How to write Project Thesis

Dr.P.G.Jadhav
Title
Contents Page
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
The purpose of literature review :Helps to gain an understanding of the existing research in that topic
To develop on your own ideas and build your ideas based on the existing knowledge
Prevents duplication of the research done by others
Search the existing literature for information. Identify the data pertinent to your topic. Review, extract the
relevant information for eg how the study was conducted and the findings. Summarize the information. Write
what is already known about the topic and what do the sources that you have reviewed say. Identify conflicts in
previous studies, open questions, or gaps that may exist. If you are doing
Case study - look for background information and if any similar case studies have been done before.
Literature review - find out from literature, what is the background to the questions that you are looking into
Site visit - use the literature review to read up and prepare good questions before hand.
Survey - find out if similar surveys have been done before and what did they find?
Keep a record of the source details of any information you want to use in your report so that you can reference
them accurately.
Methodology
Results and Analysis
Discussion, Limitation(s) and Implication(s)
Conclusion and Recommendations
References
Appendix (if necessary/any)
Title

Tells the reader what the report is about

Informative, short, catchy

Example - Sea level rise in Singapore : Causes, Impact and Solution

The title page must also include group name, group members and their
matriculation numbers.

Contents Page
Has headings and subheadings that show the reader where the various sections of
the report are located
Written on a separate page
Includes the page numbers of each section
Abstract

Briefly summarizes the report, the process of research and final

conclusions
Provides a quick overview of the report and describes the main highlights
Short, usually not more than 150 words in length.

Mention briefly why you choose this project, what are the implications and
what kind of problems it will solve.

The abstract allow readers who may be interested in the report to decide
whether it is relevant to their purposes. Usually, the abstract is written last,
ie. after writing the other sections and you know the key points to draw out
from these sections.
Introduction

Discusses the background and sets the contextIntroduces the topic,

significance of the problem, and the purpose of research.

Gives the scope ie shows what it includes and excludes In the

introduction, write about what motivates your project, what makes it
interesting, what questions do you aim to answer by doing your project.

The introduction lays the foundation for understanding the research

problem and should be written in a way that leads the reader from the
general subject area of the topic to the particular topic of research.
 Literature Review

Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using
the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study.

A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles,

and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory,
and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of these
works in relation to the research problem being investigated.
Write a Literature Review
Narrow your topic and select papers accordingly.
Search for literature.
Read the selected articles thoroughly and evaluate them.
Organize the selected papers by looking for patterns and by
developing subtopics. 4 Major Types Of
Develop a thesis or purpose statement. Literature Review. The four
Write the paper. major types
Review your work. include, Narrative Review,
Systematic Review, Meta-
Analysis, and Scoping
Review.
Literature Review
The purpose of literature review :Helps to gain an understanding of the existing research in that
topic

To develop on your own ideas and build your ideas based on the existing knowledge
Prevents duplication of the research done by others

Search the existing literature for information. Identify the data pertinent to your topic. Review,
extract the relevant information for eg how the study was conducted and the findings. Summaries
the information. Write what is already known about the topic and what do the sources that you
have reviewed say. Identify conflicts in previous studies, open questions, or gaps that may exist. If
you are doing

Case study - look for background information and if any similar case studies have been done
before.

Literature review - find out from literature, what is the background to the questions that you are
looking into

Site visit - use the literature review to read up and prepare good questions before hand.

Survey - find out if similar surveys have been done before and what did they find?

Keep a record of the source details of any information you want to use in your report so that you
can reference them accurately.
It serves with some specific purpose in the research.
Provides a comprehensive understanding of
existing research on a topic.
Identifies gaps, trends, and inconsistencies in
the literature.
Contextualize your own research within the
broader academic discourse.
Supports the development of theoretical
frameworks or research hypotheses.

1. Narrative Review.
Narrative reviews present a well-structured narrative that reads like a
cohesive story, providing a comprehensive overview of a specific topic.

These reviews often incorporate historical context and offer a broad

understanding of the subject matter, making them valuable for researchers
looking to establish a foundational understanding of their area of interest.

They are particularly useful when a historical perspective or a broad

context is necessary to comprehend the current state of knowledge in a
field.
2. Systematic Review
Systematic reviews are renowned for their methodological rigour. They involve a
meticulously structured process that includes the systematic selection of relevant
studies, comprehensive data extraction, and a critical synthesis of their findings.

 This systematic approach is designed to minimise bias and subjectivity, making

systematic reviews highly reliable and objective. They are considered the gold
standard for evidence-based research as they provide a clear and rigorous
assessment of the available evidence on a specific research question

3. Meta Analysis
Meta analysis is a powerful method for researchers who prefer a
quantitative and statistical perspective.

It involves the statistical synthesis of data from various studies, allowing
researchers to draw more precise and generalisable conclusions by
combining data from multiple sources. Meta analyses are especially valuable
when the aim is to quantitatively measure the effect size or impact of a
particular intervention, treatment, or phenomenon.
4. Scoping Review
Scoping reviews are invaluable tools, especially for researchers in the early stages of
exploring a topic. These reviews aim to map the existing literature, identifying gaps and
helping clarify research questions.

