font 11 – Times New Roman, Single Spacing.
▪ Presents the entire work in a nutshell.
▪ Will necessarily contain the problem/research questions, objectives,
method of study, main findings and recommendations, expressed
concisely.
▪ Confined to about 250 – 400 words (unless specified otherwise)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page

1. List sections with page numbers

2. Single space
LIST OF TABLES
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page

1. Tables should be numbered consecutively throughout

with chapter numbers
LIST OF FIGURES
Centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page

1. Non-text items

2. Numbered consecutively throughout with chapter

number
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Optional
▪ or List of Symbols
▪ or List of Nomenclature
▪ No matter what the name of the list, each would be
centered, in ALL CAPS at the top of the page.
Formatting Guidelines

Main Body
Main Body

▪ Text: justified

▪ Start a new paragraph in a new line

▪ Page Numbering:

1. Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc..)

2. Bottom-middle

3. At least ½ inch from the bottom of the page

 Headings

American Psychological Association (APA)

uses a system of five heading levels

APA Headings
Level Format
1 Centered, Boldfaced, Upper & Lowercase Headings
2 Left-aligned, Boldface, Upper & Lowercase Headings
3 Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period.
4 Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with period.
5 Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period.
Here is an example of the five-level heading system:
REMOVE widow and
orphan lines…
Tables and Figures
Table Example
➢ Table captions must appear ABOVE the table.
➢ Tables and captions must be within the proper margins.
➢ Color is permitted in tables, but use only as necessary for clarity.
➢ Multi-page tables must have
▪ Table XX continued or cont’d

Table 2-1: Artifacts Collected at the Black River Site Feb. 19-25, 2006

Arrowheads Bones Gems

Mon 7 42 0
Wed 20 57 1
Fri 25 0 0
Sun 5 35 5
Figure Example

➢ Figure captions must appear BELOW the Figure.

➢ Figures and captions must be within the margins.

90
80
70
60
50 East
40 West
North
30
20
10
0
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

Figure 4-1: Plot of Regional Earnings in 1993

Descriptive Statistics (WRONG)

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Table 4-1: Descriptive Statistics
Range
Variables* N Min Max M SD Skewness Kurtosis
BOSIZE 100 3.000 13.000 7.360 2.163 0.207 -0.272
OUTDIR 98 - 5.000 2.210 1.237 -0.019 0.250
OWNCONC 100 0.146 0.926 0.732 0.159 -2.057 5.389
MANGOWN 100 - 0.909 0.095 0.186 2.385 5.296
DIRREMU 94 - 18.241 15.006 3.533 -3.300 11.939
CEODUAL 100 - 1.000 0.870 0.338 -2.234 3.052
INDDIRAU 93 - 1.000 0.834 0.214 -1.064 0.892
TOTDEBT 102 0.160 0.729 0.436 0.163 0.110 -0.798
LTDEBT 102 0.015 0.270 0.091 0.070 1.274 0.770
DEBTEQU 102 0.176 2.485 0.887 0.621 1.233 0.947
LIQUD 102 0.740 5.378 1.873 1.150 1.847 3.138
GROWT 101 0.165 1.036 0.218 0.277 1.594 2.903
ROA 101 0.082 0.181 0.053 0.064 0.022 0.084
LNSIZE 102 15.369 23.321 20.954 1.840 -1.530 2.878

*Refer Table 2-1 for definitions of above variables

30
Correlation Table (WRONG)

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Table 4-2: Pearson Correlation Matrix
Measures 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
1. BOSIZE -
2. OUTDIR .31** -
3. OWNCONC -0.11 0.12 -
4. MANGOWN -0.11 -0.19 0.10 -
5. DIRREMU .21* 0.15 0.15 0.11 -
6. CEODUAL 0.02 0.09 -0.05 0.19 -0.04 -
7. INDDIRAUD .29** -0.05 -.29** -0.17 0.04 0.16 -
8. TOTDEBT -0.05 0.10 .25* .36** .27** 0.00 -.29** -
9. LTDEBT -0.06 -0.07 0.05 .30** 0.15 0.12 -.23* .41** -
10. DEBTEQU 0.04 0.18 .20* 0.17 .22* 0.02 -.29** .84** .22* -
11. LNSIZE -0.03 0.17 -0.05 0.11 .32** -0.14 -0.17 .26** .20* .23* -
12. LIQUD -0.05 -0.17 -.27** -.2* -.21* -0.06 0.18 -.53** -0.19 -.33** -0.15 -
13. GROWT -0.13 -0.14 -0.10 0.18 -0.07 0.07 0.07 0.02 0.09 -0.11 -.36** 0.09 -
14. ROA 0.17 0.06 -0.03 -0.09 .40** 0.12 0.14 -0.17 -0.03 -0.10 0.04 0.06 0.03 -
Note: Refer Table 2-1 for descriptions of above variables, *p<.05, **p<.01

32
Regression Analysis (WRONG)

33
Table 4-5: Multiple regression analyses

MODEL 1 MODEL 2 MODEL 3

Total debt ratio Long term debt ratio Debt to equity ratio

Coef. SE Coef. SE Coef. SE

Variables*
BOSIZE 0.000 0.977 0.008 0.222 0.001 0.984
OUTDIR 0.001 0.948 -0.001 0.864 0.062 0.234
OWNCONC 0.075 0.597 0.071 0.468 0.398 0.512
MANGOWN 0.162 0.471 0.067 0.687 1.403 0.170
DIRREMU 0.006 0.184 0.000 0.883 0.005 0.781
CEODUAL -0.005 0.904 -0.003 0.885 0.014 0.919
INDDIRAUD -0.125 0.065 0.007 0.851 -0.451 0.059
LNSIZE 0.017 0.242 0.015 0.156 0.046 0.487
LIQUD -0.0371* 0.016 0.0184* 0.040 -0.039 0.488
GROWT 0.047 0.141 -0.009 0.621 0.2625* 0.016
ROA -0.204 0.320 -0.061 0.597 -0.598 0.409
Constant 0.091 0.796 -0.378 0.131 -0.251 0.871
Adj.R2 0.419 0.062 0.240
F-value 26.10** 8.830 15.41
N 88 88 88

Note: Refer Table 2-1 for descriptions of above variables, *p<.05, **p<.01
34
Landscape Table & Caption

Page number must be

portrait style
Use of MS Word’s equation functionality to denote
equations

36
References

▪ Use Harvard style of referencing

1. Should be placed at the end of the main text, before

appendices

2. DO NOT NUMBER
Appendices
▪ Not required for every thesis or dissertation
1. Material that supports the research but is not essential to
an understanding of the text

2. Must be labeled as appendix

only one ❖ Appendix: Raw Data
❖ Appendix A: Raw Data
more
than one ❖ Appendix B: Survey
❖ Appendix C: Visual Analog Scale

3. Placed AFTER references

39