THESIS

& PROPOSAL PREPARATION

GUIDELINES
Bachelor in Forensic Science (Hons)
Management & Science University

This guide is meant to serve as a guideline for the Bachelor in Forensic Science
(Hons) students of Management and Science University in their preparation of a
research proposal and thesis. It deals with the format of both a thesis and proposal as
practiced by the university. It also contains brief explanations of each component of
the manuscript. This guideline is an adaptation of the Guide to the Preparation of
Thesis 3rd Edition FHLS MSU 2009.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0

INTRODUCTION

2.0

ORDER OF CONTENTS

2.1 Preface

2.2 Text

2.3 Supplementary

12

FORMAT

13

3.1 Header & Footer

13

3.2 Papers

13

3.3 Binding

13

3.4 Length

14

3.5 Typeface and Font Size

14

3.6 Numbers & Symbols

14

3.7 Margins

14

3.8 Spacing

15

3.9 Page Numbering

15

3.10 Tables

17

3.11 Figures

17

POSTER

19

4.1 Poster Size

19

4.2 Sections

19

3.0

4.0

APPENDIX A

21

APPENDIX B

22

APPENDIX C

23

APPENDIX D

24

APPENDIX E

25

APPENDIX F

26

APPENDIX G

27

APPENDIX H

28

APPENDIX I

29

APPENDIX J

30

APPENDIX K

32

APPENDIX L

33

APPENDIX M

34

1.0 INTRODUCTION
In the process of completing a Bachelors degree at Management and Science
University, a student is required to submit a thesis depending on the requirements of
the specific programme.
The Bachelor in Forensic Science (Hons) programme requires a student to
successfully complete and submit a thesis. These guidelines will assist students to
meet the minimal format requirements to complete the final form of their theses.

2.0

ORDER OF CONTENTS

The structure of the thesis is based on a standard format which contains the following
sections:
Preface
Text
Supplemetary

2.1

PREFACE

This section consists of the following:

2.1.1

Title Page

The title page is the first page after the font cover and should include the research title
which has been approved by the Faculty (or Research Coordinator), name of
candidate according to the registration records, and the statement Thesis Submitted
in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the Degree of Forensic Science in the
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Management and Science University and finally
the year of submission. Refer to the appendix section for examples.
2.1.2

Abstract

Generally the abstract is written after the completion of the text of the research/thesis.
It summarizes the structure of the whole text and the major facts it contains. It should
be written in the language of the thesis and translated to Bahasa Malaysia and contain
not more than 500 words. The abstract should be placed on the page immediately after
the title page.
2.1.3

Acknowledgements

Most theses have a subsection to convey appreciation to those who have been
involved in the study.

2.1.4

Table of Contents

The table of contents lists the chapters, topics and sub-topics together with their age
numbers. Sub-topics and topics should be labelled according to the chapter.
E.g. the first topic in Chapter 1 should be marked 1.1 and the first sub-topic, 1.1.1.
This numbering system provides a clear picture of the relationship between chapters
and topics and show how they are connected.
2.1.5

List of Figures

This list contains the titles of figures, together with their page numbers, which are
listed in the text.
2.1.6

List of Tables

This list contains the titles of tables, together with their page numbers which are listed
in the text.
2.1.7

List of Symbols and Abbreviations

The symbols and abbreviations must be in accordance with international convention.

2.1.8

List of Appendices

This list is optional and contains the titles of appendices placed in the supplementary
section.

2.2

TEXT

Candidates and supervisors should ensure that the text follows the agreed conventions
of the individual faculty. Normally, the text consists of the following chapters:
2.2.1

Introduction

This chapter contains the introduction to the issues in which the research is
concerned, the aims and objectives of the study, and the outline of the research
approach.
2.2.2

Literature Review

This chapter surveys previous literature and studies relevant to the field of study. The
literature review should be comprehensive and include recent publications. This
section will review published research related to the purpose and objectives described
above. It should be noted that references may be found throughout the proposal, but it
is preferable for most of the literature review to be reported in this section.
A review of the literature should also relate to the hypotheses, definition and
operationalization of variables, methodology and data analysis that follow. It should
summarize the results of previous studies that have reported relationships among the
variables included in the proposed research.
An important function of the literature review is to provide a theoretical explanation
of the relationships among the variables of interest. It is most important that the
review explain what mechanisms link the variables. The review can also provide
descriptive information about related problems, intervention programs and target
populations.
The literature review must address three areas:
1 . Topic or problem area: This part of the literature review covers material directly
related to the problem being studied. There will usually be at least two substantive
areas reviewed because most research involves variables that have been studied in
separate substantive areas.

