GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF FINAL YEAR PROJECT REPORT

GUIDELINES FOR THE PREPARATION OF

FINAL YEAR PROJECT REPORT

2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1: FORMAT OF WRITING

CHAPTER 2: CONTENTS OF PROJECT REPORT

2.1 Preliminary

Front Cover

Title Page

Declaration of Originality

(Approval for Submission)

(Copyright)

Acknowledgements

Abstract and Key Words

Table of Contents

List of Figures (if applicable)

List of Tables (if applicable)

List of Symbols/ Notations/ Terminology/ Abbreviations/ Acronyms (if applicable)

2.2 Main Text

Introduction

Literature Review

Research Methodology

Project Timeline & Milestone

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2.3 References

2.4 Appendix

CHAPTER 3: FORMAT OF PROJECT REPORT

3.1 Page Numbering

3.2 Writing Styles for Date, Numbers and Units

3.3 Binding

CHAPTER 4: SUBMISSION

CHAPTER 5: PLAGIARISM

APPENDIXhttps://weibo.com/u/7914912398

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PREFACE

Project reported in this manual refers to a documented report of the process followed and the results

of original research conducted by a student in fulfilment of the requirements for a bachelor

degree. This brief guide covers the Final Project Report formats and other necessary writing

rules. This sets a standard by which the quality of the student learning outcomes, writing and

submitted work can be maintained.

Appendices are presented as much as possible, to provide examples that the students may follow.

Final Project Report failing to follow the provided format will not be accepted for

submission. This guideline will summarise the format for the Final Year Project Report.

However, the format may differ in each individual school/ faculty, academy, institute or centre

with its own additional requirements.

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CHAPTER 1: FORMAT OF WRITING

The structure of Final Project Report should include the following:

Preliminary

Front Cover

Title Page

Declaration of Originality

(Approval for Submission)

(Copyright)

Acknowledgements

Abstract and Key Words

Table of Contents

List of Figures (if applicable)

List of Tables (if applicable)

List of Symbols/ Notations/ Terminology/ Abbreviations/ Acronyms (if applicable)

Main Text FYP1 Main Text FYP2

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Literature Review Chapter 2: Literature Review

Chapter 3: Research Methodology Chapter 3: Research Methodology

Chapter 4: Project Timeline & Milestone Chapter 4: Results & Discussion

Chapter 5: Conclusion Chapter 5: Conclusion and

Recommendation

References

References (A consolidated list of references for all chapters)

Appendix

Appendix

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CHAPTER 2: CONTENTS OF PROJECT REPORT

The structure of the research report, dissertation or thesis is based on a standard format, which

contains the following main sections: PRELIMINARY, MAIN TEXT, REFERENCES, and

APPENDIX.

2.1 Preliminary

This section consists in order of the following:

 Front Cover

 Title Page

 Original Literary Work Declaration Form

 (Approval for Submission)

 (Copyright)

 Acknowledgements

 Abstract and Key Words

 Table of Contents

 List of Figures (if applicable)

 List of Tables (if applicable)

 List of Symbols/ Notations/ Terminology/ Abbreviations/ Acronyms (if applicable)

2.1.1 Front Cover

The front cover must contain the information listed in the following order (all in CAPITAL

LETTERS):

 Title of the Project Report

 Name of Student

 Xiamen University Malaysia

 Year of Submission

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Format of Front Cover:

TITLE IN CAPITAL LETTERS, FONT SIZE 18,

ARIAL NARROW, CENTRED, BOLD

NAME OF STUDENT

XIAMEN UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

YEAR

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2.1.2 Title Page

The title page must contain information listed in the following order:

 XMUM Logo

 Final Year Project Report of Degree

 The title of the Project Report must be approved by the School. It should be neat, precise,

and generalized.

 Name of candidate according to the registration records

 Student ID

 School

 Programme

 Intake

 Supervisor: Name

 Date

This page is the first page of Roman numeral page number but it is not numbered.

