IGDS MSc Research Project Preparation Guide and … MSc Research Project Preparation Guide and Template ... Research /Internship Project of the ... issues or events which may lay a

Rev 1

The University of the West Indies

Institute for Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), St Augustine Unit

IGDS MSc Research Project Preparation Guide and Template

March 2014

i

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 1

Report Preparation……………………………………………………………. 1

Formatting of Report…………………………………………………………. 2 Margins……………………………………………………………………………….. 2 Fonts and Line Spacing………………………………………………………… 2 Sub-headings………………………………………………………………………. 2 Quotations………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Footnotes/endnotes……………………………………………………………. 3 Tables and Figures………………………………………………………………. 3 Pagination…………………………………………………………………………… 3 Binding………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Arrangement……………………………………………………………………... 4

Front Matter……………………………………………………………………………… 4 Title page……………………………………………………………………………………… 4 Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………….. 4 Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………. 4 Dedication…………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 Table of Contents………………………………………………………………………….. 5 List of Figures, Tables, Illustrations, Charts etc. (if any)…………………… 5 Glossary (if any)…………………………………………………………………………….. 5 List of Abbreviations and Acronyms (if any)……………………………………. 5

Report Body………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….. 5 Background…………………………………………………………………………………… 6 Literature Review………………………………………………………………………….. 6 Theoretical and Conceptual Framework…………………………………………. 6 Research Methodology and Methods…………………………………………….. 6 Findings & Analysis……………………………………………………………………….. 6 Discussion / Conclusion …………………………………………………………………. 6

End Matter………………………………………………………………………………… 7 Endnotes (if any)…………………………………………………………………………… 7 Bibliography/References Cited …………………………………………………….. 7 Appendices (if any, e.g. interview schedule) ………………………………… 7

Report Template………………………………………………………………. 8

1

Introduction

These guidelines are intended to supplement those provided by the UWI for the preparation of

the IGDS MSc Research Project. MSc students preparing their research projects must familiarise

themselves with these requirements, along with the submission requirements for the IGDS and

the University.

In accordance with the UWI Graduate Studies Guide for Students and Supervisors, your

research project should reflect the following:

You have completed independent, wide ranging reading in your area of study

Reasonably in-depth analysis of the relevant literature

Demonstrate familiarity with research methods and data collection

Carry out analysis appropriate to the area of study

Findings and citations must be formatted in the approved academic style for your

discipline.

Report Preparation

An MSc project is not a thesis1– it is meant to demonstrate competence in setting up a research

project, preparing a research design, writing a critical literature review, carrying out preliminary

pilot research with primary or secondary resources and presenting this as your written

submission. Preliminary findings from your research may be discussed in your project report.

You are not necessarily expected to make a contribution to knowledge, but you should show a

clear understanding of the topic being investigated and its application. The project must consist

of your account of your own research and may describe work done in conjunction with your

Supervisor provided that you clearly state your personal share in the investigation. This

statement is to be certified by your Supervisor.

The greater portion of the work submitted for examination must have been done subsequent

to your initial registration as a candidate for the degree; no report shall consist wholly of

previously published work.

The upper limit in terms of length should be 50-60 pages or 15-20,000 words, exclusive of

notes, bibliography, appendices etc.

1IGDS guidance document ‘Guidelines for MSc. Research /Internship Project of the IGDS, The UWI, St Augustine’

Section 3.c

2

Formatting of Report

The report must be submitted in a form that can be reproduced in a clear and usable format,

ensuring that the text and illustrative materials are well-defined and error free, printed single-

sided, on good quality paper. Please ensure that the report meets the following further

requirements.

Margins

Margins on each page should conform to the following:

o top, bottom and right margins not less than 1” or 2.5 cm in width

o left margin 2” or 5 cm to allow for loss due to binding

Fonts and Line Spacing:

The text in the body of the report must be font size 12, Calibri consistently throughout the

report.

Double line spacing must be used throughout the body of the report, with single line spacing

only in the following cases:

o Long quotations

o Footnotes

o Bibliographic items

o Appendix items

o Subsections of the table of contents

Double spacing must however be applied between each entry of the above.

Single spacing must be applied to the following sections within the front matter:

o Abstract

o Acknowledgement

o Dedication

3

Headings and Sub-headings

Headings of each section should be center justified, in all caps, size 16 fonts in the same font

style as the remainder of the report. Sub-headings should be left justified in size 14 font, in the

same font style as the remainder of the report. You should ensure that sub-headings are

consistently applied throughout the report.

Quotations

Quotations which exceed two lines should be set off from the body of the text, in single spacing

and indented at least four (4) spaces from the left margin.

