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PROJECT PAPER
ABCP4106 (COMMUNICATION)
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECT PAPER

PROJECT PROPOSAL FORMAT
FINAL PROJECT REPORT FORMAT
Writer: Assoc Prof Dr Arifin Hj Zainal
Developed by: Centre for Instructional Design and Technology

Open University Malaysia
First Edition, April 2012

Second Edition, August 2015
Third Edition, April 2018
Fourth Edition, March 2019
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM), March 2019, BPT4106/ABCP4106/ABSP4106

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means
without the written permission of the President, Open University Malaysia.
1
PROJECT PAPER ABPT4106/ABCP4106/ABSP4106
2
FOREWORD
This guideline aims to assist learners in the academic writing process

especially for their final year Project Paper. All learners pursuing graduate
degrees in programmes under the Faculty of Business and Management
(FBM) are required to undertake two semesters of research exercise called
Section 1 and Section 2 respectively.
Section 1 requires learners to develop a project proposal. The proposal

developed will be used as the blueprint to carry out an empirical investigation
the following semester as Section 2. A total of six credits weight age is given
to Sections 1 and 2, with each part carrying three credits respectively.
Learners have to do both individually.
This guideline is divided into three main topics, namely:
(a) General requirements of a project (Section 1);
(b Format for Project Proposal (Section 2); and
(c) Format for Project Report (Section 3).
The appendices section provides further illustrations for learners to

understand the requirements, specifications as well as evaluation criteria of
the project.
The project being a capstone course for the FBM programmes, envisages
learners’ learning outcomes that achieve high levels of cognitive skills (i.e.
able to evaluate), psychomotor skills (i.e. able to construct), affective skills (i.e.
able to propose) and social skills (i.e. able to manage resources).
Upon undergoing the systematic research process, the project modules

envision creating human capital with sound problem-solving and decision-
making abilities.
3
4
CONTENTS
Foreword 3
Section 1 General Requirements of Project 5

1.1 Introduction 6
1.2 Nomination of Supervisor 6
1.3 Language 6
1.4 Technical Specification 7
1.4.1 Font Type and Size 7
1.4.2 Margin 7
1.4.3 Line Spacing 7
1.4.4 Page Numbering 8
1.4.5 Paper Type 8
1.4.6 Binding 8
1.4.7 Project Proposal and Project Report Submission 9
1.4.8 Page Layout 9
1.4.9 Subdivisions 9
1.4.10 Process Flow 10
Section 2 Project Proposal Format 12

2.1 General Guidelines 12
2.2 Chapter Organisation 12
Section 3 Project Report/Dissertation Format 13

3.1 General Guidelines 14
3.2 Chapter Organisation 14
3.2.1 Front Section 14
3.2.2 Main Section 15
3.2.3 Back Section 16
4 References 16
5 Appendices 18
6 Submission of Project Paper 18
5
SECTION 1
General Requirements of Project
1.1 INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this guideline is to assist learners in preparing and completing

their Project Proposal and Project Report. Learners are advised to
communicate regularly with their respective supervisors for subject matter
guidance. This means you will be assigned a supervisor to guide you in
conducting your research.
1.2 NOMINATION OF SUPERVISOR
You are required to find a supervisor by submitting a Nomination of Supervisor

form (FASSRP01 form) to the Research and Project Management Unit
(RPMU) via e-mail or mail together with supervisor curriculum vitae ( see
Appendix A and B).
A supervisor is appointed for the duration of the project. During this period, the
supervisor and the learner are required to follow the Project Paper
Guidelines when preparing his Project Paper. Learner and supervisor must
interact face to face/online (minimum four times per semester).
Learners are required to nominate a supervisor who has at least a Master’s

