Lincoln University College

Faculty of Business and Accountancy

Requirements and Guidelines for the Preparation

of MBA Graduate Research Project Report

Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

2017
INTRODUCTION
Graduate Research Project (GRP) is a fractional necessity for the fulfilment of the MBA degree at
Lincoln University College. Conducting GRP is not merely a fulfilment to accomplish the MBA
degree. It is considered as an apparatus to build up a creative research capacity of the understudies,
in actuality.

The students are required to undertake a research assignment and prepare an integrative research
project report. It involves the preparation and presentation of a research project of approximately
30,000 words in length which begins with statement of problem, review of literature, specification
of research design and analysis of data collected and implications of the research. Students are
required to attend viva-voce examination and give a seminar presentation. The weight given for
viva and the research report will be 25% and 75% respectively. For the evaluation of the research
report, an external examiner will be appointed.

The Graduate Research Project is an important part of the MBA degree at Faculty of Business and
Accountancy, Lincoln University College. Towards the end of MBA study at Faculty of Business
and Accountancy, students are required to undertake a Graduate Research Project and prepare an
integrative research project report in any areas of management as approved by the Research
Committee of concerned College.

A research project explores business questions as they relate to industries, business climate, and
business practices, focusing on findings in related research plus the methodological alternatives.
The research project thus involves conceptualizing, planning, implementing, and writing up a
report, which extends knowledge in the subject area under investigation.

OBJECTIVES OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

The research project is intended to provide student with an opportunity to synthesize and apply the
knowledge gained from student’s related coursework while at the same time affording student to
focus on a particular area of interest. It also provides student an opportunity to develop a level of
expertise in research methodology and in the area of student’s specific interest.
Specifically, the objectives of the research project include:
a. To provide student an opportunity to integrate classroom knowledge and practice.
b. To enable student to do an independent study to reflect a creative endeavour that can make a
significant contribution to knowledge in a given field.
c. To develop student’s ability to read professional literature, reports, and other works critically
in their design, treatment of data, and conclusions.
d. To strengthen student’s ability in presenting student’s research work in a clear, concise, and
logical manner and enable other readers to use the results of their investigations.

This project thus specifically aims to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for conduct
of individual research at a level which will make a distinct contribution to knowledge. Student are
expected to demonstrate the use of appropriate research, methodology, and written skills through
the preparation and presentation of a substantial investigation.

ACTIVITIES INVOLVED IN WRITING A GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

The following activities will be involved in the Graduate Research Project report writing:
a. Selecting a relevant topic or issue for study.
b. Submitting the proposal to the Research Committee.
c. Locating the relevant literature.
d. Locating the sources of information.
e. Extracting the relevant information from these sources.
f. Identifying the various dimensions of the problem or issue.
g. Organizing and analysing the data effectively.
h. Drawing inferences and conclusions.
i. Writing a graduate research project report.

GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSAL

Student should submit a research project proposal to the Research Committee of student’s college.
The proposal should explicitly state the problem being addressed or gap in knowledge to be filled,
describe the objectives and research techniques to be employed, and include a review of the
principal relevant published literature.

The proposal needs to outline in fairly detailed form the nature and intent of the research project
as outlined below:

a. Background of the problem

b. Problem statement
c. Purpose of the study
d. Research questions/hypotheses
e. Rationale of the study
f. Very brief review of the latest available literature
g. Research methods
h. References

The proposal must be approved by the Research Committee before student can proceed with
student’s graduate research project. Student need to be sure to get approval from student’s
supervisor for any changes student intend to make in student’s research project.

APPROVAL AND SUPERVISION OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

Student’s Graduate Research Project report shall comply with the following requirements:

a. The proposed field of study or topic of student’s research must be approved by the
concerned supervisor and the Research Committee of the concerned college.
b. Research project work must comply with any requirements advised by the concerned
supervisor.
c. The work in a research project must reach a satisfactory standard of expression and
presentation.
 d. Student must maintain close and regular contact with student’s supervisor and the
Chairperson of the Research Committee.

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Students should set up a graduate research project report epitomizing the aftereffects of student’s
research. The research report submitted by student shall:
a. Be an accurate account of research.
b. Relate to the approved research topic.
c. Not include work which has been submitted for any other academic award.
d. Be written in English language.
e. Achieve a satisfactory standard of expression and presentation.
f. Acknowledge any substantial assistance provided to you during the conduct of the research
and writing the report.
g. Conform to the rules and format of faculty of business and accountancy for the presentation
of the research report.

