Project work guidelines

Title of the Project work the fewest possible words that describes the content of the project.

They identify the main issue of the project they relate directly to the subject

it must be;

Accurate, concise, specific, unambiguous, complete, devoid of abbreviations, easy to extract the main
content, attract readers by communicating appeal.

5 main chapters

1. INTRODUCTION

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

3. METHODOLOGY

4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

5. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

CHAPTER I

1. INTRODUCTION

- Introduction

An introduction should be sufficiently interesting to motivate a reader to consider reading the rest of the
paper. The introduction thus comprises:

• Sufficient background information to enable a reader understands the context and significance of the
issue or problem that was addressed.

• A statement of the goal of the project: why the study was undertaken, or why the software was
developed.

• Proper acknowledgment of any previous work that is being built upon. Sufficient references such that
a reader could follow to get further understanding of the context and significance of the problem.

• A "road map" guiding the reader as to what lies ahead.

Here is the actual problem.

What goes into chapter one that is the INTRODUCTION:

1.1 Background

- General perspective of the project area

- Reasons for choosing the topic

1.2 Problem Statement

- describe the problem to be solved or the opportunity to take advantage of.

1.3 Aim and Objectives

1.3.1 General Objective

- state the aim of the project work.

1.3.2 Specific objectives

-state the specific objectives of the project work.

1.4 Significant

- state the benefits or the importance of the project when it is done

1.5 The Scope

- state the areas you will cover and those you will not cover with respect to your case study

1.6 Limitations of the work.

- state the constraints or difficulties you met during the project.

- come at last end of the project.

1.7 Organization of the Project work.

CHAPTER II

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Here is how I studied/ reviewed the work. Thorough evaluation and analysis and discussions of works
related to your work. Follow trends.

A good literature review provides an overview of the field of inquiry by describing, summarizing,
evaluating, clarifying and integrating the contents of primary or original scholarly material in that field.
This is done so as to:

• Justify the necessity for the current research work or development process

• Identify gaps in the literature pertaining to the particular issue or topic under study

• Avoid repeating work that has already been done

• Identify materials, methods and approaches that could be relevant to one's project

• Identify other people working in the same field etc.

For projects that involve developing software solutions, the literature review might involve looking at
related systems - what specific solutions are out there, how they were developed, how they work, how
effective (or ineffective) they are at addressing the unique problem under consideration etc. All this
should serve to justify the need for developing a particular software, the appropriate materials to use,
"best-practice" approaches to adopt etc.

2.1 Introduction

2.2 Overview of Project area

2.3 Review of other related works and trends

2.4 Review of Existing Design

2.5 Technical/Components review

2.6 Summary

CHAPTER III

3. METHODOLOGY

Here is how I did the workable. How did you do it steps you followed.

Methods employed and clarifications of rationale of using a procedure. Provide materials used, data
collection/sources, analytical/statistical techniques used, the study target or area. Include flow chart,
maps, graphs, figures, tables, screenshots, GUI
This section gives a detailed account of the research or development processes and must be written in a
way that will allow a reader to assess the believability and credibility of the outcomes. It should also be
written in a way that will enable another researcher replicate the research (or key algorithms) and arrive
at the same or similar results. The section therefore involves description of the materials, equipment and
technologies used, data sources, strategies adopted, how, where and when data was gathered and
analyzed, assumptions made etc. It is therefore not enough to say for example, interviews were conducted
or survey questionnaire were used to collect data etc. The day, date and time of each interview, who
comprised the interviewer(s) and interviewee(s), how long, what questions etc. must all be clearly spelt
out.

For software developers, all issues pertaining to how one arrived at the particular application being
developed must also be addressed here, i.e. problem analysis, systems analysis, prospective user demands
and expectations, hardware and software availability and limitations etc.

Introduction

3.1 Method used (describe the idea or the thinking behind the project. State what you are going to do
and the components you are suing in order to achieve the intended results.)

3.2 Tools/Components used

3.3 Components description

3.4 Method Used in Designing and constructing

3.4.1 Block Diagram

3.4.2 Circuit Diagram

3.4.3 Design Specifications (specify values of components, ranges, frequency, any values used in your
work)

3.5 Software used (if any)

CHAPTER IV

4. RESULTS AND DISCYSSIONS

Here is what I found or what I did

Discussion: say the significant of the results.