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Format of Title Page:

Edge of paper

2.5cm

Edge of margin

FINAL YEAR PROJECT REPORT OF DEGREE

(FONT SIZE 14, TIMES NEW ROMAN)

TITLE IN CAPITAL LETTERS, FONT

SIZE 16, TIMES NEW ROMAN,

4.0cm CENTRED, BOLD

2.5cm

STUDENT NAME : MICHEAL LIM HONG SENG

STUDENT ID : EEE2021092255

SCHOOL : SCHOOL OF ELECTRICAL

ENGINEERING AND ARTIFICAL

INTELLIGENCE

PROGRAM

: BACHELOR OF ELECTRICAL &

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING (HONOURS)

INTAKE

: 2021/09

SUPERVISOR : DR. KANG CHIA CHAO

FONT SIZE 12, TIMES NEW ROMAN

DATE (FONT SIZE 14, TIMES NEW ROMAN)

2.5cm

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2.1.3 Declaration of Originality

Students are to declare the originality of the Project Report. This declaration page must be signed

by the student.

Format of Declaration for Originality:

I hereby declare that this project report is based on my

original work except for citations and quotations which

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

been previously and concurrently submitted for any other

degree or award at Xiamen University Malaysia or other

institutions.

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2.1.4 Approval for Submission

Students are to complete the details in the approval for submission page and get it signed by

supervisor upon completion of the Final Year Project Report.

Approval for Submission:

I certify that this project report entitled “TITLE TO BE

THE SAME AS FRONT COVER, CAPITAL LETTER,

BOLD” was prepared by NAME OF STUDENT

has met the required standard for submission in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the award of

Bachelor of Electrical and Electronics Engineering

(Honours) at Xiamen University Malaysia.

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2.1.5 Copyright

Students are to complete the details in the copyright page according to the format and content.

Format of Copyright Page:

The copyright of this report belongs to the author under the

terms of Xiamen University Malaysia copyright policy.

Due acknowledgement shall always be made of the use of

any material contained in, or derived from, this

project report.

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2.1.6 Acknowledgements

Dedication content should be in short brief towards the person that assists on the project report.

Most project reports or theses include a message to convey the appreciation to those who have

been involved and provided their assistance directly or indirectly on the preparation of the study.

This is optional and should not exceed a single page, which is numbered in Roman numeral

accordingly.

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Format of Acknowledgement:

I would like to thank all who have contributed to the

successful completion of this project. I would like to express

my gratitude to my research supervisor, Prof. Dr. XXXXX

for his invaluable advice, guidance and his enormous

patience throughout the development of the research.

In addition, I would also like to express my gratitude to my

loving parents and friends who have helped and given me

encouragement…

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2.1.7 Abstract and Key Words

An abstract is a short summary of the project report. An abstract should briefly describe the

objectives (problem statement), the significance of research, research methodology, as well as the

findings and conclusion of the research.

The abstract should be brief, not more than 500 words.

Keywords should indicate the novelty and relevant major points of the project undertaken.

A maximum of five (5) keywords could be listed below the abstract as in example below.

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Format of Abstract Page:

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2.1.8 Table of Contents

This page should list all sections, chapters and sub-headings referred to the respective page

numbers as reflected in the body of the Project Report. The table of contents shall be a good

guide to what are contained within the Project Report.

Topics and sub-topics should be labelled according to the chapter, for e.g.:

CHAPTER 1

1.1 Topic 1

1.1.1 Sub-topic 1

CHAPTER 2

a) Topic 1

i. Sub-topic 1

This numbering system provides a clear picture of the relationship between chapters and topics

and shows how they are connected.

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Format of Table of Contents:

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2.1.9 List of Tables (if applicable)

This page should list all the tables found in the Project Report together with their page

numbers. The tables should be arranged according to the chapters.

The numbering system is according to the chapter, for e.g.: tables in Chapter 1 are numbered

sequentially: Table 1.1, Table 1.2 and so on.

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Format of List of Tables/ Figures/ Appendices:

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2.1.10 List of Figures (if applicable)

This page should list all the figures found in the Project Report together with their page

numbers. Figures include diagrams, photographs, drawings, graphs, charts and maps. The figures

should be arranged according to the chapters. For example, figures in Chapter 1 are numbered

sequentially: Figure 1.1, Figure 1.2 and so on.

