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Guideline for Project Report

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DEPARTMENT OF MARITIME MANAGEMENT
B K SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGEMENT
STUDIES
GUJARAT UNIVERSITY, AHMEDABAD 380009

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION OF MBA PROJECT REPORT

(Prescribed Format and Specification)

1. GENERAL:
The guideline is intended to provide broad guidelines to the MBA candidates in the
preparation of the project report. In general, the project report shall report, in an
organized and scholarly fashion, an account of the original work of the candidate
including methodology, data analysis, interpretation, and summary of findings.

2. NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED FOR EVALUATION:

MBA: Students should submit 3 copies to the Department of Maritime
Management Coordinators on or before the specified date. The Department of
Maritime Management coordinator may distribute the copies as follows:
➢ One copy to be signed and returned to the student
➢ One copy to be given to the Guide concerned
➢ One copy to be forwarded to the External Examiner
➢ After the Viva-voce Examination one copy of the project report signed by the
External Examiner, Internal Examiner, and Coordinator of the Study center i s to
be forwarded to the Department of Maritime Management, Bk School of
Professional and Management Studies, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad (Refer to
Annexure III). CD containing the complete project report is also to be forwarded to
the Gujarat University after the Viva-voce Examination

3. SIZE OF PROJECT REPORT:

The size of a project report should not exceed 200 pages of typed matter reckoned
from the first page of Chapter 1 to the last page of the last chapter.

4. ARRANGEMENT OF CONTENTS OF PROJECT REPORT:

The sequence in which the thesis material should be arranged and bound should be
as follows:
1. Cover Page & Title page
2. All Certificate
3. Abstract, Company Letter if any
4. Acknowledgement
5. Table of Contents
6. List of Tables
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7. List of Figures
8. List of Symbols, Abbreviations and Nomenclature (Optional)
9. Chapters
10. Appendices
11. References
The Tables and Figures shall be introduced in the appropriate places.

5. PAGE DIMENSIONS AND MARGIN:

The dimensions of the final bound copies of the project report should be 290mm x
205mm. Standard A4 size (297mm x 210mm) paper may be used for preparing the
copies.
The final 3 copies of the project report (at the time of submission) should have the
following page margins:
Top edge: 30 to 35 mm
Bottom edge: 25 to 30 mm
Left side: 35 to 40 mm
Right side: 20 to 25 mm
The project report should be prepared on good quality white paper, preferably
not less than 80 gsm/sq.m.

Tables and figures should conform to the margin specifications. Large-size

figures should be photographed or otherwise reduced to the appropriate size
before insertion.

6. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION:
➢ The candidate shall supply a typed copy of the manuscript to the guide for the
purpose of approval. In the preparation of the manuscript, care should be taken to
ensure that all textual matter is typewritten to the extent possible in the same format
as may be required for the final project report. Hence some of the information
required for the final typing of the project report is included also in this section.

➢ The headings of all items 2 to 11 listed in section 4 should be typed in capital letters
without punctuation and centered 50mm below the top of the page. The text should
commence 4 spaces below this heading. The page numbering for all items 1 to 8
should be done using lowercase Roman numerals and the pages thereafter should
be numbered using Arabic numerals.

6.1 Cover Page & Title Page:

A specimen copy of the Cover page & Title page for MBA project report is given
in Annexure I.

6.2 Certificates:
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➢ All Certificate shall be in double line spacing using Font Style Times New Roman
Font Size 14, as per the format shown in Annexures.
➢ The certificate shall carry the signatures of the student, Guide, and Project In-
charge at the Department of Maritime Management. The certificate shall also carry
the External Examiner’s signature obtained at the time of Viva-voce.

6.3 Abstract:
The abstract should be an essay type of narration not exceeding 600 words,
outlining the problem, the methodology used for tackling it, and a summary of the
findings, when typed with double line spacing, Font Style Times New Roman and
Font Size 12 and signed by the candidate.

6.4 Acknowledgement:
The acknowledgment should be brief and should not exceed one page when typed
in double spacing. The candidate’s signature shall be made at the bottom end above
his / her name typed in capitals.

