MVC

RESEARCH
WRITING
STANDARDS
MANUAL
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH FORMAT ......................................................... 1

2. SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................................... 5
3. HARD COVER ................................................................................................ 6
4. TITLE PAGE .................................................................................................... 8
5. ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................... 10
6. TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................... 12
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND DEDICATION ................................................. 15
8. LIST OF TABLES AND LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................... 17
9. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. 19
10. HEADING LEVEL FORMAT ............................................................................ 21
11. LISTS OR ENUMERATIONS ........................................................................... 21
12. TABLES........................................................................................................... 24
13. FIGURES ........................................................................................................ 27
14. APPENDICES ................................................................................................. 30
15. CURRICULUM VITAE ..................................................................................... 32
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INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH FORMAT

This section shows the sections that must appear in the thesis and the order that
they appear in the manuscript. The names of these sections and their order must be
strictly followed (except for biblical and theological papers which contain different
sections).

HARD COVER
TITLE PAGE
APPROVAL SHEET (This document contains original signatures from your panel
members and is only released by the CFR together with your final manuscript for
binding. Your manuscript will not be valid without this document).
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
DEDICATION
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
The Problem and Its Background
 In at most three pages, this section introduces the study to the reader by
justifying that the problem or gap that needs to be addressed exists.
Statement of the Problem
 This section states the problem that the study wishes to address which is
broken down into specific questions.
Hypotheses*
 This section states the expectation or prediction (Ho or null hypothesis/es)
that will be tested statistically and the opposite statements (Ha or alternative
hypothesis/es).
Significance of the Study
 This section states why the study is important, how important it is, who will
benefit from it, and how they can benefit from it.
Scope and Delimitation
 Describes the research coverage and its boundaries: what to include and
what not to include in terms of the variables, participants, etc.
Operational Definition of Terms
 Defines the technical terms based on how they are used in the study. They
include primarily the variables under consideration and other terms that are
uniquely used in the study.

*Excluded for experimental and qualitative designs

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CHAPTER 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE AND RELATED STUDIES

Theoretical Framework*
 This section specifies the theoretical underpinnings of the study.
Review of Related Literature and Studies
 This is an exhaustive discussion of published articles and literature that
support claims stated on the introduction and that are relevant to the
variables of the study. It discusses the results of previous studies that are
similar or related to the research.
Synthesis
 This section is the synthesis of the review of literature and related studies
which must contain the major findings of previous studies, conflicting or
contrasting views of authors and researchers, similar views of authors or
researchers on specific topics, and similarities to the present research.
Conceptual Framework*
 It is the researcher’s concept or tentative explanation of the expected
relationship between variables. It is based on the review of related literature
and studies.
Research Paradigm
 This is a schematic diagram of the conceptual framework of the study.

*Excluded for experimental design

CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY
Research Design
 This section explains briefly the method of research used in the study,
focusing on the procedural part and its appropriateness to the study.
Research Locale
 This section states where and when the study is to be conducted. It describes
the environment where the study is to be conducted in relation to the study,
particularly the variables under consideration.
Population and Sampling
 This section explains the population of the study (mention the size, if
determined), the sampling technique, the appropriateness of the sampling
technique to the study, the sample size, and the sample size computation or
determination.
Instrumentation
 This section covers the instrument/s used in the study: how it is developed,
the scoring scheme, and the interpretation guide. If the instrument is adapted
and has been used locally, this must include the validation report.
Data Gathering Procedure
 This section discusses the data gathering procedure: the steps taken before,
during, and after the data collection.
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Ethical Considerations
 This section outlines the ethical issues that may arise from the conduct of the
study and how they are considered. These issues may include, but are not
limited to,voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality and
anonymity, potential harm, and communication of results.
Analysis of the Data
 This section describes the statistical treatment/s of the data.

*Additional Parts for Action Research

1. Action Plan
2. Intervention
*Components for experimental design
1. Research Locale
2. Operational Procedure
3. Experimental Design and Treatment
4. Data Gathering Procedure
5. Analysis of the Data
6. Ethical Considerations

*Additional Parts for Qualitative Design

1. Reflexivity Statement (after Instrumentation)
2. Rigor (after Analysis of Data)

CHAPTER 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

 The answers to each of the research questions are discussed in detail here,
supported by tables, figures, and statistical analyses.

