utp+thesis+guidelines 2009

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAMME

THESIS GUIDELINES

NOVEMBER 2009

THESIS GUIDELINES: STYLES AND FORMATS

FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDIES PROGRAMME

by

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES OFFICE

Prepared as a guide to all postgraduate students and supervisors of

Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS in meeting the requirement

of the thesis submission

for the Degree of

MASTERS OF SCIENCE

or

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI PETRONAS

November 2009

PREFACE

The primary goal of thesis submission is to present to the reader, i.e. the

examiners and other parties, the academic contributions and achievements

accomplished by the candidates pursuing the advanced degree. Failure to present the

material in the most appropriate style and approach may lead to confusion and

frustration to the reader. Over the years, it has been noted that there has been large

variations of styles and formats adopted by the students submitting their

thesis/dissertations. For the most part, these variations have not hindered the main

objectives of thesis submissions. However, it has been noted that some of the

examiners and even supervisors have some disagreements of the style and format for

the students to adopt, causing unnecessary anxiety and confusion.

This thesis/dissertation handbook has been developed to guide the postgraduate

students pursuing advanced degrees in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS in preparing

their thesis/dissertation in partial fulfilment of their degrees. This handbook should be

used as the main reference in determining the style and format to be followed. As

such this handbook contains a wealth of information on the format of the presentation

of the thesis/dissertation as well as references to other works and to other related

materials. It is our hope that this handbook will provide a structured guide and style to

follow in order to reduce the possibility of miscommunications.

The earlier version of this handbook was originally developed by Haslina Nor

Hasni under the guidance of Professor Ahmad Fadzil Mohd Hani. Dr Nidal Kamel

and Azrina A Aziz had subsequently extended the style guide. The current version of

the Thesis Styleguide with the Reference Style Manual is prepared by the Thesis

Styleguide Committee comprising of the following persons:

Assoc. Prof. Dr Mohd Noh Karsiti (Advisor)

Dr Fawnizu Azmadi Hussin (Coordinator/Member)

Assoc. Prof. Dr Indra Sati Hamonangan Harahap (Chair)

Dr Shahrina Bt M Nordin (Member)

Dr Murni Melati Bt Ahmad (Member)

Assoc. Prof. Dr Puteri Sri Melor (Member) iii

Dr Dayang Rohaya Bt Awang Rambli (Member)

Prof. Dr Mariyamni Bt Awang (Member)

Rabiatul Ahya Bt M Sharif (Member)

Haslina Bt Noor Hasni (Member)

Kamaliah Bt Mohd (Member)

Dr Mohd Noh Karsiti

20 November 2008

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE.................................................................................................................. iii

Chapter

1. UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE THESIS REQUIREMENTS........................................................................................ 11.1 Thesis Submission................................................................................ 11.2 Examiners for Thesis Evaluation......................................................... 2

1.2.1. Membership of the Panel of Examiners.................................. 21.2.2. Duties of the Examiners.......................................................... 21.2.3. Report from the Panel of Examiners....................................... 3

1.3 Members for Defence (Viva Voce) Examination................................. 41.4 Academic Misconduct.......................................................................... 4

2. MANUSCRIPT FORMAT REQUIREMENTS FOR A THESIS AND DISSERTATION.......................................................................................... 62.1 Introduction.......................................................................................... 62.2 Specifications for Thesis...................................................................... 7

2.2.1 Candidates’ Name.................................................................... 72.2.2 Number of Copies.................................................................... 72.2.3 Length of Thesis...................................................................... 72.2.4 Language of Thesis.................................................................. 72.2.5 Printing.................................................................................... 82.2.6 Paper........................................................................................ 82.2.7 Typeface and Font Size........................................................... 82.2.8 Corrections............................................................................... 82.2.9 Margins.................................................................................... 82.2.10 Spacing.................................................................................... 92.2.11 Body Text Formatting............................................................. 92.2.12 Justifications............................................................................ 92.2.13 Pagination................................................................................ 102.2.14 Covers and Binding................................................................. 102.2.15 Photographs............................................................................. 112.2.16 Equations2.2.17 Non-Paper Formats.................................................................. 11

3. THESIS PREPARATION............................................................................. 123.1 Typing Requirements........................................................................... 123.2 Sections in Thesis................................................................................. 13

3.2.1 Preliminary Pages.................................................................... 133.2.2 Body Text................................................................................ 133.2.3 References............................................................................... 14

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4. PRELIMINARY PAGES.............................................................................. 154.1 Status of Thesis.................................................................................... 154.2 Approval Page...................................................................................... 154.3 Title Page............................................................................................. 154.4 Declaration........................................................................................... 164.5 Dedication (if any)............................................................................... 164.6 Acknowledgement (if any)................................................................... 164.7 Abstract................................................................................................ 174.8 Copyright Page..................................................................................... 174.9 Table of Contents................................................................................. 184.10 List of Tables....................................................................................... 194.11 List of Figures...................................................................................... 194.12 Preface.................................................................................................. 19