degree qualification in a related field.
You can do your Project Paper within two semesters – one semester for
Section 2 (Project Proposal) and another semester for Section 3 (Project Final
Report).
1.3 LANGUAGE
The project proposal and project report can be in English or Bahasa Melayu
(BM). The writing style should be standardised, using either American English
or British English.
6
1.4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
This is an individual final year Project Paper. The Project Proposal and Project
Report submitted for grading should be typed using a word processor and
printed using a laser printer.
Learners are required to comply with the following requirements:
1.4.1 Font Type and Size
The entire text of the Project Proposal and Project Report including title and
page number should be in font size 12 and font type Times New Roman or
Arial.
1.4.2 Margin
The first page of each chapter should have the following margins:
Top : 5cm/2 inches
Right : 2.5cm/1 inch
Left : 3.5cm/1½ inches
Bottom : 2.5cm/1 inch
The text in the subsequent pages should have the following margins:
Top : 2.5cm/1 inch
Right : 2.5cm/1 inch
Left : 3.5cm/1½ inches
Bottom : 2.5cm/1 inch
These specifications should be adhered to in order to facilitate binding.
1.4.3 Line Spacing
The Project Paper must have double line spacing. Figures and tables should
be single line spaced. Quotes of three lines or more must be indented and be
single line spaced. Each reference in the References section should also be
single line spaced. Single line spacing should be used within titles and within
each entry in lists and footnotes.
7
1.4.4 Page Numbering
All front matter page numbers must be in lowercase Roman numerals centred
at the bottom of the page. The first page of the front matter after the title page
should be numbered “ii”, not “i”. The first page of the body of the Project Paper
should be numbered as page 1. Learners should use Arabic numbers. Words,
dashes or any other symbol before or after the page number is not allowed.
The font size of the page numbers should be the same as that of the text in
the Project Paper.
The Project Paper page numbers can either be at the:

(a) Top right corner;
(b) Bottom right corner; or
(c) Bottom centre.
Page numbers on landscape-oriented pages must be placed to be consistent

with the numbering placement used in the Project Paper. Pages must be
numbered consecutively throughout the Project Paper.
1.4.5 Paper Type
Learners should use 80 grams white coloured A4 (210mm  297mm) sized

paper for printing.
1.4.6 Binding
Learners should submit for binding only after obtaining supervisors’ approval.
The Project Proposal requires comb binding whereas the final year Project
Paper should be bound in hardcover (blue colour).
Information on the front of the hardcover that includes project title, learner’s
name, faculty, institution’s name and the academic session should be printed
in capital letters and Arial Narrow, size 18 font in gold (see Appendix C).
Information on the spine of the hardcover that includes learner’s name,

programme name and academic session should be printed in capital letters
and Arial Narrow, size 18 font in gold (see Appendix C).
8
1.4.7 Project Proposal and Project Report Submission
The Project Proposal and Project Report should be submitted to the RPMU
one week before final examination in their respective semesters or please
refer to important dates on the activities project paper in MyVLE (Faculty
announcement) according to the semester which offers project papers.
1.4.8 Page Layout
Text should be typed on a portrait layout. Landscape layout is allowed for

tables and figures.
1.4.9 Subdivisions
The internal organisation of the text should be consistent throughout the

Project Paper. The text should be divided into chapters, for example,
Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc. Subdivisions can also be used. Content of each
chapter may be divided under headings and sub-headings such as 1.1, 1.2
and 1.3 and so on. Headings should only be presented at a maximum of three
levels (see Appendix G).
1.4.10 Process Flow
The process flow for these procedures is presented in Figure 1.
9
PROCESS FLOW OF PROJECT PAPER PREPARATION FOR

ABPT4106/ABCP4106/ABSP4106
10
Figure 1: Process flow of Project Paper preparation
11
SECTION 2
Project Proposal Format
There are two components of Project Proposal format.
2.1 GENERAL GUIDELINES
The project proposal should not exceed 30 pages and should consist of three
chapters.
2.2 CHAPTER ORGANISATION
The project proposal is a scientific document, hence should comply with a

systematic writing sequence as follows:
Chapter 1: Introduction
(a) Background of study
(b Problem statement
(c) Research question
(d) Study objectives
(e) Study contribution
Chapter 2: Literature Review
(a) Review of literature

(b) Concepts and theory
(c) Conceptual framework
Chapter 3: Methodology
(a) Research design
(b) Sample and sampling instrument
(c) Research method
(i) Data collection
(ii) Data analysis
(iii) Study plan (Gantt Chart)
References
12
SECTION 3
Project Report Format
The following are the Project Report format:
3.1 GENERAL GUIDELINES
The Project Report should comprise written documentation between 50 and

60 pages excluding the front section (3.2.1) and the appendices.
3.2 CHAPTER ORGANISATION
The Project Paper is a scientific document, hence should comply with a

systematic writing sequence as follows:
3.2.1 Front Section
The following are the components of the front section:
(a) Title page should include the following (see Appendix D):
(i) Project title;
(ii) Author’s name; and
(iii) Programme name.
(b) Abstract
Pay attention to the preparation of your abstract. The abstract should be
as informative as possible and cover the following six key areas:
(i) Purpose;
(ii) Scope;
(iii) Methods used;
(iv) The results;
(v) Conclusions; and
(vi) Recommendations.
Limit your abstract to 350 words (see Appendix F).
13
(c) Acknowledgement
This section allows the author to express gratitude to people and
organisations that have assisted in completing the Project Paper
successfully such as your supervisor, family members, organisations,
etc.
(d) Originality Declaration