CHAPTER 5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

 This section presents the summary of the findings discussed in Chapter 4.

These are answers to each of the research questions.
Conclusion

 This section contains answers to the research questions stated in lay terms.
Recommendations

 This section should be directly based on the conclusion and aligned with the
significance of the study. Further, it must include recommendations on how to
address the limitations of the study and other factors orvariables to be
considered, etc.
REFERENCES
APPENDICES (Must always contain the research instrument/s, Gantt chart, budget plan,
informed consent form, request letters, editing certificate, plagiarism checker certificate,
raw data, and other significant documents relevant to the study)
CURRICULUM VITAE (does not have a printed page number)
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SPECIFICATIONS

Paper: Letter size (8 ½ x 11inches) and preferably 20+ pound (subs) or 80+ g/m 2, high
whiteness/brightness

Font: Arial size 11 for APA papers and Times New Roman size 12 for SBL papers
(except for table and figure texts which may be smaller). The same font specifications
apply to the page numbers.

Justification: Justification should be left, ragged right (not justified) for all body text.

Print: Original must be dark enough to photocopy well. Laser printout is recommended
for both preservation and readability. Copies must be difficult to tell from the original.
They must be clear, straight, legible, without smudges, and must photocopy well.

Margins: 1.5 inches left; 1.0 inch top, right, and bottom margin for all pages

Page Numbering: Numbers are placed at the upper right corner of the page, in the
same font/size as the text. The preliminary pages show lowercase Roman numerals
starting from the first page of the table of contents and the body show Arabic numerals
starting from the first page of Chapter 1.

Line Spacing: Generally, the texts are double spaced, except for some specific parts of
the manuscript:
single space: between table title and table, between figure title and figure, SBL
block quotes
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TITLE OF THE STUDY1

FIRST NAME M. I. SURNAME

DATE OF SUBMISSION2

1
This is the hard cover template. The title must be written in all capitals and bold. Long
titles must not be longer than three lines and must form an inverted pyramid. All texts on this
page must be double spaced and centered on the page.
2
This date must indicate the month and year of the submission of your bound manuscript.
manuscript
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MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGE3

YOUR TITLE HERE IN ALL CAPITALS AND AT MOST THREE (3) LINES OF TEXTS IN
AN INVERTED PYRAMID SHAPE. THE FIRST LINE OF THE TITLE MUST BEGIN AT
3 INCHES FROM THE TOP OF THE PAGE

A thesis

presented in partial fulfillment

of the requirements for the degree

Your Degree Here

By

First Name M. I. Surname

First Name M. I. Surname

First Name M. I. Surname4

Date of Submission5

3
This is the title page.
4
If there are more than five (5) researchers, this list should be single spaced.
5
This date must be exactly the same as the one printed on the cover page (see fn. 2).
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ABSTRACT

TITLE OF THE STUDY

First Name M. I. Surname

First Name M. I. Surname

Degree Program

Mountain View College

Mt. Nebo, Valencia City, 8709, Bukidnon

Date of Final Defense6

Adviser: Name of Adviser, Abbreviated Degree

Add you abstract here in at most 150 words. The first line of the paragraph must

be indented .5 inches and all texts double spaced, flush left (ragged right).

Keywords: minimum of three and maximum of five terms (all in sentence case,

separated by commas, and hanging indented on the lines after the first)

6
This date is different from the ones printed on the cover page and title page.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Follow the guidelines below in preparing your table of contents.

1. The table of contents must include the headings of pages that come after the
table of contents in your manuscript. Earlier pages may have headings of the
same level, but they are not included in the table of contents and do not have
printed page numbers.

2. The first printed preliminary page number appears on the first page of the
table of contents. This means that the first page of the table of contents is p. i;
however, the table of contents itself does not appear in the table of contents.
All preliminary pages after the table of contents have lower case Roman
numerals at the upper right corner of the page counted continuously from p. i.

3. The table of contents must reflect only heading levels 0–3.

4. All entries must reconcile accurately (word-for-word, including punctuation)

with the headings and page numbers in the text or the body of the
manuscript. For this reason, the table of contents should be the last
thing checked before printing.

5. Heading entries are aligned by levels, each level one tab stop (usually 0.3
inch or 4 character spaces) indented further than the one before.

6. Dot leaders are placed between the heading and its corresponding page
number. For aesthetics and neatness, there may be at least four character
spaces (0.3 inch) between the last dot leader and the first digit of the page
number.