5. BODY TEXT................................................................................................ 205.1 Contents............................................................................................... 205.2 Chapters and Sections.......................................................................... 21

5.2.1 Subsection Title........................................................................... 22 5.2.1.1 First-level Heading.......................................................... 23 5.2.1.2 Second-level Heading..................................................... 23 5.2.1.3 Third-level Heading........................................................ 23

5.3 Appendices........................................................................................... 235.4 References............................................................................................ 245.5 Glossary............................................................................................... 245.6 Footnotes.............................................................................................. 245.7 Translation .......................................................................................... 245.8 Page Headers........................................................................................ 255.9 Charts, Graphs, Maps........................................................................... 255.10 Oversized Pages................................................................................... 255.11 Overlays............................................................................................... 255.12 Multiple-Volume Thesis...................................................................... 26

APPENDICESA. Front CoverB. Spine of ThesisC. Status of ThesisD. Approval PageE. Title PageF. Declaration PageG. Dedication and AcknowledgementH. AbstractI. Copyright Page

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CHAPTER 1

UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE THESIS

REQUIREMENTS

Candidates pursuing advanced degrees in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS are

normally required to submit a thesis or dissertation as a partial fulfilment of their

degree programs. This thesis/dissertation would serve as the main submission to be

evaluated by a panel of examiners to ascertain that the candidates have successfully

completed their academic works that can be considered as a significant contribution to

the respective field of expertise.

The following information is quoted from the Postgraduate Studies Rules and

Regulations, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS.

1.1 Thesis Submission

1. A candidate is required to submit a notice regarding submission of thesis and

the final title of the thesis to the respective Head of Department with a copy to

the Postgraduate Studies Programme Office using the specified form at least

three (3) months before the submission of the thesis.

2. A PhD thesis must not exceed 80,000 words and a Masters thesis must not

exceed 50,000 words. The number of words excludes quotations, translations,

footnotes and end-notes, appendices, figures and illustrations. Candidates who

wish to exceed the maximum number of words permitted must have the

permission of the Postgraduate Studies Committee through the Supervisor at

least three (3) months before the thesis submission.

3. All theses must be written in the English language and abstracts in English and

Bahasa Melayu must be included.

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4. Five (5) soft bound copies of the thesis certified by the supervisor must be

submitted.

5. In the preparation of the thesis, the candidate must always refer to the

guidelines on thesis format and other specific requirements as decided by the

Postgraduate Studies Committee from time to time.

6. A candidate is not allowed to submit a thesis or part thereof which has been

prepared for another degree without explicit written permission.

7. All theses submitted to UTP whether successful or not become the property of

UTP. UTP reserves the right to make copies of the thesis in whole or in part.

1.2 Examiners for Thesis Evaluation

1.2.1 Membership of the Panel of Examiners

The Panel of Examiners shall consist the following:

a) One (1) external examiner, and

b) One (1) internal examiner, who is not the Supervisor or Co-Supervisor of the

candidate

1.2.2 Duties of the Examiners

The examiners are required to:

a) Evaluate the thesis of the student independently, and

b) Provide a comprehensive report and point out the syntactic and semantic

errors in the thesis, and

c) Provide an indication of the original contribution made by the candidate.

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The examiners are given a maximum of four (4) weeks to examine the thesis.

1.2.3 Report from the Panel of Examiners

After receiving the Examiners’ reports and reviewing the performance of the

candidate in the oral (viva voce) examinations, the Viva Voce Committee shall

recommend one of the following:

1. The candidate be conferred the degree without any corrections and without

conditions;

2. The candidate be conferred the Degree subject to minor modifications

(spelling and typographical errors, use of terminologies and other aspects

considered minor/ technical) to the Thesis as elaborated in the Viva Voce

Committee;

3. The candidate is to make modifications and corrections which are not minor

in nature (rewriting small sections of the thesis, additional information, re-do

of illustrations and others that is considered not to jeopardise the quality of the

thesis) to the thesis as elaborated in the Viva Voce Committee’s Report. The

candidate is not required to re-sit for the oral examinations;

4. The candidate is to re-submit the Thesis to be re-examined after the candidate

has made major modifications and corrections (rewriting of major sections of

thesis or after having included additional results of further studies) as

elaborated in the Viva Voce Committee’s Report. The candidate is required to

attend the oral (viva voce) examination again; or

5. The candidate is not suitable to be conferred the MSc/PhD degree and also not

allowed to resubmit the thesis for re-examination. Candidate is deemed to

have failed.

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1.3 Members for Defence (Viva Voce) Examination

1. After the candidate has submitted the corrected thesis, arrangements will be

made for defence examination.

