STANDARD FORMAT FOR RESEARCH REPORT

AT BBA AND MBA LEVEL

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CITY UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR.

Notes for Students

The BBA and MBA students of Management Sciences, City University of Science &
Information Technology, Peshawar are required to submit a Research Project for
the partial fulfillment of requirements for their degrees in Business
Administration. The aim of this Guide is to maintain uniformity in the writing and
presentation of Research Proposals and Projects. It will also help the teachers to
adopt the identical approaches for supervision.
All the concerned should note that
The students of BBA ( 4 years ) will start their project in 7th semester
The students of MBA ( 1.5 years ) will start their project in 2nd semester
The students of MBA ( 2 years ) will start their project in 3rd semester
The students of MBA (3.5 years ) will start their project in 6th semester
The 6 credit hours research project at BBA level will be evaluated by internal and
external examiners followed by viva voce examination.
The 6 credit hours research project at MBA level will be evaluated by internal and
external examiners followed by viva voce examination.
For quality assurance the Research Projects will be examined for Plagiarism
(Plagiarism includes lifting information, text or graphics from an original source
without reference or copying words or ideas from someone else without giving
credit and proper rephrasing the text). Any thesis containing more than 20%
plagiarism will NOT be acceptable.

Note 1:
Your thesis has six main sections.
a. Introduction
b. Literature Review
c. Methodology
d. Analysis, Finding and Discussion
e. Conclusion
f. References
Note 2:
The research is written in third person, e.g. This research analyzes... or this
study undertakes. . DO NOT use 1st person and second person (like I have done
., or we have analyzed .)
Note 3:

Page Numbers should be Bottom Centered.

Page numbering in SMALL ROMAN i.e. i, ii, iii. should start from
Declaration till the last page before Chapter 1.
No page numbering on Table of content page/s, although the pages are
counted.
From Chapter 1 till Annexure (end of the report) page numbers should be
numerical i.e. 1, 2, 3..

Note 4:
Following are the Heading styles, starting from Main Heading, then Sub Heading,
then Sub Sections. It has five levels.

CHAPTER1: INTRODUCTION
(Center aligned, Boldface, CAPITAL LETTERS Heading, Arial 14pt Font)

1.1 INTODUCTION TO THE STUDY

(Left aligned, Boldface, CAPITAL LETTERS Heading, Arial 12pt Font)

1.1.1 Background to the study

(Boldface, lowercase heading Arial 12pt Font)

1.1.1.1 If any.
(Boldface, italicized, lowercase heading Arial 12pt Font)

1.1.1.1.1 If any.
(Non-Boldface, italicized, lowercase heading Arial 12pt Font)
Note 5:
Required pages:
Each CUSIT Thesis should include the following, in this order:
Title page

 Submission sheet
Certificate of Approval
Declaration
Abstract
Table of Contents, followed by a List of Figures and/or Tables, if graphic
Images/tables are used.
Thesis text
References
Other sections are optional, depending on your work. The correct order of these
sections and their page numbers are indicated on the Sample Pages.
Note 6:
Line spacing:
There should be 1.5 line-spaces between all texts lines of the manuscript. 1.5 linespaces after every line in the title, headings, footnotes, quotations, references,
and figure captions. Never use single-spacing except in tables or figures.
Margins:
Top and Bottom Margin must be 1 pt.
From Left the Margin should be 1.5 pt. for binding and from Right it
should be 1 pt.
Justifications:
Alignment shall be Justified all the text paragraphs of the thesis.

Font:
Font Style must be Arial
Font should be 12 pt. throughout the thesis except stated otherwise e.g.
title, name of the department and heading of the chapter name.
Footnotes:
Use footnotes very carefully. If a footnote contains more than a few sentences,
consider either incorporating it into the body of the text or as an appendix. The
entire text of the footnote must fit on the same page as the reference appears, so
adjust the bottom margin of this page accordingly. All footnotes must be
numbered accordingly. Any citations in a footnote must also be included in the
Reference list.
Note 7:
Students must proof read their thesis in order to avoid spelling, grammatical
and Punctuation mistakes
You must give numbering to each headings, subheading and section except
chapter name. You must give numbering to tables and graphs used in the thesis
text.
Any thesis not meeting the required standard is not acceptable.
Any thesis containing more than 20% plagiarism will NOT be acceptable.
At least THREE copies of the finalized research project with hard binding (Sky
Blue color at BBA level and maroon color at MBA level) must be submitted to City

University of Science & Information Technology, Peshawar using Paper size of A4

and weighting 80 grams.
CUSIT has the right to modify the thesis style as per requirement.