7. Texts should not extend beyond the last three dot leaders. So the rest of the
texts must be moved to the next line (run-over line). Run-over lines should be
hanging indented 0.3 inch or 4 character spaces.

8. Dot leaders must be aligned. Page numbers must be aligned at the

units/ones digit.

9. Table of contents entries for chapter titles and other major section headings
(level 0) are uppercase, flush left, single spaced if there are run-over lines,
and separated from subheading entries by a double space.

10. Heading levels 1–3 entries are title case and single spaced.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The acknowledgements section is where you acknowledge the people who have

contributed to your research endeavor. Please limit it within the bounds of your research

if possible, not your entire life. There is no prescribed format for this section. You may

simply enumerate the people and organizations you wish to acknowledge, or write as

other paragraphs in your body, or write in poetic form. Feel free to use your creativity,

but make sure to keep this section to a maximum of 2 pages. The font specifications for

this section are the same for the entire manuscript.

DEDICATION

Dedication is different from acknowledgements. In your dedication section, you

indicate to whom you wish to dedicate or offer your thesis. This is not the place to thank

and give credit to people; that is done in the acknowledgements.

This section is optional, but if you include it, keep it very short and center it on the

page. The font specifications for this section are the same for the entire manuscript.
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LIST OF TABLES AND LIST OF FIGURES

1. All the tables and all the figures used in your manuscript must be included in
the list of tables and the list of figures.

2. The title must be formatted as a major section (level 0).

3. If both the list of tables and the list of figures can fit comfortably on one page,
this is preferred. If the list of tables is very long so that the list of figures
cannot fit on the same page, move the entire list of figures to a new page.

4. The wording of the titles of tables and figures in the lists should correspond
exactly with the actual titles of the tables and figures that appear in the body
of your manuscript.

5. Each entry in the list of tables/figures should be title case, single spaced, with
double spacing between entries.

6. As for any other title in the table of contents, if the figure/table title is too long
to fit on one line, allow for at least four to five dots of the dot leaders; the run-
over line should be hanging indented four character spaces (or 0.3 inch).

7. As in the table of contents, there should be at least four characters (0.3 inch)
of space between the end of the dot leaders and the page numbers, which
should be flush with the right margin.

8. Dot leaders must be aligned. The page numbers must also be aligned on the
right or the unit place.

9. Table and figure numbers are included in the list of tables and figures. Note
that the dot after the numbers must line up.
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1. An APA paper that uses five or more abbreviations at least three times
each must have a list of abbreviations.

2. The words LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS must be formatted as a chapter title

(level 0).

3. When a list of abbreviations is included in the paper, the list is arranged

alphabetically according to the abbreviation.

4. The abbreviations appear in the left-hand column, with the source they stand
for in the right-hand column. Do not add punctuation or anything additional.

5. The capitalization and type face (roman or italics) of the abbreviations and
sources they stand for must correspond exactly.

6. When an abbreviation appears in the list, it must be used consistently

throughout the manuscript (except in the Appendices). Do not switch back
and forth between the abbreviated form and the spelled out form.

7. An abbreviation must be introduced the first time the term to be abbreviated

is used in the body (which does not include the preliminary pages and
Appendices). The subsequent citations/mentions of the term must already be
abbreviated (see rule 6 above).

e.g., The participants of this study were all Seventh-day Adventist (SDA)
grade school teachers.

8. Do not abbreviate a term if it will not be used at least three (3) times in the
body of your manuscript.

9. Latin abbreviations, Bible book abbreviations, and other common

abbreviations are not included in this list.

10. The list must be double spaced.

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HEADING LEVEL FORMAT

CHAPTER 1
LEVEL 0
ALL CAPS, CENTERED, BOLD

Title Case, Centered, Bold Level 1

Title Case, Flush Left, Bold Level 2

Title Case, Flush Left, Bold, Italicized Level 3

Title Case, Indented, Bold, Ends With a Period. This Level 4

heading is embedded in a regular paragraph.