2. Members of the Defence (Viva Voce) Examination Committee for

postgraduate degrees will consist of the following:

a) Director of Postgraduate Studies Programme as Chairperson (PhD) or

Head of Department (MSc) or representative appointed.

b) External Examiner

c) Internal Examiner

3. The defence examination will consist of public presentation as well as closed

door defence session. The presentation is open for public while the closed

door session is limited to only the panel of examiners. However the supervisor

and few selected audiences may be permitted by the chair.

1.4 Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct includes cheating and plagiarism. Cheating implies dishonesty

in fulfilling academic requirements. Plagiarism may involve presenting another

person’s work as one’s own, including

Direct duplication, by copying or allowing to be copied another person’s work

or submitting one’s own work which has already been submitted for

assessment purposes for other purpose; or

The act of taking an idea, writing, data or invention of another person and

claiming that the idea, writing, data or invention is the result of one’s own

findings or creation; or

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An attempt to make out or the act of making out in such a way, that one is the

original source of the creator of an idea, writing data or invention which has

actually been taken from some other source.

The University may, in the case of academic misconduct, suspend or terminate the

candidature of the student.

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CHAPTER 2

MANUSCRIPT FORMAT REQUIREMENTS FOR A THESIS AND

DISSERTATION

2.1 Introduction

This is a guide for the preparation of a postgraduate thesis of Universiti

Teknologi PETRONAS. It covers information on the format of the thesis,

arrangement of the chapters in the thesis, design and layout of the cover and

preliminary pages, pagination and use of font size and font type.

This guide also contains samples of the important preliminary pages as well as

an extensive bibliography style guide to be used. This document has been prepared

in “MS Word document” format that can be used as a template for the preparation of

the thesis. Candidates may simply “copy & paste” the required format accordingly.

If a thesis is not presented in the form required in this guide, it will not be

accepted. It is the responsibility of the student and the supervisor to ensure that the

thesis complies in all respects to these guidelines.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to read this guide thoroughly before

proceeding in preparing the final manuscript of the thesis/dissertation. Candidates

are advised against using other thesis as a reference as they not fully adhere to the

formats. Whenever there are questions in regards to style, mechanics or formats that

have not been addressed by this handbook, the candidate should consult his/her

supervisor, Head of Department or other representatives that are responsible for

graduate studies within the department.

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The order of precedence for combining manuals and department format

guidelines is:

1. Thesis Guideline: Styles and Templates

This guideline takes precedence over all other thesis preparation guidelines.

2. Departmental style guides

3. Thesis manual, publication manual or journal format

2.2 Specifications for Final Thesis (Final bound thesis)

2.2.1 Candidate’s Name

Throughout the thesis/dissertation, the candidate must us his/her full legal name.

This legal name shall be the name as that which appears on his/her official university

record as well as other legal documents such as the National Identification Card

(NIC) or international passport.

2.2.2 Number of Copies

A candidate is required to submit five unbound copies of the thesis and an electronic

thesis to Postgraduate Office within one month after the approval. One copy of the

thesis will be placed in the Information Resource Centre (IRC). The Postgraduate

Office will bind the thesis after student’s submission of the final unbound copies.

2.2.3 Length of Thesis

Master Thesis should normally be less than 50,000 words. Ph.D. thesis should

normally be no longer than 80,000 words.

2.2.4 Language of Thesis

Thesis may be written in American or British English, as long as it is used

consistently throughout. Final oral defense is also be conducted in English.7

2.2.5 Printing

Thesis must be printed using laser quality printer or better. Inkjet printer is not to be

used for final thesis submission as the quality tends to degrade over time.

2.2.6 Paper

High quality bond paper A4 size, (8.27” x 11.69” or 21.0 cm x 29.7 cm) and weight

80 g/m2 must be used for the bound copies, except for such charts and diagrams. This

paper should be white in colour, acid free and “non-erasable”.

2.2.7 Typeface and Font Size

Typeface to be used is 12 point Times New Roman. The same typeface should be

used throughout the thesis including the title page, approval page,

acknowledgements, bibliography and appendices. The same font with its italic and

bold variants may be used wherever necessary, for instance scientific names should

be written in italic fonts. Exception to this can be made for footnotes, subscripts and

superscripts, and for tables, figures or illustrations imported from other sources.

2.2.8 Corrections

Corrections of typographical errors, or changes in the text, figures or tables, must be

made as cleanly and invisibly as possible. Correction fluid is not to be used.

Corrections should be made on the original before recopying or reprinting the

corrected page.

2.2.9 Margins

The thesis must be printed on both sides of A4 papers (i.e. double-sided printing).

Therefore, the margins for even and odd numbered pages are slightly different as

explained below.