The author declares that the work carried out in completing the Project
Paper is original, true to research ethics and without plagiarism ( see
Appendix E).
(e) Table of Content

Provides guidance to readers of the main and sub-headings discussed
in the Project Paper (see Appendix H).
(f) List of Tables and Figures/Illustration

Title of tables and figures/illustration should be written in the same
manner as in actual text.
3.2.2 Main Section
The following are the components of the main section:
Chapter 1: Introduction
(a) Background of study;
(b) Problem statement;
(c) Research question;
(d) Study objectives;
(e) Hypothesis;
(f) Study contribution; and
(g) Limitation of study.
14
Chapter 2: Literature review

(a) Review of literature;
(b) Concepts and theory; and
(c) Conceptual framework.
Chapter 3: Methodology
(a) Research design;
(b) Sample and sampling;
(c) Instrument;
(d) Research method;
(e) Data collection; and
(f) Data analysis.
Chapter 4: Findings and Discussion

(a) The results section will have the plots that show your results;
(b) Your text will describe what you see in the figures in some detail. Point
out significant observations;
(c) Describe what is there factually; and
(d) The discussion section explains your deductions about the data, your
speculations and describes how these fit into the general project and the
implications of the results.
Chapter 5: Conclusion
(a) Summarises the preceding chapters;
(b) Discusses any constraints, failures or weaknesses of your project;
(c) Emphasises the research’s contributions to the field;
(d) Indicates possible future research; and
(e) States the potential impact of your accomplishments if work on the
project was to continue.
15
3.2.3 Back Section
The following is the list for formatting the references:

(a) Start the reference list on a new page, with the word References in the
top centre of the page;
(b) Arrange the items alphabetically by author (if no author is given, then
start with the title);
(c) Do not spell out an author’s first or middle name: Shock, P. J. (not
Shock, Patti J.); and
(d) In titles of books, articles, websites and other major works, only the first
words of the title and subtitle are capitalised (except proper nouns,
which are still always capitalised. For example, Conferences and
conventions: A global industry.
However, significant words in the titles of journals, magazines and

newspapers are capitalised. For example, Journal of Hospitality and Tourism
Research.
4.0 REFERENCE
The following are the reference list examples – selected common source
types.
(a) Journal or Magazine Articles
Print Version:
Monteson, P. A., & Singer, J. (2004). Marketing a resort-based spa.

Journal of Vacation Marketing, 10(2), 282–288.
Electronic Version:
Milman, A., & Ricci, P. (2004). Predicting job retention of hourly

employees in the lodging industry. Journal of Hospitality &
Tourism Management, 11(1), 28–41. Retrieved from the
Hospitality & Tourism Complete database.
Schoolfield, J. (2008). Desert oasis. Funworld, 24(3), 28–34. Retrieved

from
http://www.iaapa.org/industry/funworld/2008/mar/features/DesertO
asis/DesertOasis.asp
16
(b) Books
Parker, R. M., Jr. (2003). Bordeaux: A consumer’s guide to the world’s

finest wines (4th rev. ed.). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
O’Halloran, R. M., Jarvis, K., & Allen-Chabot, A. (Eds.). (2006). Cases in

hospitality and tourism management. Upper Saddle River, N. J.:
Pearson/Prentice Hall.
(c) Chapter in an Edited Book
Whorton, J. C. (2000). Vegetarianism. In K. F. Kiple & K. C. Ornelas

(Eds.), Cambridge world history of food (pp. 1553–1564).
Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
(d) Brochure/Pamphlet
Print Version:
Crystal Cruises. (2003). Cruise guide 2004 [Brochure]. Los Angeles, LA:
Crystal Cruises.
(e) Film/Video/DVD
Educational Institute of the American Hotel and Motel Association

(Producer). (1997). Supervisory skill builders: Leadership [Motion
picture]. East Lansing, MI: The Institute.
McCallum, R. (Producer), Lucas, G. (Director), & Lucas, G., Hales, J.

