Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

FORMAT OF RESEARCH PROPOSAL

➢ Tentative Title
➢ Background/Justification/Introduction (100-500 words)
➢ Research problem/s and research questions
➢ General Objective and Specific Objectives
➢ Literature Review
➢ Methodology
➢ Study site/s
➢ Design of experiment/survey
➢ Collection of data/information
➢ Statistical Analysis etc.
➢ Expected outcome
➢ Time scale bar chart (Gantt chart)
➢ Certificate of ethical clearance (if applicable)
➢ Budget estimate
➢ References

Note: Complete proposal should not exceed fifteen pages and should be in Microsoft Word
readable document.

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION OF A THESIS

Paper: A4 on good quality white paper (80 gsm)

The text should be in double space type (font 12 – Times New Roman for body text) with the
following margins:

✓ Right side – 2 cm.

✓ Top and Bottom – 2.5 cm.
✓ Left side – 3.5 cm. (room for binding)

THE ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS

✓ Outer Cover Page

✓ Inner Cover Page
✓ Declaration of the Candidate
✓ Certification by Supervisor/s
✓ Table of Contents
✓ List of Tables
✓ List of Figures
✓ Abbreviations
✓ Glossary
✓ Acknowledgement
✓ Abstract
✓ Chapter 1: Introduction
✓ Chapter 2: Literature Review
✓ Chapter 3: Materials and Methods
✓ Chapter 4: Results
✓ Chapter 5: Discussion
✓ Chapter 6: Conclusions
✓ Chapter 7: Recommendations
✓ References
✓ Appendices

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

FINAL BINDINGS

✓ The outer cover should be light blue colour. All letter should be in black.
✓ Book front cover should be black, and all the letter should be in gold.
✓ The first and last leaf should be blank and of thick (230 gsm) quality paper

FRONT COVER FORMAT

✓ Top: Research Project Report on (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 18 and Centre
alignment, Double space)
✓ Upper Middle: Full Research Topic (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 20 and Centre
alignment, Double space)
✓ Lower Middle: By Name of the candidate with the Registration number (Font: Times
New Roman, Size: 18 and Centre alignment, Double space)
✓ Bottom: Department of Fisheries Science,Faculty of Science, University of Jaffna, Sri
Lanka. Year of Publication (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 18 and Centre alignment,
Double space)

INNER COVER FORMAT

✓ Top: Research Project Report on (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 18 and Centre
alignment, Double space)
✓ Upper Middle: Full Research Topic (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 20 and Centre
alignment, Double space)
✓ Lower Middle: By Name of the candidate with the Registration number (Font: Times
New Roman, Size: 18 and Centre alignment, Double space)
✓ Bottom: A research project report submitted to Department of Fisheries Science,
University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka for the partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science –
Special Degree in Fisheries Science, Year (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 18, Italic
and Centre alignment, Double space)

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

DECLARATION PAGE SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING TEXT (Font: Times New

Roman, All capital, Size: 12, Bold and Centre alignment)

I hereby declare that the entire work employed in this project report has been carried out by me
under supervision of ………………………… (Supervisor/s name). The extent of information
derived from the existing literature has been documented and fully acknowledged at
appropriate places. The work is original and not has been submitted in part or full for any
diploma or degree in this or any other university (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 and Justify
alignment, Double space)

CERTIFICATION OF THE SUPERVISOR (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size:

12, Bold and Centre alignment)

The student should provide a signed declaration with the date by the Supervisor certifying the
work of the candidate stating

“I / We certify that the above statement made by the candidate is true and that this thesis is
suitable for submission to the University for the purpose of evaluation”. (Font: Times New
Roman, Size: 12 and Justify alignment, Double space)

TABLE OF CONTENT, LIST OF FIGURES, LIST OF TABLES AND LIST OF

PLATES (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size: 12, Bold and Centre alignment)

All the tables, figures and plates should be listed and follow the Table of content (Font: Times
New Roman, Size: 12 and Justify alignment, Double space)

ABBREVIATIONS (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size: 12, Bold and Centre
alignment)

This section should follow the table of content, list of figures, list of tables and list of plates
(Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 and Justify alignment, Double space)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size: 12, Bold and Centre
alignment)

Acknowledgement should be limited to one page (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size:
12, Bold and Centre alignment)

ABSTRACT (Font: Times New Roman, All capital, Size: 12, Bold and Centre alignment)

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

The above chapters should be numbered in roman numbers. Others pages should be in regular
page number except the appendices.

CHAPTER HEADINGS

All main chapters heading should be in Times New Roman, All capital, Bold, size: 14 and
centre alignment. For example:

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

2nd subdivision heading should be in Times New Roman, All capital, Bold, size: 12 and left
alignment. For example:

1.1 SRI LANKA FISHERIES

3rd subdivision of the Headings should be in Times New Roman, Italic, Bold, size: 12 and left
alignment. For example:

1.1.1 Marine fisheries

BODY TEXT

The text should be in double space type (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 and Justify
alignment, Double space)

LABELLING THE FIGURES

All the figures should be labelled below the figures, and all the source of the figure should be
mentioned in the figure label (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 and Justify alignment, Double
space)

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

Figure 1. Aerial view of Jaffna lagoon ( left), Palk bay on the right and kavutarimunai peninsula
in northern Sri Lanka. (Source: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-aerial-view-of-jaffna-
lagoon-left-palk-bay-on-the-right-and-kavutarimunai-44048449.html)

LABELLING THE TABLE

All the figures should be labelled above the table, and all the source of the figure should be
mentioned in the table label (Font: Times New Roman, Size: 12 and Centre alignment, Double
space)

Table 1. List of subjects, which are offered to level 3G students

Credit value
Practical &
Field work
Lectures
(hrs)

(hrs)

Course Course title

Code
FIS301G2 Fish Harvest Technology 22 24 2
FIS302G2 Waste Water Treatment in the Fishery Industry 22 24 2
FIS303G2 Fishery Management and Extension 22 24 2
FIS304G2 Post-Harvest Technology of Fish and Fish Product 22 24 2

FIS305G2 Conservation of Living Resources and Recreation 22 24 2

FIS306G2 Introductory Fisheries Statistics 22 24 2

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

APPENDICES
An appendix contains supplementary material that is not an essential part of the text itself, but
which may help provide a more comprehensive understanding of the research, or it is
information that is too cumbersome to include in the main body of the paper. More than one
appendix are appendices. You do not need to include any appendices in your paper but may
choose to do so if needed. For our purposes, this might include questionnaires, equations,
datasheets, teaching materials, etc. Appendices are numbered (ie, Appendix 1, Appendix 2,
etc). If you have more than one appendix, include a list of appendices with descriptive titles
after the table of contents, list of tables, and list of figures.

UNITS, SYMBOLS AND SCIENTIFIC NAMES

Use metric units should be used. Physical measurements should be in accordance with SI, e.g.
mm, mm3, s, g, ms-1, gl-1, written for example as 5 mm, 16 mm3. In mathematical expressions
use single letters for variables, qualifying them with subscripts if required, e.g. length L, fork
length LF, index I, or gonadosomatic index IG. Subscripts and superscripts should be in 9 points.
Use scientific names, i.e. Latin name, in italics for all organisms. If using the common name
of the species always include the scientific name. When mentioning the species for the first
time write the full Latin name (i.e. both the genus and the species) and if the organism is
mentioned again abbreviate the genus name (e.g. Gadus morhua, G. morhua).

REFERENCE
References throughout the text of the thesis as well as the list of references should follow one
standard format (Havard style). A detailed list of references is essential for the final research
report. The list includes all literature referred to in the report. Remember that all references
listed in “List of References” must be cited in the body of the report.

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

SAMPLE FRONT COVER PAGE

Research project report

On

TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

By

STUDENT FULL NAME

REGISTRATION NUMBER

Department of Fisheries Science

Faculty of Science

University of Jaffna

Sri Lanka

YEAR

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

SAMPLE INNER COVER PAGE

Research project report

On

TITLE OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT

By

STUDENT FULL NAME

REGISTRATION NUMBER

(A research project report submitted to Department of

Fisheries Science, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka for the
partial fulfilment of Bachelor of Science – Special Degree in
Fisheries Science)
Year

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

SAMPLE DECLARATION PAGE

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the entire work employed in this project report has been carried out by me
under the supervision of ………………………… (Supervisor/s name). The extent of
information derived from the existing literature has been documented and fully acknowledged
at appropriate places. The work is original and not has been submitted in part or full for any
diploma or degree in this or any other university.

...…………………………….
(Candidate Name)

CERTIFICATION OF THE SUPERVISOR

I / We certify that the above statement made by the candidate is true and that this thesis is
suitable for submission to the University for the purpose of evaluation.

………………………………………. ……………………………………

Supervisor 1 Supervisor 1

Department Department

Faculty Faculty

University University

....…………………
Name of the Head,
Head,
Department of Fisheries Science,
Faculty of Science,
University of Jaffna,
Sri Lanka.

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Type chapter title (level 1) ....................................................................................................... 1
Type chapter title (level 2) ..................................................................................................... 2
Type chapter title (level 3) ................................................................................................. 3
Type chapter title (level 1) ....................................................................................................... 4
Type chapter title (level 2) ..................................................................................................... 5
Type chapter title (level 3) ................................................................................................. 6

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna
Guidelines for the Thesis report and Research Proposal

LIST OF FIGURE
Figure 1. Aerial view of Jaffna lagoon ( left), Palk bay on the right and kavutarimunai peninsula
in northern Sri Lanka. (Source: https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-aerial-view-of-jaffna-
lagoon-left-palk-bay-on-the-right-and-kavutarimunai-44048449.html) .................................... 6

LIST OF TABLE
Table 1. List of subjects, which are offered to level 3G students .............................................. 6

Department of Fisheries
University of Jaffna