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Odd-numbered pages

The left margin must be 1.5 inch (40 mm) while all the other sides (right, top and

bottom) margins must be 1 inch wide (25 mm) except for the first page of each

chapter and other major sections where the top margin must be at least 2 inches (50

mm).

Even-numbered pages

The right margin must be 1.5 inch (40 mm) while all the other sides (left, top and

bottom) margins must be 1 inch wide (25 mm) except for the first page of each

chapter and other major sections where the top margin must be at least 2 inches (50

mm).

In MS Word, this setting is called “Mirror Margins”, where the odd-

numbered pages’ margins mirror that of the even-numbered pages. When printed on

both sides of the paper, the mirrored margins would match exactly. To do this in MS

Word, in Page Setup, select Mirror Margins under the Multiple Pages setting.

2.2.10 Spacing

Text should be typed 1.5-spaced, on both sides of the paper. All information

excluding page numbers must be within the text area. All typing, print, illustrations,

etc. should be on both sides of the paper. Single-sided printing is not allowed.

Notes should be typed, single-spaced, and double-spaced between entries.

Abstract should be typed, 1.5-spaced, and must be double-spaced between entries.

Single spacing may be used in extensive quotations within the body of the text and in

extensive Table of Contents, List of Tables, or List of Figures - as long as there is

double or 1.5 spacing between entries.

2.2.11 Body Text Formatting

Under Format, the Chapter text’s Font settings are 12-point font size, Regular font

style and Times New Roman font and no Effects boxes are checked. In MS Word,

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Under Format, the Chapter text’s Paragraph settings are Alignment set to “Justified”,

Outline Level set to “Body Text”, Indentation set to “0” for both Left and Right,

Spacing set to “12 pt” for Before and “0 pt” for After, and Line Spacing set to “1.5

lines”. For the first paragraph of every section and subsection, under the Paragraph

setting, Special set to “None” to remove the first-line indentation for the first

paragraph.

For the other paragraphs in the section or subsection, the first line of each

paragraph (such as this one) should have a 0.66 cm or 0.26” left indentation. In MS

Word, under the text’s Paragraph setting, Special set to “First Line”, By set to 0.66

cm or 0.26”.

2.2.12 Justification

The thesis must be fully justified (i.e., have even left- and right-hand margins).

2.2.13 Pagination

Page numbers are to be placed at least 1 inch from the edge of the page at the bottom

centre of the page. Every page except the title page must be numbered. Preliminary

pages are to be numbered in lower case Roman numerals (iv, v, vi etc). Status Page,

Approval Page and Title Page are numbered “i–iii” but the numbers are not to be

printed on the page.

The content pages are to be numbered in Arabic numerals (e.g. 1, 2, 3, …) and

all pages must be numbered consecutively and continuously, irrespective of volumes.

2.2.14 Covers and Binding

The final thesis must be hard bounded according to the following colours:

MSc – Dark Green with Gold Lettering

PhD – UTP Blue with Gold Lettering

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Typeface to be used on the front cover and spine of the thesis is Times New Roman.

Font size to be used for:

Front Cover of the Thesis (Appendix A)

Title of thesis, name of candidate, degree awarded, name of university, and

month & year of thesis submission: 18

Spine of the Thesis (Appendix B)

Name of candidate, title of thesis, degree awarded and year of thesis

submission: 14. Direction of lettering: run from the top of spine.

2.2.15 Photographs

Photographs should be black and white whenever possible. Pages containing

photographs should be numbered as regular pages. The photographs used are to be

scanned, using a minimum of 300×300 dpi resolutions. It is not acceptable to tape,

glue or use any type of adhesive to insert photographs. Pages with photographs

should be copied using a colour photocopier.

2.2.16 Equations

Equations are not indented. They should be numbered consecutively and the

corresponding number should be placed at the end of the line between parentheses.

Equations are called by these numbers within the manuscript. It is important to

remember that only equations that are called should have a number.

2.2.17 Non-paper formats

All non-paper materials must be properly labelled. Labels should include at least

Author’s name

Degree date

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Copyright notice

Specific label is also expected for the following materials:

1. Videotapes

length of videotape (in minutes)

silent or sound

colour or black and white

width of tape (e.g. 19 mm or 13 mm)

programme segments

format (e.g. NTSC, PAL, SECAM)

2. Computer disks

operating system

density

hardware required (if appropriate)

all disks should be write-protected.

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CHAPTER 3

THESIS PREPARATION

3.1 Typing Requirements

In preparing the thesis/dissertation, the following guidelines must be observed

throughout. In most cases, most word processing software will automatically format

the text accordingly. However it is the responsibility of the author to know and ensure

these guidelines are adhered to.

1. A heading appearing at the bottom of the page must be followed by a

minimum of two lines of text, or otherwise pushed to the following page.