For example, a study on some aspect of juvenile antisocial behavior suggests a review
of the literatures on anti-social behavior, adolescent development and families at risk.
As another example, research on the differential impact on males and females of
intervention characteristics in a substance abuse program would require a review of
the literature on substance abuse programs, the specific intervention characteristics in
question, and pertinent
research on gender differences. As another example, research on conceptualizations
of work in high stress settings would suggest a review of literature on the stress
factors in such settings, the concept of stress and the development of job-related
attitudes.
2. Theory area: Investigators must identify the theories which relate to the problem
areas.
3. Methodology: Investigators must review the literature which is appropriate to
various aspects of their chosen method, including design, selection of subjects, and
methods of data collection.
This section describes research methods and measurement approaches used in
previous investigations in the area. This content should be considered in designing the
proposed research and used to support the choice of design and measurement
techniques. Otherwise, the investigator must explain why s/he has chosen methods or
approaches that have not been used previously.
After reading the literature review, the reader should understand the problem area you
have selected and the theoretical models, findings, methodologies, and measurement
techniques that have been used in previous, related research efforts.
The literature review should lead up to specific hypotheses, which are then listed at
the end of the literature review.
2.2.3

Methodology

This chapter describes and explains the research methodology used in the study. The
sub-topics for the 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 of this
is to inform the reader of the methods used to collect the data and generate the
findings reported.
Design
This section will describe the type of research design to be used. Will it be an
idiographic, survey, quasi-experimental or experimental design? Will it be crosssectional or longitudinal? Will it be a retrospective or a prospective design? The
design should also describe the sequence of events that will occur in conducting the
research. This would include how the subjects will be divided up, what the subjects
are expected to experience during the research, and when and how often they will be
observed or asked for information. After reading this section, the reader should have a
clear understanding of the overall design of the study.
Data Collection
This section will operationalize the variables to be included in the proposed
evaluation. It is helpful to divide the variables into dependent variables, independent
variables, and covariates.
Dependent variables are outcomes (e.g., drug abuse, self-esteem, depression) which
are affected directly by other variables. They might also include variables which are
affected indirectly (e.g., arrest rates, recidivism, employment record). Independent
variables can include intervention approaches, program characteristics, and subject
characteristics believed to affect the dependent variables. Covariates are additional
independent variables included in the research solely for the purpose of controlling
for differences that might exist among subjects. These differences are controlled
statistically so that they will not confound conclusions that are drawn about
relationships between independent variables and dependent variables.
A description of how each variable will be measured should be included in this
section. Ideally, one should measure each variable two different ways so that some
estimate of measurement validity can be made. After reading this section, the reader
will know the specific variables that will be included in the proposed study and, most
important. how they will be measured.

This section MUST be written in complete sentences, organised in paragraphs. It is

advisable for students to produce a flow chart of the methods in order to ease the
readers understanding.
2.2.4

Results

This chapter presents a complete account of results and analyses of the study in the
form of figures, tables or text, highlighting key information Each figure and/or table
attached must be followed by an explanation.
Data Analysis
This section will explain how the data will be analyzed once they are collected.
Usually, more than one analysis is conducted. Each analysis that will be used to meet
each objective listed above should be described. Also a description of the specific
effects to be examined in each analysis, such as main effects, interaction effects. or
simple main effects, should be included.
The unit of analysis to be used should be specified and the reason for choosing that
unit should be explained. After reading this section, the reader should know which
effects will guide the data analysis and in exactly what way the data are to be
analyzed to meet each objective of the proposed study.
Data analyses should be specifically linked to the hypotheses so that it is clear how
each hypothesis will be tested.
2.2.5

Discussion

This chapter contains the interpretation of the results. The 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 of the research.
The discussion should also relate to the hypotheses put forward. Students can also
give their opinions based on the findings. Students are allowed to combine the results
and discussion sections into one chapter.

