STUDENT RESEARCH PROJECT OUTLINE

FOR

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

CAPE COAST

OCTOBER 2017

Project Coordinating Unit

Department of Civil Engineering
Cape Coast Technical University
 Table of Contents
1. Drafting a Research Project ...................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 The Structure of a Project ......................................................................................................................... 1

1.2.1 Preliminary pages.............................................................................................................................. 2

1.2.1.1 Title Page....................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2.1.2 Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... 2

1.2.1.3 Declaration .................................................................................................................................... 3

1.2.1.4 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 3

1.2.1.5 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 3

1.2.1.6 Table of Content ............................................................................................................................ 4

1.2.1.7 List of illustrations ........................................................................................................................ 4

1.2.2 The Body of the Report.......................................................................................................................... 4

1.2.3 Subsidiary Pages ............................................................................................................................. 15

1.2.3.1 Glossary ....................................................................................................................................... 15

1.2.3.2 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................... 15

1.2.3.3 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................ 16

1.3 Conclusion .............................................................................................................................................. 29

2. Specifications for Student Project Report ............................................................................................... 30

2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 30

2.2 Preparation of Manuscript....................................................................................................................... 30

2.3 Sizes and Margins ................................................................................................................................... 31

2.4 Style of Writing....................................................................................................................................... 31

2.5 Page Numbering...................................................................................................................................... 31

2.6 Font, Line Spacing and Justification ....................................................................................................... 32

2.7 Equations, Tables and Figures ................................................................................................................ 33

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2.8 Symbols................................................................................................................................................... 34

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2.9 References ............................................................................................................................................... 34

2.10 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................ 41

2.11 Printing and Binding ............................................................................................................................. 41

3. Style and Grammar Advice ..................................................................................................................... 42

3.1 Apostrophes ............................................................................................................................................ 42

3.2 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................................ 42

3.3 Colloquialisms ........................................................................................................................................ 42

3.4 Grammar ................................................................................................................................................. 43

3.5 Jargon ...................................................................................................................................................... 43

3.6 Spelling ................................................................................................................................................... 43

Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................................................... 44

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1. Drafting a Research Project

1.1 The Structure of a Project

In writing a project, the researcher must address the following components:

1. Preliminary pages

2. Main body

3. Subsidiary pages

1. Preliminary pages

✓ Cover

✓ Title

✓ Declaration

✓ Certification

✓ Dedication

✓ Acknowledgment

✓ Abstract

✓ Table of Content

✓ List of Illustrations

2. Main body
✓ Chapter 1: Introduction

✓ Chapter 2: Literature review

✓ Chapter 3: methodology

✓ Chapter 4: Analysis

✓ Chapter 5: conclusion

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 3. Subsidiary pages

These are also called final documents. In this section we have:

✓ Appendix/Appendices

✓ Glossary

✓ Reference and bibliography

1.2.1 Preliminary pages

These pages come first but they are written after the other sections are completed in order to

get a complete view of the content and structure of the project.

1.2.1.1 Title Page

The title of your report must be succinct (usually not more than single sentence),

unambiguous and accurate. Many writers use a short, attention-grabbing title. On their own

such titles are rarely sufficient, and so sub-title is used to clarify the nature of the project.

Whatever format you choose, the title/sub-title must convey the content of the report. On the

title page you will also typically include the name of the author(s), the month and year of

completion, and the name of the client organization where applicable. A research report in the

form of a dissertation/project is likely to require additional information on the title page such

as the name of the institution, the name of the supervisor and a phrase similar to this a

dissertation/project submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements of the particular level of

certificate to be awarded (see appendix 1).

1.2.1.2 Dedication

This section is where the supervisor certifies the supervision of the study. There is provision

for the supervisor, head of department and external examiner to sign with date.

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1.2.1.3 Declaration

This is the page where the student declares that the work is his or hers, and has not been

presented for the award of a certificate anywhere; it also admits any weakness in the work.

There is a place for the researcher to sign, and for the supervisor to sign (see appendix 1).

1.2.1.4 Acknowledgements

Assistance given to students in the course of their research should, as a matter of courtesy,

always be acknowledged. Typical acknowledgements would be to the dissertation/project

supervisor, to other academic staff who may have provided specialist help, to people within

organizations who might have provided assistance, to friends and family who might have

commented on drafts of the report or helped with the typing, and to the subject of the

research.

1.2.1.5 Abstract

An abstract is a brief summary of the project which acquaints the reader with the work. An

abstract should not be long; for a project, the abstract should be of about 300 – 400 words. It

should state the following:

✓ the title of the study;

✓ the problem that the study explored;

✓ methods employed by the study;

✓ the findings of the research work;

✓ Conclusion.

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The abstract of a project comes in the initial pages but it is the last thing to be written. Since

it is a summary of the research work, it is written when the study has been completed and the

project written.

1.2.1.6 Table of Content

This gives a guide on the contents of the project by listing the contents and indicating the

pages on which to find the items. The items to be listed include the preliminary pages, the

chapters and the final documents.

1.2.1.7 List of illustrations

This refers to all tables, figures, graphs, maps, plans etc. that have been used in the text. This

too should be provided on a separate page, with items listed in order, and with their

designation, number, title and page number. To avoid confusion it is best to limit the nature

of your illustrations to two styles, ‘Figures’ and ‘Tables’ are perhaps are the most useful in

this respect. They should be numbered by chapter/section and so, for example, the reader will

instantly know that Figure 4.1 is the first figure to be found in chapter/section 4.