2. Hyphenated words may be divided only at the hyphen. The last word in a

paragraph should not be divided in separate pages. The last word must appear

entirely in the following page.

3. When a paragraph begins at the bottom of the page, it must consist of at least

two lines of text. Otherwise, the entire paragraph must be placed in the

following page.

4. When a last paragraph of a chapter appears at the top of a page, it must consist

of at least two lines of text. One word or one line appearing at the top of a

page should be avoided.

5. Figures and tables should appear entirely in a single page and properly

labelled with an appropriate caption. Long tables must be divided into

separate tables with their own captions. Large illustrations that require fold-

out must adhere to the guidelines to be described at a later section.

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3.2 Sections in Thesis

A thesis should normally have three sections: the preliminary pages or the front

matter, the text or the body matter, and the references or back matter.

3.2.1 Preliminary Pages

The Preliminary Pages include:

a. Status of Thesis

b. Approval Page

c. Title Page

d. Declaration

e. Dedication (optional)

f. Acknowledgements (optional)

g. Abstract

h. Copyright Page

i. Table of Contents

j. List of Tables (if any)

k. List of Figures (if any)

l. List of Plates (if any)

m. List of Symbols, Abbreviations, Nomenclature (if any)

3.2.2 Body Text

The Body Text should be divided into chapters that properly present the work

completed. A typical arrangement of the chapters should include the following:

a. Introduction

b. Review of Literature

c. Method of Investigation (Methodology)

d. Analysis of Data, Discussion of Results

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e. Conclusions

3.2.3 References

The References consist of:

a. Appendices (if any)

b. References or Bibliography

c. Glossary

d. Endnotes

e. Index (optional)

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CHAPTER 4

PRELIMINARY PAGES

4.1 Status of Thesis

Status of the thesis must be clearly indicated as either confidential or otherwise. If the

thesis is to be classified as confidential, reason for the requested status must be

indicated and approved by the respective supervisor. Please refer to Appendix C for

sample of the status page. The status of thesis page is counted as page “i”, however,

the number is not to be printed.

4.2 Approval Page

Approval page must contain the exact title that will appear in the Title Page as well

the endorsement of the supervisor verifying that all corrections have been made and

that the thesis is ready for submission. Please refer to Appendix D for sample of the

approval page. The status of approval page is counted as page “ii”, however, the

number is not to be printed.

4.3 Title Page

The form and contents of the title page must follow the format of the example given

in Appendix E. Title should be capitalized and double-spaced. The title of the thesis

as it appears on the Title Page MUST BE IDENTICAL to the title found on the

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Approval Page including the capitalisation and punctuation. The name of the author

must be the author’s legal name as it appears in the Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS

records. The full name of the degree and programme must be written out. The month

and year cited on the title page are the month and year of thesis submission. The title

page is counted as page “iii”, however, the number is not printed.

4.4 Declaration

The declaration form must contain the author’s declaration on the originality of the

thesis and must be duly signed by the author. Please refer to the format in Appendix

F. Its page is numbered with a consecutive lower-case Roman numeral.

4.5 Dedication (if any)

This section is optional. Similar format is to be used for this Dedication and

Acknowledgement sections. Please refer to Appendix G for reference. Its page is

numbered with a consecutive lower-case Roman numeral.

4.6 Acknowledgement (if any)

This is a brief acknowledgement of assistance given to the author in researching and

writing the thesis. Its page is numbered with a consecutive lower-case Roman

numeral.

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4.7 Abstract

This is a summary of the thesis, which will state the problem, the motivation for the

work, the methods of investigation, results and the general conclusion. A sentence at

the end with the major conclusion is useful. Since abstract is normally used in an

abstracting service or search database, it should be informative and complete on its

own to be of use to others seeking material within the area of interest.

An abstract should only be one-page long. Line spacing is one and half spacing

and double-spacing between paragraphs. Typeface to be used is Times New Roman

and the font size is 12. Hyphenated words or words separated by a slash are

considered as two words. (Appendix H).

4.8 Copyright Page

Since thesis and dissertation is a form of publication all procedures relating to

copyright related laws must be adhered to. This is necessary that the work is protected

by the copyright law as well as ensuring the use of other people’s work meets legal

requirements. Students and supervisors are advised to refer to the UTP Copyright

Manual for clarification on unresolved issues relating to copyrights.

Generally, work undertaken at postgraduate level may qualify under the doctrine

of “Fair-Use” as the work may be classified as for educational purposes in which the

reference to other people’s work would relate to either

Based on facts obtained from published or unpublished work of the author or

other authors,

A form of criticism, analysis, quoted passages or reworded piece with proper

acknowledgement and citation placed in the text,

Illustration or data presented with proper acknowledgement to the original

source and copyright owner.

