Research PROJECT

GUIDELINES
FOR
MASTR OF COMMERCE
(M.Com)
STUDENTS
(Code 8!!)
Department of Commerce
Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
ALLAMA IQBAL OPE !I"E#SI$%
ISLAMABAD
1
FO#E&O#D
Knowledge without practice is useless. Practice without knowledge
is dangerous Confucius
Research project guidelines have been compiled using different sources
with the aim to produce high quality research projects. American Psychological
Association (APA) anual! Research "uidelines of #niversity of $estern
%ydney! Australia and &A%' %chool of (usiness Project "uidelines and A)*#
guidelines for master level students were consulted for the completion of this
guidelines manual. )n this regard! ) pay my gratitude to r. uhammad unir!
+ecturer and r. ali, 'ariq ahmood (Ph- Research %cholar) put their
valuable efforts and cooperation to bring forward this research project
guidelines manual in minimum period of time.
-r. %yed uhammad Amir %hah
Assistant Professor.)ncharge
-epartment of /ommerce
Allama )qbal *pen #niversity! )slamabad.
0
P#O'EC$ (!IDELIES AD P#OCED!#ES FO# M)COM
S$!DE$S
1. I$#OD!C$IO
At ./om level the students are being prepared to understand business research and
be able to apply research results to their practice. 'he students who complete their projects
successfully would be able to bridge the gap between the production of ,nowledge and real
world application of ,nowledge. %uccessful completion of Research Project is mandatory for
the award of . /om degree. All research poses a question which motivates the researcher to
see, an answer. 'he project is no different. &or all types of research projects! students have to
identify a problem in the area of interest! to review the literature relating to the problems area!
investigate the problem with a particular research methodology and interpret the results.
1.1 OB'EC$I"ES
'he objectives set for students to underta,e the research project are1
12 'o e3plore one area of your program in depth
02 'o wor, independently on your own initiative
42 'o gather information in a thorough and rigorous manner
52 'o process and integrate material in sustained e3ercise of intellectual
ordering
62 'o produce a coherent! literary document
'he project is a concise report comprising of a minimum of 17!777 and ma3imum of
16!777 words. ./om students are required to carry out projects on an individual basis.
4
ACCEP$ABLE S$!D% FO#MA$
'here are number of formats which are acceptable for the research project. 'he
student may discuss his.her proposed topic with the supervisor and choose anyone of the
following study formats which best suits1
1) 'he 8mpirical Research Paper
0) 'he 'heoretical Paper ('heoretical paper is highly academic and is not encouraged in
an applied degree)
4) 'he &easibility %tudy. (usiness Plan
5) 'he (usiness /onsultancy Report
*)+ $,e Empirical #esearc,
8mpirical research involves the collection! analysis and interpretation of data. An
empirical research paper presents its findings in the form of a well9developed analysis
defended by the evidence. 'he data may be gathered first9hand (e.g. interviews!
questionnaires! observations! focus group! etc.) or second9hand (e.g. a content analysis of
financial reports! television commercials or an organi:ation;s internal correspondence< or a
re9analysis of e3isting data li,e *8/- reports or computeri:ed personnel records! etc. 'he
following is indicative of the layout of the main body of an empirical research paper1
Introduction- %ummari:es the aims of the research project< defines the area or topic< sets the
conte3t.
Literature #e.ie/- reviews the relevant literature providing a commentary on the e3isting
state of ,nowledge (theories! and empirical evidence)! trends! controversies! etc.< identifies
gaps in the ,nowledge and concludes with specific research detail that the study could be
replicated (repeated)< it provides concise justification for the research strategy chosen.
5
Met,odolo0y- /learly define your research methodology! such as Research -esign!
Population! %ampling 'echnique! %ample %i:e etc.
#esults- details of findings from the data collection1 may include tables! figures! and.or
quotes from interviews< may include descriptive and inferential statistics.
Discussion 1includin0 Conclusion2- Pulls together the research questions that were as,ed
