Royal University of Bhutan
College of Natural Resources
LOBESA
CNR Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines
Dr. Phub Dorji, Dr. D.B Gurung and Dr. Phanchung
Last Edited and Updated: 11 August 2016
Sonam Tashi
College of Natural Resources
Royal University of Bhutan
Lobesa: Punakha
Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
Table of Contents
Schedule of Activities for B.Sc. Dissertation .....................................Ошибка! Закладка не определена.
1
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2
2
Roles of Dissertation Coordinator, Supervisor and Supervisee/Student ...................................... 2
3
Identifying and Selecting Dissertation topic .................................................................................... 3
4
Process in changing approved dissertation title ............................................................................. 4
5
Developing Dissertation Proposal ..................................................................................................... 5
6
Proposal Approval .............................................................................................................................. 5
7
Structure/Components of Dissertation proposal ............................................................................. 5
8
Components and contents of the final dissertation......................................................................... 7
9
Referencing guide............................................................................................................................. 10
10
Guidelines and Basic Writing styles ............................................................................................... 11
11
Submission........................................................................................................................................ 12
12
Assessment ....................................................................................................................................... 13
13
Plagiarism .......................................................................................................................................... 14
14
Form no. 1: Certificate ...................................................................................................................... 15
15
Form no. 2: Plagiarism Declaration form ........................................................................................ 16
16
Form no. 3: Dissertation Proposal Evaluation form....................................................................... 17
17
Form no. 4: Dissertation Evaluation form ....................................................................................... 18
18
Form no. 5: Thesis Defense Evaluation form ................................................................................. 19
19
Form no. 6: Article Evaluation form ................................................................................................ 20
20
Cover Page Guide ............................................................................................................................. 21
21
Example of Components of a dissertation ..................................................................................... 23
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
Tentative schedule will be sent to you soon.
1
Introduction
The undergraduate dissertation is an important project in the undergraduate programme. It provides
opportunities for students to demonstrate their capacity to work independently and produce reports of
scientific standards, to plan and organise a large project over a long period, and to put into practice some of
the knowledge and skills learnt during the course. Whatever the level of academic achievement, students
should show their individuality and inspiration in this project. It should be the most satisfying piece of work
in their degree programme. The dissertation is equivalent to 5 modules worth 60 credits. Considering the
importance and amount of credits allocated to the dissertation, student’s inability to submit the expected
result on time may result in not passing the semester.
This document presents comprehensive guidelines for both the staff and students who are involved
in dissertation writing. It sets out the basic rules and the “Dos” and “Don’ts” of the process, as well as gives
general advice on how to undertake dissertation. It is very important that both the staff and students
understand their own (and each other’s) roles in the project. Therefore the role of the Students, Supervisor,
and the Dissertation Co-ordinator are also outlined.
1.1 Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the dissertation, a student should demonstrate:
 An understanding of research methods and research skills appropriate to general research areas of
natural and social science;
 Ability to retrieve, identify, select, and organise information;
 Knowledge of and a critical review of current literature relevant to the field of research;
 The relationship between their research and the general body of existing knowledge in the subject
areas and the ability to critically evaluate and discuss this relationship; and
 The ability to record and report research process through data interpretation, analytical and problemsolving skills.
2
Roles of Dissertation Coordinator, Supervisor and Supervisee/Student
2.1 Dissertation Coordinator
The Dean of Academic Affairs (DAA) of the College will be the Dissertation Coordinator (hereafter referred
to as Coordinator). The role of the Coordinator is to oversee the overall management and administration
associated with the dissertation. Any query or problem related to the administration and management of the
dissertation project may be referred to and settled with the DAA (Coordinator).
2.2 Supervisor
A Supervisor is either a faculty member or a subject matter specialist from outside the College who will
guide the assigned student(s) from the inception till the submission of dissertation. The role of the
supervisor is to direct, advise and assess the student through each stage of the dissertation. The
supervisor should meet the student regularly at agreed time that suits both the parties. It is important to
remember that the supervisor is not there to do the work for the student but to guide and assess the work of
student until completion. The supervisor shall also give technical assistance to the student as required. The
supervisor should encourage students to take initiative so that they learn to take responsibility for their work
and do not become overly dependent on the supervisor.
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At the start of the dissertation, the supervisor should assist the student in working out a time-table for
various stages of the dissertation and this should be regularly updated as the dissertation project goes on.
The supervisor should guide the student through each stage of the dissertation and should advise the
student on any difficulties s/he may experience.
The supervisor should also regularly update the students on their performance. If a supervisor is
concerned about the performance of a student, this should be communicated to the co-ordinator so that
corrective action can be taken on time. Supervisors are expected to be courteous and considerate to their
students. If a supervisor has to cancel a meeting, this should be communicated to the student in advance.