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Written permission to reprint sections of fewer than 500 words or few tables and

figures is not required as it qualify under the doctrine of fair-use as long as proper

acknowledgement and citation to the source is clearly indicated in the text. For the use

of sections more than 500 words and extensive reproduction of the figures and other

materials, written permission from the copyright owner must be obtained and filed

with the Office of Postgraduate Studies.

Acknowledgement and citation to the original source must be indicated in the

section containing the reprinted material in one of the following form

Place the section in quotation followed by citation to the author of the original

source

Insert the phrase “reprinted with permission” in the caption of figures or title

of tables followed by citation to the author of the original source

Indicate the contribution in the acknowledgement section or the copyright

page.

All thesis and dissertation resulting to works undertaken in the university and

under the supervision of UTP staff is subjected to the IP policy of the university. The

university claim the IP rights of all properties created under this context and must be

properly indicated properly. The copyright page must indicate the original author,

followed by the legal name of the university and the year the material is submitted as

indicated in Appendix I.

4.9 Table of Contents

This table must include the entries for preliminary pages (copyright, abstract,

dedication, and acknowledgement, lists of tables and figures, and preface), text (main

divisions and subdivisions of the thesis), appendices, notes, references and index.

Typeface to be used is Times New Roman and the font size is 12. (The format is

given in Appendix J).

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4.10 List of Tables

This list provides the list of table numbers, full title and page numbers. Tables must

be numbered consecutively in order of appearance in Arabic numerals (Table 1.1, 1.2,

1.3 or 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc). The title of the table must appear on the top section of the

table and centred. A tables is not to appear in more than one page. For the table that

requires more than one page, it must be sectioned properly with separate headers and

titles. Typeface to be used is Times New Roman and the font size is 12 (as shown in

Appendix K).

4.11 List of Figures

Figures, i.e. graphs, photographs and other illustrative material are to be listed on a

separate page. Number, title and page are to be given. Figures must be numbered in

Arabic numerals consecutively (Fig. 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 or 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, etc) in order of

appearance and captioned. The title of the figure must appear at the bottom section of

the table and centred. The entire figures must appear within the margin of a page.

Illustrations that require space larger than allowed by the margin must adhere to the

guideline on the oversized material. Typeface to be used is Times New Roman and

the font size is 12. (Appendix L).

4.12 Preface

This is a brief explanatory statement of why the author came to study the subject of

the thesis. Typeface to be used is Times New Roman and the font size is 12.

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CHAPTER 5

BODY TEXT

5.1 Contents

Body text contains the chapters of the thesis, in logical order, and should be written in

a third person voice and past tense. For example, instead of “We did this study…” it

should be written as “The purpose of this study was to…”. However, active voice can

be used if the message of the sentence is somehow altered or becomes ambiguous.

Even though the organisation of the text may vary slightly, the body text should

include the following items:

a. Introduction

This section should include background of the research, definition of the

problem, brief history leading to the problem, justification for the research,

scope and key assumptions, and outline of the thesis.

b. Review of Literature

Review should contain critical evaluation and discussion of other related

researches. It should include discussions of what has been done along the line

of the problem, the issues and challenges faced by the other researchers and

the summary of the general body of knowledge.

c. Method of Investigation

Method of investigation vary from problem to problem, thus this section

generally should describe the general framework of the problem being

addressed. It may also discuss the research methods, instrumentations and

equipments being used in the study with sufficient precision so that a skilled

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person could set up similar work that would be able to duplicate the research

if necessary and desirable.

d. Analysis of Data and Discussion of Results

These sections should include detailed description of the results obtained,

followed by discussions, analysis, and interpretations of the data obtained.

Tables, charts and figures should be used wherever suitable to present the data

in a more concise manner and easy to understand.

e. Conclusion

As the final section in the thesis, the conclusion should summarise the results

of the research reported in the thesis as based on the factual finding. It is a

good practise to recap the scope of work and research method, summarise the

results and findings, and recap the main contributions of the work completed.

It should not add new information that has not been presented earlier or

attempt to generalise the finding beyond the scope of the work. In many

instances, the work done may uncover many interesting and valuable allied

problems that could be considered for future research. It is thus recommended

that suggestions for future work be included for possible improvements or

new directions that may extend the current work to other related areas.

5.2 Chapters and Sections

To provide coherent presentations, the thesis must be divided into separate chapters

that contain major topic to be discussed. It is recommended that the organisation of

the chapters be discussed and agreed by the supervisor to meet the departmental

requirement.

Each chapter must begin on a new page. The chapter title must be placed at two

inches from the top centre of the new page and capitalised. If the title requires more

than one line, the lines must be double-spaced and centred with inverted pyramid

justification.

22

Each chapter is usually segmented further into separate sections and subsections

as necessary. Each section must be numbered accordingly (e.g. 2.1., 2.1.1, etc). Each

of these sections must begin with section headings.