2.2.6

Conclusion

In this section, the findings are summarised and their implications discussed. this
section may include suggestions for future work. The conclusion should be one to
three pages only in paragraphs format.

2.3

SUPPLEMENTARY

Specific items which were not included in the main body of the text, should be out in
this supplementary section. Typically, this section includes the following:
2.3.1

Appendix

Appendices consist of additional illustration of data sources, raw data and quoted
citations which are too long to be placed in the text. The appendix supports the
written text of the thesis. Research instruments such as questionnaires, maps or
computer programs are also attached in this section/chapter. Appendices can be
divided into Appendix A, B, C, etc. This section is commonly placed after the
references list.
2.3.2

References

All works or studies referred to in the thesis in the form of quotations or citations
must be included in the reference section/chapter. The references should be written
consistently in the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Each
reference should be written in single spacing format and a double space should be left
between references. This list of references should not be numbered and should be
arranged in alphabetical order.

3.0

FORMAT

The format of the proposal follows the format of the thesis strictly. However, the
proposal will only contain the following sections:
Table of contents
Introduction
Literature Review
Methodology
3.1

HEADER & FOOTER

The use of header and footer is NOT allowed.

3.2

PAPERS
White paper (80gsm) or paper of equivalent quality should be used. Paper
should be of A4 size (201mm x 297 mm).

3.3

BINDING

3.3.1

Proposal
TWO (2) copies of the finalized manuscript/proposal should be comb-bound.
The title, author, name of the university and year of submission must be
printed on the cover. Refer to the Appendix section for the format. The cover
for both copies should be hard paper in blue. The letters for the Front cover
should be printed and in uppercase letters.
Both copies shall be handed in to the supervisors.
TWO (2) copies of the proposal shall be comb-bound, using BLUE cover.

3.3.2

Thesis
ONE (1) final, approved copy of the thesis MUST be hardbound in MAROON
colour with the fonts printed in GOLD. This copy shall be submitted to the
faculty.
ONE (1) copy of the same approved thesis should be soft bound in MAROON
colour and submitted to the respective supervisors.

3.4

LENGTH
The maximum length (excluding footnotes, appendices, tables and prefaces) for
a submission for examination:

3.5

Proposal

: 10,000 words

Thesis

: 15,000 words

TYPEFACE AND FONT SIZE

The entire text of the research proposal MUST be produced with the same
font or typeface stipulated in this section. The font size should be 12 points
(Times New Roman) and should not be scripted or italicised except for
scientific name and/or terms in a different language. Bold print may be used
for headings. Footnotes and texts in tables should not be less than 8 points.

3.6

NUMBERS & SYMBOLS

All integers less than ten should be spelt out unless they are attached to units
of measure (e.g. 10 kg, 5 mL). Use figures for numbers above 10, eg: About
225 students.. Numbers which are less than 10 must be spelt out, eg The
samples in the study consist of seven elderly.. If a sentence begins with a
number, write the number in words, eg: Twenty two students were
sampled..
The symbol % may be used in place of the word percent, e.g. 72.5% and
typed without a space. If the candidate prefers to write 72.5 percent in full,
then consistency should be maintained throughout.

3.7

MARGINS
For the first page of any NEW chapter:
Top
Bottom

: 50 mm
: 25 mm

Left

: 38 mm

Right

: 25 mm

For the rest of the pages:

Top

: 30 mm

Bottom
Left

: 25 mm

: 38 mm

Right : 25 mm
All information (text heading, footnotes, illustrations) including page numbers
must be within the text area.