2.3 Supervisee/ Student
The dissertation gives the student the opportunity to apply the skills they have acquired during the course
works to produce a credible and high quality dissertation. The ultimate responsibility for the completion of
the dissertation lies with the student and the dissertation should be the work of the student. In consultation
with the supervisor, students are expected to develop initiatives in completing their dissertations and should
not depend on the supervisor to actively sort out all of their problems. This means that the dissertation
should contain the ideas of the student under the guidance of the supervisor.
Meeting related to dissertation should consist of an exchange of views by student and supervisor
and should not just involve the supervisor telling the student what to do and how to do it. Students are
expected to behave with maturity in respect to their supervisors and dissertation projects. This means that
students should be courteous to their supervisors, accept direction, complete works as required and be
punctual for meetings. Supervisors should be notified in advance if a meeting has to be cancelled. If a
student has any query or problem with his/her project that cannot be resolved by the supervisor, the
student can communicate this to his/her Program Leader, who in turn will apprise the Coordinator at the
very earliest.
It is the responsibility of the students to contact their respective supervisors to set up meetings and
discuss their progress. Given that supervisors have more than one student to supervise in addition to their
day-to-day teaching and other academic assignments, they may not be in a position to meet the students at
any time and therefore the students are expected to plan the meetings in advance.
3
Identifying and Selecting Dissertation topic
Students are expected to identify research areas and topics that are of interest to them, which will help
them to develop skills and learn new ones, have significant value to them or their organisation, and will help
them develop their career in a particular direction. Ideas for dissertation can come from a student’s
particular interest in any given area, from outside the work undertaken by the student, or from his or her
own organisation.
Alternatively, there will also be some research projects put forward by certain members of the
Department. Students interested in pursuing one of these projects should contact the concerned staff
member. Students who have difficulty in identifying a research/dissertation topic should communicate this
to their respective PLs or the coordinator who can assist them in choosing appropriate areas.
While identifying and selecting research topic, the students may like to keep in mind the following
feasibility aspects:
3.1 Availability and access to data and information
Mere availability of data should not be the prime factor in selecting a topic. However, it is essential to
ensure that sufficient data exists and students are able to have access to it. In addition, the student must
make sure that the data can be collected within various constraints to enable them to complete the
dissertation on time.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
3.2 Literature
Students’ project should, to a large extent, be based on a specific area of established literature. They
should be able to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the literature and how it relates to their
research questions.
3.3 Time availability
Students should be careful not to attempt too large a task in the time available. To help determine this, their
project plan should include estimates for each of the activities for the whole project and the necessary
deadlines required in completing the project in the allocated time. If the problem looks unmanageable within
the timeframe of one semester, then the student should try to break the scope of the study into smaller
parts, or limit its scope. The supervisor should be of key assistance at this planning stage of the
dissertation.
3.4 Personal skills and interests
Students should choose topics within their capabilities and their interest including, perhaps their career
ambition. They should carefully assess their interest and abilities to see whether they match the proposed
project. However, project may be used to learn new skills or to broaden their knowledge. Students need to
make sufficient allowance in their plan for the extra time involved.
3.5 Need for the research
There should be an identified need for the study that is recognised by both student, staff, or by the relevant
organisation. Although the result may not have immediate application, it is important that students or
anyone involved feels that the study is worthwhile. The process of compiling a project can be lengthy and
exciting so the knowledge that the work will make a practical contribution can help sustain motivation.
3.6 Risk involved
It is important to remember that a BSc dissertation is a programme requirement and it must be successfully
completed. So, students need to assess whether the dissertation can be completed on the expected time
scale or not. Students must be certain that they will be able to finish the dissertation in order to satisfy the
programme requirement.
As soon as the proposal topic is approved, the supervisor will directly communicate the same to the
coordinator with a copy to concerned PL. At this stage, it is just a working title and can be changed at a
later date. However, if a major change in topic is required then due process should be followed (see the
section on Process in changing approved dissertation title).
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Process in changing approved dissertation title
Initially approved dissertation title can be changed under certain circumstances. However, in doing so, due
process should be followed. The process involved in this includes - the concerned student will
explain/justify to his/her supervisor through an application for the change in topic. In the event the
supervisor is convinced with the justification, s/he will forward the application to the coordinator with a
remark for endorsement. A copy of the same will also be provided to the concerned PLs. The coordinator
will record the change for verification at a later stage.