Each chapter begins with a chapter overview and ends with a chapter summary.

The will ease the reading of the thesis.

E.g. 1.0 Chapter overview – introduce the contents of the chapter.

.

1.n Chapter summary – summarize the contents of the chapter.

The objectives and contributions of the research should be clearly stated in the

first chapter. The conclusion chapter should include making references to the

objectives of research stated earlier in the thesis and suggesting recommendations for

future work.

5.2.1 Subsection Title

If your work needs to be subdivided into separate sections to provide clarity, make

sure that the subsections do not become too deep. Section depth should be limited to

maximum of three levels. Thus, prepare your outline well and your reader would find

it easy to follow your report.

In each chapter, the first level section is numbered X.X. For example, a section

that is numbered with 1.1 is the first level, 1.1.1 is the second level, and 1.1.1.1 is the

third level. The use of subsequent level subsections (e.g. 1.1.1.1.1, etc.) is not

allowed.

Each of these sections and subsections must begin with section headings as

described below.

23

5.2.1.1 First-level Heading

The first level heading should be formatted as follows. Typeface is 12 point Times

New Roman, boldface, left-aligned with no left indentation. One-and-a-half line

spacing, 36-point and 6-point top and bottom spacings, respectively.

5.2.1.2 Second-level Heading

The second level heading should be formatted as follows. Typeface is 12 point Times

New Roman, boldface, left-aligned with no left indentation. One-and-a-half line

spacing, 36-point and 6-point top and bottom spacings, respectively.

5.2.1.3 Third-level Heading

The third level heading should be formatted as follows. Typeface is 12 point Times

New Roman, italic, left-aligned with no left indentation. One-and-a-half line spacing,

36-point and 6-point top and bottom spacings, respectively.

5.3 Appendices

The pages should be numbered continuously with the rest of the text. Numbering

Appendices page A1, B1, etc. is not acceptable. Typeface to be used is Times New

Roman with the font size of 10 and 1.5 line spacing.

Each appendix must be referred to in the body of the text. Materials that are not

referred to cannot be included in the appendix. Any list of publications resulted from

the research may be included in the Appendix.

24

5.4 References

Every reference quoted or cited in the thesis must be included in the list of references

and numbered accordingly. References should be ordered alphabetically. Typeface to

be used is Times New Roman with the font size of 10 and 1.5 line spacing.

There must be a single, unified list of references in the thesis. It is not permissible

to put individual listings at the end of each chapter in lieu of full references. Refer to

your department’s referencing guideline for specific requirements on the

approved/recommended referencing style.

5.5 Glossary

The pages should be numbered continuously with the rest of the text. Typeface to be

used is Times New Roman with the font size of 10 and one-and-a-half line spacing.

5.6 Footnotes

The footnotes may be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis, or throughout

each chapter. Footnotes may be placed at the foot of the page (footnotes proper), in a

group at the end of a chapter (called “Notes”), or grouped at the end of the thesis

before the bibliography (called “Endnotes”). If notes or endnotes are collected at one

place in the thesis, their location must be shown in the table of contents by title and

page. Typeface to be used is Times New Roman and the font size is 8. Single spacing

with a double spacing between entries.

5.7 Translation

When long passages of translation are necessary, use a side-by-side columnar format.

25

5.8 Page Headers

These may be used as long as there is a line across the entire page to separate the

headers from the text.

5.9 Charts, Graphs, Maps

The use of charts, graphs, maps and tables that are larger than the standard page

should be avoided. Photographically reduced pages are acceptable if they are clearly

legible. If oversized pages are used, they will be microfilmed in sections so that they

read from left to right and top to bottom.

5.10 Oversized Pages

Oversized pages can be included in the thesis as fold-outs, but they must be folded to

no more than eight inches (21.5 cm) wide to avoid being cropped in the bindery.

Oversized pages may be placed in a pocket at the end of the thesis. They must

then be referred to in the body of the thesis as being in a pocket, and listed as such in

the Table of Contents.

5.11 Overlays

Overlays must be carefully aligned with underlying maps or charts. In order to

produce the most legible image, the underlying sheet is filmed alone. The overlay is

then placed on the underlying sheet and both are filmed together.

26

5.12 Multiple-Volume Theses

For very long theses, for which more than one bound volume is required:

Each volume must have its own prefatory pages.

The Title Page, Approval Page and Abstract must be in the first volume.

Each additional volume must contain a Table of Contents, a List of Tables,

and a List of Figures, etc., that lists the portion of work found in that particular

volume.

Page numbering of the body of the thesis must flow consecutively from one

volume to the next.

When the appendices are bound in a separate volume, this volume must have a

title page duplicating that of the main volume, but with the addition of the

word “Appendix” or “Appendices” just below the title of the thesis. The word

“Appendix” or “Appendices” as well as the short title must then appear on the

spine. Numbering of the appendices must flow in sequence from the first

volume.