(Writers). (2002). Star wars II: Attack of the clones [Motion picture].
Beverly Hills, CA: Twentieth Century Fox.
(f) Webpage
Cope, J. (2003). Towards a dynamic learning perspective of

entrepreneurship [White paper]. Retrieved from
http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/48679
17
5.0 APPENDICES
Included in this section are all the relevant supporting materials especially the
research instruments, scoring procedures and other materials pertinent to the
study. An appendix is indicated by the word APPENDIX, capitalised and
centred on the page with label of the material below it.
The first page of the appendix is the title APPENDIX A with the label of the
material, followed by its contents, and then APPENDIX B and so forth. This
will indicate to whoever assesses your research report that it is a complete
and quality product.
6.0 SUBMISSION OF PROJECT PAPER
Learners are required to submit:
(a) A CD/ thumbdrive containing a copy of Project Paper report. Label the
CD/thumbdrive with the project code, project title, name of learner and
matric number; and
(b) A comb bined hardcopy of Project Paper.
18
APPENDIX A
RESEARCH AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT

(RPMU)
NOMINATION OF SUPERVISOR FOR PROJECT PAPER
PART A TO BE COMPLETED BY STUDENT
Name :
Programme :
Learning Centre :
IC/Passport Number :
Matric Number :
Intake :
Nomination for Semester JAN MAY SEPT Year
Postal Address :
Telephone No. : H/P:
Email :
TITLE OF RESEARCH (use BLOCK LETTERS)
Signature of Student Date
19
PART B TO BE COMPLETED BY SUPERVISOR (S)
DETAILS OF SUPERVISOR 1
Name of Supervisor* :
Specialization :
Institution & Address :
Telephone : (O) (H/P)
Signature of Supervisor Date
* Please attach supervisor CV.
PART C FOR OFFICE USE
FOR PROGRAMME DIRECTOR ONLY FOR RPMU ONLY

I-Campus Updated
Approved/Not approved Endorsed by:
(Signature & Stamp)

(Signature & Stamp)
Date:
Date:
Remarks (if any):
20
APPENDIX B
CV FORMAT
21
22
APPENDIX C
FORMAT OF FRONT COVER AND SPINE
23
APPENDIX D
FORMAT OF TITLE PAGE
24
APPENDIX E
FORMAT OF DECLARATION PAGE
25
APPENDIX F
FORMAT OF ABSTRACT
26
APPENDIX G
FORMAT OF SUB-HEADING
27
APPENDIX H
FORMAT OF TABLE OF CONTENTS
28

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PROJECT PAPER

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS OF PROJECT PAPER

Developed by: Centre for Instructional Design and Technology

First Edition, April 2012

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM), March 2019, BPT4106/ABCP4106/ABSP4106

This guideline aims to assist learners in the academic writing process

Section 1 requires learners to develop a project proposal. The proposal

This guideline is divided into three main topics, namely:

(a) General requirements of a project (Section 1);

(b Format for Project Proposal (Section 2); and

(c) Format for Project Report (Section 3).

The appendices section provides further illustrations for learners to

Upon undergoing the systematic research process, the project modules

Section 1 General Requirements of Project 5

Section 2 Project Proposal Format 12

Section 3 Project Report/Dissertation Format 13

6 Submission of Project Paper 18

General Requirements of Project

The purpose of this guideline is to assist learners in preparing and completing

1.2 NOMINATION OF SUPERVISOR

You are required to find a supervisor by submitting a Nomination of Supervisor

Learners are required to nominate a supervisor who has at least a Master’s

1.4 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Learners are required to comply with the following requirements:

1.4.1 Font Type and Size

Top : 5cm/2 inches

Right : 2.5cm/1 inch

Left : 3.5cm/1½ inches

Bottom : 2.5cm/1 inch

Top : 2.5cm/1 inch

Right : 2.5cm/1 inch

Left : 3.5cm/1½ inches

Bottom : 2.5cm/1 inch

These specifications should be adhered to in order to facilitate binding.

1.4.3 Line Spacing

1.4.4 Page Numbering

The Project Paper page numbers can either be at the:

Page numbers on landscape-oriented pages must be placed to be consistent

1.4.5 Paper Type

Learners should use 80 grams white coloured A4 (210mm  297mm) sized

Information on the spine of the hardcover that includes learner’s name,

1.4.7 Project Proposal and Project Report Submission

1.4.8 Page Layout

Text should be typed on a portrait layout. Landscape layout is allowed for

The internal organisation of the text should be consistent throughout the

1.4.10 Process Flow

The process flow for these procedures is presented in Figure 1.

PROCESS FLOW OF PROJECT PAPER PREPARATION FOR

Figure 1: Process flow of Project Paper preparation

Project Proposal Format

There are two components of Project Proposal format.

2.1 GENERAL GUIDELINES

2.2 CHAPTER ORGANISATION

The project proposal is a scientific document, hence should comply with a

Chapter 2: Literature Review

(a) Review of literature

Project Report Format

The following are the Project Report format:

3.1 GENERAL GUIDELINES