In the event of failing to observe this due process and if the topic maintained with the coordinator does
not match with student’s topic, then the final dissertation resulting from such discrepancy will be treated as
null and void.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
5
Developing Dissertation Proposal
After identifying and selecting a topic, students should develop a research proposal. The research proposal
should include a brief background/importance of the intended study, research question(s) to be
investigated, objective(s), a brief literature review connected to the proposed study, methods and materials
needed to achieve the research objective, work plan/ calendar of activities and the estimated budget.
6
Proposal Approval
The proposal should be submitted to the College Research Committee with support from concerned
supervisors. The CRC will be the ultimate authority on whether or not to approve a research proposal.
Without such approval, students should refrain carrying out any dissertation work.
Once the proposal is approved, student may not be allowed to make major changes in it. However, if
this is unavoidable then similar to changing approved research topic, due process should be followed.
7
Structure/Components of Dissertation proposal
The following notes provide students with the structure and components of the dissertation proposal. While
developing a proposal, students are encouraged to regularly discuss and seek advice from their respective
supervisors. Figure 1 illustrates the components of a dissertation proposal.
The proposal should be word-processed using Times New Roman, 12 font size, 1.5 space and be
between seven to 9 pages. The proposal should also have at least five credible references.
Figure 1: Components of a dissertation/ research proposal
7.1 Dissertation topic
A topic should be as catchy as possible. It should be limited to about 15 words, if possible. It should be
carefully chosen so that it meets the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reliable and Timely)
criteria.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
7.2 Background/ Problem Statements
This section should first provide a brief background or introduction to the study and then spell out the
importance, relevance and the need for the study by putting together a succinct context of the problems
that need to be investigated.
This section should be at least one page or at most two, 1.5-spaced, normal font.
7.3 Objective(s)
A proposal should have clearly stated objective(s), which should be related to the problem statement(s) and
be aligned with the study topic. It is not advisable to have more than two objectives, unless the study truly
merits more objectives.
7.4 Literature Review
Literature Review should contain those information that are not only relevant to the study, but are also
current. Further, the information presented in this section should be sourced from those authors or sources
which are credible in that particular field of study.
This section should be between two to four or more pages.
7.5 Methods and Materials
Along with describing the study area where this study will be conducted, this section should outline the
research methods or designs and other tools that will be needed and be used for this study. It should also
include specific statistical test(s), sampling methods and sample size.
This section should be between two to four pages.
7.6 Work plan
This section can be presented in a matrix (see Figure 2). It should outline the various activities that will be
needed to fulfil the objective(s) of the study and when each of these activities will be carried out. This plan
will also serve as a handy guide to the student. It could be of one page.
Figure 2: Example of a research activity work plan
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
7.7 Budget
It may be worthwhile to work out a rough estimate of the budget more so if the student is looking for
external funding. The budget can be worked out for each activity. This can be done in one page.
7.8 Bibliography
While writing a proposal, students are expected to do as much reading as possible to get good grasp of the
topic they are planning to further research on or to get idea on the area of their interest or to capture
research gaps so that they can pursue further research on the same.
This section should contain five or more references in relevant field. The references should, to a large
extent, be current.
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Components and contents of the final dissertation
The following guidelines on the components/ structure and contents of each components of the dissertation
should be followed strictly.
8.1 Title page
This should contain the title of the dissertation, author’s name, his/her position, date and his/her affiliation
(see example of title page on page no. 23).
8.2 Blank page
The first page after the hardbound cover should be an empty page.
8.3 Inside title page
This will be the first page of the dissertation. It should be the exact same copy of the title page.
8.4 Certificate
This page should contain the name of the supervisor and his/her signature. This page should be signed by
the supervisor only after verifying that all the changes and comments suggested by the examiners have
been incorporated by the student. Students cannot print the final thesis without this certificate. (Form no. 1).
8.5 Declaration
Students must declare that their dissertation is original and have not been submitted before for any other
degree, and that all the sources of information and assistance received during the course of the study are
duly acknowledged. This particular section should be dated and signed (Form no. 2).
8.6 Abstract
Ideally an abstract should contain one to two lines of background, if at all needed. If not, it could start with
one to two lines of the objective(s) of the study. Next would be the highlight of the methods used in the
study, again in about two to three lines. Results or the important findings are next, again in another two to
three lines. This could be followed by another two lines of discussion of the important findings and another
one to two lines of conclusions based on the important findings. However, the discussion and conclusions
are not mandatory.
In essence, the abstract should provide a bird’s eye view of the whole dissertation in a concise
manner, so that a reader need not refer to the whole dissertation/article except for details. Normally
abstract is written at the very end.
The abstract should not contain citations, illustrations and tables. It should be limited to 300 words.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
Use of paragraphs in abstract should be avoided. It may be single-spaced and italicized.
The two spaces below abstract, Keywords of the dissertation should be spelt out. Keywords is a oneword term. Key terms in the Keywords should be arranged in alphabetical order.
