Research Proposal

1. Introduction
2. Background of the study
3. The rationale of the study
4. Objectives of the study
5. The methodology of the Study
5.1. Research approach
5.2. Data and sources
5.3. Data collection methods
5.4. Data analysis techniques
6. Expected results and possible outcome
7. Duration of the study/project/research
8. Proposed budget components
9. References

1
Thesis Paper
i. Title page
ii. Letter of Transmittal
iii. Certification Letter
iv. Declaration
v. Acknowledgment
vi. Table of contents
vii. List of tables
viii. List of figures
ix. List of photographs
x. List of abbreviations and nomenclatures
xi. Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Background of the study
1.2. Scope of the study
1.3. Statement of the problem
1.4. Research aim and Objectives
1.5. Organization of the study
2. Review of the Literature
3. Theories and Conceptual Framework
4. Contextual framework (if necessary)
5. The methodology of the study
5.1. Research design
5.2. Sampling design
5.3. Data and Sources
5.4. Data collection methods
5.5. Data analysis techniques
6. Results
7. Findings and Analysis
8. Summary and Conclusion
8.1. Discussion of the findings
8.2. Suggestions and recommendations
8.3. Limitations of the Study
8.4. Area of the Further Research

xii. References
xiii. Appendices

[Notes: for absolute phenomenological studies, chapters 6 and 7 can be combined. Otherwise, students
need to make sure that these two chapters are separated for valid reasons.]

2
Guidelines for Report Formatting
1. Page The page should be of A4 size
2. Font Times New Roman, 12 or
Book Antiqua, 12 or
Calibri, 11
A larger font (14) can be used for headings.
3. Justification The whole document must be fully (left + right) justified.
4. Spacing The body of the report should have 1.5 line spacing. Longer quotations
should be single-spaced and separated from the text.
5. Margin The default margin for all reports is 1” on all four sides.
As the internship report and thesis paper have to be submitted in binding
format, the left margin can be at least 1.25” instead of 1”.
6. Paragraphs and Paragraphs must be separated by a blank line and be justified in nature, or
Sections by indenting the first line of a new paragraph by five spaces. However, if the
paragraph follows a new section heading, the first line is not indented.
Besides, an extra blank line before and after every section and subsection
should be used.
7. Headings and All headings and their subheadings should be appropriately formatted
Subheadings according to standard numbering format.
8. Tables and All tables and figures in the text must be numbered and should always have
figures a heading. The table's number and heading are placed above the table and
those of a figure under the figure.
When you refer to the table in the text, use the number of the table: e.g.,
Table 1 shows the three groups' test scores.
9. Appendices Appendices can include material that is not directly relevant to the main
content but needs to be referred to in the text. For instance, if your study is
based on a questionnaire or (semi)structured interviews, the questionnaire
or interview plan must be included in the appendices. Appendices must
have a heading, and they must be numbered.
10. Highlighting For highlighting or emphasis, use italics. Bold print can also be used for
clarity if necessary.
11. Color For a formal and professional look, a black and white report submission is
preferred. However, with the course teacher's permission, the limited
standard color could only be added in different headings.
12. Footnotes Endnotes and footnotes should be used sparingly. If you use notes, they
should be placed at the bottom of the page using a smaller font size (10)
and single-spacing.

3
13. Punctuations, Use correct punctuation marks. Spelling and grammar should be accurate
Spelling and throughout the report.
Grammar Check
14. Page Page numbering should be visible from the first page of the introduction.
Numbering Previous pages, such as the abstract and contents, are counted but are not
given visible page numbers.
However, the title page is not counted. Page numbering continues until the
end of the document, including the bibliography and appendices. Place the
page number at the center or right of the bottom of the page.
In this regard, the page numbers should be started with 1 from the first page
of chapter one. All the pages before the first chapter should be given Roman
numbers (i, ii, iii, etc.)
15. Word Limit This provision is subject to the freedom of the course teacher. S/he can
suggest a specific world limit or not.

4
Do's and Don'ts" of Formal Academic Writing
Do’s

 Label all figures, tables, graphs, code, etc. If it does not have a label, it cannot be referred to
in text, and if it is not referred to, it should not be in the report.
 Define all relevant terms, especially any “jargon” you wish to use
 Do say precisely what you mean using precise word choices and giving specific information to
support the proposition.
 Do tell the reader something new about the subject. Say something significant and essential.
Do not blather on. Say something thoughtful and intelligent. This will usually require some
brainstorming, list-making, outlining, and another prewriting.
 Do start with a clear statement of the main idea. Make sure the first paragraph leaves an
excellent first impression, fluent writing, and no mechanical errors.
 Do ensure the readability of paragraphs by limiting to eight lines in each written paragraph
and a strong topic sentence.
 Do vary sentence structure. Readers get tired when they read a series of long sentences with
multiple clauses. Similarly, they feel rushed by a series of short, terse sentences. As much as
possible, vary the length and construction of your sentences.
 Do use consistent tenses. The present tense is most common in academic papers and should
be used when referring to written texts. The future tense is rarely used. Exception: past tense
is used in history papers and about experiments done in the past.

Don’ts

 Do not use contractions (like "don't, wouldn't, shouldn't" etc.). Spell out both words entirely,
e.g., "do not," "would not," "should not," etc.
 Do not use the words "really" or "very" to try to emphasize a point (e.g., it was "really, very"
important.) These are almost always unnecessary filler words in spoken language and the
written sentence will sound better without the unneeded redundancy (e.g., "It was
important.")
 Do not use first-person pronouns ("I," "we," "me," "us," "my," and "our"). Most readers know
who is writing the paper, so you do not have to refer to yourself. Do use page numbers and a
title.
 Do not use archaic terms. “Thus” and “alas” are not terms utilized in standard English and
should not be used in your academic paper!
 Do not use slang. Though academic writing should use standard English terms, it is not casual
writing.
 Do not use clichés. Be careful –clichés are easy to use. For example, “too little, too late” seems
full of meaning, but it is considered vague and cliché in an academic paper.
 Avoid overused "scholarly" phrases. Never write, "In this paper, I will ..." You are writing the
paper and will do something. There is no need to say you will do something – just do it!
Moreover, never write "In conclusion ..." This is an overused transition to the conclusion. The
reader should know they are at the conclusion of your paper based on the concluding
paragraph's content.