6.5 Table of contents:

The table of contents should list all material following it as well as any material
which precedes it. The title page, other Certificates and Acknowledgment will not
find a place among the items listed in the Table of Contents but the page numbers
in lowercase Roman letters are to be accounted for them. One-and-a-half spacing
should be adopted for typing the matter under this head.

6.6 List of Table:

The list should use exactly the same captions as they appear above the tables in
the text. One-and-a-half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter under this
head.

6.7 List of Figures:

The list should use exactly the same captions as they appear below the figures in
the text. One-and-a-half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter under
this head.

6.8 List of Symbols, Abbreviations, and Nomenclature:

One-and-a-half spacing should be adopted for typing the matter under this head.
Standard symbols, abbreviations etc. should be used.

6.9 Chapters:
The main text will be divided into several chapters and each chapter may be
further divided into several divisions and sub-divisions. The contents of the
Chapters are only indicative. Only Chapter titles are common.
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o Chapter 1 - Introduction
▪ Research Background – Description of specific industry/
general scenario of industry
▪ Identified Problem
▪ Need for Study
▪ Objectives & Scope
▪ Deliverables
o Chapter 2 – Literature Survey/ Review
▪ Review of Literature
▪ Research Gap
o Chapter 3 – Research Methodology
▪ Type of Project
▪ Target respondents
▪ Assumptions, Constraints and Limitations
▪ Sampling Methods
▪ Data Processing
▪ Tools for Analysis
o Chapter 4 – Data Analysis and Interpretation
▪ Analysis (Statistical Tools) and Interpretation and
Discussion, Inferences
▪ Diagrammatic Representations
▪ Deliverables
(Additional Chapters may be added if required)
o Chapter 5 – Conclusions
▪ Summary of Findings
▪ Suggestions & Recommendations
▪ Conclusions
▪ Directions for Future Research
o Appendix
▪ Copy of Questionnaire/Interview Schedule
▪ Any Other related documents
o References
* Each chapter should be given an appropriate title.
* Tables and figures in a chapter should be placed in the immediate
vicinity of the reference where they are cited.
* Footnotes should be used sparingly. They should be typed single space
and placed directly underneath in the very same page, which refers to the
material they annotate.

6.10 Appendices:
Appendices are provided to give supplementary information, which if included in
the main text may serve as a distraction and cloud the central theme under
discussion.
* Appendices should be numbered using Arabic numerals, e.g., Appendix 1, Appendix
2, etc.
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* Appendices, Tables and references appearing in appendices should be
numbered and referred to as appropriate places just as in the case of chapters.
* Appendices shall carry the title of the work reported and the same title shall be
made in the contents page also.

6.11 List of References:

Any works of other researchers, if used either directly or indirectly, the origin of
the material thus referred to at appropriate places in the project report should be
indicated. A paper, a monograph, or a book may be designated by the name of the
first author followed by the year of publication, placed inside brackets at the
appropriate places in the project report should be indicated.

The listing should be typed 4 spaces below the heading "REFERENCES" in

alphabetical order in single spacing left-justified. The reference material should
be listed in the alphabetical order of the first author. The name of the
author/authors should be immediately followed by the year and other details. A
typical illustrative list given below.

REFERENCES

1. Michael Levy (2008) Retailing Management 6 edition, New Delhi, Tata

McGraw-Hill.
2. Tom Jackle (2004) “Customer Satisfaction, Service Quality and Perceived
Value: An integrative model” Journal of Marketing Management vol.20, issue
7/8, PP.897-917

6.12 Tables and Figures:

By the word Table, is meant tabulated numerical data in the body of the project
report as well as in the appendices. All other non-verbal material used in the body
of the project report and appendices such as charts, graphs, maps, photographs
and diagrams may be designated as figures.
• A table or figure including caption should be accommodated within the
prescribed margin limits and appear on the page following the page where their
first reference is made.
• Tables and figures on half page or less in length may appear on the same page
along with the text. However, they should be separated from the text both above
and below by triple spacing.
• All tables and figures should be prepared on the same paper or material used for
the preparation of the rest of the project report.
• For preparing captions, numerals, symbols or characters in the case of tables or
figures, the computer should be enclosed.
▪ Two or more small tables or figures may be grouped if necessary, in a single page.
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• Wherever possible, the entire photograph(s) may be reproduced on a full
sheet of photographic paper.
• Photographs if any should be included in the color Xerox form only. More
than one photograph can be included in a page.
• Samples of Fabric, Leather, etc., if absolutely necessary may be attached evenly
in a page and fixed/pasted suitably and should be treated as figures.