8.7 Acknowledgements
Students should acknowledge any form of assistance received from others during the course of the study/
dissertation.
8.8 Dedication (Optional)
If students want or feel the need to dedicate their work/dissertation to someone else, they can do so here.
8.9 Abbreviations and Acronyms
This page should reflect all those abbreviations and acronyms used in the text for easy reference. This is
should be placed in alphabetical order. This section could also include foreign term(s).
8.10 Table of Contents
This should contain headings, subheadings and page numbers. All headings should be numbered and
where necessary levels defined. Lists of Figures, Tables and Appendices should also be provided. If the
number of tables or figures is less than five then the list of Tables and List of Figures should be reflected in
one page after maintaining appropriate space between them.
The List of Appendices could be continued in the main Table of Contents instead of starting on a fresh
page unlike the List of Tables and Figures.
8.11 Introduction
This section should describe and explain the background of the problem/phenomenon being studied and
set it into a specific context. It should provide convincing justification/rationale, reasons, relevance and
importance for the study/investigation. How the study would add new knowledge to the existing body of
knowledge should also be explicitly described.
Introduction, rationale of the study and objectives/specific objectives will constitute Chapter 1. This
chapter could range between two to four pages, double spaced.
8.12 Literature Review
This section briefly examines the history of thought which explains the current situation and the theory of
the topics the students are working on, i.e., animal sciences, agriculture, environment, natural resources,
marketing, economics etc., and which shows that there have been other inquiries into the general area and
what their conclusion(s) is/are.
This section should not contain the opinion(s) of the author(s) or contain very minimal opinion, if at all
and in very appropriate space, preferably where the author(s) have done work on similar field/ area in
question.
This section should comprise Chapter 2, and it should range from seven to 12 or more pages, doublespaced.
8.13 Materials and Methods
This section will comprise Chapter 3. It should first outline where the study will be conducted, i.e. study
area. The reason(s) for choosing a particular area for study should be provided along with other relevant
information, such as, climatic and soil conditions if the study is related to agriculture. It is also now
becoming increasingly common to provide the geographical coordinates of the study area.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
This section should then outline the sample size and sampling methods used to derive the sample
size. This should be followed by the tools or experiments and all other methods used to generate the data.
If it is a field experiment, then the number of treatments, replication per treatment, replication size or plot
size and the experiment design used should be provided. If survey questionnaires were used, the type of
questionnaires used should be provided and a few, preferably two to three important questions pertaining
to the objective(s) of the study should also be spelt out. The data generated from the above exercise will
constitute primary data.
Secondary data is information already published and available in the public domain. Such data is
important sometimes to further supplement the primary as well as discussion of the findings.
Equally importantly, the students should describe, where appropriate, if not at least outline, the various
tests conducted for each of the parameters or variables. Significance threshold or cut off value used in the
study should be mentioned, which could be either .05 (95%) or .01 (90%) or in some cases .001 (99%).
All materials and methods used in this section should be able to fulfill the objectives set out in the
study. For this reason, it is important to think and plan this section in more detail. And this section should be
written in such a way that readers can repeat the work, if need be.
This section should be between three to seven pages, including study area map and illustration, if any
of the experiment layout.
8.14 Results and Discussion
Results and discussion should be combined (though not always) to avoid repetition. Each result or finding
should be supported by brief but adequate tables or graphs or pictorial materials, wherever necessary, and
more importantly by critical discussion. The discussion could include references and citations in similar
fields from past studies, where available.
Students must support, challenge or deny the current theory presented. Grade will be significantly
improved in the event that students are able to explain why their data differs (or is the same as) the theory.
This section should constitute Chapter 4, and should be between 5 to 11 pages or more, including
tables, figures and other illustrations. However, raw data or data that are huge should not be placed in this
section. They should be appended, if necessary.
8.15 Conclusion(s)
Each statement in this section should be clear, concise, and without elaborative and repetitive discussion.
All significant findings must be summarized here, and based on these, suitable conclusion(s) should be
arrived at along with identifying further research needs and recommendations at different levels, if
appropriate.
New ideas should not be at all introduced in this section.
This section should be between one or at most two pages. If need be or where appropriate,
recommendations from the study can be either merged with the Conclusion(s) or provided as a separate
section. However, it is not mandatory to provide recommendation, if it not relevant.
If there is more than one conclusion, the section can be written in plurals, e.g., Conclusions.
8.16 References
This section should contain a list of all the books, articles, manuals and sources of materials used in the
projects. It should be arranged in alphabetical order and fully referenced so that readers, if need be, can
find the sources of information with ease.