27

APPENDIX A

FRONT COVER

45mm from the right margin45 mm from the left margin DISSERTATION TITLE: UP TO FOUR LINES, IN ALL CAPS, INVERTED

PYRAMID FORMAT

CANDIDATE LEGAL NAME

TITLE OF DEGREE NAME OF DEPARTMENT


NOVEMBER 2008

50 mm from the top of the page

50 mm form the bottom of the page

Title of ThesisTypeface: Times New RomanFont size: 18

Name of CandidateTypeface: Times New RomanFont size: 18

Degree awarded, Name of University and Month & Year of thesis submissionTypeface: Times New RomanFont size: 18

APPENDIX B

SPINE OF THESIS

MSc

2008


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DISSERTATION TITLE: UP TO TWO LINES, ALL CAPS IN INVERTED PYRAMID FORMAT

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4

APPENDIX C

STATUS OF THESIS

STATUS OF THESIS

Title of thesis

I _________________________________________________________________________(CAPITAL LETTERS)

hereby allow my thesis to be placed at the Information Resource Center (IRC) of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP) with the following conditions:

1. The thesis becomes the property of UTP

2. The IRC of UTP may make copies of the thesis for academic purposes only.

3. This thesis is classified as

Confidential

Non-confidential

If this thesis is confidential, please state the reason:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The contents of the thesis will remain confidential for ___________ years.

Remarks on disclosure: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Endorsed by

________________________________ __________________________Signature of Author Signature of Supervisor

Permanent address:________________ Name of Supervisor________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Date : _____________________ Date : __________________

APPENDIX D

APPROVAL PAGE

(This page must have a 2 inch top margin.)


DISSERTATION TITLE: UP TO FOUR LINES, IN ALL CAPS, INVERTED

PYRAMID FORMAT.

by


The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommend to the Postgraduate Studies Programme for acceptance this thesis for the fulfilment of the requirements for the degree stated.

Signature: _______________________________________

Main Supervisor: _______________________________________

Signature: _______________________________________

Co-Supervisor: _______________________________________

Signature: _______________________________________

Head of Department: _______________________________________

Date: _______________________________________

APPENDIX E

TITLE PAGE


DISSERTATION TITLE: UP TO FOUR LINES, IN ALL CAPS, INVERTED

PYRAMID FORMAT

by


A Thesis

Submitted to the Postgraduate Studies Programme

as a Requirement for the Degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY or MASTER OF SCIENCE

NAME OF DEPARTMENT


BANDAR SERI ISKANDAR,

PERAK

MONTH YEAR

APPENDIX F

DECLARATION PAGE

DECLARATION OF THESIS

Title of thesis

I _________________________________________________________________________(CAPITAL LETTERS)

hereby declare that the thesis is based on my original work except for quotations and citations

which have been duly acknowledged. I also declare that it has not been previously or

concurrently submitted for any other degree at UTP or other institutions.

Witnessed by

________________________________ __________________________Signature of Author Signature of Supervisor

Permanent address:________________ Name of Supervisor________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________

Date : _____________________ Date : __________________

APPENDIX G

DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Acknowledgement normally contains text to list and describe the assistance

provided by various parties in preparing the thesis and the work undertaken.

Dedication normally describes the person(s) to whom the author dedicates the work

and writing.

Please continue to use 12-point font size, regular font style and Times New

Roman font and no Effects boxes are checked. Under Format, this section’s Paragraph

settings are alignment set to justified, outline level set to Body Text, indentation set to

0” for both left and right, Spacing set to 12 pt for before and 0 point after, and line

spacing set to 1.5.

APPENDIX H

ABSTRACT


ABSTRACT

This is a summary of the thesis, which will state the problem, the motivation for

the work, the methods of investigation, results and the general conclusion. A sentence

at the end with the major conclusion is useful. Since abstract is normally used in an

abstracting service or search database, it should be informative and complete on its

own to be of use to others seeking material within the area of interest.

An abstract should be limited to maximum of 350 words. Line spacing is one and

half spacing and double-spacing between paragraphs. Typeface to be used is Times

New Roman and the font size is 12. Hyphenated words or words separated by a slash

are considered as two words.

APPENDIX I

COPYRIGHT PAGE


In compliance with the terms of the Copyright Act 1987 and the IP Policy of the university, the copyright of this thesis has been reassigned by the author to the legal entity of the university,

Institute of Technology PETRONAS Sdn Bhd.

Due acknowledgement shall always be made of the use of any material contained in, or derived from, this thesis.

© Name of candidate, Year of Thesis submissionInstitute of Technology PETRONAS Sdn Bhd All rights reserved.

utp+thesis+guidelines 2009

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