2.1.11 List of Symbols/ Notations/ Terminology/ Abbreviations/ Acronyms (if applicable)

All symbols, abbreviations, notations and terminologies found in the Project Report should be

listed on this page according to alphabetical order, together with their units.

For further information on spelling and abbreviations, candidates are advised to refer to the latest

edition of the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary published by Oxford University Press.

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Format of List of Symbols/ Abbreviations:

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2.2 Main Text

Candidates and supervisors should ensure that the text follows the agreed conventions of the

individual School/ Faculty. The main text in the project report must be organized following the

guidelines as mentioned below:

 Text must be organized in titled chapters.

 Titles must reflect the content of the chapter.

 Every chapter must start on a new page.

 Chapters can be divided into sub-chapters with corresponding sub-titles.

 Titles and sub-titles must be numbered.

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Format of Body Text:

1.1 Background

xxx…

1.2 Aims and Objectives

xxx...

1.5 lines spacing

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There is no restriction on the total number of chapters in a project report. The number of

chapters differs according to the field of study conducted by the candidate whether it is science-

based or social-science-based. However, the content of the chapters may differ according to the

candidate's research or conventions of individual School.

The body of the Project Report must be written in paragraphs. There must be continuity or logical

flow among paragraphs. Long paragraphs are advised to be avoided.

The level of English writing must be appropriate to the level of the Bachelor’s degree. Attention

should be paid to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and clarity of style.

Normally, no first person references (e.g. I, we, us) shall appear in the report. If self-reference is

required, reference may be made to “the author” or “this study”. Exceptions are acceptable in the

conclusion section, where personal comments may be appropriate.

2.2.1 Introduction

This chapter contains issues concerned, the aims and objectives of the study, and the scope

or outline of the research approach as well as the structure of the project report.

2.2.2 Literature Review

A literature review is a description of the literature relevant to a particular field or topic of study.

It consists of a critically written and comprehensive account of the published works on a topic by

accredited scholars and researchers. A critical literature review is a critical assessment of the

relevant literature. It is directly related to the research, providing information on theories, models,

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materials and techniques used in the research. The literature review should be comprehensive and

include recent publications which are relevant to the research.

The literature review should not be just a compilation or reproduction of the works of others. It

requires the student to examine and comment critically on the literature relevant to the student’s

area of research. Students should be aware of that getting hold of the right material is only a small

part of the research process, but being able to put ideas, information, data and arguments together

in an integrated and coherent manner makes the difference between success and failure.

The literature review should clearly indicate what diversity of views exist among the authors in

this area of study, and the student should show how and where his/her research fits in.

2.2.3 Research Methodology

This chapter describes and explains the materials as well as the research methodology used in the

study. The sub-topics for this chapter include the key research questions, the research design, and

the research procedures adopted. It may also, where appropriate, indicate sampling methods,

research instruments and statistical methods employed. The purpose is to inform the reader on the

methods used to collect the data and generate the findings reported.

2.2.4 Project Timeline & Milestone (FYP1) / Results & Discussion (FYP2)

In FYP1, it will discuss your project project using project timeline and milestone. In FYP2,this

chapter explains the results that are commonly presented in the form of text, figures and

tables, along with data analysis. It also contains the interpretation of the results. Findings of the

research should be compared and contrasted with those of previous studies presented in the

literature review. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss the findings and the outcomes of the

research in relation to the results that have been obtained.

2.2.5 Conclusion (FYP1) / Conclusion and Recommendation (FYP2)

In this chapter, findings are summarized and their implications are discussed. This section may

include suggestions for future work in FYP2.

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2.3 References

All works or studies referred in the project report in the form of quotations or citations must be

included in the references.

References should be written consistently in the American Psychological Association

(APA) format or in another format approved by the School/ Faculty. Each reference should be

written in single spacing format and a double space should be left between references.

The list of references must be arranged in alphabetical order and the entries should not

be numbered. The list must also have a hanging indentation of 0.5 inch.

Refer to details in Appendix A.

2.4 Appendix

Appendices consist of research instruments, additional illustration of data sources, raw data and

quoted citations that are too long to be placed in the text.

 Research data, tables, examples of questionnaires, maps, photos and other materials that are

too long to be included in the text or are not directly required to comprehend the text can be

included as appendices. Tables and graphics that are more than two pages long can be put in

the Appendix section.

 Appendices are labelled as APPENDIX A, APPENDIX B, etc.

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CHAPTER 3: FORMAT OF PROJECT REPORT

3.1 Page Numbering

Each page of the Project Report must be counted and numbered accordingly. Page numbers should

be centred at the bottom margins.

should not be shown.

number should not be shown.

3.2 Writing Styles for Date, Numbers and Units

The format for writing units, symbols, numbers etc. in the Project Report follows the

International System of Units (SI). The following sections give some common descriptions of the

writing styles. For complete and thorough information, refer to the SI Brochure available online at

http://www.bipm.org/en/si/si_brochure/.

The use of the correct symbols and names for SI units, and for units in general are mandatory in

the Project Report. In this way, ambiguities and misunderstandings in the values of

quantities can be avoided.

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3.3 Binding

Each copy of the project report submitted shall be bound in one (1) volume. The project report cover

must be of A4 size (210mm x 297mm). The content must be printed with high quality on single

sided pages.

For final submission prior to graduation, project report submitted should be hard cover bound in

rexine with black colour.

The front cover must contain information listed in the following order (all in CAPITAL

LETTERS):

 Title of the Project Report

 Name of Student

 Xiamen University Malaysia

 Year of Submission

The letters for the Front Cover should be printed in gold letterings of font size 18, font type Arial

Narrow, centred, bold and in uppercase letters.

The spine of the manuscripts should show the name of student, programme and year of submission. If

the manuscripts exceed the space of the spine, a smaller font size can be used (i.e. font size 16 to 14)

as follows:

NAME OF STUDENT BACHELOR OF MANAGEMENT IN ACCOUNTING (HONOURS) 2020

1cm

3.4 Captions

To insert a caption in a figure or table, you may choose the position of the caption. Figure

captions should appear below the figure, whereas table captions should appear above the table.

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Figure 3.4: (a) Dialogue To Insert Captions, (b) Caption Writing and (c) Caption Example

Table 3.4: Dialogue To Insert Captions

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3.5 Equation

To insert a equation, you may choose the equation editor and put the numbering.

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CHAPTER 4: SUBMISSION

Documents required for final submission prior to graduation after completing the corrections (if

any), are as follows:

 One (1) printed hardbound copies (or such numbers as may be determined by the School) of

the Project Report;

 one (1) electronic copy (PDF format);

 Final Submission for Project Report Form

The final Turnitin similarity report must be attached together (cut off: < 20%). The accepted

similarity index percentage is subject to the School/ Faculty. The following documents should be

attached upon submission:

 Turnitin Digital Receipt

 Similarity Report

The minimum word limit for the Project Report, excluding tables and figures, and

references is 10,000 words and must not exceed 30,000 words. However, the word limit may

differ in each individual school/ faculty, academy, institute or centre with its own additional

requirements.

The submitted electronic copy of the Project Report (in PDF format) in a compact disc (CD)

must be labeled with the following details:

 Name of Student

 ID of Student

 Name of Supervisor

 Title of Project Report

 School

Students are advised to keep one copy (research proposal and Project Report for their own

reference).

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CHAPTER 5: PLAGIARISM

Undergraduate candidates of Xiamen University Malaysia are expected to produce original

academic work. Plagiarism is defined as the use of original work, ideas or actual texts created by

others, without acknowledging the original source. Hence, failure to acknowledge the work of

others in their work means the candidate is guilty of plagiarism.

The University highly recommends the usage of Turnitin, an online web-based plagiarism

detection application to avoid plagiarism and ensure academic integrity. In most cases, the

similarity index percentage should not be more than 20%. Students will have to hand in

the Turnitin similarity report to the supervisor during the Project Report writing process for

monitoring. Please refer to your respective school regarding the acceptable similarity index

percentage.

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APPENDIX

A. APA Formatting and Style Guide (6th Edition)

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