All citations in the text/dissertation must be reflected in the reference list and vice-versa. In the event
where at least five citations in the text/dissertation are not reflected in the reference list then such
dissertation will be considered for major revision irrespective of the quality of the content.
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References must be presented in a consistent manner, following a recognized convention proposed in
these guidelines, which is provided in Referencing Guide in the subsequent section.
8.17 Appendices
This section should be used to provide raw data, survey interview questionnaires and other relevant
information.
9
Referencing guide
Generally, a reference should consists of author’s surname or second name, initial of the first name, year of
publication, the title of article, the title of the book (in italic), paper or periodical (in italic), volume number,
and issue in bracket, colon, and page number.
All references should be carefully cross-checked to ensure that references are correct (To ease
referencing writing, software such as EndNote, Mandeley and so on can be used).
9.1 Referencing Journal Article
This should consist of author’s surname or second name, initials of the first and second names, if any, year
of publication, the title of article, the title of journal or periodical (in italic), volume number, issue in bracket
followed by a colon, and page number. For example:
Kainth, G.S. & Mehra, P.L. (1988). Seasonality pattern of market arrival and prices of potato in Punjab,
Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing. 2(1): 113-120.
9.2 Referencing an entire book
This consists of author’s surname, initials of the first name and second, if any, year of publication, the title
of book (in italic), place of publication, and name of publisher. For example:
Rogers, E.M. (1983). Diffusion of innovations. New York: The Free Press.
9.3 Referencing article/ chapter with author(s) from edited books
This should consist of author’s surname or second name, initials of the first name and second, if any, year
of publication, the title of article, title of the book (in italic), edition, page number, editors in bracket, place of
publication, and name of the publisher. For example:
Cheng, K.J. & Costerton, J.W. (1980). Adherent rumen bacteria: Their role in digestion of plant material,
urea, and epithelial cells. In Digestive Physiology and Metabolism in Ruminants, eds. Y.
Ruckebusch & P. Thivend, 1st edn., pp.227-250. Lanchaser: MTP Press Ltd.
9.4 Citation in the text
In the text, references should be cited in chronological order with author’s name and year of publication in
parenthesis as shown in examples below:


When only one author
o The study conducted by NRTI revealed that there are more than 13 lines of indigenous chickens in
Bhutan (Nidup, 2005).
o Nidup (2005) revealed that there are more than 13 lines of indigenous chickens in Bhutan.
Two authors
o The poultry development programme initiated in Bhutan since 1961 has not made any tangible
impact (Nidup and Dorji, 2005).
o Nidup and Dorji (2005) argued that Bhutan has not made any tangible impact in the areas of
poultry development even after four decades.
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB

More than two authors
o The poultry development programme initiated in Bhutan since 1961 has not made any tangible
impact (Nidup et al., 2005).
o Nidup et al. (2005) stated that poultry development programme in Bhutan started in 1961.

Where there are two or more papers by the same author in one year
In such case, distinguishing letter (a, b, c…) should be added to the year. For example:
o The mitochondrial DNA sequences suggest that Bhutanese chickens are genetically diverse (Nidup
et al., 2005a; 2005b).
o Nidup et al. (2005a; 2005b) showed that Bhutanese chickens are genetically diverse.
9.5 Referencing Internet Sources
Author/Publisher, year, title, web address, and full date of when the article was accessed. For example:
o Nidup, K. (1990). Nature’s Inspiration. <http://www.kuenselonline.com>. Accessed 1 June 1991.
OR
o Kuensel. (1990). Nature’s Inspiration. <http://www.kuenselonline.com>. Accessed 1 June 1991. (in
absence of the author)
o FAO. (2004). Animal genetic resources. <http://www.fao.org>. Accessed 20 May 2004.
9.6 Referencing personal communication
Information gathered through personal communication with experts and relevant stakeholders, where
appropriate, should be cited in the text, but not in the Reference List. Citation should include name of the
concerned person, the mode of communication, which is “personal communication” followed by date,
month and the year of contact; for example: K. Penjor, Personal Communication, 17 August 2016).
10 Guidelines and Basic Writing styles
Students are expected to respect the following guidelines for the contents of their dissertation.
Both the proposal and final dissertation should be written in A4 size paper; only one side of the paper
should be printed. The dissertation should be (i) word-processed, (ii) Times New Roman with (iii) font size
12, (iv) 1.5 spacing, (v) page number centered at the bottom of the page and on all sides of the page, a
margin of one inch should be maintained.
A key should be provided for abbreviations and acronyms used. For uncommon
abbreviation/acronyms, the term should be given in full at the first instance followed by the
abbreviation/acronyms in parenthesis. The final dissertation report should be approximately 33 pages in
length, excluding references, appendices, inside title page and table of contents.