Title Case, Indented, Bold, Italicized, Ends With a Level 5

Period. This heading is embedded in a regular paragraph.
Notes:

1. Level headings 0–3 should not be longer than half of the page or 3 inches of
texts.

2. Only level headings 0–3 appear in the table of contents.

3. All texts must be double spaced, except level headings 0–3 with more than 1
line long.

4. A level heading that is subdivided must have at least 2 subheadings.

5. All body texts must be double spaced.

6. A new chapter begins on a new page.

LISTS OR ENUMERATION
A list in a paragraph may be indicated by lowercase letters enclosed in
parentheses: e.g., (a) with another person, (b) alone. A vertical list follows the rules
listed below.
1. Capitalization. Items in a vertical list should begin with a capital letter and, if
they are sentences, end with a period.
2. Numeration. Arabic numerals should be used, followed by a period.
3. Format. Run-over lines should be indented to the same tab stop (hanging
indent) as the first line of text. This numbered list is an example of correct
list formatting.
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TABLES

1. Titles. Table titles are placed above the table. Tables are numbered consecutively in
the order they are first mentioned in the text (e.g., Table 1). Do not use suffix
letters to number tables (bold). The table number is followed by a double space,
then the table title, then a single space before the table. Table titles are italicized,
flush left, single-spaced, 11 pts, and title case. The table title is not restricted to half
the length of the line.

2. Lines. Use horizontal lines to separate table title from the headings, the headings
from the body of the table, and the body from the table notes; generally, all other
horizontal lines are removed unless they are necessary for readability. Do not use
vertical rules in tables. Space above and below horizontal lines should be uniform
across all tables.

3. Spacing. Tables may be single or double-spaced, based on readability and good

taste. Vertical spacing can be adjusted by using format/paragraph/spacing before
and after, and adding 2 or 3 points above and below each paragraph. Be consistent
throughout the paper.

4. Alignment. Table content may be centered or flush left or right, depending on

readability and good taste (but be consistent). Decimal points in a column must be
aligned. Run-over lines in word entries may be indented by two spaces. There
should at least be three character spaces between the longest word in a column and
the next column. A table should fill the width of the page. Make use that tables do not
go beyond the set margin of your thesis document. If data are limited, extend the
table lines and keep data to the left.

5. Capitalization. Column headings and text entries/table items are sentence case.

6. Font. The same typeface and font size used for the main body text should also be
used for tables. However, for tables with a large amount of data, a smaller font size
may be used (never less than 9 points). In this case, the same font size should be
consistently used for all tables.

Note: Font size for table titles should remain at 11 pts.

7. Color. All tables must be black, and no decorative elements or shading that may
distract readers should be added.

Placement of Tables. Place table(s) either at the top or at the bottom of a page, after
the paragraph (or page) where it is first referred to and discussed (ideally a full
paragraph). If only two or three lines of text fit on a page with a table/between tables,
move the text to another page. Do not split a table across two pages unless it is
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larger than one page. Tables on a page with text or another table must be preceded
or followed by a double space.

8. Landscape Tables. Large tables or figures may be placed in landscape orientation.

The table number and title should be closest to the 1.5-inch left margin (the binding
side). The page number remains oriented in the same way as all other page
numbers on pages with portrait (vertical) orientation.

9. Continued Tables. A table may be continued over two or more pages. However, a
table that is continued must start at the very top of the page. On the subsequent
pages, the table headings must re-appear. Use automatic table-formatting tools to
set up tables in your manuscript.

10. Notes. For APA, table notes (single spaced) begin with the word Note followed by a
period below the table, after a single space. A smaller font size (as small as 9 points)
may be used, but be consistent. Arrange the notes in the following order: general
note (refers to the whole table), specific note (refers to part of the table), probability
note. Tables reproduced from another source must be properly referenced in the
note, giving credit to the source. For SBL, table notes must appear in the footnotes.

11. Introducing Tables. Tables must be introduced by number before they appear in
the text or on a page.
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FIGURES

Any type of illustration that is not a table is called a figure. A figure may be a
chart, graph, photograph, drawing, or other depiction. Most guidelines for figures are
similar to those for tables.

1. Titles. Figures in the main body are numbered (use Arabic numerals)
consecutively in the order in which they are first mentioned in text. The figure
number is bold and appears above the figure. The figure title is in title case,
italics, and placed right beneath the figure number and right above the figure.
The figure number and the figure title are separated by a double space. The
figure title and the actual figure are separated by a single space.

2. Placement of Figures. On a page, place figure(s) either at the top or at the

bottom, after the paragraph (or page) where it is first referred to and
discussed. Do not place only a few lines of text on a page with a figure; if only
a small amount of text fits, leave the figure alone on its own page. A double-
spaced blank line is placed before or after all figures within the text.