Footnotes/endnotes

Footnotes should be single spaced, and placed at the bottom of the appropriate page, i.e. at the

bottom of the page on which it is referenced. In the case of endnotes, these should be placed in

sequence immediately preceding the bibliography. Utilise the appropriate Style Manual for your

discipline and ensure that this form and style is maintained consistently through the report.

Tables and Figures

A table or figure should appear in the text closely following the point where it is first discussed,

usually no further than the page following, and should be clearly labelled, and numbered

sequentially. All tables and figures must be listed immediately after the table of contents, and

the titles and numbers assigned to tables and figures must correspond exactly to those which

appear in the text.

Pagination

The title page is not numbered, nor paged in. All following pages in the front matter must be

paginated in lower case Roman numerals. All pages which follow the front matter, i.e. the body

and end matter of the report, inclusive of appendices, must be paginated in consecutive Arabic

numerals throughout the report.

All page numbers should appear in an exact consistent location on each page, preferably at the

top right hand corner of the page, approximately three quarters of an inch down and three

quarters of an inch inwards.

4

Begin each new chapter on a new page.

Binding

Four (4) copies of your final report must be submitted to the IGDS, each spiral bound with a

clear plastic front cover and Bristol board back cover.

5

Arrangement

Front Matter

Front matter consists of the following elements which all precede the text or main body of

your report. Each of the following elements must start on a new page and must be single

spaced.

1. Title page: The first page of your report is the title page which must bear the officially

approved title of the report, the name of the University, the degree for which the report

is submitted, the full name of the candidate as officially registered, and the date when

the work was submitted for examination and the name of your supervisor/s. The format

is found in the template section of this guide. See also Appendix I of the UWI Thesis

Guide (2001) on the University’s website

(http://www.uwi.edu/Libraries/Grip/ThesisGuide.sflb.ashx).

2. Abstract: The second page of your report has your abstract which should be

approximately 150 to 300 words in length, and identifies briefly the purpose of the

research, the methods used, the results obtained and the significance of the results or

findings. Your abstract may be one or two pages long. The first or only page of your

abstract should bear the first page number in the document – the Roman numeral (i).

Keywords (3-5) which best reflect the subject of the project should be identified and

placed at the end of the abstract.

The format is found in the template section of this guide. See also Appendix III of the

UWI Thesis Guide (2001) on the University’s website for illustration of the required

format. You may want to complete the other parts of your report before writing your

abstract, since this is meant to be an overview of the entire report.

(http://www.uwi.edu/Libraries/Grip/ThesisGuide.sflb.ashx)

3. Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements appear on the third page of your report. The

inclusion of an acknowledgements page is an opportunity for you as the researcher to

express gratitude and indebtedness to those who assisted you in successful completion

of the research effort. This is typically no longer than one page, and should include

http://www.uwi.edu/Libraries/Grip/ThesisGuide.sflb.ashx


6

acknowledgements of permission to use any copyrighted material which appears

extensively in the report.

4. Dedication: Your dedication may appear on your fourth page. You may want to

dedicate your report to someone as a way of saying thank you for his or her support or

other contribution to your research project. You may want to single this/these person(s)

for standing by you through your pursuit of your degree programme, or for their

encouragement for example.

5. Table of Contents: The table of contents may appear on your fifth page. It should

include all front matter, except the title page, as well as chapters, other significant

sections and end matter in the report. The correct title of each section should be listed

with the beginning page of each of these sections.

6. List of Figures, Tables, Illustrations, Charts etc. (if any): On the page immediately

following your table of contents, you should list all of your figures, tables, illustrations

and charts if you have included these in your report. Ensure that they are listed with the

exact title and number which they bear within the report, and list the page number on

which they appear.

7. Glossary (if any): On the next page, you may include a glossary to assist your readers by

providing definitions for any technical and/or specialised terms.

8. List of Abbreviations and Acronyms (if any): You may include on your next page a list of

abbreviations and acronyms if you have used these in the body of your report, to

provide easy access to their meanings for your readers.

Report Body

The body of your report must be double spaced and pages numbered in Arabic numerals.

Each section must begin on a new page. Note that there may be variations on this outline

based on the different subject matter, disciplinary stances, or if the project relates to an

Internship. Your supervisor will guide you best on what is acceptable for your particular

study. This represents a guide however to content that must be evident in all project

reports, however distributed.

9. Introduction: Your introduction constitutes the beginning of the body or text of your

report and should be numbered as your first page, in Arabic numerals, i.e. page 1. In this

7

section you will lead the reader from a general subject area to your particular field of

research, and establish the context of your study, state its purpose and its significance.