All statistical symbols should be typeset in italics (e.g., t test, trial n, SEM, p< .05). Parenthesis in
statistics should be in these forms; t(75) = 3.91; F(4,231) =43.63. Write ‘percent’ when numerals do not
precede or use ‘%’ following a number (e.g., eighty-six percent or 24%).
A space should be maintained between a unit and a figure. For instance, 22 cm, 4 kg etc.. However,
there are exceptions. For instance, for temperatures expressed in degree centigrade, there is no space
between the figure and its unit (5ºC). Same is true while expressing in percent, e.g., 7% and not 7 %.
Use “double quotation” marks to give emphasis and use parenthesis and brackets when necessary
(the Blood Sugar [BS]).
For simple cases slash/virgule can be used as in 4.05 mg/kg and 4.5 nmol. hr -1. mg-1 for compound
cases.
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Numbers below 10 are worded, however, there are exceptions. One such example is the numbers in a
series, e.g., “There were 10 girls and 3 boys in the class”. Also, in measurement, e.g., ‘We added 2 ml of
water in the tube”.
Zero before decimal fraction is not used in cases where any value expected is not above 1, e.g., p>
.05, but is used in cases like 0.45 cm or 2(4, N = 30) = 0.5.
Use symbol for degree, e.g., 30ºC.
For numbering tables and figures, follow chapter number. For example, the first table in Chapter 3,
should be reflected as Table 3.1 or Table 3.2, if that is the second table in Chapter 3. Likewise, for Figure 1
in Chapter 2, use Figure 2.1. For writing table or figure caption, separate the table or figure number with a
colon (:), e.g. Figure 3.2: Weight of frogs fed with different diets. For captions, figure can be abbreviated,
e.g. Fig. 3.2: Weight of frogs fed with different diets.
The caption for a table should always be on the top and for a figure it should always be below the
figure or the illustration.
All tables and figures should be referred to in the text, if not such tables and figures become
redundant.
Use spaces between equation like a + b = c rather than as in a+b=c. Also use a space as in 2 cm
x 4 cm instead of 2cmX4 cm
Commas in numerals are used when number exceeds three digits, e.g., 30,000 people; however, there
are exceptions, for instance, in year 1989.
The first paragraph under the heading or subheading should not be indented, while all other succeeding
paragraphs should be indented by 0.3’ Tab. There should not be any spaces between paragraphs.
For headings like Chapter One (justified centre, bold, 12 font size), Title of the Chapter (justified centre,
bold, in different line, e.g. Literature Review). For headings within a Chapter use numbered Headings
(bold, font size 12), and italicize those subheadings with three number levels, e.g., 3.2.1 Elements of
composting.
Scientific names follow the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN) rules. For instance,
Dalbergia sissoo (when species is confirmed), Dalbergia sp. (when species is not confirmed; note that the
“sp.”, which is an abbreviation of the English word species; it should not be italicized). When referring to
more than one unconfirmed Dalbergia species, it can be written as Dalbergia spp., and Dalbergia sissoo
Roxb. for reporting Authority.
Foreign and Latin terms such as et al., which have are so common in usage need not be italicized.
Otherwise, they all should be italicized or alternately the first letter of the term should be in Block for the first
time, e.g. There are 20 Dzongkhags in Bhutan, of which Gasa is the smallest dzongkhag.
11 Submission
11.1 Meeting Deadlines
Students should meet the various dissertation related activities’ deadlines set by the coordinator in the
beginning of the Semester.
“Extension” or additional time for completion of either the proposal or the dissertation will only be
granted in exceptional circumstances by the coordinator in consultation with the concerned supervisor and
PL. If duration of “extension” goes beyond one month for whatever reason, including for major revision
work, then the student will not be eligible to graduate with his/her original cohort. Such case will be reported
to the Program Board Examinations and from there it will be forwarded by the Chair of PBE to the next
scheduled meeting of the College Academic Committee.
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11.2 Dissertation Screening
Before submitting the dissertation for screening, students should have adequately consulted their
respective supervisors. If consultations have been inadequate, the supervisor reserves the right to reject
the dissertation for submission. In such case, the dissertation will be considered fail and the student will
resubmit the dissertation with the following year’s cohort.
Students should make a simple copy of the dissertation and submit the same to the coordinator
through their respective supervisor on a prescribed date for screening. The screening will involve checking
for general format and the overall presentation in order to ensure that the work adheres to the College’s
standard and regulations.
The coordinator will organize the screening exercise in which all PLs and some of the supervisors will
be involved. This exercise will be conducted and the dissertation returned to the students on the same day
of receiving the dissertation.