with the answers that were obtained though the analysis of the data< provides commentary on
these findings (e.g. do they confirm or reject particular views=< how do they conform the
literature=)< identifies limitations of the e3isting study and ma,es suggestions for future
research< state clearly the conclusions that are reached and its implications and
recommendations for relevant sta,eholders (e.g. businesses! practitioners! governments!
academics).
'here must be clear lin,s amongst the various sections of the paper. >ou are telling
one story that is made up from several parts< these parts must be well integrated. 'he data you
collect must be lin,ed to the research questions you have identified in your introduction and
to the conclusions you have reached at in your -iscussion. >our discussion must also refer
bac, to the literature review.
?ot all empirical papers follow this precise layout and you and your supervisor may
decide that another layout suits your research better. @owever! it is important to understand
the role of the various sections and how they fit together. )f you deviate from this layout! you
should be clear why you are doing it.
*)* $,e $,eoretical #esearc,
'he theoretical research essentially involves the completion of a comprehensive
literature review on a topic of choice. 'his review draws upon material that has already been
published or otherwise e3ists. 'hat is! it does not mean merely gathering of the data. 'he
purpose of the literature review is clearly established at the beginning of the paper and
6
generally involves e3ploring and developing ideas around a particular topic. @owever! unli,e
the other format options! there is no Atypical layoutB for the main body of a theoretical paper.
'he chapters may include1
1C)ntroduction
0C(ac,ground reasons for selection of topic. scope of the paper
4Cethodology ( of short listing papers.articles.reports)
5C+iterature review (including analysis D critique< please note that this is the ,ey
analysis of a theoretical paper)
6C/ontribution to the literature
'heoretical research may have any number of specific purposes. 'he purpose or
rationale may be to provide new insights into a particular issue! refine an e3isting theory or
create new lin,ages! to challenge e3isting theory or even to develop a new theory. Perhaps
the intention might be to develop a set of research assumptions or propositions that can
subsequently be tested or modelled (by others).
Regardless of the central purpose! the writing of a sound theoretical paper requires a
number of specific s,ills and abilities that will further be developed and honed through the
research process. 'hose underta,ing the theoretical paper must ,now how to! or learn to!
develop and apply theoretical concepts< must develop and apply a strong analytical approach
to interpret and evaluate the e3isting evidence< and be capable of presenting coherent and
consistent arguments to demonstrate the significance of the wor, underta,en.
*)3 $,e Feasi4ility Study5Business Plan-
$hereas an empirical research as,s and answers a research question! a feasibility
study as,s and answers a question about whether establishing a new product or service is
feasible. )t assesses the commercial and technical viability of the proposed enterprise by
E
e3ploring potential mar,ets! preparing costing and financial projections! considering the
sources of raw material! assessing any plant and equipment needs! etc.
+i,e all Projects! it will include an introductory summary. @owever! in a feasibility
study! this summary is called an 83ecutive %ummery instead of an Abstract. +i,e all Projects!
it will also need to include a title page! table of contents! appendices! etc. a typical layout for
the body of the feasibility study is1
1C)ntroduction1 8stablishes the rationale for the business ideas! includes any
relevant bac,ground information and generally introduces the project
0CProduct.%ervice D process -escription1 provides a clear description and profile
of the proposed product.service D researches how you propose to manufacture
the product or process the service
4CProduct scope! future sales projections and demand gap
5Canagement.8mployee %tructure1 who will manage the business! how many
staff do you require! profile of staff required
6C&acility layout1 *perational view of the business
EC&inancial Requirements1 what types of financial resources would be required to
start the business! how.where do you propose to source this finance and
financial projections up to the brea,9even
FCPlans for &uture -evelopment of the (usiness1 where and how will you progress
the business idea! what are the issues and challenges
GC/onclusion1 is the product.service feasible! what are your conclusions and
recommendations.
0.5 $,e Business Consultancy #eport
A business consultant draws on theory! ,nowledge and practical e3perience and applies
them to solving a particular business problem or issue. )n the (usiness /onsultancy
F
Report! the student assumes the role of a consultant advising the client on the best options
available to solve a business problem. 'his process involves clarification of the specific
business problem! identification! research and evaluation of the various solutions to the
problem! the recommendations of one best solution and recommendations on how best to
implement this solution. 'he consultancy project could be in Accounting or &inance. )t could
involve the analysis of an industry! a company! an e3pansion! a ta,e9over! as well as systems
development! e3portation! etc! as with all Projects! your project will require a title page! table
of contents! appendices! etc. it will also need an introductory summary (here called an
83ecutive %ummary instead of an Abstract). A possible layout for the body of a business
consultancy report is1
1C Introduction- describes the consultancy project! its goals and the initial issues and
options identified
0C Scope 6 (oals- )ncludes the time scales! the areas the project covers! basis
assumption and constraints. /overs the goals relating to the project
4C Met,odolo0y- -etails of the research design and sampling technique
5C Analysis- includes a review of the findings (primary and secondary). )dentifies and
lists the issues
6C #ecommendations- ma,es recommendations of the options based on the analysis
carried out
EC Implementation- (if applicable) details the action plan for carrying out the
recommendations
FC Conse7uences and #e7uirements- (if applicable) identify the implications of the
recommendations.
GC Conclusions
G
Arran0ement of #esearc, &or8s,op
'he study centres will arrange 094 wee,s research wor,shop for guiding the students
regarding selection of the topic and preparation of research proposal.
0.E Appro9imate $imelines #ele.ant $o Eac, Format
'he summary with appro3imate timelines for the chapters of each of the format is
given below1
$imeline
s
&ee8 +:
;
&ee8 <
:=
&ee8 +>:
+; &ee8 +< ? +@
$or,ing on
eth
od
o
f
t
h
e study
&inali:ation of research
report.
introducti
on
an
d
shou
ld
b
e finali:ed!
an
d Approval of supervisor. 'he
Empirical
&inali:atio
n
literature
review!
fieldw
or,
shou
ld
b
e in study centre will submit the
researc,
of
proposal
a
n
d
possibl
y
dat
a
progres
s.
Resul
ts
shoul
d report (soft copy in /- and
collectio
n
be
concluded. three hard copies) to the
instrume
nt
/ommerce -epartment
A)*#.
$or,ing on
ethodology
of short
&inali:ation of research
report.
introducti
on
an
d
listing articles and
papers Approval of supervisor. 'he
$,eoretic
al
&inali:atio
n
bac,ground
reasons etc. be finali:ed. study centre will submit the
#esearc,
of
proposal
f
o
r
selecti
on of
+iterat
ure
revie
w report (soft copy in /- and
topic.scope
of
includi
ng analysis D three hard copies) to the
the paper
critique be
concluded
/ommerce -epartment
A)*#.
$or,ing on
Product
scope!
futur
e &inali:ation of feasibility
introducti
on! sales
projection
s!
report. Approval of
supervisor.
product service
and
manageme
nt. employee
'he study centre will
submit
Feasi4ilit
y
&inali:atio
n product
servic
e
structure etc. be
finali:ed.
the report (soft copy in /-
and
study
of
proposal
process
description
&inanci
al three hard copies) to the
requiremen
ts
/ommerce -epartment
A)*#.
chap
ter
sho
uld be
conclud
ed
$or,ing on
ethodology be
finali:ed. &inali:ation of consultancy
$,e
introducti
on!
scop
e
Analys
is D
report. Approval of
supervisor.
Business
&inali:atio
n
a
n
d
goal
s!
an
d
recommendatio
ns
shoul
d
'he study centre will
submit
consultan
cy
of
proposal possibly
be
provided
the report (soft copy in /-
and
report
methodolo
gy three hard copies) to the
/ommerce -epartment
A)*#.
H
P#O'EC$ LA%O!$
'he physical layout of the project should be as follows1
Sections of ProAect

'itle of Project

Program of %tudy for which project is submitted

1
. &ront cover

'he author;s name! Roll and Registration number

%upervisor;s name

>ear of completion

'he name of the institution.

Program of %tudy for which project is submitted (./*)

'he year of submission

'he author;s name and student )- number

0
. 'itle page

'he title of the project

'he name of the %upervisor

'he following statement to be included at the bottom of

th
e
tit
le
page< A'his project is solely the wor, of the author and is
submitted
in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the -egree of
./omB
4
. 83ecutive %ummary

'his stand alone summary should not e3ceed one page
5
. Ac,nowledgements

?ot required! but you may wish to than, individuals or
organi:ations that helped with the project
6
. +ist of contents

%hould be entitled A/ontentsB

)nclude list of titles of sections of the project

E
. +ist of tables and figures

)nclude if there are more than five tables.figures
F
. ain body of te3t
G
. (ibliography

%hould follow the format provided in the handboo,

%hould include details that are not appropriate to include

i
n
th
e
main body of the te3t (e.g. questionnaires! transcripts of intervies!
H
. Appendices
etc) to be lettered A! (! /! etc.

'o have a cover page AAppendicesB that appears in the

ta
bl
e of
contents

)t is not counted as part of the 17!777 word count

17. (ac, cover
5. P#O'EC$ B#IEF
'he project brief is a one page document which conveys the main idea of the project
to the prospective supervisor. 'his is the basis of initial discussions between students and
supervisors. Rather than a purely oral discussion! students must approach supervisors with a
project brief. Project (rief should be submitted to the supervisor for the evaluation of the
topic and its feasibility. 'here is no presentation required for the brief.
17
;)+ Parts of t,e 4rief-
'he brief should have the following parts1
1CProject title
0C'hree to si3 ,eywords
4C'wo paragraphs (appro3. 067 words) e3plaining the ,ey idea and methodology of
the project.
;)* ProAect Proposal
'he proposal is a roadmap! showing the location from where the journey begins the
destination! and the route ta,en to get there. )t tells us what! why! how! where! and to whom
and by whom will the research be done. )t is a wor, plan! an outline! a statement of intent or a
draft plan. %tudy centre will send proposal to the /hairman! /ommerce -epartment dully
signed by the supervisor. 'he -epartment will give feedbac, on the proposals received to the
study centres or regarding approval or otherwise. 'he proposal should be 5 to G pages long
(or 167794777 words! ma3imum) and should ta,e the following form1
5.0.1 Parts of a proAect proposal-
'he proposal for a project should have the following parts1
1) Project title
0) Purpose of the study (introduction.brief bac,ground)
4) Aims and objectives (usually written as 59G bullet points)
5) +iterature review (including importance.benefits of the study)
6) Research design and methodology
E) 'he analysis (i.e. the proposed analysis)
F) 'imelines . project plan (1E wee,s)
11
*utput.-eliverables
G) (ibliography
H) Appendices I brief /J of the researchers
17) Appendices I e.g. measurement instrument! depending on project
;)3 Selection of Super.isor
'he study centre will provide supervisors to the students. -etails of the students
allotted to the supervisors will be sent to the /ommerce -epartment alongwith supervisors;
/J. )t has to be ensured that the supervisors are either from the middle management of an
organi:ation or should be a faculty member in any @8/ recogni:ed university. 'he
supervisor should supervise the student by all means! but is not supposed to do wor, for the
student. *ne supervisor may supervise up to 17 students.
;); E.aluation of #esearc, ProAect
1) 'he -ean will approve the name of the 83ternal 8valuator out of the Panel of
three 83perts recommended by the /hairperson.-irector out of the Panel of
83perts approved by the Jice9/hancellor and forward the Project to the
83ternal 8valuator for his.her opinion.
0) 'he 83ternal 8valuator will evaluate the project! award mar,s out of the
ma3imum of 177 mar,s and send the result with his.her comments to the
/hairman./hairperson. -irector.
4) )n case some cases changes or amendments are required in the Research
Project the same will be communicated to the student.
5) An e3tension of si3 months will be allowed twice beyond one year by the
/hairman./hairperson.-irector. Any e3tension beyond initial two years will
be approved by the -ean on the recommendation
of
10
/hairman./hairperson.-irector. 'he student will have to pay fee equal to one
credit of master level program concerned for each e3tension.
5.E "i.a:"oce
1) )f a student gets pass mar,s i.e. 67 percent from both the 8valuators! the
/hairman./hairperson.-irector will arrange viva9voce.
0) 'he Jive9Joce /ommittee will comprise the following1
1) /hairman./hairperson.-irector or -ean in case there is no
/hairman./hairperson.-irector
/hairm
an
ii) )nternal 83pert to be nominated by the -ean
emb
er
iii)
83ternal 8valuator.83pert.Advisor
(%upervisor)
emb
er
4) 'he Jiva9Joce /ommittee will certify satisfactory defence of the Research
Project and its acceptance for aster;s -egree and award mar,s out of 177.
5) 'he mar,s awarded by the 83ternal 8valuators and the Jive9Joce /ommittee