In this section you may also outline the remaining structure of your report. This section

gives your readers their first impressions of your argument, writing style and the value

of your research. It should be well written and engaging.

10. Background: In this section you may identify and describe the history and nature of your

research topic expanding upon the key points in your introduction, and highlight specific

people, issues or events which may lay a foundation for understanding the emergence

of the issue being studied. This section also is an opportunity for you to provide

evidence of your understanding of the key issues and concepts.

11. Literature Review: Your literature review contains a discussion of past studies related

to your research topic organised for example, chronologically, thematically (into themes

relevant to your approach to the topic for example), or according to methodological

approaches. It should include critical evaluations of the literature, and you should take

care to include the most relevant and most recent/current sources available.

12. Theoretical and Conceptual Framework: Your theoretical framework consists of your

key concepts and their definitions, and existing theory or theories which you use in your

study. In this section you must demonstrate your understanding of these theories and

concepts and show how they contribute to an explanation of the issue under study.

13. Research Methodology and Methods: In this section you will describe and justify your

choice of methodology and methods, document how your data was collected, and

discuss how you analysed your data.

14. Findings and Analysis: You report your findings in this section. You may utilise tables,

figures, charts and/or other illustrative objects if appropriate to present your findings

and relate them back to the purpose of your study. Ensure that if you use such

illustrative objects that you label them appropriately, list them accurately in your list of

figures in your front matter, and refer to and explain them in your text.

15. Discussion and Conclusion: In this section you will interpret and describe the

significance of your findings in the context of what is already known about your issue

under study. You should ensure that you create linkages here between your

introduction and your findings. This section also provides you with an opportunity to

8

discuss your area of study critically in light of your findings, as well as identify further

areas for study.

Your concluding paragraph(s) should highlight your key points in your analysis or

findings, and restate your main argument. You may also summarise your thoughts on

the study and the state the significance of the study and findings.

End Matter

16. Endnotes (if any): Your use of endnotes depends upon the style manual required for

your discipline. In some cases they may replace a list of references cited. Ultimately, be

guided by the style manual of your discipline and use endnotes only in cases where the

information is an important inclusion for your paper.

17. Bibliography/References Cited: Good scholarship is marked by reliable, correct and

complete acknowledgement of sources. Your report must contain footnotes, endnotes,

bibliography or list of references as required by your specific discipline and the

identified style manual. Consistent use of the required style must be applied in your

citation of sources. Please also remember to cite your sources in-text in the required

format outlined in the relevant style manual.

18. Appendices (if any, e.g. interview schedule): Appendices may be used to include in your

submission research material which is pertinent to the project but which is not essential

to an understanding of the work done. They should be numbered and form a part of the

sequential pages bearing Arabic numerals, and have a title which describes its contents.

Ensure that any appendices included in your report are listed accurately in your table of

contents.

8

REPORT TEMPLATE

REPORT TITLE LINE ONE REPORT TITLE LINE TWO

A Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of

Master of Science in Gender and Development Studies

of The University of the West Indies

Student Name 2014

Supervisor’s name and faculty affiliation

Institute for Gender and Development Studies St Augustine Campus

i

ABSTRACT

Report Title Line One Report Title Line Two

Student Name

The second page of your report has your abstract which should be approximately

150 to 300 words in length, and identifies briefly the purpose of the research,

the methods used, the results obtained and the significance of the results or

findings. Your abstract may be one or two pages long. The first or only page of

your abstract should bear the first page number in the document – the Roman

numeral (i). Keywords (3-5) which best reflect the subject of the project should

be identified and placed at the end of the abstract.

See also Appendix III of the UWI Thesis Guide (2001) on the University’s website

(http://www.uwi.edu/Libraries/Grip/ThesisGuide.sflb.ashx) for illustration of the

required format. You may want to complete the other parts of your report

before writing your abstract, since this is meant to be an overview of the entire

report.

Keywords: Student Name; keyword; keyword; keyword.


ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Acknowledgements appear on the third page of your report. The inclusion of an

acknowledgements page is an opportunity for you as the researcher to express

gratitude and indebtedness to those who assisted you in successful completion

of the research effort. This is typically no longer than one page, and should

include acknowledgements of permission to use any copyrighted material which

appears extensively in the report.

iii

DEDICATION

Your dedication may appear on your fourth page. You may want to dedicate your

report to someone as a way of saying thank you for his or her support or other

contribution to your research project. You may want to single this/these

person(s) for standing by you through your pursuit of your degree programme,

or for their encouragement, for example.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract i