3. Notes. Notes for figures follow the same style as table notes (see above, p.
86). Figures reproduced from another source must be properly referenced in
the note, giving credit to the source. The note (single spaced) should appear
below the figure title for APA and in the footnotes for SBL.

4. Readability. All diagrams, drawings, and figures must be clear, sharp, and
large enough to be readable. A figure may be reduced (but still readable) to
accommodate the caption.

Landscape Orientation. The page number for landscape tables/figures should be in the
same position as other pages in the text (portrait orientation).

How to Cite Sources of Tables/Figures Reprinted or Adapted From Other Sources

From a Periodical (journal/magazine):

Note. From “Teaching and Assessing Language Skills Online,” by A. Rosario, I. Rivera,
& S. J. Namanya, 2001, Journal of Adventist Education, 80(2), 16.

From a Book:

Note. Adapted from Handbook for Writers (p. 759), by J. Ruszkiewicz, C. Friend, and M.
Hairston, 2007, Pearson Prentice Hall.

From a Chapter in an Edited Book:

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Note. Adapted from “The Living God Is a Missionary God,” by J. R. W. Stott, in R. D.

Winter & S. C. Hawthorne (Eds.), Perspective on the World Christian Movement: A
Reader (4th ed., p. 5), 2009, William Carey Library.

From an Internet Source:

Note. From A New Generation of Evidence: The Family Is Critical to Student

Achievement, by A. T. Henderson and N. Berla, 1994, National Committee for Citizens in
Education (http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED375968.pdf).
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APPENDICES

The appendix contains materials that are not essential to the paper but that are
useful to the reader. MVC requires that research instrument/s, Gantt chart, budget plan,
informed consent form/s, request letters, certificate of editing, certificate of similarity
index, raw data, and other significant documents relevant to the study be included in the
appendix.

1. Appendix titles. The appendixes follow the font style and size of the body
and are numbered with Arabic letters (A, B, C). Appendix numbers and titles
are bold, title case, and centered on a page. Each appendix starts on a new
page and is listed separately by letter in the table of contents.

2. Reference to appendix materials. Like tables and figures, every appendix

must be mentioned (called out) by its number at least once in the text
(except the editing and similarity index certificates), to draw the reader’s
attention to its existence (e.g., for a more complete discussion of this
anomaly, see Appendix C).

3. Appendix organization. Group like materials into one appendix. There is no

required order, but materials are usually organized in the order in which they
are mentioned in text.

4. Spacing/format. Appendixes are ideally double-spaced and with the same

margins as the rest of the research document; however, this is not always
possible. Flexibility in format is required in this section, since the documents
frequently may not be reformatted. It is important, however, to be sure that
text will still be visible after the binding/trimming process.

5. Tables/figures in the appendix. In the appendix, tables/figures are

numbered using the capital letter of the appendix (e.g., Table C1); the other
specifics on the format of tables/figures are the same as those in text.
Additionally, in cases where several tables or figures or a combination of both
appear in one appendix, the appendix number and title centered on a
separate page is recommended (see sample below). However, if the
appendix contains only one table/figure (no other texts or paragraphs), then
the appendix number and title already serves as the table/figure number and
title.
Example:
Appendix B instead of Table B1
Triangulation Matrix Triangulation
Matrix
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YOUR NAME HERE

Curriculum Vitae7
Personal Information

Date of Birth: September 3, 1996

Address: Purok 7, Bagontaas, Valencia City, Bukidnon

Contact Number: 09751234567

Email Address: name@domain.edu

Civil Status: Married

Citizenship: Filipino

Religion: Seventh-day Adventist

Languages: English, Indonesia, Cebuano, Tagalog, Hiligaynon

Educational Background

2005–2011 Western Mindanao Academy

Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur

2011–2015 Central Bukidnon Institute

Valencia City, Bukidnon

2015–2020 Bachelor of Arts in English

Bukidnon State University, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon

2021–2023 Bachelor of Arts in Education

Mountain View College, Valencia City, Bukidnon

Expertise and Skills

Creative writing

Academic writing

Work Experience

2020–2021 Voice talent

Voice Over Agency Name, Makati City, Metro Manila

7
This is the format for the CV. It must only be 1-page long.