State the results and discuss the implications (state and discuss)

The results are actual statements of observations, including statistics, tables, graphs and screenshots of
software interfaces, constructed device. Sufficient details are presented to enable readers draw their own
inferences and construct their own explanations.

For software development projects, this section must give an account of usability testing results. If the
system was implemented, user impressions, questions and comments should also be presented. The
tendency is always for students to leave out any negative or nonconforming results, but this is not
acceptable. All positive and negative outcomes must be reported.

Results are then interpreted and discussed in a way that will help answer the original research question
or problem and also give indications as to whether the outcomes are significant. The student does not
explicitly state that the results are excellent, significant etc.

Whatever is written here should help a reader answer the question - what are the things we now know or
understand (or can now do) that we didn't know or understand (or could not do) before the present work?

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Design testing

4.3 Results and descriptions

4.4 Discussion

4.5 Cost Analysis

CHAPTER V

5. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion: here is what the results mean. A brief summary of the results. Compare your results to a
previously published results.

Recommendations: here is what I propose/suggest. Proposal for future works, any improvement for the
project.

This is the final section of the thesis, and in this, the student refers back to problem posed, summarizes
the key steps taken to help address the problem and describes the conclusions that were reached based
on the outcomes of these steps. In so doing, there is an opportunity to suggest to a reader that what the
project set out to do had either been accomplished or not. This must however be based solely on the
results and not from general knowledge or the student's own imagination.
Since the project set out to solve a problem or address an issue, it is good practice to make some
recommendations as to how the NEW knowledge (or software solution) obtained 10 from the research,
or development process can be applied in the particular context or similar situations. Recommendations
are therefore based strictly on the findings and conclusions of the study, and should be written as
suggestions and not as arguments or instructions.

5.1 Summary

5.2 Conclusion

5.3 Limitations

5.4 Recommendations

ABSTRACT

Must be informative and indicative

Abstract has 6 things:

1. They are summary of work that has been done (past tense)

2. Should not be more than one page (2/3 of a page)

3. A sentence or two summarizing each of the 5 chapters.

4. No new information, no supporting materials, limited essentials.

5. It condenses the whole paper into miniature form.

6. It is a one paragraph summary of project.

7. Should always be written last.

What goes into abstract?

- Motivation – why the projects

- Problem statement

- The approach/ method

- Results – answer to the problem

- Conclusion – the implications of the results

Recommendations.

REFERENCES

Referencing Style

All scholarly writings in the Department of Computing must follow the IEEE referencing style. In this
style, citations are numbered, but these numbers are included in the text in square brackets as [1] and not
as superscripts. All bibliographical information is then included in the list of references at the end of the
document, next to the respective citation number. Below are a few examples of IEEE citation referencing
style, but students are advised to consult the full document at:
http://www.ieee.org/documents/ieeecitationref.pdf

For books:

[1] A. Author and B. Author, "Title of book." City of Publisher: Abbrev. of Publisher, year.

[2] A. Author, "Title of chapter in the book," in Title of Published Book, xth ed. City of

Publisher: Abbrev. of Publisher, year, ch. x, sec. x, pp. xxx–xxx.

Example:

[1] J. Doe and P. Brown, "Robot Vision." Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986.

[2] L. Stein, "Random patterns," in Computers and You, J. S. Brake, Ed. New York:

Wiley, 1994, pp. 55-70

For Periodicals

[3] A. Author, "Name of paper," Abbrev. Title of Periodical, vol. x, no. x, pp. xxx-xxx,

Abbrev. Month, year.

Example:

[3] R. E. Kalman, "New results in linear filtering and prediction theory," J. Basic Eng.,

vol. 83, pp. 95-108, Mar. 1961.

For Websites
[4] A. Author. (year, month day). Title (edition) [Type of medium]. Available: http://(URL)

Example:

[4] J. Jones. (1991, May 10). Networks (2nd ed.) [Online]. Available: http://www.atm.com

Number of References:

BSC degree up to 30

Msc degree up to 50.

APPENDICES

-contain information that are not essential but support your analysis or validate your conclusions.

- there is no limit to what you place here.

Questionnaires are mostly placed under appendices

Format of the Thesis

Presentation
Thesis must be presented in a permanent and legible form in typescript or print.

Photographic and other illustrations should be permanently mounted on

international standard

A4 size paper and bound in with the thesis. In no circumstances should

'sellotape' or similar materials be used for any purpose.