Acknowledgement ii

Dedication iii

List of Tables and Figures v

Glossary vi

List of Abbreviations and Acronyms vii

Introduction 1

Background 2

Literature Review 3

Theoretical and Conceptual Framework 4

Research Methodology and Methods 5

Findings and Analysis 6

Discussion and Conclusion 7

Endnotes 8

Bibliography 9

Appendix 1 – Descriptive Name of Appendix 1 10

Appendix 2 – Descriptive Name of Appendix 2 11

v

LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

Table 1 – name of table 3

Table 2 – name of table 5

Figure 1 – name of figure 7



vi

GLOSSARY

Term in alphabetic listing Definition of term single spaced, with double spacing between each entry










vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

Abbreviation in alphabetic listing

Meaning of abbreviation single spaced, with double spacing between each entry









1

INTRODUCTION

Your introduction constitutes the beginning of the body or text of your report

and should be numbered as your first page, in Arabic numerals, i.e. page 1. In

this section you will lead the reader from a general subject area to your

particular field of research, and establish the context of your study, state its

purpose and its significance. In this section you may also outline the remaining

structure of your report. This section gives your readers their first impressions of

your argument, writing style and the value of your research. It should be well

written and engaging.

The body of your report should be double spaced and justified. This section may

be 2-3 pages in length.

2

BACKGROUND

In this section you may identify and describe the history and nature of your

research topic expanding upon the key points in your introduction, and highlight

specific people, issues or events which may lay a foundation for understanding

the emergence of the issue being studied. This section also is an opportunity for

you to provide evidence of your understanding of the key issues and concepts.

The body of your report should be double spaced. This section may be 3-5 pages

in length.

3

LITERATURE REVIEW

Your literature review contains a discussion of past studies related to your

research topic organised, for example, chronologically, thematically (into themes

relevant to your approach to the topic for example), or according to

methodological approaches. It should include critical evaluations of the

literature, and you should take care to include the most relevant and most

recent/current sources available.


in length.

4

THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Your theoretical framework consists of your key concepts and their definitions,

and existing theory or theories which you use in your study. In this section you

must demonstrate your understanding of these theories and concepts and show

how they contribute to an explanation of the issue under study.


in length.

5

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND METHODS

In this section you will describe and justify your choice of methodology and

methods, document how your data was collected, and discuss how you analysed

your data.


in length.

6

FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS

You report your findings in this section. You may utilise tables, figures, charts

and/or other illustrative objects, if appropriate, to present your findings and

relate them back to the purpose of your study. Ensure that if you use such

illustrative objects that you label them appropriately, list them accurately in your

list of figures in your front matter, and refer to and explain them in your text.


in length.

7

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

In this section you will interpret and describe the significance of your findings in

the context of what is already known about your issue under study. You should

ensure that you create linkages here between your introduction and your

findings. This section also provides you with an opportunity to discuss your area

of study critically in light of your findings, as well as identify further areas for

study.

Your concluding paragraph(s) should highlight your key points in your analysis or

findings, and restate your main argument. You may also summarise your

thoughts on the study and the state the significance of the study and findings.

The body of your report should be double spaced. This section may be 7-10

pages in length.

8

ENDNOTES (OPTIONAL)

Your use of endnotes depends upon the style manual required for your

discipline. In some cases they may replace a list of references cited. Ultimately,

be guided by the style manual of your discipline and use endnotes only in cases

where the information is an important inclusion for your paper.

The content of this section is not included in the required page/word count of

your report.

Ensure that the content of each entry is single spaced, while a double line space

separates each individual entry.

9

BIBLIOGRAPHY/REFERENCES CITED

Good scholarship is marked by reliable, correct and complete acknowledgement

of sources. Your report must contain footnotes, endnotes, bibliography or list of

references as required by your specific discipline and the identified style manual.

Consistent use of the required style must be applied in your citation of sources.

Please also remember to cite your sources in-text in the required format

outlined in the relevant style manual.

Ensure that the content of each entry is single spaced, while a double space

separates each individual entry.

10

APPENDIX 1

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF APPENDIX

Appendices may be used to include in your submission research material which

is pertinent to the project but which is not essential to an understanding of the

work done. They should be numbered and form a part of the sequential pages

bearing Arabic numerals, and have a title which describes its contents. Ensure

that any appendices included in your report are listed accurately in your table of

contents.

11

APPENDIX 2

DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF APPENDIX

Appendices may be used to include in your submission research material which

is pertinent to the project but which is not essential to an understanding of the

work done. They should be numbered and form a part of the sequential pages

bearing Arabic numerals, and have a title which describes its contents. Ensure

that any appendices included in your report are listed accurately in your table of

contents.

Documents

IGDS MSc Research Project Preparation Guide and … MSc Research Project Preparation Guide and Template ... Research /Internship Project of the ... issues or events which may lay a