7. TYPING INSTRUCTIONS
7.1 General:

This section includes additional information for final typing of the project
report. Some information given earlier under 'Manuscript preparation' shall also be
referred.
The impressions on the typed/duplicated/printed copies should be black in color.
If Computer printers are used uniformity of the font in the same project report
shall be observed.
A sub-heading at the bottom of a page must have at least two full lines below it
or else it should be carried over to the next page.
The last word of any page should not be split using a hyphen.
One-and-a-half spacing should be used for typing the general text. The general
text shall be typed in Font Style Times New Roman and Font Size 12.

Single spacing should be used for typing:

(i) Long Tables
(ii) Long quotations
(iii) Foot notes
(iv) Multilane captions
(v) References

All quotations exceeding one line should be typed in an indented space - the
indentation being 15mm from either margin.

7.2 Chapters:
The format for typing Chapter headings, Divisions headings and Sub-division
headings are explained through the following illustrative examples.
Chapter heading: CHAPTER 1 -
INTRODUCTION Division heading: 1.1
OUTLINE OF PROJECT WORK Sub-
division heading: 1.1.2 Literature review.

The word CHAPTER without punctuation should be centered 50mm down from
the top of the page. Two spaces below, the title of the chapter should be typed
centrally in capital letters. The text should commence 4 spaces below this title,
the first letter of the text starting 20mm, inside from the left-hand margin.
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The division and sub-division captions along with their numberings should be
left-justified. The typed material directly below the division or sub-division
heading should commence 2 spaces below it and should be offset 20mm from the
left-hand margin. Within a division or sub-division paragraphs are permitted.
Even a paragraph should commence 3 spaces below the last line of the preceding
paragraph, the first letter in the paragraph being offset from the left-hand margin
by 20 mm.

8. NUMBERING INSTRUCTIONS
8.1 Page Numbering
All pages numbers (whether it be in Roman or Arabic numbers) should be typed
without punctuation on the upper right hand corner 20mm from top with the last
digit in line with the right hand margin. The preliminary pages of the project
report (such as Title page, Acknowledgement, Table of Contents etc.) should be
numbered in lower case Roman numerals. The title page will be numbered as (i)
but this should not be typed. The page immediately following the title page shall
be numbered (ii) and it should appear at the top right hand corner as already
specified. Pages of main text, starting with Chapter 1 should be consecutively
numbered using Arabic numerals.
8.2 Numbering of Chapters, Divisions and Sub-Divisions
The numbering of chapters, divisions and sub-divisions should be done using
Arabic numerals only and further decimal notation should be used for numbering
the divisions and sub-divisions within a chapter. For example, sub-division 4
under division 3 belonging to chapter 2 should be numbered as 2.3.4. The caption
for the sub-division should immediately follow the number assigned to it.
Every chapter beginning with the first chapter should be serially numbered using
Arabic numerals. Appendices included should also be numbered in an identical
manner starting with Appendix 1.

8.3 Numbering of Tables and Figures

Tables and Figures appearing anywhere in the thesis should bear appropriate
numbers. The rule for assigning such numbers is illustrated through an example.
Thus, if a figure in Chapter 3, happens to be the fourth then assign 3.4 to that
figure. Identical rules apply for tables except that the word Figure is replaced by
the word Table. If figures (or tables) appear in appendices then figure 3 in
Appendix 2 will be designated as Figure A 2.3. If a table to be continued into the
next page this may be done, but no line should be drawn underneath an unfinished
table. The top line of the table continued into the next page should, for example
read Table 2.1 (continued) placed centrally and underlined.

8.4 Numbering of Equations

Equations appearing in each Chapter or Appendix should be numbered serially,
the numbering commencing a fresh for each Chapter or Appendix. Thus, for
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example, an equation appearing in Chapter 2, if it happens to be the eighth
equation in that Chapter should be numbered (2.8) thus: f = k (2.8) c
While referring to this equation in the body of the thesis it should be referred to
as Equation (2.8).