Note: This is Hard Binding Cover. The Color of Hard Binding must be Maroon for MBA
students and Sky Blue for BBA students, with Golden Font. The font size must be Arial with
12pt except the title which must be 14pt Boldface with 1.5 line space.
[THESIS TITLE, IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, 1.5 Line spaced, Centre aligned text]
By

Note:

[Your Legal name]

Note: 14pt Boldface with 1.5 line space
Just write Topic of your Thesis.
DO NOT write Thesis or Research
Report on.

Arial 12pt boldface.

There should be one 1.5 line
space between the title and
By and between By and Your
Legal name.

Note: Arial 12pt boldface. Only write

your name here. DO NOT use
i) Submitted By: or
ii) Name of Student: XYZ.

Note: There should

be Three 1.5 spaced
lines between logo
and your legal
name. Size of logo
can be adjusted
depending
upon
length of the title.

Note: Only write session here. DO NOTwrite

date or month of submission of research
Report. It should be the last line of the
page. Arial 12pt boldface 1.5 linespace
centeraligned.

Note: Name of the department is Arial

14pt boldface whereas name of the
institute is Arial 12pt boldface with 1.5
linespace. Both are center aligned.

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CITY UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR.
SESSION [
]

Sample of the hard binding Cover

THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE DECISION PRACTICES
A CASE STUDY OF XYZ COMPANY

By

Jasir Ilyas

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CITY UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR.
SESSION [2010-11]

Note: This is submission sheet of your

thesis to City University
[THESIS TITLE, IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, 1.5line-spaced, Centre aligned text]

By

[Your Legal name]

A Thesis Submitted to City University of Science & Information Technology,

Peshawar in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
[Your Degree and Program Here]

NOTE: This submission sheet is same as your hard binding cover page
except this text which will be the mentioned instead of logo. This text will
be Arial 12pt boldface center aligned texted with 1.5 line spaces. Degree
and program name will appear in the next line separate from first two
lines. This text will be two 1.5 lines spaced below your legal name.

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CITY UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR.
SESSION [
- ]

Sample of the submission sheet

THE CAPITAL STRUCTURE DECISION PRACTICES
A CASE STUDY OF XYZ COMPANY

By

Jasir Ilyas

A Thesis Submitted to City University of Science & Information Technology,

Peshawar in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
MBA (Finance)

DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES

CITY UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, PESHAWAR.
SESSION [2010-11]

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

centeralignedtexted.
Certificate of Approval
I certify that I have read [YOUR TITLE, exactly as it appears on the title page] by
[your Name], and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving a
thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of [your
degree and your program] at the City University of Science & Information
Technology, Peshawar.
Supervisor
Note: This text will be in Arial
12pt non-boldface centeraligned
texted with 1.5 line space. Title of
the thesis will be in inverted
commas.

(Signature)
Name:
Date:

(Signature)
Prof. Dr. Jehanzeb)
(Head of the Department)

Note: No page number on Certificate of

Approval, but this page is counted.

Sample of the approval sheet

Certificate of Approval
I certify that I have read The capital structure decision practices; A case study of xyz
company by Jasir Ilyas and that in my opinion this work meets the criteria for approving
a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MBA
(Finance) at the City University of Science & Information Technology, Peshawar.

Supervisor

(Signature)
Name:
Date: 10th November, 2010

(Signature)
Prof. Dr. Jehanzeb
(Head of the Department)

Declaration

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

center aligned texted.

I, hereby declare that the research submitted to Department of Management

Sciences at City University of Science and IT by me is my own original work. Iam
aware of the fact that in case my work is found to be plagiarized or not genuine,
City University has the full authority to cancel my research work and I am liable to
penal action.
Note: Arial 12pt Non-boldface with
1.5 linespace center aligned text.

(Your legal Name)

Date: _____________________

Note: Type your Name and Date.

Note: Page numbering starts from

Declaration. Insert Page number in
Footer aligned Centered

ii

Sample of the declaration sheet

Declaration
I, hereby declare that the research submitted to Department of Management Sciences
at City University of Science and IT by me is my own original work. I am aware of the
fact that in case my work is found to be plagiarized or not genuine, City University has
the full authority to cancel my research work and I am liable to penal action.

Jasir Ilyas
Date: 10th November, 2010

ii

Note: This is an Optional Page.

Dedication

Dedicated to my dear parents

Or

Note: DO NOT dedicate your work to

yourself. Arial 12pt boldface center
texted.

Dedicated to my family
Or
Dedicated to .. & ..

Whose help (or patience or support) made this work possible,

Or
Dedicated to a cause (give the cause)

Note: This Page will be numbered only

when dedication is included in the
thesis. Insert Page number in Footer
aligned Centered

iii

Sample of the Dedication Sheet

Dedication

This research is dedicated to My Parents and family for their patience &
encouragement.

iii

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

center aligned texted.
Abstract
The text of your abstract starts next line below the heading. Each paragraph
should be aligned justify, and the text should be 1.5 line-spaced. It should be no
more than 350 words; within that limit, it can extend onto a second page.
Good abstract starts with a succinct statement of the problem, issue, or question
you studied. Follow with a brief description of your methodology and an
explanation of how you collected your data. (If your work involves collecting
information from a group of people, include a short description of how you
defined and selected the respondents.)
Finish with a summary of your findings, but leave out discussions of the
importance or relevance of your results. Do not include any graphic image, chart,
table, or bullet points list in this narrative.

iv

Note: This is an Optional Page.

Acknowledgement

Note: Arial 12pt

boldface center aligned
texted.
All glory is to Allah Almighty, The Superior and The Sovereign, who enabled me to
undertake ...
My foremost thanks from the depth of my heart .
...

Name of the Student

Note: Do not put a signature. Just

type your name here.

Sample of the Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement
First of all I would like to thanks Almighty ALLAH the most merciful and the most
beneficent, who enabled and give guidance to me in completing this mammoth task. I
would also like to acknowledge and say a lot of thanks to my respected supervisor Prof.
Dr. Jehanzeb for extending his help, scholarly advice, support, useful comments,
continuous encouragement, kind supervision and timely checking of my manuscript
throughout the course of study. I think without his guidance and sincere efforts, I would
not have been able to shape my study in this form.
Furthermore, I would like to extend my gratitude to all those individuals who helped me
in completing my task specially my good friends. At the end I would not forget to thanks
my loving parents who supported and encouraged me throughout my educational
career.

Jasir Ilyas

Sample of Sample of List of Acronyms and

Abbreviations
List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

ABL

Allied Bank Limited

KPK Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Note: If any acronyms and abbreviations are used

in the thesis, list them here.

KSE Karachi Stock Exchange

T&D Training and Development

vi

Sample of the Table of Contents

Note:
Do
not
list/include the page
number of Table of
Contents here.

Table of Contents

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

center aligned texted.

Declaration......................................................................................................... ii
Dedication ........................................................................................................ iii
Abstract.............................................................................................................. iv
Acknowledgement ..........................................................................................v
List of Acronyms and Abbreviation..................................................................vi
List of Tables................................................................................................... ..ix
List of Figures .....................................................................................................x
Chapter 1 Introduction .......................................................................................1
1.1 Background of the study ..............................................................................1
1.2.......................................................................................................................4
1.3.......................................................................................................................6
Chapter 2 Literature Review ................................................................................7
Chapter 3 Methodology .....................................................................................18
3.1 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................18
3.2 Data Collection ............................................................................................19
3.2.1 .......19
Chapter 4 Analysis ............................................................................................22
Chapter 5 Conclusion ........................................................................................31
References ........................................................................................................32
Annexure A Questionnaire ................................................................................35

Note: No page numbers on Table of

Contents, but these pages are counted.

Sample of List of Tables

List of Tables

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

center aligned texted.

Table 1
Population...24
Table 2
Male and Female ................ 26

xi

Sample of the List of Figures

List of Figures

Note: Arial 12pt boldface

center aligned texted.

Figure 1
Population............22
Figure 2
Male and Female........27

xii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY

It gives the background of the study and explains the main theme. It describes what
you have done, why you have undertaken it and how (in what manner or method) you
have done it and why. It mostly comprises / encompasses your research proposal but
written in the past tense as the research has already taken place.It should highlight the
contribution or significance of your research.

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

It highlights the review of secondary material related to the topic of research.Write it in

your own words in order to avoid plagiarism and also give proper references, in the text
as well as in the references section in the end.

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

It highlights the procedures / process and methods with the help of which the
predetermined targets / objectives are achieved with special focus on Sources of
data (primary, or secondary or both sources of data collection), research
instrument (Questionnaire, structured or unstructured interview or observation
etc.), sampling and Analytical techniques (various mathematical and statistical
techniques e.g. percentages, means correlation, regression model, NPV, IRR, t,
Z or Chi-square tests etc.).

CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS, FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

It highlights the discussion of Results obtained from the analysis of the collected data
using the Analytical techniques of the study.

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION

It highlights Conclusion / Recommendations of the yourstudy on the basis of finding of

the analysis of the study. Moreover it may also highlight the Future Implications / Future
Research Directions of your research topic.

Appendixes
The material related to the research, but not included in the

main text of the report

(e.g. questionnaire, long statistical tables, derivation of formula, maps calculations etc.)
is placed here.Your thesis may not contain any such material, in such case you can skip
appendix part of the research.