3.8

SPACING
The body of the text should be typed with 1.5 spacing. The following should
be single spaced:
Long quotations
Tables
Heading or subheading
References
Abstract
Acknowledgements
Explanatory footnotes

3.9

PAGE NUMBERING
Pages should be numbered consecutively throughout the thesis including
pages for tables, figures and appendices. All page numbers should be placed
at the bottom right hand side without any punctuation.
Font size 8 recommended for numbers.
Roman numerals (i, ii, iii etc) should be used in the Preface section.
Although the Title Page is the first page of the Preface, no number is

printed on it. Numbering begins on the second page with (ii). The number
of pages for acknowledgements, abstracts, table of content, list of tables,
list of figures, list of abbreviations or glossary are also numbered in the
same manner.
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3) are used on the pages of the text (starting with the
introduction page) and supplementary sections.

Each appendix should be identified separately by a capital letter (A, B, C,

etc.). The pages of the appendices should also be numbered accordingly.
Page 1 will only begin with the first page of the Introduction (Chapter 1).
3.9.1

Page Arrangements
1. Title Page
This page includes the following information:
Full title of thesis
Full name of author
Degree for which thesis is submitted
Name of the institution to which thesis is submitted
Faculty/centre in which research was conducted
Month and year of submission
2. Approval Sheet
The wordings on the page should read as follows:
This thesis submitted to the Senate of Management and Science University
has been accepted as fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Forensic
Science (Hons). The member of the Supervisory Committee are as follows:
Signature:
Supervisor: (Type name here)
Date:

3. Declaration Form
The declaration form should read as follows:
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that the thesis is based on my original work except for
quotations and citations which have been duly acknowledged. I also declare
that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted for any other degree
at MSU or other institutions.
DATE:

SIGNATURE
(name of candidate)

3.10

TABLES
Tables are printed within the body of the text at the centre of the frame and
labelled according to the chapter in which they appear. Thus, for example,
tables in Chapter 3 are numbered sequentially: Table 3.1, Table 3.2.
The label should be placed above the table itself and has the following format;
Table 3.1: Short Title
If the table occupies more than one page, the continued table on the following
page should indicate that it is a continuation: for example Table 3.7,
continued. If the table contains a citation, the source of the reference should
be placed below the table.

3.11

FIGURES
Figures, like tables are printed within the body of the text at the centre of the
frame and labelled according to the chapter in which they appear. Thus, for
example, figures in Chapter 3 are numbered sequentially: Figure 3.1, Figure
3.2.

Figures, unlike text or tables, contain graphs, illustrations or photographs and

their labels are placed at the bottom of the figure rather than at the top (using
the same format used for tables).
If the figure occupies more than one page, the continued figure on the
following page should indicate that it is a continuation: for example Figure
3.7, continued. If the figure contains a citation, the source of the reference
should be placed at the bottom, after the label.

4.0

POSTER

4.1

Poster Size
90 cm x 70 cm (Height x Width)

4.2

Sections

1. Title
Each poster should include a title banner with the names and institutional
affiliations (i.e. Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, MSU).
The title should be in a large font, preferably with letters which are
approximately 3 tall, so it will be readable from a distance.
2. Introduction
3. Objective (s)
4. Hypothesis
5. Methodology
Preferably represented by a flow chart.
6. Results
Include all illustrations and texts which should be sufficiently large to allow
them to be read or seen easily from a distance of 1.5 metres.
7. Discussion
Interpretation of results and presentation of discoveries.
Discussion of the merits, assumptions and limitations of your approach.
8. Conclusion
Discuss major finding (s) that can contribute effectively to your chosen
research area.

9. References
At least 4 major references.
10. Acknowledgement

APPENDIX A: Spine and Cover of Thesis

APPENDIX B: Sample of Title Page

APPENDIX C: Sample of Approval Sheet

APPENDIX D: Sample of Declaration

APPENDIX E: Sample of Abstract

APPENDIX F: Sample of Contents

APPENDIX G: Sample List of Tables

APPENDIX H: Sample List of Figures

APPENDIX I: Sample List of Abbreviations and Symbols

APPENDIX J: Sample of text

APPENDIX K: Sample of Figures

APPENDIX L: Sample of References

APPENDIX M: Sample of Proposal Cover