1.2.2 The Body of the Report

The second section of the project consists of the body of the research work. Chapter one is

the introductory chapter. ‘CHAPTER ONE’ is written at the top of page one of the project.

This is followed by the title of the chapter at the centre, underneath “CHAPTER ONE” thus:

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 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
Every chapter starts on a fresh page and is arranged like chapter one above – the chapter at

top of the page, followed by the title. This is followed by the subheadings which are

discussed one at a time. The subheadings of chapter one is as follows:

1.1 Background or Preamble

The background to a thesis introduces the reader to ideas that will help him or her understand

the study. In the background:

✓ introduce the reader to the project by presenting the title of the study;

✓ State the inspiration or what triggered your interest in the title. This could

be your experience or somebody’s opinion on the subject;

✓ explain the focus of the study and how relevant it is currently;

✓ state the general over views of the research that can help the reader to

understand your work;

✓ Don’t be too general in your statements; be specific in your definition and

description.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is a brief but quite specific terms serves to elaborate upon the information implied in the

title of the study and it secures of the nature of the problem which underlies the rationale for

the study. The statement of the problem should be set forth in brief but quite specific terms so

that even an uninformed reader may secure an idea of the nature of the problem which

underlies the justification of the study. It should also be noted that the research problem can

be stated in a question form or it can be done by examining issues and concerns and stating

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them in a problem form. It is not always easy for a researcher to state his problem simply,

clearly and completely. He may often have only a rather general and even confused notion of

the problem. However, a clear statement of the research is one of the most important parts of

research. One must, therefore, strive to state a research problem satisfactorily.

1.3 Aim and Objectives

Here the researcher states the need for the study and the contributions it will make to

knowledge. It captures the broad theme included in the topic or title of the research.

The objectives of the study are the breakdown of the problem into component parts so that

readers will understand the problem more clearly. It is stated as a statement that aids in

finding answer to the research problem. Most commonly, researchers use words such as those

indicated below to state their objectives(s).

i. To identify;

ii. To find out;

iii. To investigate;

iv. To evaluate;

v. To assess’

vi. To determine;

1.4 Scope/ Delimitation

It shows the aspect of the topic which you are studying. Delimitations do not have anything

with the population or sample, it deals with the topic. An adequate statement of the problem

also defines it very carefully in terms of its scope. The researcher must set forth exactly the

bounds of the topic being researched. These are the delimitations. Delimitation is not

concerned with the sample size or with definitions of a finite population. They are concerned

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with those parts of the topics or problem that normally might be considered to be part of such

but which because of limitations of time, physical capacity or other reasons the researcher

cannot or does not wish to include. The delimitations build a fence round the topic under

study not around the population or the sample being studied.

1.5 Significance of the Study

It tells us what the study does/ what one should expect in the study or work the relevance of

the study to the individual and the society as well as contributing to theoretical area to be

studied. It should indicate whom the study would be meaningful and give some indication of

its value for others.

1.6 Methodology

Under this you provide information about how your data will be gathered; experimental,

library or field research activities - interviews or questionnaire administration; sampling

techniques to be applied; method of data analysis, etc.

1.7 Project layout

You indicate the proposed composition of the final report; the number of chapters.

1.8 Tentative Timetable

Give time lines as to when to complete the various aspects of the final report; literature

review, experimental design, survey, data collection and analysis. Even though the time you

apportion to various sections are approximate, you should be able to give close timespan as

possible. You can put the timetable in tabular form or using Gantt chart.

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 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

You cannot do research work based on your experience or personal knowledge because that

will be grossly inadequate and skewed. A researcher is expected to read materials that are

related to his study. In this section of the project, you:

✓ read materials that are relevant to your research interest;

✓ don’t be passive in your reading;

✓ reflect on what is read; think about it viz a viz your research topic;

✓ critically analyze authors’ view points;

✓ decide on what is relevant;

✓ write down relevant points; don’t copy;

✓ avoid irrelevances; it is not everything that you see on your topic that is relevant;

✓ report the relevant literature that you read in summary form;

✓ you can concisely report a scholar’s view in three or four sentences;

✓ if you understand what you read, you can summarize a chapter of a book in four

sentences because your focus is on the aspects that are relevant to your research

interest, and not the entire chapter;

✓ where scholars express similar opinions, put such authors’ views together and

review them once. It will be boring to keep repeating same viewpoint of different

scholars one after the other;

✓ as you read and jot down points, relate the materials to your topic or the problem

that you hope to resolve and thereby bring out the gaps to be filled by the study.

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2.2 Referencing

In the course of writing a project, the researcher makes use of scholars’ ideas. The sources of

borrowed ideas must be acknowledged to avoid plagiarism. Acknowledgement of ideas can

be done by gathering notes at the end of a chapter or by integrating the sources in the body of

writing. There are two popular ways of referencing:

i. MLA (Modern Language Association)

ii. APA (American Psychological Association).

But the adopted way of referencing by the department is the APA (7th edition) style which

explained in detailed at the subsidiary page under bibliography.