will be added to arrive at the score for the project. 'he mar,s so awarded will
be forwarded by the /hairman.-irector to the /ontroller of 83aminations for
notification and award of the -egree.
6) )n case the student is not able to satisfy the Jive9Joce /ommittee! he.she will
be allowed two more chances to appear for Jiva9Joce within si3 months. )f
he.she does not satisfy the Jive9Joce /ommittee the third time! the project
will be rejected finally and the student will be allowed to enrol in the project
with some other topic.
14
;)B Pro.idin0 #eferences
Referencing is an essential part of research wor, that ac,nowledges the sources that you
use to write your project report. 'here are two types of references used in writing the report<
)n9te3t citations and full references. )n9te3t citations are used throughout your writing to
ac,nowledge the sources of your information within the paragraphs. 'he full references for
the citations used in paragraphs are then listed at the end of the report in the References list.
. /om students are required to follow the APA Reference style in their reports. 'he APA
references style is given as under1
6. APA Style
'he best scientific report writing of a research project is spare and simple. )n the best
presentation of your idea! manuscript structure! word choice! punctuation! graphics! and
references are very important. 'hey all should be chosen carefully to move the idea forward
with a minimum of distraction and a ma3imum of precision.
'o achieve this clarity of communication! publishers have developed rules of style. 'hese
rules are designed to ensure clear and consistent presentation of written material. 8ditorial
style concerns standardi:ed use of such elements as1
1Cpunctuation and abbreviations
0Cconstruction of tables
4Cselection of headings
5Ccitation of references! and
6Cpresentation of statistics
APA %tyle refers to the editorial style that many of the social and behavioural sciences
have adopted to present written material in the field. APA %tyle guides users how to structure
15
and format their wor,! recommends ways to reduce bias in language! identifies how to avoid
charges of plagiarism! shows how to cite references in te3t! and provides selected reference
e3amples. APA %tyle was developed by a group of social scientists who wished to establish
sound standards of communication. APA %tyle has been adopted by most of the authors
leaders in various fields. APAKs style rules and guidelines are set out in a reference boo,
called The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
)f you are unable to find the referencing e3ample! you require in this guidelines manual!
more detailed information and e3amples can be found in the above publication.
/urrent information can also be obtained via the )nternet from the official APA %tyle website
http1..www.apastyle.org which includes tutorials! a blog and &ALs. /orrected %ample Papers
from the Publication Manual can also be found on the APA website.
83amples of APA referencing! which is the most commonly used in management
journals! are provided below1
6.1 In:te9t citation- #eferencin0 sources /it,in t,e te9t
'hroughout the te3t of your paper you need to ac,nowledge the sources used in your writing.
$henever you present a statement of evidence such as a quote! or when you use someone
elseKs ideas! opinions or theories in your own words (paraphrasing)! you must ac,nowledge
your sources. %ome e3amples of how to cite sources within your paper are given below.
)f you use the name of the author(s) in your writing! place the year of publication of the wor,
in parentheses after the author;s name.
Jamil (2006) conducted research into the effect of
)f you refer to a wor, in the te3t of your paper! place the authorKs last name and the year of
publication of the wor, in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
The research conclusively proved a correlation between the results (Jamil, 2006).
16
ote- $hen you summari:e the general idea of a source in your own words! you must cite
the author and year of publication of the wor, as shown below. APA does not require you to
provide the page number unless you use a direct quote! however if you paraphrase or
summari:e a specific paragraph or section you should consider including the page number.
)f you directly quote fewer then 57 words! enclose the quotation by dou4le quotation mar,s
within the te3t. 'he year of publication of the wor, along with the page number(s)M of the
quote should be provided in parentheses.
Jamil (2006) referred to this correlation as a statistical anomaly! (p. ""#), contributin$....
or
)t was found that the correlation was a Astatistical anomalyB (Namil! 077E! p. 11G).
$hen there are no page numbers! but the sources contains headings or numbered
paragraphs! use a section name or paragraph number! e.g. Nones (077G! )ntroduction section)
or Roberts (077G! para. 6).
)f the paragraphs are not numbered! cite the heading and the number of the paragraph
following the heading! e.g. Anderson (0776! -iscussion section! para. 0)
)f the quotation is greater than 57 words it should be displayed in a double9spaced!
indented bloc, (1.4 cm) without quotation mar,s.
Jamil (2006) stated that%
)f any similar qualitative research is to be underta,en in the future! then stringent controls should be put in
place to ensure such statistical anomalies do not occur through lac, of methodological rigor! particularly
through corruption of data inadequately stored and processed (p. EE).
)f you use more than one source to write a statement in your paper! the citation can be
presented using semi9colons between wor,s as follows1
&eparate sources, different authors%
and a number of studies have shown identical results (&anders, 200#' &mith, 200().
Two or more publications by the same author:
)t was found that...(%mith! 0777! 0775)
%ources that you cite in your writing are listed in detail at the end of your document in a
reference list.
6.0 #eference list
A reference list includes details of the sources cited in your project. )t starts on a separate
page at the end of your report and is titled #eferences. 8ach item cited in the reference list
must have been cited in your report. All sources appearing in the reference list must be
ordered alp,a4etically 4y surname)
>ou may sometimes need to include a bibliography in addition to a references list. )n
contrast to the reference list! a 4i4lio0rap,y includes details of sources not cited in your
paper which were only used to support your research. 'hese items should also be listed in
alphabetical order.
Italics is the preferred format for titles of boo,s! journals and videos. Article and chapter
titles are not italicised or put in quotation mar,s. Jolume numbers are italicised but issue
numbers are not.
CAPI$ALISA$IO in APA style is very specific. &or references! the following general rules
apply1
(oo, titles 9 capitalise the first letter of the first word of the title! and the first letter of the
first word after a colon.
e.g. Ageing and aged care in Australia
and
ra!e new brain" Con#uering mental illness in the era of the genome.
Article! chapter or section titles 9 capitalise the first letter of the first word of the title! and the
first letter of the first word after a colon.
1F
e.g. Personal resilience as a strategy for surviving and thriving in the face of wor,place
adversity1 A literature review.
Pronouns! acronyms and abbreviations that are normally capitalised should be
capitalised in the reference list and citations. %ee e3amples on the following pages for each
reference type.
&or further information see section 5.00 of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association $%th edition&.
6.4 "arious Sources of #eferences
ature of material $,e /ay information s,ould 4e presented
Boo8- $hen the
/ooper! -. R. and %chindler! R. %. (0771). (usiness Research ethod (F
th
8dition)! %ingapore! c"raw9@ill. ?ote1 provide the information on edition of
the
whole boo, is
written
by the named
boo, if available.
author(s).
Boo8- $hen you
are
(aum! N. A. /. (ed.) (0770). /ompanion to *rganisations! *3ford! (lac,well
Publishers +td. ?ote1 use (ed.) for one editor and (eds.) if more than one editors.
naming the editor
of
the boo,s
Boo8 c,apter- Amburgey! '. +. and %ingh! N. J. (0770). O*rganisational 8volution; in (aum!
$hen each chapter
is N.A./. (ed)! /ompanion to *rganisations! *3ford! (lac,well Publishers +td.
written by different ?ote1 ention edition of the boo, at the end of the boo, name! if applicable.
authors
#eport +- A stand
/haplin! N.! angla! N.! Purdon! %. and Airey! /. (0776). 'he $or,place
8mployee
Relations %urvey 0775 'echnical Report! +ondon! ?ational /entre
alone report
for %ocial Research.
@ogarth! '.! @asluc,! /. Pierre! ".! $interbotham! . D Jivian! -. (0771).
#eport *- Part of a
8mployee friendly fle3ible wor,ing 07771 (aseline study of employee friendly
fle3ible wor,ing practices in "reat (ritain! -f88 Reserch Report ?o. 05H!
series! hence series
?ottingham! -f88 Publications. *r with three or more authors!
number mentioned
you can give the first two surnames and et al. %o the above would be1
@ogarth! @asluc, et al. (0771)! 8mployee friendly P..
eyer! N. $. and Rowan! (. (1HFF). )nstitutionalised organisations1 formal
structure as myth and ceremony! American Nournal of %ociology!
'ournal article-
Jol. G4! ?o. 0! pp. 4579E4. *R eyer! N. $. and Rowan! (. (1HFF)!
O)nstitutionalised organisations1 formal structure as myth and ceremony;!
American Nournal of %ociology! C3(0)! 4579E4.
Ma0aDine article1
8lliott! . (077F)! 'he /hinese /entury! 'ime! Jol. 1EH! ?o. 0! pp. 16907!
Nanuary 00 *r 8lliott! . (077F! Nanuary 00)! 'he /hinese /entury! 'ime! Jol.
e.g. in 'ime
1EH! ?o. 0! pp. 16904
1G
e/spaper article
Roberts! -. (1HHG). O(Ae sells property wing for Q471m;! 'he -aily 'elegraph!
+ondon! 17 *ctober! pp. 41.
+- $hen author is
,nown
e/spaper article
"uardian (1HH0). O&raud trial at (ritannia 'heme Par,;! 'he "uardian
anchester!
*- $hen author is
not 6 &ebruary! pp. 5.
,nown
$i,ipedia (077F). @arvard Referencing! RonlineS Available from
et do/nload +-
http1..en.wi,ipedia.org.wi,i.@arvard referencing! RAccessed E
th
April 077FS
?ote1 'rust this sheet more than you trust wi,ipediaT ?ote1 *n most web
>our favourite site
pages! you can see the date on which it was last modified. #se that date
in the initial parenthesis and not the date you accessed it on.
'elenor (077F). About 'elenor! RonlineS Available from
et do/nload *- http1..www.telenor.com.about.! RAccessed E
th
April 077FS ?ote1 *n most web
Corporate aut,or pages! you can see the date on which it was last modified. #se that date in the
initial parenthesis and not the date you accessed it on.
-e3! %. and %mith! /. (0771). $hich (ritish employers have family9friendly
&or8in0 paper