During the screening process, the coordinator with assistance from PLs and supervisors will also
cross-check whether dissertation topics are same as the one approved during the time of proposal
approval. If not, then those dissertations will be automatically considered as failed and not be considered
for evaluation. The coordinator will intimate the decision to the respective PLs and supervisors.
Those dissertations not meeting the required minimum standard will be returned to concerned
students for necessary changes. After making necessary changes, the concerned students will show the
changes effected to the supervisor, who in consultation with the coordinator will approve the students to
make two copies (one each for internal and external evaluators) of the dissertation for final evaluation. The
students will submit the final copies to the coordinator after consulting with their respective supervisors.
11.3 Final Dissertation Submission
The students should incorporate all the comments and feedback provided by from the evaluators. And
these should be shown to their respective supervisors, who may or may not consult with concerned
evaluators for deciding on whether to accept or reject the changes incorporated. Unless the supervisor is
satisfied with the changes, the concerned student shouldn’t print and submit the final copy for the award.
In the event of dissertation not being accepted, the concerned supervisor will intimate the same to
coordinator for necessary record and action.
If the supervisor is satisfied with the changes incorporated in the dissertation, the concerned student
can then make three copies (both hard bound and of good quality) and submit one each to the supervisor,
coordinator and the library. At the time of submitting the hard copy, the students should also submit soft
copy to the coordinator. The student should also submit both soft and a hard copy of the article to
CRC/DRIL and the coordinator.
The supervisors will intimate their respective PLs and the coordinator, in the event of any dissertation
not being submitted on time.
Those dissertation which are graded as major must be submitted by or before two months from the
time of receiving the grade. Failing to do so would result in student graduating in the following academic
year.
12 Assessment
As stipulated in the Wheel of Academic Law (D1), the dissertation will be assessed as (i) Outstanding
(>80%), (ii) Very Good (70 – 79.9%), (iii) Good (60 – 69.9%), (iv) Satisfactory (55 – 59.9%), (v) Fail
(<49.9%).
Since there is no provision for Major Revision (MR) grade in the WAL, as an interim measure, the grade
between 50 and 54.9% will be considered as MR.
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Two evaluators (one internal and one external) will grade the (i) dissertation report and (ii) dissertation
defence, which comprise 50% and 25% of the entire dissertation marks; the (iii) dissertation proposal and
(iv) article, which the supervisor will grade, comprise 10% and 15%, respectively of the overall dissertation
mark.
Unlike in the past, proposal and dissertation writing and submission process will not be graded or
considered for inclusion in the final dissertation award. However, the students are expected to strictly
adhere to various submission datelines, which will be worked out by the coordinator and circulated to all
concerned. In the event of failing to respect these datelines for whatever reason, the supervisor reserves
the right to reject the dissertation. Supervisor will report such cases to PLs and the coordinator.
All students are expected to produce at least one article from their dissertation, which will also be
graded.
12.1 Dissertation Proposal Assessment Guidelines (10%)
Dissertation proposal will be evaluated by respective supervisor using Form no. 3. However, proposal
screening and approval will be done by the College Research Committee. If the Committee finds the
proposal to be unsatisfactory, the student will have to rework on his/her proposal and present the same
until the CRC approves it.
12.2 Dissertation Assessment Guidelines (Out of 50%)
The dissertation will be graded by two evaluators and the average of the two will be used for awarding the
final grade/mark. Form 4 will be used for evaluating the dissertation.
12.3 Thesis Defense (out of 25%)
Students will defend their dissertation in a public forum with a presentation of about 30 minutes (15 minutes
each for presentation and discussion). One internal and one external evaluator will judge the defense using
Form no. 5.
12.4 Journal Article from Dissertation (out of 15%)
Along with their supervisors, students will prepare at least one journal article from the dissertation. Journal
article will be assessed by concerned supervisor using Form no. 6
13 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a severe form of academic dishonesty where one presents the work of another as if it were one’s own
without acknowledging the use of that work. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form and if any student is found or
judged to have plagiarized or indulged in any academic dishonesty, his/her dissertation will be considered as fail. The
following are examples of plagiarism:
 verbatim copying of other’s work without acknowledgement or paraphrasing of other’s work by simply changing a
few words or altering the order of presentation without acknowledgement;
 ideas or intellectual data in any form presented as one’s own without acknowledging the source(s)
 making significant use of unattributed digital images such as graphs, tables, photographs, etc. taken from test
books, articles, films, plays, handouts, internet, or any other source, whether published or unpublished;
 submission of a piece of work which has previously been assessed for a different award or module or at a
different institution as if it were new work; and
 use of any material without prior permission of copyright from appropriate authority or owner of the materials
used.
Students are required to submit an undertaking stating that s/he did not commit any academic dishonesty or resort to
plagiarism in writing the dissertation in the Plagiarism Declaration Form provided (Form no. 2).
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14 Form no. 1: Certificate
15 June 2017
Certificate
This B.Sc. degree thesis on, Can Bhutan Achieve its Goal of Becoming a Fully Organic Agriculture
Country?, was conducted during the academic year 2017, under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Phuntsho
Wangdi, Department of Agriculture, College of Natural Resources, Lobesa, Bhutan.
Examiner’s name: Tashi Dorji
Signature: ..........................
Examiner’s name: Choki Wangmo
Signature:............................
Supervisor’s name: Prof. Dr. Phuntsho Wangdi
Signature: .............................
Dean of Academic Affairs: Asst. Prof. Dr. Sonam Tashi
Signature: .............................
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
15 Form no. 2: Plagiarism Declaration form
Declaration
I declare that this is an original work and I have not committed, to my knowledge, any academic dishonesty
or resorted to plagiarism in writing the dissertation. All the sources of information and assistance received
during the course of this study are duly acknowledged.
Student’s Signature: .....................................
Date: ...............................
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
16 Form no. 3: Dissertation Proposal Evaluation form
Dissertation Proposal Evaluation (10%)
Dissertation Topic: ................................................................................................................................
Author: ................................................................................
Semester: .................
Component
Introduction
Literature Review
Methods & Materials
Work plan
Overall presentation
Department: ........................... Batch: .............
Criteria
Problem statement
Rationale
Objectives
Relevant to the topic
Credible references
Appropriate research design
Appropriate methods
Adequate sample size
Fulfil study objective
Appropriate tests outline
Comprehensive
Achievable on time
Technically sound
Comprehensive
Full marks
Year: ...........................
Mark obtained
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
Overall Grade
10
Name of the Evaluator: .......................................... Signature: ............................................
Date: .....................................
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
17 Form no. 4: Dissertation Evaluation form
Dissertation Evaluation (50%)
Dissertation Topic: ................................................................................................................................
Author: ................................................................................
Semester: .................
Component
Introduction
Literature Review
Materials & Methods
Results & Discussion
Conclusion
References
Overall presentation
Overall Grade
Department: ........................... Batch: .............
Criteria
Appropriate context
Logical problem statement
Appropriate objective(s)
Comprehensive literature
Credible citations
Relevant literature
Recent literature
Appropriate research design
Appropriate methods
Adequate sample size
Fulfil study objective
Appropriate analysis
Relevant to study objective(s)
Logically ordered/presented
Adequately illustrated
Each result critically discussed
Significant results summarized
Appropriate conclusion(s) drawn
Fulfil study objective(s)
Credible sources referred
Adequate number of references
Correct referencing style
Well formatted
Year: ...........................
Full mark
2
4
2
2
2
2
2
4
3
2
2
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
3
1
1
1
1
50
Mark obtained
Name of the Examiner: .......................................... Signature: .........................................
Date: ............................
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
18 Form no. 5: Thesis Defense Evaluation form
Dissertation Defense Evaluation (25%)
Dissertation Topic: ................................................................................................................................
Author: ................................................................................
Semester: .................
Department: ........................... Batch: .............
Criteria
Communication skills
Relevant structure
Coherent content
Appropriate tables and illustrations
Confidence
Comprehensive
Appropriate answers
Overall Grade
Full mark
2
4
5
6
2
4
2
25
Year: ...........................
Mark obtained
Name of the Examiner: .......................................... Signature: .........................................
Date: ............................
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
19 Form no. 6: Article Evaluation form
Article Evaluation (15%)
Dissertation Topic: ................................................................................................................................
Author: ................................................................................
Semester: .................
Department: ........................... Batch: .............
Criteria
Abstract well written
Problems clearly stated
Objectives
Interpretation of results and discussion
Conclusion/ recommendation based on findings
Correct citation and referencing
Language – readable
Overall Grade
Full mark
2
2
2
3
3
2
1
15
Year: ...........................
Mark obtained
Name of the Examiner: .......................................... Signature: .........................................
Date: ............................
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20 Cover Page Guide
(Written in Times New Roman, font size 14, bold (not block), no logos; Start with topic, followed by the author’s
name, then requirement statement, year of submission and the centre/institution to which the author is affiliated)
e.g.
Climate change and its impacts on smallholder farmers in Bhutan
Drugyal Dorji
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of B.Sc. in Agriculture
21 June 2017
College of Natural Resources
Royal University of Bhutan
Lobesa: Punakha
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One more example is given below
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Undergraduate Dissertation Guidelines, CNR, RUB
21 Example of Components of a dissertation
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Example of clubbing together, in one page, the List of Tables and List of Figures, if these
lists content five or less tables or figures.
This space
should be
bigger!!!
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