LENGTH OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT

The length for the research project report shall be around 30,000 words (approximately above 90-
95 pages). This length is exclusive of the materials included in appendices.

NUMBER OF COPIES REQUIRED

Initially, student shall submit one loose-bound copy of student’s research project report to
concerned student’s supervisor and the Research Committee of student’s college for their initial
comments and corrections.

PRINTED COPIES
After satisfactorily accommodating all recommended corrections, student shall submit, with the
consent of student’s supervisor, two hard-bound copies of student’s graduate research project
report to the Research Committee. Photocopies or laser printed originals are acceptable. Each hard
copy shall be bound blue.

DIGITAL COPY

The research project report is also to be submitted to the Research Committee both as an
unprotected (no passwords) PDF and source text (Quelltext, e.g. MS Word) formatted file.

EVALUATION OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

The research project shall be evaluated by two examiners, one of whom shall be the faculty
member of concerned college. The internal examiner shall be appointed by the Research
Committee and the external examiner by the Faculty of Business and Accountancy, Lincoln
University College.

Student will be required to attend the viva-voce examination and defend their work satisfactorily.
Weightage given for viva and the research project report will be 25 percent and 75 percent
respectively.

STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT

Students must carefully read their course information details to ensure that they comply with what
their supervisor stipulates. A research project report is typically made up of three main divisions,
namely:
1. Preliminary,
2. Body, and
3. Supplementary.
Each of the sections contains different kind of contents. Student are required to assemble the
research project report in the following order:

1. Preliminary Materials
a. Title page of the Graduate Research Project
b. Recommendation
c. Certification
d. Declaration of authenticity
e. Acknowledgment
f. Abbreviations
g. Executive Summary
h. Table of Contents
i. List of Tables
j. List of Figures

2. Body of the Report

a. Chapter I Introduction
b. Chapter II Related Literature and Conceptual Framework
c. Chapter III Research Methods
d. Chapter IV Analysis and Results
e. Chapter V Discussion, Conclusions and Implications

3. Supplementary Materials
a. References
b. Appendices

BODY OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT REPORT

1. Chapter I Introduction - Background information on the topic so that student are

able to ‘place’ their research in the context. The contents of this chapter may include:
a. Background of the Study
 b. Problem Statement
c. Objectives of the Study
d. Research Questions or Hypotheses
e. Definition of Variables
f. Scope and Significance of the Study
g. Limitations of the Study
h. Outline of the Report

2. Chapter II Related Literature and Conceptual Framework - Student must carefully

structure their findings of the literature survey. It may be useful to do a chronological
format where student discuss from the earliest to the latest research, placing the research
appropriately in the chronology.

The conceptual foundation is the framework that emerges from the literature review and
provides a perspective upon which the study is based. This framework establishes the
intellectual context of research related to student’s subject. Finally, student will need to
state where the knowledge gap exists which justifies their research.

3. Chapter III Research Methods - Student clearly outline what methodology they used in
their research i.e. what they did and how they did it. It must be clearly written so that it
would be easy for another researcher to duplicate their research if they wished to. The
contents of this chapter may include:
a. Research Design
b. Population and Sample
c. Sampling Technique
d. Nature and source of data
i. Nature of data
ii. Sources of data
e. Research Framework
f. Method of Analysis
i. Variables selection
 ii. Data analysis (Statistical Analysis)
iii. Software used
iv. Study Models

4. Chapter IV Analysis and Results - Data are analysed statistically and results are
presented and interpreted. This is where student indicate what they found in their research.
Student give the results of their research. Based on these results student give their
interpretation. Student also discuss the relevance of their results and how their findings fit
with other research in the area. It will relate back to their literature review and their
introductory research project problem statement. At the end of this chapter, student have
to state each and every “Findings of the Study” specifically number-wise.

5. Chapter V Discussion, Conclusions and Implications

a. Discussion – This section is the most important section of GRP. Make sure that student
allocate enough time and space for a good discussion. This is the opportunity to show
that student have understood the significance of their findings and that student are
capable of applying theory in an independent manner.