policies= Analysis of the 1HHG $or,place 8mployee Relations %urvey! Research
papers in management studies! $P 1F.0711! /ambridge! the Nudge )nstitute of
anagement %tudies.
$,esis
-avid! %. (0774). 'he role of power in employment relations! unpublished Ph-
thesis! /ass (usiness %chool! +ondon.
E9ample of #eference List
1$,is is ,o/ your end referencin0 s,ould loo8 li8e ? ALPHABE$ICALL% arran0ed2
#EFE#ECES
Andreasen! ?. /. (0771). ra!e new brain" Con#uering mental illness in the era of the
genome. *3ford! 8ngland1 *3ford #niversity Press.
At,in! . (Reporter). (077G! ?ovember 14). (ermagui forest disputed turf. The 'ack 'alf
'our. Retrieved from http1..www.abc.net.au.triplej.hac,.notes.
/opstead! +.! D (anasi,! N. (0776). Pathophysiology (4rd ed.). Philadelphia! PA1 %aunders.
"ilbert! -. ".! c/lernon! N. &.! Rabinovich! ?. 8.! %ugai! /.! Plath! +. /.! Asgaard! ".!
...(otros! ?. (0775). 8ffects of quitting smo,ing on 88" activation and attention last
for more than 41 days and are more severe with stress! dependence! -R-0 A1 allele!
and depressive traits. (icotine and Tobacco )esearch! %* 05H90EF.
doi117.17G7.15E00077517771EFE476
@all! (. ($riter)! D (ender! N. (-irector). (1HH1). 'he rules of the game R'elevision series
episodeS. )n N. %ander (Producer)! +,ll fly away. ?ew >or,! ?>1 ?ew >or,
(roadcasting /ompany.
Nac,son! -.! &irt,o! A.! D 8denborough! . (077F). Personal resilience as a strategy for
surviving and thriving in the face of wor,place adversity1 A literature review. -ournal
of Ad!anced (ursing* %.(1)! 19H. doi117.1111.j.14E690E5G.077F.75510.3
Potente! %.! Anderson! /.! D Uarim! . (0711). 8nvironmental sun protection and supportive
policies and practices1 An audit of outdoor recreational settings in ?%$ coastal towns.
'ealth Promotion -ournal of Australia! //* HF9171.
1H
$heeler! -.P.! D (ragin! . (077F). (ringing it all bac, home1 %ocial wor, and the
challenge of returning veterans. 'ealth and 0ocial 1ork* 2/! 0HF9477. Retrieved from
http1..www.naswpressonline.org
E. PLA(IA#ISM
'he plagiari:ation! if suspected! will be determined by the /ommittee comprising1
1) -ean as /hairman
0) /hairman./hairperson.-irector of the concerned -epartment.)nstitute
4) A subject e3pert! out of the approved panel of e3perts other than the 83ternal
8valuator of the project
5) )nternal 8valuator
6) /o9ordinator of Proejct Activities! if any.
)n case the plagiari:ation is proved! the action will be ta,en under the Rules and
Regulations.
)n case a Project is found to be a plagiari:ed version of another project! thesis! reserch
wor,.te3t! etc. published or unpublished! his.her candidature for ./om. shall be cancelled and
the student shall be debarred for ever from admission to any programme of the #niversity.
)n case the plagiari:ation is proved after the award of the -egree! the -egree shall be
cancelled.withdrawn.
E.1 Ela4oratin0 Pla0iarism in t,e &ords of Students
>ou cannot copy anybody elseKs wording Kword by wordK even if you are going to give
a reference at the end as this is plagiarism. ('he idea is to summari:e the thoughts of others in
your own words and then give a reference)
-efinitions! where it is acceptable to copy the words! can be in quotes followed by the
proper in9te3t reference. )t is also acceptable to write a definition without quotation mar,s
07
and give the reference immediately after the definition sentence finishes. (?ote1 -efinitions
are usually one sentence long)
>ou cannot copy multiple paragraphs (even if you are using your own words) from
someone elseKs wor,! and give reference at the end of the last paragraph only! without ma,ing
it clear that all the paragraphs are from another source as this is still plagiarism. >ou cannot
assume that people will ,now that e.g. all four paragraphs are from the source mentioned at
the end of the fourth paragraph.
)f you are copying a list developed by another author (and even if you are using the
list to develop sub9heading for your document)! you must ma,e it clear that the list was
developed by Author V! giving proper in9te3t and end9te3t reference. )f you do not identify
the source of the list! this is plagiarism.
)f you copy the first sentence or two of each of the ten to twelve paragraphs from a
document and ma,e it into a new paragraph! it is still plagiarism.
)f you are consistently using the wor, of one author for many paragraphs! you may
thin, that it is not essential to repeatedly give the reference. 'his could be acceptable if you
have made it clear that the discussion in a particular sub9section or under a subheading is
influence by the wor, of Author V. (?ote1 As mentioned in )tem 1! you still cannot use the
KwordsK of Author V)
)f you first copy someoneKs words and then e3plain the same idea in your own words!
not ma,ing it clear which are your words and which are borrowed! this is plagiarism.
)f you copy the ,ey thoughts from a paragraph of another author! Author >! and that
author has used multiple references in his.her wor, in this paragraph! you may end up
copying all the referencing in the paragraph. /opying multiple referencing from another
01
source is plagiarism unless you ma,e it absolutely clear that this collection of references is
not yours but that of Author >.
*verall! referencing should be given in such a way that it is obvious to the reader that
you have used the ideas of another person in a paragraph or multiple paragraphs. Also!