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 CHAPTER THREE

METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This section or chapter presents the plan on how the researcher will gather data that is to be

used in the study. Preamble or background information about respondents, where used, and

their personal data are given in the methodology. The plan of the study is done under the

following subheadings:

3.2 Research Design

This is the plan or structure of the research and the type of approach to be used in the

collection and analysis of data. The design may be a survey, experimental, analytical or

descriptive. Justify your choice of approach by giving the reasons for your choice.

3.3 Population

This refers to the area or number of people or items to be covered by the study. This includes

all the units that are to be investigated in the study.

3.4 Sampling

This is the selection of elements from the population; the sample elements represent the

population.

i. You must first identify the population to be studied and their number before you can

sample or select elements from the population.

ii. State the sampling procedure to be used and justify your choice. Is it random

sampling?

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3.5 Research instruments

These are the means by which data is to be gathered. These include:

i. Tests;

ii. Interviews;

iii. Questionnaire;

iv. Audio / video recording of responses, performance, utterances, festival, storytelling,

etc.

To choose research instruments, the researcher should consider the research topic and

whether the instrument can offer solution to the problem raised by the topic.

3.6 Data Analysis

The data collected should be analyzed following the methods and procedures that are

presented in the methodology section. Analysis can take the quantitative (statistical) or

qualitative analytical mode procedure.

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 CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION AND RESULTS DISCUSSION

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Data Analysis

The data collected should be analyzed following the methods and procedures that are

presented in the methodology section or chapter. Analysis can take the quantitative

(statistical) or qualitative analytical mode procedure.

4.3 Data Presentation

After data is given, analysis of data must be presented. This is done in the form of pointing

out common trends such as the highest score, moderate score and lowest score; whatever is

the trend as perceived in the scores given is pointed out in the analysis. Where data is

arranged into groups or categories, each category to be discussed should be announced with a

title. Where data is presented in tables, the tables should be numbered serially. Alternatively,

figures may be given without using tables.

4.4 Results Discussion

Next is interpretation of the data. This is done by way of bringing out the meaning derivable

from the analyzed data, that is, the implication of the deduction. This procedure is relevant

for researchers that study a research population, e.g. SSS III students’ performance in writing.

4.4.1 Language of data analysis

This refers to expressions that are used in the discussion of data such as “indicated no

significant difference”, “show”, “found”. Where statistical information is given, scores given

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are analyzed. Where texts (literary or language) are used, characters and events and features

are analyzed bearing in mind the research interest.

✓ Expressions such as refers, implies, reveals, suggests, are common with interpretation.

In this section, the researcher brings results from the study to make them available in

the form that readers could make use of. In other words, the researcher gives meaning

to the data studied.

✓ Where the study is empirical, analysis is done in past tense. However, analysis of

literary texts is better done in present tense because literary texts are living texts.

Discuss your findings and state how they are different from previous findings as captured

in the literature review. Did your work break new grounds? Did you succeed in throwing

light on earlier findings? Relate your findings to life or real life situation.

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 CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Conclusion

Conclusion does not introduce new ideas but is based on discussions in the preceding

chapters. This chapter includes summary and conclusion. The writer summarizes the focus

(concern) of the research, the objectives, methods, analytical procedures and findings and

conclusion. Conclusion can be generalizations that arise from the study. It can also be the

major points that the study throws up, or what we can gather from the findings. These must

be given precisely.

5.2 Recommendation

Recommendations are made based on the conclusions drawn and also the key findings of the

study.

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1.2.3 Subsidiary Pages

This section of the project contains bibliography and optional items such as glossary and

appendix or appendices.

1.2.3.1 Glossary

This is an alphabetical list of words or technical terms in the research work that are difficult

to understand. The meanings of the listed words or technical terms are given to help readers

of your work to understand your report.

1.2.3.2 Appendix

This gives additional information; it is extra material that is not included in the main body of

the research work because it is too voluminous. Appendix is referred to in the body of the

work as Appendix A, B, C or I, II, III. It concludes materials such as:

• questionnaire;

• interview;

• questions administered on students in class;

• texts collected and used in the study;

• stories collected for study;

• poetic utterance, festival.

▪ If these are collected in dialect the vernacular version is given as Appendix A.

▪ The transcribed version (English) is given as Appendix B. The section is thus

subtitled Appendices.

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1.2.3.3 Bibliography

This is the documentation of all sources consulted in the course of the research work, whether

they are used directly, quoted from or not. In the course of gathering the materials and

reading, you will make notes in order not to forget. Enter details about author and publication

in notecards measuring 5`` X 3``.

✓ At the end of writing the project, arrange the notecards in alphabetical order,

beginning with the author’s surname.

✓ Do not enter lecture notes, term papers, interviews, standard reference

materials such Bible, Koran, encyclopedias, dictionaries.

✓ In bibliography,

▪ entries are not numbered;

▪ entries are arranged in alphabetic order, beginning with authors’

surnames;

▪ each entry starts flush with the margin and subsequent lines are

indented.

▪ parentheses are not used;

▪ no exact pagination;

▪ in journal articles all inclusive pages of the article are entered.

1.2.3.3.1 APA Citing & Referencing style

APA (7th edition) style is an author-date citation style. It was developed mainly for use in

psychology, but has also been adopted by other disciplines.

There are two major components to the APA author-date style: the in-text author-date citation

at the appropriate place within the text of the document, e.g. (Smith, 2010), and the detailed

reference list at the end of the document. All in-text citations must have a

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corresponding reference list entry, and conversely reference list entries must relate to a

matching in-text citation.