Print and Paper

Plain white A4 size (30 cm x 21 cm) paper of good quality and of sufficient
opacity for normal reading should be used. Standard photocopy paper is
perfectly acceptable. Text should be printed in black ink, on one side of the page
only. This prevents show-through and helps to ensure that photocopies are clear.
Font Character and Line Spacing
The university accepts a 12 point size Times New Roman type face of letter
quality black printing only, except for footnotes where 10 or 11 point size
may be acceptable.

Corrections (with typewriter correction fluid) are not acceptable. Double line
spacing should be used in the main text. However, single spacing should be
used for block quotations and footnotes. All candidates are required to type
their own thesis.

Layout & Word Processing

Margins should be 4 centimeters (1½ inches) wide on the left-hand side (i.e.
binding edge) and not less than 2 centimeters (0.75 inches) on the right-hand
side of the paper. Top and bottom margins should be set at 2.5 centimeters (1
inch). Text should be justified.

Pagination
All pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence, i.e. from the first page
to the last page. This sequence must include everything bound in the volume,
including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc. Any material which cannot be
bound in with the text must be placed in a pocket inside or attached to the back
cover.

Indentation
No first line of paragraph indentation throughout the dissertation.

Footnotes
If footnotes are used, they are placed at the bottom of the page and indexed in
the text by superior Arabic numbers raised a half-space above the line. The
numbers should begin with 1 and continue sequentially throughout the text. In
situations where multiple numbers are used, there should be no spacing
between them, and they follow (not precede) punctuation such as a period,
comma or closing quotation mark.

Word Limits
A bachelors' degree thesis should not exceed 12,500 words (about 50 pages) for
the main text. The word limit does not include appendices, essential footnotes,
tables and figures, introductory parts and references.

Text
The text of the thesis usually has an introductory chapter followed by the report
of the study divided into chapters. Chapter One is the first page, and each
chapter begins on a new page. The number of each chapter is given in capital
Roman numerals and its title in capital letters, for example:

Tables, Figures, Charts and Illustrations

Tables and figures must have at least a 1½-inch left margin. They are numbered
consecutively within each chapter of the thesis and given page numbers. They
are listed numerically by number, title and page number in the appropriate
named List in the prefatory section. In exceptional cases oversize tables or charts
may be added provided that the 1½-inch left margin and proper pagination is
maintained. Still larger tables and charts may be typed full size and then
reduced to fit on the page. The candidate may also insert illustrations of any size,
but the 1½-inch left margin must be maintained for binding purposes. All
illustrative pages must be included in the consecutive numbering of pages. If a
table or figure is depicted in landscape format the page remains in portrait
format; only the object is produced in landscape, and pagination continues in the
bottom center. A landscape format table or figure must read outward (i.e., the
bottom must be at the right margin).

The Oral Presentation

The oral presentation, which makes up 40% of the final grade, is examined for
content, delivery and responses to questions. The grading criteria will thus
involve looking at the student's:

 Ability to clearly articulate the problem, objectives, significance of the study,

and to place the research in the proper context or perspective
 Ability to explain the research or system design and how it is derived from
the literature or system reviews etc.
 Ability to discuss clearly and in detail how the study or development was
executed
 Ability to prove the usefulness of project output or results
 Clarity of deliver y and appropriateness of responses to questions
 General appearance, composure and exhibiting a sense of being in control
 Ability to provide evidence that he/she actually did the work him/herself.
Thus students who conduct surveys must present ALL the responses (if they
are paper based), or for online surveys, show the website with the responses
etc. Students who develop software must show the coding and development
processes.
The Written Thesis

The written thesis (60%), is assessed by at least two readers - an internal

examiner who is usually a lecturer in the student's department, and an external
examiner who is usually a lecturer in an affiliated institution. The grading
criteria include the following:

 Abstract - how it appropriately summarizes the whole work

 Introduction: background, context, problem etc. - how clearly articulated
 Research questions, objectives, significance - how clearly discussed in
relation to the problem
 Thoroughness of literature or system review
 Methods used - their appropriateness and correct execution
 Correct discussion and interpretation of the findings (or evidence that a
software solution achieves stated objectives)
 Clarity and cohesiveness of content, including grammar, spellings etc.
 Text formatting, pagination etc. adhere to the guidelines outlined in the
thesis manual
 Overall relevance of the project