Note: Only APA referencing style is acceptable. To make referencing easier use MS
office references option or End Note software. HERE ARE SOME OF THE DETAILS TO
REMEMBER.

References
Note: Arial 12pt boldface
What is referencing?
center aligned texted.
Referencing is a standardized way of acknowledging the sources of information
and ideas that you have used in your research and which allows the sources to be
identified.
Why reference?
Referencing is important to avoid plagiarism, to verify quotations and to enable
readers to follow up what you have written and more fully understand the cited
authors work.
Steps in referencing
Record the full bibliographic details and relevant page numbers of the source
from which information is taken.
Insert the citation at the appropriate place in the text of your document.
Include a reference list that includes all in-text citations at the end of your
document.
In-text citations
In an author-date style, in-text citations usually require the name of the
author(s) and the year of publication.
A page number is included if you have a direct quote, paraphrase a passage or
you want to direct the reader to a specific page or idea. Page numbers may also
be included if the you are referring to a long work and the page numbers might be
useful to the reader.
How to create a reference list/bibliography
A reference list includes just the books, articles, and web pages etc that are
cited in the text of the document. A bibliography includes all sources consulted
for background or further reading.

 A reference list is arranged alphabetically by author. If an item has no author, it

is cited by title, and included in the alphabetical list using the first significant word
of the title.
If you have more than one item with the same author, list the items
chronologically, starting with the earliest publication.
Each reference appears on a new line.
Each item in the reference list is required to have a hanging indent.
References should not be numbered.
What's the difference between reference and bibliography?
Bibliography is listing all the materials that have been consulted while writing an
research. References, on the other hand, are those that have been quoted or
paraphrased in your research.
References are cited directly in the text, bibliography is not cited directly in the
text. References can be used to support your statement or argument, a
bibliography does not have such roles.
How to refer a Book?
Author(s) of book family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year of
publication). Title of book italicized. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example: Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2003). Research Methods for
Business Students. India: Pearson education limited.
How to refer a Journal Articles?
Author(s) of journal article family name and initials, use & for multiple authors.
(Year of publication).Title of journal article. Journal name italicized, Volume
italicized( Issue or number), Page number(s).

Example: Schafer, J.L. & Kang, J. (2008). Average causal effects from
nonrandomized studies: A practical guide and simulated example. Psychological
Methods, 13, 279-313.
How to refer a Conference papers?
Author(s) of paper family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year of
publication).Title of paper.Title of published proceeding italicized. Place of
Publication: Publisher.
Example: Bohrer, S., Zielke, T., & Freiburg, V. (1995). Integrated obstacle
detection framework for intelligent cruise control on motorways.Paper presented
at IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium. Detroit, MI: Piscataway.
How to refer a Newspaper and magazine articles?
Author(s) of article family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year of
publication, month day).Title of article.Title of newspaper italicized, p. page
number(s).
Example: Cook, D. (2002, January 28). All in the mind.The Age, p. 8.
How to refer a Government Publication?
Author(s) of report (person or organization), use & for multiple authors.(Year of
Publication).Title of report italicized. Place of publication: Publisher.
Example: Queensland Health. (2005). Health Systems Review Final Report.
Brisbane: Queensland Government.
How to refer a Thesis?
Author of thesis family name and initials.(Year of preparation of thesis).Title of
thesis italicized. (Award, Institution, Year).
Example: Axford, J.C. (2007). What constitutes success in Pacific island community
conserved areas?(Doctoral dissertation, University of Queensland, 2007).

How to refer a Webpages?

Author(s) of page person or organization, use & for multiple authors. (Year page
created or revised). Title of page italicized. Retrieved month day, year of
retrieval, from web address.
Example: Atherton, J. (2005). Behaviour Modification. Retrieved February 5, 2009,
from http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/ behaviour_mod.htm
How to refer a Television programs?
Writer name(s) (Writer). (Year, month day).[ Type of medium]. Place of broadcast:
Who broadcast the program.
Example: Bryant, B. (Writer). (2001, September 12). The Bryant medical hour
[Television broadcast]. Sydney, NSW: Public Broadcasting Service.
How to refer an indirect citation?
An indirect citation is when the ideas of one author are published in another
authors text but you have not read or accessed the original authors work. In the
list of References provide the details of the author of the work you have
read.Within text it is written as Miller (cited in Agrios 2005) found or it was
found (Miller, cited in Agrios 2005). In reference list,cite the source where you
found the citation.
Example:
Agrios, G.N. (2005). Plant pathology (5th ed.) Burlington,
Massachusetts: Elsevier Academic Press.