1.2.3.3.1.1 In-text citations

i. Insert an in-text citation:

• When your work has been influenced by someone else's work, for example:

❖ when you directly quote someone else's work

❖ when you paraphrase someone else's work

ii. The in-text citation consists of:

• Author surname(s) (in the order that they appear on the actual

publication), followed by the year of publication of the source that you are

citing.

• Page or paragraph numbers for direct quotes e.g. (Weston, 1988, p. 45).

Page numbers are not normally included when paraphrasing but may be

included if desired.

iii. The in-text citation is placed immediately after the information being cited.

iv. If quoting or citing a source which has been cited within another document,

mention the original source together with the secondary reference details, for

example: (Smith, 2008, as cited in Jones, 2010). Only the secondary reference (i.e.

Jones, 2010) should be included in the reference list.

v. In-text citations are usually included in the word count of your document.

vi. If your citation is at the end of a sentence, ensure the full stop is placed after the

reference.

vii. For citations in brackets with two authors the ‘&’ symbol can be used. If the

author citation forms part of your sentence the word ‘and’ must be used,

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 • e.g. (Brown & Black, 2010) OR “Brown and Black (2010) indicate

that…”

In-text citation examples

Surname of author, no initials or suffixes such as Jr. The year of

One author
publication is also included

..This was seen in an Australian study (Conger, 1979).

OR
Citation examples Conger (1979) has argued that...
OR
In 1979, Conger conducted a study which showed that...

2 authors Cite both names every time the reference occurs in the text

...(Davidson & Harrington, 2002)

Citation examples OR
Davidson and Harrington (2002) indicate that…

Cite all names and publication year the first time, thereafter only the first
3 to 5 authors
name followed by et al.

The first time cited: ...(Brown, Soo, & Jones, 1990).

Thereafter: ...(Brown et al., 1990).
Citation examples OR
Brown, Soo and Jones (1990) note that…
thereafter: …Brown et al. (1990) also found…

6 or more authors Cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year.

.... (Girad-Perregaux et al., 2003).

Citation examples OR
Girad-Perregaux et al. (2003)...

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Different authors same
Add initials to the authors names to distinguish them
surname

P. R. Smith (1923) to distinguish from S. Smith (1945) ...

Citation examples (S. A. Brown & Jones, 1961) to distinguish from (W. O. Brown & Smith,
1985).

If a multiple (3+) author citation abbreviated with et al. looks the same as
Multiple authors:
another in text citation similarly shortened, add enough surnames to make a
ambiguous citations
distinction.

...(Brown, Shimamura, et al., 1998). to distinguish from (Brown, Taylor, et

Citation examples
al., 1998).

Multiple works: by When cited together give the author's surname once followed by the years
same author of each publication, which are separated by a comma.

... (Stairs, 1992, 1993).

Citation examples
Stairs (1992, 1993)...

If more than one reference by an author in the same year, suffixes (a, b, c,
Multiple works: by
etc.) are added to the year. Allocation of the suffixes is determined by the
same author AND
order of the references in the reference list, where they are listed
same year
alphabetically by title.

Stairs (1992b)... later in the text ... (Stairs, 1992a) or ...(Stairs, 1992a,
Citation examples
1992b).

Author given as
Use Anonymous as the author's name.
anonymous

Give the first few words of the title. If the title is from an article or a
Unknown author chapter use double quotation marks. If the title is from a periodical,
brochure or report, then use italics.

Corporate or group of
If organisation is recognised by abbreviation, cite the first time as follows:
authors

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 ... (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW],
2005). thereafter ... (AIHW, 2005).

Citation examples If abbreviation not widely known, give the name in full every time.
The general rule for abbreviating in this manner is to supply enough
information in the text citation for a reader to locate its source in the
reference list without difficulty.

Multiple references
List citations in alphabetical order and separate with semicolons
used in a citation

For a direct quote the page number(s) must be given. Indicate page,
Citing specific parts of
chapter, figure, table, etc. as specifically as possible. Use accepted
a source
abbreviations, i.e. p. for page, para. for paragraph.

….(Weston, 1988, p. 3).

Citation examples or from an electronic source
…(Black, 2003, para. 5).

Quote from electronic

Where page numbers are not provided use paragraph numbers.
source

Citation of secondary In the reference list ONLY include the details of the source you actually
source: i.e source read - not the original source. In the example below, the original source
referred to in other would be Farrow (1968), which you saw cited in a paper by Ward and
work Decan (1988).

... (Farrow, 1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988).

Citation examples Farrow (1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988) ...
Ward and Decan (1988) cited Farrow (1968) as finding...

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 1.2.3.3.1.2 Reference List

• Begin your reference list on a new page and title it References and Centre the title

on the page.

• Double-space your reference list and have a hanging indent

• Left align the first line of each reference with subsequent lines indented to

the right to a width by 5 -7 spaces or 1.25 cm.

• All references cited in text must also be included in the reference list (unpublished

items, such as personal correspondence, are an exception).

• List references in alphabetical order by author - surname/family name or organization

name.

• Check the reference details against the actual source - you are indicating that you have

read that source.

• Keep your referencing style consistent across the document.

• The word ‘Author’ is used as the publisher when the author and publisher are the

same.

• Follow the capitalization and italicization in the examples.

• Book, and article titles – Only first word, all proper nouns, and first word of a

subtitle are capitalized.

• Book titles and journal titles are italicized. Journal titles are proper nouns so

they are also capitalized.

Author Layout Guidelines

Where a publication has: List authors in the reference list as:

One author Author, A. A.

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Two authors
Three to seven authors
Eight or more authors - list
first six authors, add a three
dot elipse, then last author
No author
Two or more works by same
author
A group or corporate author
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Krechevsky, M. (2013). Visible learners: Promoting Reggio-inspired
approaches in all schools. San Fancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Author, A. A., & Author B. B.
Hadgkiss, E. J., & Renzaho, A. M. (2014). The physical health
status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum
seekers residing in the community: A systematic review of the
literature. Australian Health Review, 38, 142-159.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/AH13113
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author,
E. E., Author, F. F., & Author, G. G.
Given, H., Kuh, L., Leekeenan, D., Mardell, B., Redditt, S., &
Twombly, S. (2009). Changing school culture: Documentation to
support collaborative inquiry. Theory into Practice, 49(1), 36-46.
doi: 10.1080/00405840903435733
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author,
E. E., Author, F. F., ... Author, Z. Z.
Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Coatsworth, D.,
Lengua, L., ... Griffin, W. A. (2000). An experimental evaluation of
theorybased mother and mother-child programs for children of
divorce. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68, 843–
856. doi:10.1037//0022-006X.68.5.843
Transfer the title to the author space
Panadeine forte (Paracetamol-Codeine). (2013, February). In
MIMS Online (Australian ed.). Retrieved from
https://www.mimsonline.com.au
Use author's name for all entries and list entries by year - earliest
year comes first.
If they are published in the same year, list alphabetically by title,
assigning a suffix of a, b, c, d, etc. after the year (e.g. 2011a, 2011b)
Spell the name out
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 Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2008). Childhood education and
care
(No. 4402.0). Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au

Scholarly Journal Articles

• Follow these examples closely for all layout, punctuation, spacing and capitalization.

• There is no need to include the retrieval date.

• Do not write "p" before the page number. Do not write "vol" before the volume

number but do italicize it.

• Include the issue number if it is available. Do not include the issue number for

journals with continuous pagination (ie. the page numbers of each issue, follow on

from the page numbers of the previous issue).

• Do not italicize the issue number but put it in brackets. Leave no space between

volume and issue number.

• For electronic articles that do not have issue or page numbers an article number may

be included if there is one. The DOI remains the primary identifier.

• A diagram of referencing elements is available from the Citing and Referencing

library guide.

• Digital Object Identification (DOI) and URLs

The digital object identifier (DOI) is a unique identifier, and should be provided in the

reference where it is available. This alphanumeric string is usually located on the first page

with other referencing elements in the article. More recent electronic journal articles will be

displayed as permanent URL's.

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 They will look something like this - http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0024996. Both formats are

acceptable, use the form as it appears in your source.

If a DOI is not available for an electronic article, provide the URL information in the

reference (usually give the URL of the home page for the journal).

a.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article.

Article : Journal Title, volume number (issue number), page–page. doi:xxxx
a.) with DOI
OR b.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article.
b.) without DOI Journal Title, volume number (issue number), page–page. Retrieved
from URL

a.) Wilson, D. W., (2010). Culturally competent psychiatric nursing care. Journal
of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 17(8), 715-724. doi:
10.1111/j.13652850.2010.01586.x
b.) Trankle, S. A., & Haw, J. (2009). Predicting Australian health behaviour from
health beliefs. Electronic Journal of Applied Psychology, 5(2), 9–17.
Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/

Books and Book Chapters

• Editions: No edition information is required for first editions.

• Publication location: Publisher locations for example in the U.S.A. should include the

city and the abbreviated version of the state (e.g. NY for New York); elsewhere in the

world, include the city and country. Where more than one location is provided, use the

first location listed.

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Book : a.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book.
a.) Print book Location of publication: Publisher.
OR
b.) Electronic b.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book
book (edition). doi:xxxx OR Retrieved from URL

a.) Ibn Abdulaziz, T. (2004). Classic experiments in psychology. Westport, CT:

Greenwood.

b.) Bennett, P. (2006). Abnormal and clinical psychology: An introductory

textbook (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com/

Chapter : a.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In A.
a. ) in a print Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Location of
book publication: Publisher.
OR
b.) in an b.) Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In A.
electronic
Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). doi:xxxx OR
book Retrieved from URL
a.) Ramsey, J. K., & McGrew, W. C. (2005). Object play in great apes: Studies in
nature and captivity. In A. D. Pellegrini & P. K. Smith (Eds.), The nature of
play: Great apes and humans (pp. 89-112). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

b.) Branch, S., Ramsay, S., & Barker, M. (2008). The bullied boss: A conceptual
exploration of upwards bullying. In A. Glendon, B. M. Thompson, & B.
Myors (Eds.), Advances in organisational psychology (pp. 93-112).
Retrieved from http://www.informit.com.au/humanities.html

Government and Other Reports

Government Author, A. A. (year of publication). Title of publication (Report number).

reports Retrieved from URL OR publisher information

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2014). Health expenditure Australia

2012-13 (No. 52). Retrieved from
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publicationdetail/?id=60129548871

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 Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias

• Follow these examples closely for all layout, punctuation, spacing and capitalization.

• For a print copy indicate edition and number of volumes (if multi-volumes).

• Do not indicate edition if it is the first edition.

• For articles without author begin the reference with the title of the article.

• IF a DOI is available, add it at the end of the reference.

• Put page and volume numbers in brackets.

Article from
online reference Article name. (Year of publication). In Title of work. Retrieved from URL
work
Gestational diabetes mellitus. (2012). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/232126/gestational-
diabetesmellitus

Article from
electronic drug Author, A. A. (year of publication). Article name. In A. A. Editor (Ed.), Title
guide of work. doi:
Jenkins, A. J. & Valentine, J. L. (2012). Antimicrobial drugs. In A. Mozayani &
L. Raymon (Eds.) Handbook of drug interactions: A clinical and forensic
guide. doi:
10.1007/978-1-61779-222-9_10

Audio Visual Media

Producer, A. A. (Role in the production). (Year of release). Title of film

DVD’s
[Format]. Place of Publication: Publisher.

American Psychological Association. (Producer). (2000). Responding

therapeutically to patient expressions of sexual attraction [DVD].
Washington, DC: Author.

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Video file e.g
Author, A. A. (year, date of posting). Title of video [Format]. Retrieved from
YouTube
URL
video

Monash University Library. (2014, November 23). A new nation goes to war
[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/5D9MQ1KEU98

From the Internet

• A web document (not a journal article) will often be a Word or .pdf file, available

from a website or webpage.

• Italicize the title of a standalone document found on the web. Do not italicize the

titles of webpages or websites.

• Use the year of publication, or if the source undergoes regular revision use the most

recent update. Use n.d. (no date) where no publication date is available.

• Where no author is available, transfer the organization behind the website, or the title,

to the author space.

Document on Author, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of work. Retrieved from
web URL

Huges, L., & McMichael, T. (2011). The critical decade: Climate change and health.
Retrieved from
http://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/1bb6887d6f8cacd5d844fc30b085793
1.pdf

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of work. Retrieved

Web page
from URL

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 Anderson, L. (2012). Why communication in the nursing profession is important.
Retrieved from http://www.nursetogether.com/why-communication-in-
thenursing-profession-is-important

Image from
Artist last name, initial. (year). Title of work [Format]. Retrieved from URL
web

Sievers, W. (1966). Monash University [Photograph]. Retrieved from

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/15565401?q=monash&c=picture&versionId=1828
4 000

University Course Materials

Note: Not all lecturers approve the citation of unit materials, such as lecture slides, in

assignments. Check with your lecturer first to see if these resources are acceptable.

Lecture notes Author, A. A. (publication date). Title of lecture [Lecture notes]. Retrieved from
on Moodle 'website address'

Cioe, J. (2012). The normal distribution [Lecture notes]. Retrieved from

http://moodle.vle.monash.edu.au Note: These are treated like books if they are
published, but like personal communication if they are your own notes or
unpublished. Lecture notes are considered published if they have been copied
and distributed in print or on the web with the instructor's permission.

Custom
If the custom text book or unit reader contains previously published articles or
textbook or
chapters, cite them as if you found them in the original source.
unit reader

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1.3 Conclusion

✓ When you finish writing, read the project and edit it. Ensure you use appropriate

expressions. Correct all grammatical, spelling and mechanical errors.

✓ Submit one chapter at a time to your supervisor to read. Do corrections following his

or her comments and re-submit until your supervisor approves the chapter.

✓ Continue to proof read the work as you make corrections and re-type until the

supervisor finally approves the work. You can then submit the final draft of your

project.

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2. Specifications for Student Project Report

2.1 Introduction

In general, the reports submitted by different students of the Department must bear a uniform

style and format; even within a report, adopting an identical style and format throughout the

report, will lead to an easily readable document. The specifications mentioned are mandatory

in the preparation of the report. The Department shall not accept a report that does not adhere

to these specifications.

2.2 Preparation of Manuscript

The report shall be typeset on any electronic medium with uniform sized and spaced

characters, lines and margins on every page. The font used shall be “Times New Roman” for

the entire text in the report, irrespective of whether it appears in the text, figures, tables or

appendices.

The report shall be free from typographical errors and handwritten correction. The “spell-

check” facility available with the word processors should be utilized for this purpose. The use

of tape as an adhesive is not permitted. All photographs shall be pasted with a good quality

adhesive applied at the back side of the photographs.

The matter shall be printed on good quality white sheets either by laser printers. The report

should be printed on one side of each page only. Care must be taken to ensure that the paper

quality is not too translucent to show the material on the backside, and mirror margins are

used to ensure same distance of the leading and finishing text from the edge of the page.

The report shall be a 30 – 60 page document (subject to supervisor’s guidance) of which the

introductory page and appendices are not inclusive. All copies of the report shall be clear,

adequately dark and even.

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2.3 Sizes and Margins

The finished size of the report shall be that of an A4 page, i.e., 210mm×297mm (8.27 inches

× 11.69 inches). The margins at the top, bottom and outside shall be 25mm (1 inch), while

that in the inside shall be 32mm (1.27 inches). These limits are applicable for the entire

report, including pages having tables and figures.

Footnotes, if required, are permitted only in the bottom margin area. In case, more than a line

is required for accommodating the footnotes, the bottom margin on that page may be

increased.

Any subheading placed near the bottom of the page, shall have at least two lines of text

following it on that page; else, it must be started on the next page. The text in all tables and

figures shall conform to the same requirements as applicable to the running text.

2.4 Style of Writing

All text shall be cast in third person singular. The sentences shall be kept in passive voice.

Personal opinions, thoughts and feelings shall not be included in the report, however valid,

important and correct they may be.

2.5 Page Numbering

The report is printed with back to back pages. Beginning with the first page of Chapter 1, all

pages of the report including the appendices shall be numbered sequentially in Arabic

numerals, e.g., 1, 2, 3,…. The pages preceding Chapter 1, which are referred to as the

preliminary pages, shall be numbered in lower case Roman numerals, e.g., i, ii, iii,…. In this

regard, the title page (the first page inside the front cover) is considered to be having number

i; this number is, however, not printed on the title page.

All page numbers shall be placed in the lower outside corner of the page in the footer area at

the bottom the page; the number shall be right justified to the available footer text area on the
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odd pages (right hand side pages) and left justified to the available footer text area on the

even pages (left hand side pages).

The font type for page number shall be same as that of the text in the whole report, i.e., Times

New Roman. The font size, however, shall be 10pt and in bold style.

2.6 Font, Line Spacing and Justification

The font size and style to be used on the Title Page are different for different line. The title of

the report at the top of the page will be in 16pt, bold style. The partial fulfillment clause is in

12pt, regular style. The degree for which the report is submitted is in 12pt, bold capital style.

The author name is 12pt, bold style with first letters in capitals, and their role numbers in

12pt, regular style. The name of department to which the report is submitted is in 12pt, bold

style. The name of the institute to which it is submitted is in 12pt, bold capital style. And, the

month and year of submission is in 12pt, regular style. The line spaces between the above

items shall be adjusted for aesthetic appeal.

The font size in the whole report is 12pt for all text in the preliminary, main and appendices

pages. Some text in the tables and the figures may have smaller fonts, but not smaller than

8pt. However, the titles of the tables and figures shall be in 12pt. The chapter title is in 16pt,

bold style. The line showing the chapter number is in 14pt, regular style. First level sub-

headings are in 12pt, bold style with first letter capitals. The second level subheadings are in

12pt, bold style, and the third level sub-headings in 12pt, bold style in italics. In the chapter

titles, headings and sub-headings, where first letters are in capitals, words, such as “of”, "a",

"an" and "the", are in lower case.

All text in the report shall be in single spacing with each line 12pt thick. One blank line of

12pt size is provided after every paragraph. Before every first heading, two blank lines are

provided each of 12pt size, and before every first and second level sub-headings, one blank

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line of 12pt size. No space shall be left between the headings & subheadings and the text that

follows them. Between the lines having the ruler under the chapter number and chapter title,

one blank line is provided of 12pt size. The entire text shall be double justified to the width of

the available textbox after removing the margins.

2.7 Equations, Tables and Figures

All equations, tables and figures shall be prepared on electronic media. Equations are

embedded in the text at the appropriate locations. Equations shall be placed with one tab from

the left margin of the active text. Each equation shall be assigned a number, which is placed

in right end of the line in parentheses.

Tables are placed immediately following the paragraph in which their reference is made.

Between two consecutive tables or two consecutive figures, two single line spaces are

provided (each of 12pt thickness). All tables bear a number and a caption. The number and

caption of a table precede a table. No space is provided between the table caption and the

table itself. If there is not much place in that page to accommodate the table, it must appear at

the top of the next immediate page.

Hand drawn figures are not acceptable. Figures formally drafted with Indian ink, may be

included in the report. Just as the tables, figures also are placed immediately following the

paragraph in which their reference is made. All figures shall bear a caption placed below the

figure; there shall be a single line space in between the figure and its caption. Again, if there

is not much place in that page to accommodate the figure, they must appear at the top (or

after a table there if any) of the next immediate page.

The title of the tables and captions of figures shall be in 12pt, in regular style, except the

word “Table” and “Figure” and the numbers of the table and figure, respectively, which are in

bold. The text of the title of tables and captions of figures are double justified. The first

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letters the principal words (i.e., nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverb, and adjectives) are in

capitals.

All equations, tables and figures are numbered chapter-wise in Arabic numerals. They are

numbered sequentially in the order of their first appearance. Equations, tables and figures are

referred as Eq. (3.1), Table 3.1 and Figure 3.1, respectively.

2.8 Symbols

All symbols used in the text are listed alphabetically and defined in the List of Symbols in the

preliminary pages of the report. First, all the uppercase symbols are listed, then lowercase

symbols, and finally the Greek symbols (in the Greek alphabetical order).

2.9 References

All formal literature used in the project work is referred to at the appropriate locations in the

text. The citation placed in square brackets consists of last name followed by a comma and

the year of publication of that reference. This reference shall be placed at the appropriate

location in the sentence, but before the full stop. For example, the text presented in this

document is derived from two other documents available [IITK, 1982; IOE, 1999].

When there are two authors, the last name of the first author is followed by an "and" and the

last name of the second author; this is then followed by a comma and the year of publication

[e.g., Paulay and Priestly, 1992]. When the number of authors is more than two, the citation

has the last name of the first author followed by "et al”, a comma and the year of publication

[e.g., Arlekar et al, 1997]. However, the entire list of authors is provided in the reference

included in the list of References. The formats are different for referring to research papers

[e.g., Jain and Navin, 1995], design codes [e.g., IS:456, 1984], textbooks [e.g., Paulay and

Priestley, 1992] and computer programs [e.g., CSI, 1999].