forgetting to give a reference is plagiarism. /utting references by accident because the word
count was too high is plagiarism. Please note! you may be tempted to retain the well
structured sentences of the original documents! but they are not your wor,.
F. PA#$S OF A P#OPOSAL
1) Project title
0) Purpose of the study (introduction.brief bac,ground)
4) )mportance.scope of the study
5) Aims and objectives
6) +iterature review (review of related literature)
E) Research design and methodology
F) 'he analysis (i.e. the proposed analysis)
H) *utput.-eliverables
17) (ibliography
11) Appendices I e.g. measurement instrument! depending on project
00
FO#MA$I(-
Headin0- CAPS BOLD 1Font siDe +;2
Su4 ,eadin0 !ppercase Bold 1Font siDe +;2
Su4 : Su4 ,eadin0 !ppercase Bold 1Font siDe +*2
ain body1 ?ew 'imes Roman
&ont %i:e1 10
+ine %pacing1 0
'ables %pacing1 1
+eft Align and Nustified
argins1 +eft 1.6! right 1! top 1! bottom 1
04
$I$LE OF P#O'EC$
MAS$E# OF COMME#CE 1M)COM2
?ame1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Roll ?o1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Registration ?o1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
-epartment of /ommerce
&aculty of %ocial %ciences and @umanities
Allama )qbal *pen #niversity
)slamabad
>ear
05
IE# $I$LE
?ame1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Roll ?o1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Registration ?o1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
?ame of %upervisor
'his Project is submitted to -epartment of /ommerce! &aculty of %ocial %ciences and
@umanities! Allama )qbal *pen #niversity! )slamabad in partial fulfillment of the
requirement for the degree of ./om
-epartment of /ommerce
&aculty of %ocial %ciences and @umanities
Allama )qbal *pen #niversity
)slamabad
>ear
06
EEEC!$I"E S!MMA#%
?ot more than
one (0) pages
0
E
APP#O"AL SHEE$
(Jiva Joce /ommittee)
'itle of Project1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
?ame of %tudent1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Roll ?o.1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Registration ?o.1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Accepted by the Jiva Joce /ommittee! -epartment of /ommerce! &aculty of %ocial %ciences
and @umanities! Allama )qbal *pen #niversity! )slamabad in partial fulfilment of
requirements for the -egree of aster of /ommerce (./om)
"I"A "OCE COMMI$$EE
/hairman WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
ember WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
ember WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
(-ay! onth! >ear)
0F
CE#$IFICA$E
'he Project entitled AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWB!
at aster of /ommerce (./om) conducted by WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Roll ?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! Registration ?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW has been completed
under my guidance and ) am satisfied with the quality of student;s research wor,.
%ignature WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
%upervisor
?ame1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Address1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
0G
A$$ES$A$IO OF A!$HO#SHIP
)! WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Roll ?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Registration
?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWW a student of aster of /ommerce in Allama )qbal *pen #niversity!
solemnly declare that my research project entitled AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWB
is my own wor, and that! to the best of my ,nowledge and belief! it contain no material
previously published or written by another person. 'his research project is not submitted
already and shall not be submitted in future for obtaining a degree from same or another
#niversity or )nstitution. )f it is found to be copied.plagiari:ed at later stage of any student
enrolled in the same or any other university! ) shall be liable to face legal action before #nfair
ean /ommittee (#/)! as per A)*#.@8/ Rules and Regulations! and ) understand that if )
am found guilty! my degree will be cancelled.
%ignature WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
?ame WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Roll ?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Registration ?o. WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Address1 WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
0H
DEDICA$IO
%tudent ?ame
47
ACFO&LED(EME$S
%tudent ?ame
41
LIS$ OF CO$E$S
83ecutive %ummary
Ac,nowledgements
+ist of /ontents
+ist of 'ables
+ist of &igures
C,apter +
1. )ntroduction
1.1
1.0
1.4
1.4.1
1.4.0
1.5
C,apter *
0. +iterature Review
0.1
0.0
0.0.1
0.0.0
0.4
0.5
0.6
C,apter 3
4. ethodology
4.1
4.0
4.4
4.4.1
4.4.0
C,apter ;
5. Analysis
5.1
5.0
5.4
5.5
5.5.1
5.5.0
5.5.4
5.6
5.6.1
5.6.0
5.E
5.F
5.G
5.H
40
5.17 56
C,apter <
6. /onclusion 67
6.1 61
6.1.1 61
6.1.0 65
6.0 66
#eferences 6F
44
LIS$ OF $ABLES
'able 4.1 1H
'able 4.0 07
'able 4.4 04
'able 4.5 06
'able 4.6 0E
'able 4.E 0E
'able 5.1 47
'able 5.0 41
'able 5.4 40
'able 5.5 40
'able 5.6 44
'able 5.E (a) 50
'able 5.E (b) 54
'able 5.E (c) 54
'able 5.F 55
'able 5.G 56
'able 5.H 5E
'able 5.17 5F
'able 5.11 5F
'able 5.10 5F
'able 5.14 5G
45
LIS$ OF FI(!#ES
&igure 0.1 15
&igure 5.1 0H
&igure 5.0 47
&igure 5.4 5E
46