9. BINDING SPECIFICATIONS
Project report submitted (3 copies) for MBA should be bound using flexible cover
of thick white art paper. The spine for the bound volume should be black Calico
of 20mm width. The cover should be printed in black letters and the text for
printing should be identical to what has been prescribed for the title page.

10. Additional Information:

REPORT FLOW: -

Month Report Stage

1st Month/Week Chapter:1

2nd Month/Week Chapter:2

3rd Month/Week Chapter-3

4th Month/Week Analysis and conclusion

5th Month/Week Submission

Progress Feedback by Faculty Guide: - (Attach in Annexure)

Name of Faculty Guide:

Name of the Company:
Name of the Student:
Department/Division:

WEEK DATE & TOPIC ACTION/ SIGNATURE

SERIES TIME OF DISCUSSED REMARK
MEETING (ISSUES/
PROGRESS)
1st Month
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1st Month

2nd Month

2nd Month

3rd Month

3rd Month

4th Month

4th Month

5th Month

5th Month
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Indicative Format
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ANNEXURE I
(A typical Specimen of Cover Page & Title Page)
<Font Style Times New Roman - Bold>

PURCHASE BEHAVIOUR FOR ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS

<Font Size 12> <1.5 line spacing>

By
<Font Size 12>
Student Name
<Font Size 12> <Bold - Capital>

Roll No.
<Font Size 12>
Enrollment. No.
<Font Size 12>

A PROJECT REPORT
<Font Size 12> <Capital>

Submitted to the
<Font Size 12>
Department of Maritime Management
<Font Size 12> <Bold - Capital>

in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of
<Font Size 12> <Italic>

MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

<Font Size 12> <Bold - Capital>

DEPARTMENT OF MARITIME MANAGEMENT

B K SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES
GUJARAT UNIVERSITY
AHMEDABAD
380009
<Font Size 12><Bold - Capital>
Month, Year
<Font Size 12>
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ANNEXURE II

Certificate of Viva-voce-Examination

This is to certify that Thiru/Ms./Tmt. …………………………………...

(Roll No. ……………………; Enrollment No. ............................... ) has been subjected
to Viva-voce-Examination on ……………………(Date) at ……………..(Time) at the
Department of maritime management, B.K.School of Professional and Management Studies,
Gujarat University.

Project Guide External Examiner

Name : Name :
(in capital letters) (in capital letters)
Designation: Designation:
Address : Address :

HOD
Department of Maritime Management
Name:
(in capital letters)
Designation:
Address:

*Note : 1. This Annexure shall be attached to the Project Report to be sent to the
Director/HOD, Department of maritime management, B k school of
professional and management studies, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad 380009.
2. A photo copy of the signed certificate shall be attached to the project copy
retained at the Department of maritime management.
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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

This is to certify that the project work

titled“……………………………………………………………………………… bonafide
work of ………………………………. Enrolment No: ………………….. carried out in
partial fulfillment for the award of degree of Master of Business Administration in
finance at Department of Maritime Management, B.K.School of Professional and
Management Studies, Gujarat University under my guidance. To the best of my knowledge
the results embodied in this project have not been submitted to any other university or institute
for the award of Degree or Diploma. The assistance and help received during the course of
this investigation has been duly acknowledged.

Signature of the Guide Signature of the HOD

Place:
Date:
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STUDENT’S DECLARATION

I undersigned .......................................... a student of MBA, Department of Maritime

Management, B.K. School of Professional and Management Studies, Gujarat University,
declare that the project work titled “……….” is a result of my/our own work and my/our
indebtedness to other work publications, references, if any, have been duly acknowledged. If
I/we are found guilty of copying any other report or published information and showing as our
original work, I understand that I/we shall be liable and punishable by Department/Institute/
University, which may include ‘Fail’ in examination, ‘Repeat study & re-submission of the
report’ or any other punishment that Institute or University may decide. This original work
done by me and submitted as a part of MBA Twinning Gujarat University in partial fulfilment
of requirements for the award of Masters in Business Administration.

Name of Student:
Enrollment Number:
Roll Number:

Signature and Date