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 The list of references is arranged in alphabetical order. All references are in. single spacing

with second and subsequent lines indented forward by 5mm. Only those references cited in

text are included in the list of references.

2.10 Appendices

Each appendix starts on a fresh page. Each appendix is identified by capital letters of

English alphabet in the sequence of their appearance. The sub-sections in the appendices

shall be numbered with the first letter being that of the English alphabet corresponding to

that appendix. Please see Appendix A for examples.

All specifications applicable for the main text of the report are equally applicable to the

appendices too. When appendices are making the report voluminous, they may be printed in

reduced font size to limit the size of the report; in such cases, the font size is not smaller

than 8pt.

2.11 Printing and Binding

The three copies of the report are to be submitted in the hard bound form. The paper quality

is white bond paper, at least of 80g/m2 quality. The front cover of the bound volume bears

the same material as the Title Page of the report. The cover of the report is in light green

colour. On the cover of the report along its thickness, the following matter shall be placed:

students’ name, report title (abbreviated, if required), degree name, department, and year of

graduation.

Colour of paper card for binding cover page and spine

• Higher / Professional Diploma: Pale Green

• Bachelor of Technology (BTech): Pale Blue

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3. Style and Grammar Advice

3.1 Apostrophes

One of the most common mistakes in student writing is incorrect use of the apostrophe (‘), as

in PC’s to mean a number of PCs. It is used in English to form contractions such as didn’t (did

not), can’t (cannot) and it’s (it is). These uses should be avoided in academic writing and the

words written out in full. The apostrophe is also used to denote possessive case, as in the dog’s

bone or the student’s assignment. The rule here is that of the intended noun is singular (one

dog) the apostrophe is placed before the s. The examples above refer to a single dog and a

single student respectively. If the intended noun is plural and regularly formed, the apostrophe

is placed before the s as in dogs’ (of the dogs). However, if the noun has an irregular plural,

e.g. child – children, the apostrophe is placed before the s as in children’s.

3.2 Acronyms

Computing/engineering are fields in which acronyms are heavily used to avoid repetition of

long technical terms, e.g. RAM, LAN, VDU. Terms like VDU are now so commonly used by

the population at large that it is rapidly becoming admissible to use them without explanation.

However, most acronyms are familiar only to specialists within sub-fields of

computing/engineering. When using an acronym for the first time, always precede it with the

expanded version.

3.3 Colloquialisms

These are chatty, idiomatic or slang expressions that are appropriate in informal conversion

but have no place in your report. For example, Once Pat pulled his finger out, the team started

to come together better and eventually we managed to hand something in that is pretty

reasonable considering we didn’t know each other much before this report.

A related point is that in academic and technical writing the use of the first person ‘I’ is
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avoided as much as possible. In similar way, avoid referring to the reader as ‘you’.

3.4 Grammar

Do be careful to write in full sentences and to proofread the document to ensure not only that

the text is grammatically sound, but also that it means exactly what was intended.

3.5 Jargon

Try to strike a good balance between use of jargon and appropriate use of technical terms.

There is no merit in using so much obscure terminology that the document is virtually

unreadable, but on the other hand, failure to use key words properly can lead to unnecessary

wordiness and tends to give an unprofessional impression. It is important to be consistent in the

use of terms, to define them if necessary and to use the same term for the same concept

throughout.

3.6 Spelling

There should be no excuse for spelling mistakes in a word-processed document. Spelling

errors create a bad impression. Always use a spell checker, they are invaluable for picking up

typographical errors as well as genuine spelling mistakes. Note, however, that spelling

checkers cannot detect cases where the wrong word happens to be a real word e.g. from – form.

So, a careful proofread is necessary.

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 Appendix 1

CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

TOPIC:
ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AND WATER SUPPLY STUDY IN PERIPHERAL
COMMUNITIES OF CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY:
WILLIAM KWAASI AMANOR

SEPTEMBER 2017

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 CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

TOPIC:
ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION AND WATER SUPPLY STUDY IN PERIPHERAL
COMMUNITIES OF CAPE COAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY:
WILLIAM KWAASI AMANOR
(0217090032DG)

PROJECT WORK SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING IN

PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF BACHELOR
OF TECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.

SEPTEMBER 2017

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 DECLARATION
Candidate’s Declaration
I/we hereby declare that I/we am/are solely responsible for the preparation of this project work
and that no part of it has been submitted for another degree in this university or elsewhere. This
is the result of my/our findings and all references have been duly acknowledged in the
appropriate sections in the text.

Candidate’s Signature:………………… Date:…………………

Name: William Kwaasi Amanor (0217090032DG)

Supervisor’s Declaration
I hereby declare that this research work has been duly supervised and assessed in accordance to
the laid down guidelines of Cape Coast Technical University and recommended to the
Department of Civil Engineering for acceptance.

Supervisor’s Signature:……………………… Date:………………

Supervisor’s Name: Mrs. Panin Asirifua Obeng

Head of Department’s Certification

I hereby certify that the preparation and presentation of this project work were supervised in
accordance with guidelines on supervision of project work laid down by Cape Coast Technical
University.

Signature:…………… … Date:……..…………
Certified by: Dr. John Doe

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