 Scoping reviews provide a panoramic view of the available research, which is

particularly useful when researchers are embarking on exploratory studies or trying to
understand the breadth and depth of a subject before conducting more focused
research.
Different Types Of Literature review In Research

5. Critical Review

Critical reviews provide an in-depth evaluation of existing literature, scrutinising

sources for their strengths, weaknesses, and relevance. They offer a critical
perspective, often highlighting gaps in the research and areas for further
investigation.
6. Theoretical Review
Theoretical reviews are centred around exploring and analysing the theoretical
frameworks, concepts, and models present in the literature. They aim to
contribute to the development and refinement of theoretical perspectives within
a specific field.
7. Integrative Review
Integrative reviews synthesise a diverse range of studies, drawing connections
between various research findings to create a comprehensive understanding of a
topic. These reviews often bridge gaps between different perspectives and provide a
holistic overview.

8. Historical Review
Historical reviews focus on the evolution of a topic over time, tracing its
development through past research, events, and scholarly contributions. They offer
valuable context for understanding the current state of research.

9. Methodological Review
Among the different kinds of literature reviews, methodological reviews delve into
the research methods and methodologies employed in existing studies. Researchers
assess these approaches for their effectiveness, validity, and relevance to the
research question at hand.
10. Cross-Disciplinary Review
Cross-disciplinary reviews explore a topic from multiple academic disciplines,
emphasizing the diversity of perspectives and insights that each discipline brings. They
are particularly useful for interdisciplinary research projects and uncovering
connections between seemingly unrelated fields
11. Descriptive Review
Descriptive reviews provide an organised summary of existing literature without
extensive analysis. They offer a straightforward overview of key findings, research
methods, and themes present in the reviewed studies.

12. Rapid Review

Rapid reviews expedite the literature review process, focusing on summarising
relevant studies quickly. They are often used for time-sensitive projects where
efficiency is a priority, without sacrificing quality

13. Conceptual Review

Conceptual reviews concentrate on clarifying and developing theoretical concepts
within a specific field. They address ambiguities or inconsistencies in existing
theories, aiming to refine and expand conceptual frameworks

14. Library Research

Library research reviews rely primarily on library and archival resources to gather
and synthesise information. They are often employed in historical or archive-based
research projects, utilising library collections and historical documents for in-depth
analysis
Methodology

Methodology is the approach that you take to gather data and arrive at the
recommendation(s). Choose a method that is appropriate for the research topic
and explain it in detail.
In this section, address the following: a) How the data was collected b) How it was
analysed and c) Explain or justify why a particular method was chosen.
Usually, the methodology is written in the past tense and can be in the passive
voice. Some examples of the different methods that you can use to gather data are
given below. The data collected provides evidence to build your arguments. Collect
data, integrate the findings and perspectives from different studies and add your
own analysis of its feasibility.
For Group Project, use one of the four methods listed below:
Literature review
Case study
Survey
Describe
Site Visit
Literature review
 Explore the literature/news/internet sources to know the topic in depth
 Give a description of how you selected the literature for your project
 Compare the studies, and highlight the findings, gaps or limitations.
Case study
 An in-depth, detailed examination of specific cases within a real-world context.
 Enables you to examine the data within a specific context.
 Examine a well defined case to identify the essential factors, process and relationship.
 Write the case description, the context and the process involved.
 Make sense of the evidence in the case(s) to answer the research question
Survey
 Gather data from a predefined group of respondents by asking relevant questions:
 Can be conducted in person or online
 Describe
 Why you chose this method (questionnaires, focus group, experimental procedure, etc)
 How you carried out the survey. Include techniques and any equipment you used
 If there were participants in your research, who were they? How did you select them
and how may were there?
 How the survey questions address the different aspects of the research question
Site Visit
 Analyse the technology / policy approaches by visiting the required site(s)
 Make a detailed report on its features and your understanding of it
Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using
the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study.

A literature review surveys prior research published in books, scholarly articles,

and any other sources relevant to a particular issue, area of research, or theory,
and by so doing, provides a description, summary, and critical evaluation of
these works in relation to the research problem being investigated.
Results and Analysis

Present the results of the study. You may consider visualising the results in tables and
graphs, graphics etc.

Analyze the results to obtain answer to the research question.

Provide an analysis of the technical and financial feasibility, social acceptability, etc.
Note: If you think it works better, you may merge the sections on Analysis and the
next section on Discussion.
Discussion, Limitation(s) and Implication(s)

Discuss your interpretations of the analysis and the significance of your findings
Explain any new understanding or insights that emerged as a result of your research
Consider the different perspectives (social, economic and environmental)in the
discussion.

Explain the limitation(s)

Explain how could what you found be used to make a difference for sustainability
Conclusion and Recommendations

Summaries the significance and outcome of the study highlighting the key points.
Come up with alternatives and propose specific actions based on the alternatives
Describe the result or improvement it would achieve

Explain how it will be implemented

Recommendations should have an innovative approach and should be feasible. It

should make a significant difference in solving the issue under discussion.

References

List all sources that you have referred to in your writing.

Use the recommended citation style consistently in your report.
Appendix (if necessary/any)
Include any material relating to the report and research that does not fit in the body of
the report in the appendix. For example, you may include the survey questionnaire and
detailed results in the appendix.
Start each appendix on a separate page and label sequentially using numbers or letters,
eg. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.