The discussion will mainly consist of argumentation. To discuss means to question

their findings, and to consider different interpretations. In other words, students
investigate the phenomenon from several different perspectives.

b. Conclusions - This includes key facts from research findings to help explain the results
as needed. Student have to summarize, compare and evaluate their research results in
the context of existing theories, and make comments about its success and
effectiveness.
i. The conclusion of a research project reaffirms the problem statement, discusses
the issues, and reaches a final judgment. The conclusion is not a summary; it is a
belief based on reasoning and on the evidence student have accumulated.
ii. Graduate research project needs to identify why and how the analyses and
interpretations were made and the way key concepts in the analyses evolved. In
 addition, student need to inform the reader of any unexpected findings or patterns
that emerged from the data and report a range of evidence to support assertions or
interpretations presented.
iii. Graduate research project report must pull together all of the parts of their
argument and refer the reader back to the focus student have outlined in their
introduction.
c. Implications - This chapter should also incorporate the implications of findings in terms
of theory, policy or practice in their area of study. What are the implications of their
research for people working in the field that student have studies? Implications should
include:
i. Remedial actions to solve the problem.
ii. Further research to fill in gaps in our understanding.
iii. Directions for future investigations on this or related topics.

TYPING, STYLE AND FORMATTING

MBA research projects are kept in Faculty of Business and Accountancy’s records. As such, they
must conform to a standardized "look and feel" in order to achieve consistency. The following are
the rules concerning research project typing and formatting:

1. A research project report shall be a typescript paper document. It shall not be submitted in
an electronic format.
2. A research project report is to be typed on ISO A4 size white bond paper. If diagrams,
maps, tables and similar presentations do not fit readily on this sheet size, other appropriate
paper size may be used.
3. Typing is to be done on one side of each sheet only, with pages numbered consecutively
throughout the report. The following minimal margins are to be observed:
a. Left 1.5”
b. Top 1.5”
c. Bottom 1”
d. Right 1”
4. A research project report must be 1.5-spaced. Single spacing may be used only in the Table
of Contents, footnotes and endnotes, charts, graphs, tables, quotations, appendices, and
references.
5. Typing should be done using the Times New Roman and font size of 12 or equivalent,
except for text in the tables.
6. Beginning with the first page of the main body of the text, pages are numbered
consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.). All pages preceding the first page of
the body are counted and numbered with lower case Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.). The
title page is counted but the number is not printed on the page.
7. Figures and tables should be inserted at the appropriate place in the text.
8. Figures must have numbers and captions under the figures. Tables have their titles and
numbers above.
9. LUC expects a high standard of editing of the work submitted to it for examination. The
manuscript is to be neat in appearance and without error.
10. Report writing format should follow the APA styles of citation and references.
11. Except for text in the tables, all other text must always be justified.
12. For other styles of citation and references and for report writing formats, please refer to
American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition.
Example of the Title Page
TITLE OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

BY
Student’s Full Name
LUC Registration No.

A Graduate Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

at the
Student’s College Name
Lincoln University College
Faculty of Business and Accountancy

Place of Submission
Month, Year
 MBA Programme

RECOMMENDATION

This is to certify that the Graduation Research Project Report

Submitted by:
Student’s Full Name

Entitled:
TITLE OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH PROJECT

has been prepared as approved by this program in the prescribed format of the Faculty of
Business and Accountancy, Lincoln University College. This Graduation Research
Project is forwarded for examination.

Graduation Research Project Supervisor

Name of Supervisor
…………………………….

Date:
 CERTIFICATION

We, the undersigned, certify that we have read and hereby recommend for acceptance by the
COLLEGE NAME, Lincoln University College, a Graduation Research Project (GRP) report
submitted by STUDENT’S NAME entitled “TITLE OF THE GRADUATE RESEARCH
PROJECT”, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master in
Business Administration of Lincoln University College.

___________________________
GRP Supervisor
Name of GRP Supervisor
Signature

___________________________
External Examiner
Name of External Examiner
Signature

___________________________
Graduate Research Committee Chairman
Name of Graduate Research Committee Chairman
Signature

___________________________
Director, COLLEGE NAME
Name of Director/Principal, COLLEGE NAME
Date:
 DECLARATION OF AUTHENTICITY

I, STUDENT’S NAME, declare that this GRP is my own original work and that it has fully and
specifically acknowledged wherever adapted from other sources. I also understand that if at any
time it is shown that I have significantly misrepresented material presented to Faculty of Business
and Accountancy, Lincoln University College, any credits awarded to me on the basis of that
material may be revoked.

Signature: ______________
Name: STUDENT’S NAME

Date: