FACULTY OF VETERINARY MEDICINE
SEMINAR, PROPOSAL AND THESIS WRITING GUIDELINES FOR POSTGRADUATE
STUDENTS
MAY, 2015
Gondar
PREFACE
Writing a scientific paper is not as simple as wanted. Students as future scholar should acquire
ability to summarize available information by preparing a seminar or planning, conducting a
research, analyzing and writing by preparing a thesis. This guide is prepared to help postgraduate
students in the preparation of a seminar, proposal and a thesis. These three documents are needed
to be prepared by each student who joins a research based postgraduate program. The student must
prepare his/her own document. All possible attempts should be made to avoid any sort of
plagiarism. Deliberate plagiarism may have negative impact on student’s grade or even on the
candidature based on its extent.
The guide covers aspects of seminar, proposal and thesis preparations. It has four parts. The first
part describes the common rules that will be used in the preparation of all documents. Part two is
about seminar preparation. Part three describes how to prepare a proposal. The last is about thesis
writing.
It is hoped that this guide will help students to prepare aforementioned documents and brings
uniformity in the faculty.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pages
PREFACE .......................................................................................................... ii
1.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1
2.
PART I: RULES COMMON TO SEMINAR, PROPOSAL AND THESIS ..................... 2
2.1
Margins and Fonts ...................................................................................... 2
2.2
Starting on New Pages ................................................................................. 2
2.3
Letter Cases and Numbering of Headings ......................................................... 2
2.4
Spacing and Indentation ............................................................................... 3
2.5
Page Numbering ........................................................................................ 3
2.6
Paper and Printing ...................................................................................... 3
2.7
Other Rules .............................................................................................. 3
2.8
Supervision .............................................................................................. 4
2.9
Role of Students ........................................................................................ 5
2.10 Reference Citation ...................................................................................... 5
2.11 Language ................................................................................................. 7
3.
4.
PART II: SEMINAR PAPER ............................................................................. 8
3.1
Introduction .............................................................................................. 8
3.2
General Structure ....................................................................................... 8
3.3
Cover Page ............................................................................................... 9
3.4
Table of Contents ....................................................................................... 9
3.5
List of Figures and Tables .......................................................................... 10
3.6
Body Text .............................................................................................. 10
3.7
Conclusion and Recommendations ................................................................ 10
3.8
References ............................................................................................. 10
3.9
Appendix ............................................................................................... 10
PART III: RESEARCH PROPOSAL ................................................................. 11
5.1.
Introduction ............................................................................................ 11
5.2.
Cover Page ............................................................................................. 12
5.3.
Table of Contents ..................................................................................... 12
5.4.
Abbreviations /acronyms ............................................................................ 12
iii
5.5.
Operational Definitions of Terms.................................................................. 12
5.6.
Summary ............................................................................................... 12
5.7.
Format of Main Body of Proposal ................................................................. 12
5.8.
Introduction ............................................................................................ 12
5.9.
Literature Review ..................................................................................... 13
5.10. Methodology .......................................................................................... 13
5.11. Work plan .............................................................................................. 14
5.12. Budget Breakdown ................................................................................... 14
5.13. Expected Outputs ..................................................................................... 14
5.14. References ............................................................................................. 14
5.
5.
PART IV. GUIDELINES ON WRITING A THESIS .............................................. 15
5.1.
Format of Thesis ...................................................................................... 15
5.2.
Structure and Contents of the Text of the Thesis ............................................... 17
5.3.
Introduction ............................................................................................ 17
5.4.
Literature Review ..................................................................................... 17
5.5.
Materials and Methods .............................................................................. 18
5.6.
Results .................................................................................................. 18
5.7.
Discussion.............................................................................................. 20
5.8.
Conclusion and Recommendation ................................................................. 21
5.9.
References ............................................................................................. 21
APPENDICES ............................................................................................. 22
5.1. Appendix 1: Cover Page for Seminar .................................................... 22
5.2. Appendix 2: Cover Page for Proposal .................................................... 23
5.3. Appendix 3: Cover page for Thesis ....................................................... 24
iv
1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION
This guide is intended to assist graduate students to prepare seminar, proposal and thesis. In the
absence of such type guide, students may face problems and the documents prepared by students
may vary. Hence, students are advised to refer while preparing the seminar, proposal or thesis.
Rules which are common for all are described first and then each is dealt individually to clarify
individual points.
1
2. PART I: RULES COMMON TO SEMINAR, PROPOSAL AND THESIS
2.1
Margins and Fonts
Margins of 3.8 cm (1.5 inches) on the left (for binding) and 2.5 cm (1.0 inch) on the right, top and
bottom are required. While an UPPER CASE 12 points font is recommended for the first order
(major titles), all the rest including the text, sub-headings and captions of tables and figures must
be written in 12 points font of “Times New roman” Style. The font size for texts or numbers in the
table can be reduced to 10 if there is a shortage of space.
2.2
Starting on New Pages
Each component of the preliminaries, each of the first order titles (chapters) of the Text and the
Reference and Appendix parts of the seminar paper/proposal/thesis must start on a new page. As a
rule, each component of the preliminaries is expected to be short. Exceptions may be the Table of
contents and/or the List of Tables. In case the Table of Contents and/or the List of Tables are more
than one page. The Appendix comes following the reference, and the title: APPENDIX is written
on the centre of a plane paper that has a page number on it.
2.3
Letter Cases and Numbering of Headings
Each of the titles of the preliminaries and the major titles (chapters) of the text
as well as the titles: References and Appendix must be written in upper case
letters and centred. Each chapter of the text opens with one or two paragraph(s)
discussing general issues of the chapter so that sub-headings do not occur just
below the chapter heading. Chapter headings of the text are numbered with
Arabic numerals starting from 1 for the Introduction and ending with 7 in the
Appendices (if any) or with 6 in the reference. However, none of the titles of the
preliminaries are numbered including in the Table of Contents.
The second order titles (sub-headings) are numbered consecutively with fractions of the Arabic
numeral of their respective chapters (e.g. 1.1, 1.2, or 2.1, 2.2, etc) and must be written in bold title
case letters (that is, only the first letter of all major words of the heading written in upper case
letters), flushed left and should not run with text. However, all the third and higher order subdivision headings are numbered consecutively with fractions of the Arabic numeral of their
respective sub-headings (e.g. 1.1.1, 1.1.2, or 2.1.1, 2.1.2, etc) and written in ower case letter
(except the first letter of the first word and proper nouns), flushed left margin, No titles or
headings of any division and headings of either Tables or figures are underlined.
2
2.4
Spacing and Indentation
The spacing between the lines in text is 1.5 and between paragraphs is always one line space that
is one more free line of 1.5 spacing in addition to the automatically applied 1.5 line spacing. A
free line space is required both between the paragraphs above and below the sub-headings and
division headings in the text. A free line spacing of 1.5 is also required between a table and its
caption as well as between a figure and a figure caption. Indenting the first line of a paragraph as a
substitute of one free line spacing between two paragraphs is not acceptable.
 Spacing:
 Spacing between paragraph: one line
 Space after heading one two line
 Spacing after heading 2 and 3: one line
 Spacing before heading one and two: two line
 Spacing before heading three: one line
2.5
Page Numbering
Although not every page has a page number typed on it, every page (perhaps except the cover
page) is assigned a page number. The use of two different series of page numbering is
recommended. In the first series Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) are used for all the pages starting
from the title page and ending at the last page preceding the “Introduction”. In the second series,
Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) are used from the first page of the “Introduction” and continues up
to the end of the paper. The first page of all series must not have its page number typed on it.
Thus, page numbering starts with “ii” at the bottom-centre of the next page in the first series and
with “2” on the second page of the “introduction” at the bottom-centre of the page in the second
series.
Page numbers should appear by themselves, should not be placed in bracket, hyphenated, or
accompanied by decorative images.
2.6
Paper and Printing
The initial submission of the papers must be on an A4-size paper. The documents must be printed
only on one side of the paper. The quality of the printing should be good and photo copy is
accepted only when it is clean and legible as the printed document. The document to be published
should be free of materials used to correct mistakes such as correction fluid or highlighter. The
page layout should be in the portrait layout. The landscape layout may be used for figures or
tables.
2.7
Other Rules

In case a sub-heading title falls just below a major (chapter) heading or a division heading
falls below a subheading (and so on), the lower heading title that falls below the upper
3



2.8
heading title must be indented inside just by one “Tab” and the space between the two
titles remains to be a double space.
To have a numbered sub-heading or division or sub-division heading there must be at least
two sub-heading, or two divisions/sub-divisions’ headings discussed under the upper
division heading. It is unacceptable to number headings with 1.1., 1.1.1., , etc. if there is no
at least one more heading to be numbered as 1.2.1,1.2.2, etc, respectively.
Scientific names in any part of the documents are written in Italic font, the genus name
starting with capital (upper case) whereas the species name in small (lower case) letters.
Similarly, none English Language terminologies (words, nouns, pronouns etc.) shall be
italicized (e.g. in vivo).
All measurements shall be given in metric units and currencies either USD etc.
Supervision
Every department shall identify and allocate a supervisor for its postgraduate students. In
principle, every student will have a supervisor for seminar, and minimum of 1 (principal) and a
maximum of 2 co-supervisors, depending on the need. One of the supervisors shall be from
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, UOG.
A supervisor may be drawn from outside the department, Faculty or even the University, in which
case, the Office of Postgraduate Studies must certify that he or she is competent in the candidate’s
area of study upon submission of certified curriculum vitae by the supervisor. An On-line
supervisor may also be used.
As principal resource persons to the students, supervisors shall:
 Be available for consultation at least once per month.
 Give feedback to their students within 2 weeks.
 Guide students to relevant literature and their sources.
 Link students to researchers working in related fields.
 Discuss and critically evaluate the candidate’s findings and ideas.
 Advise candidates on the form and structure of documents to prepare (seminar/proposal/
thesis).
 Train candidates in the conventions of scholarly presentations.
 Advise students on rules governing their specific degrees.
 Enhance the quality of a student’s work.
 Ensure that written report on the progress of a student’s studies are submitted as required
by University regulations.
 Ensure that a student presents seminars at appropriate levels as required by the University
regulations.
In the absence of feedback from a supervisor substantially, arrangements must be made by the
Chairman of Department to ensure continuity in supervision by identifying a suitable replacement.
4
By placing his/her signature on the declaration page of the document, a supervisor will certify that
it represents the work of the candidate that was carried out under his/her supervision and is ready
for official examination.
All sort of submission should be approved by the adviser(s) or supervisor (s)
2.9
Role of Students
Students must play primary role in the preparation of these documents as a part of exercises during
their postgraduate study.
 Students must select appropriate titles and discuss about with advisor (s)
 Prepare the documents using this guide
 Frequent contact with advisors (supervisors), follow the direction given
 Bind the documents properly
 Present or submit the documents on time
 Correct comments provided by evaluators
 Submit the final version of the documents to the department or the faculty
2.10
Reference Citation
Proper citation is an important aspect of writing the seminar, proposal and thesis. Documents
referred during the preparation of a seminar, a proposal or a thesis must be listed in references
section and in the main body in which they are referred. To make life simple, it is better to follow
similar style of reference citation in all three documents.
 All literature cited in the text must be listed in the references.

References should be sorted in ascending order of the authors’ last names. Each reference
must include: Author(s) name and first name(s) or initial(s), publication year, title, name of
journal or type of document.
A). In the body of the papers
The text citations should be referred by authors name and year (Harvard system). If there is more
than one citation from the same author in one year, it must be identified by the letters a, b, c, etc.,
placed after the year of publication. The table below indicates how references are put in the body
of the paper.
Examples for in text citation and its correspondence in the list of reference:
In text
List of reference
One author
(Ax, 2008)
A. (2008):
Two authors
(Ax and B, 2008)
Ax, B. (2008):
Three authors
(Ax et al., 2008a)
A,B,C (2008a):
Same three authors
(A et al., 2008b)
A,b,C (2008b):
More than three authors
(A et al., 2008)
A,b,C, (2008):
5

Chronological order within the parenthesis separated by semicolons-(Anderson et al., 1997;
Seifu, 1999; Abraham and Abebe, 2003). It is advisable to quote only 3 to 4 recent references
for a statement.

If there are several publications by the same author(s), citation will be as; (Mesfin, 1999, 2001,
2003),

When an author has two or more publications in same year, they need to be distinguished as;
Alemu (2003a, 2003b, 2003c) and include the letters a, b, c after the year in the reference list.
Multiple author publications are also treated in the same way

Chronological order outside bracket; Abebe and Tesfahun (1995), Anderson et al. (1997) and
Seifu (2000). Note that et al. is used for more than two authors and it be italicized.

Personal communication (Morris, J. Personal communication), although students are advised
to avoid its use as much as possible, are cited only in text but not listed in the Reference
section.

If a student is citing from a Universal Resource Locator (URL) on the internet he/she must
give the name of the Organization (in full or abbreviated form) or author(s) followed by the
year.
B). In list of reference
i. Articles in journals:
Example:
Eduvie, L. O. (1985): Factors Affecting Postpartum Ovarian Activity and Uterine Involution in
Zebu Cattle Indigenous to Nigeria. Animal Reproductive Science, 8:123-128.
Ronen, S. and Shenkar, O. (1985): Clustering Countries on Attitudinal Dimensions: A Review and
Synthesis. Academy of Management Review, 10(3): 435-454.
Azage, T., Entwistle, K.W. and Mukasa-Mugerwa, E. (1992): Effect of Supplementary Feeding
and Suckling Intensity on Postpartum Reproductive Performance of Small East African
Zebu Cows. Theriogenology, 38:97-106.
ii.
Proceedings or conferences:
Azage, T. and Alemu, G. (1998): Prospects for pri-urban dairy development in Ethiopia. In:
proceedings of the fifth conference of Ethiopian Society of Animal production, May 15 17, 1997, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Pp. 55 – 70.
Dawson, J. M. and Buttery, P. J. (1991): Manipulation of Muscle Mass. In: Fiems, L. O. (ed):
Animal Biotechnology and Quality of Meat Production. Papers Presented at an OECD
workshop held in Melle, Belgium, 7 - 9th November, 1990. Amsterdam: Elsevier, Pp. 49 –
67.
6
Smale, A. and Suutari, V. (2008): Knowledge transfers into Estonia and the Czech Republic.
Paper presented at the 34th EIBA (European International Business Academy) Conference.
Talinn, December, 2008.
iii.
Books:
Authors (year): title. (Edition). Place of publication and publisher, pp from ____ to _____
One author:
Hafez, E. S. E. (1993): Reproduction in Farm Animals. 6th ed. Lea and Fibiger, Philadelphia, Pp.
20 – 58
iv.
Corporate author:
Agricultural Research Council (1975): The Nutrient Requirement of Farm Livestock. No. 1
Poultry. London: Her Majesty Stationary Office. Pp. 80 – 83.
v.
Article in a book:
Scot, P.M. (1988): Detection of Mycotoxines in Foods. In: Robinson, R. K. (ed): Development in
Food Microbiology. Vol. 4 London: Elsevier Applied Science. Pp. 97 – 110.
Matzler K. and Waiguny M. (2005). Consequences of Customer Confusion in Online Hotel
Booking. In: Frew A. J. (ed.): Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism
2005. Vienna/New York: Springer, pp. 306-317.
vi.
Articles in book which is a series:
Adam, S., Steme-Marr, R. and Gerance, L. (1992): Nuclear Protein Import. In Rothman, J. E. (ed):
Reconstitution of intracellular transport. San Diego: academic pr. Pp. 97 – 110.
vii.
Organization like WHO reports
WHO (1982): World Health Organization (WHO) expert committee on specifications for
pharmaceutical preparations. 28th Report. Geneva: (WHO technical report series 681, P 33.
viii. Thesis:
Haileleule, N. (2009): Outbreak Investigations and Molecular Epidemiology of Foot and Mouth
Disease Virus in Ethiopia. MSc These, Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Debre zeit, Ethiopia
ix.
Internet references
Example: Title. (Available at: http://WWW.au-ibar.org/index.php/en/focus-areas/pastoralism.
Accessed on: May 22, 2011).
Abbreviations that might be used in the reference list:
ed. – edition
e.g. 3rd ed. – third edition
Ed. – Editor
2.11
p. – page
Vol. – volume
pp. – pages
Eds. – Editors
Language
Obviously, all papers should be written in English. It should be grammatically correct. There
should be consistency in the use of spelling style (either American or Britain). It should not be
mixed.
7
3. PART II: SEMINAR PAPER
3.1
Introduction
A seminar paper or sometimes referred as a review paper is a written summary of published
research reports. A well written seminar paper should report its data in an organized fashion and in
an appropriate language. A seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at a
university or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing
together small groups focusing on some particular subject, in which everyone present is requested
to actively participate. This is often accomplished through an ongoing dialogue with a seminar
leader or instructor, or through a more formal presentation of research.
The idea behind assigning students to write and present a seminar is to familiarize them with the
method of preparing scientific papers which is supposed to help them in their future in planning
and making scientific researches by their own. With special reference to postgraduate students, a
seminar paper is meant to familiarize students with the methods of writing scientific paper writing
in the area of animal health, animal production, public health or wildlife. Students are supposed to
select a specific topic based on their interest and make a literature review on this selected topic
based on the rules and regulations of preparing a seminar paper under close supervision of their
respective advisor/s assigned for the purpose. After they have prepared the seminar paper, students
are required to publicly present and defend in front of Faculty staff and students.
Generally, a seminar paper is included in the curriculum of postgraduate programs with the
following objectives:
 To familiarize students with the methods of scientific paper writing
 To help students understand some aspects identifying researchable areas and planning
scientific researches
 To make students revise their academic knowledge on a specific topic in each postgraduate
programs
 To acquaint students with the methods of citation of references from different sources in
preparing scientific papers in their future professional career
 To help students develop confidence in presenting and defending scientific papers in public
conferences
3.2
General Structure
Primarily the seminar paper should have the following components sequentially.
1) COVER PAGE
2) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
3) TABLE OF CONTENTS
4) LIST OF FIGURES (when applicable)
5) LIST OF TABLES (when applicable)
8
6) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS (when applicable)
7) SUMMARY
8) INTRODUCTION
9) BODY TEXT
10) CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
11) REFERENCES
12) APPENDIX (when applicable)
3.3
Cover Page
Should include the following information:
 Receiver: Name of the university, institute, course title, course number, semester, course
instructor
 Title of the seminar paper
 Author(s): Name, student identification number
 Date when the paper is submitted
3.4
Table of Contents
The table of contents should follow the acknowledgement page, on a separate page, headers
should be numbered in a way that clearly reflects the paper’s structure.
Example:
1. THE IMPACT OF CULTURE ON ORGANIZATIONS ----------------------------------------1
1.1 Culture and Management -----------------------------------------------------------------------------3
1.1.1 Global Strategy and Culture -----------------------------------------------------------------6
1.1.2 Phases of Development -----------------------------------------------------------------------7
1.2 How Do Cultural Differences Affect Organizations? -------------------------------------------17
2. WHAT IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND SCIENCE--------------------------------18
2.1. National Culture -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------19
9
3.5
List of Figures and Tables
These should follow the table of contents on a separate page and list the figures and tables
including figure/table number, title and page number in the text. Tables and figures should be a
separate page. They can be in one page if the list is too small.
Example:
Figure 1.
Exchange Rates of Major World Currencies-------------------------- 15
Figure 2.
Value of the U.S. Dollar over Time------------------------------------- 29
Figure 3
Big Mac Index -------------------------------------------------------------92
3.6
Body Text
Please make sure that the posed question/topic of the seminar paper is answered and that all the
chapters and paragraphs are linked and organized into a coherent paper. Chapters/units should be
numbered and include “Introduction” as the first chapter, and “Conclusion and Recommendations”
as the last chapter.
3.7
Conclusion and Recommendations
3.8
References
(as described in part I)
3.9
Appendix
The appendix should be labelled with capital letters (eg Appendix A) starting with “A” if there is
more than one attached information. They should fully be integrated in the layout of the seminar
paper. This means that the pages are numbered and the appendix/appendices are listed in the table
of contents.
10
4. PART III: RESEARCH PROPOSAL
5.1.
Introduction
Proposal writing is important to your pursuit of a graduate degree. The proposal is in effect an
intellectual scholastic contract between you and your advisors. It specifies what you will do, how
you will do it, and how you will interpret the results. In specifying what will be done it also gives
criteria for determining whether it is done. In approving the proposal, your advisors give their best
judgment that the approach to the research is reasonable and likely to yield the anticipated results.
They are implicitly agreeing that they will accept the result as adequate for the purpose of granting
a degree.
The objective in writing a proposal is to describe what you will do, why it should be done, how
you will do it and what you expect will result. Being clear about these things from the beginning
will help you complete your thesis in a timely fashion. A vague (un clear), weak proposal can lead
to a long, painful, and often unsuccessful thesis writing exercise. A clean, well thought-out,
proposal forms the backbone for the thesis itself. The structures are identical and through the
miracle of word-processing, your proposal will probably become your thesis.
A good thesis proposal hinges on a good idea. Once you have a good idea, you can draft the
proposal in an evening. Getting a good idea hinges on familiarity with the topic. This assumes a
longer preparatory period of reading, observation, discussion, and incubation. Read everything
that you can in your area of interest. Figure out what are the important and missing parts of our
understanding. Figure out how to build/discover those pieces. Live and breathe the topic. Talk
about it with anyone who is interested. Then just write the important parts as the proposal. Filling
in the things that we do not know and that will help us know more: that is what research is all
about.
Proposals help you estimate the size of a project. Don't make the project too big. Our MSc
programs statement used to say that a thesis is equivalent to a published paper in scope. Your
proposal should be shorter, perhaps 8-12 pages and certainly no more than fifteen pages.
Preparation and submission of a research proposal is mandatory for a graduate student of any
discipline at the Gondar University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. The ultimate success of any
MSc thesis research depends on the preparation of a sound research proposal. All graduate
students should follow a uniform pattern in the preparation of their respective research proposals.
The formats and contents that you, graduate students of the Faculty should follow in writing
research proposals are briefly described The research work that you do and the eventual thesis
writing are carried out under the guidance of senior faculty member(s) specialized in the student’s
major field of study.
11
5.2.
Cover Page
This page should not be paginated but will be counted as one. All wording should be in uppercase.
The title at the cover page to be bold and font-size is 14? Items will be arranged in the following
sequence:
 Title should be focused, informative and not more than 20 words
 Full names of student followed by identification number in brackets (Appendix 2)
5.3.
Table of Contents
The table of contents should capture the main titles and subtitles (Up to three levels) in the text
(proposal/thesis). The Table of Contents, List of Tables, and List of Figures need to be computer
generated and as listed sequentially.
5.4.
Abbreviations /acronyms
This section should be included in the proposal. Abbreviations or acronyms need to be given for
words or phrases abbreviated in the proposal. They should always be written in full at first use.
5.5.
Operational Definitions
This should come immediately after the abbreviations and acronyms
5.6.
Summary
All proposals must have an abstract, which should not exceed one page; should be single-spaced
and not paragraphed. The abstract should consist of precise spectrum of the entire proposal
including the problem, objectives and methodology and data analysis methods. It should give
an overview of the proposal. The abstract follows the list of figures and should start on a new
page.
5.7.
Format of Main Body
Each major section e.g. INTRODUCTION should start on a separate page. Note: Numbering of
the main body of the proposal to follow as stated below where applicable
5.8.
Introduction
The introduction should start with an introduction which specifies the subtitles of content covered.
a)
Background to the Study (introduces subject area under study and current situation).
b)
Problem Statement and Justification (to be precise and focused)
c)
Objectives of study
- General Objective
- Specific Objectives (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound)
d)
Research Questions (or Hypotheses).
e)
Significance (to explain the benefits and the beneficiaries of the findings of the study).
f)
Delimitations/ Scope of the study (Gives the extent to which the study will be carried out)
12
g)
h)
Limitation (Anticipated shortcomings).
Assumptions (if necessary)
5.9.
Literature Review








The Literature Review should start with an introduction which specifies the subtitles of
content covered.
In this section of Literature Review, student should demonstrate evidence of understanding
of current research on the subject under investigation and show clear gaps in knowledge
that will be discussed.
Appropriate themes for this chapter can be developed using the specific objectives of the
study. Thus, relevant themes to the study and those derived from related literature
including the theoretical framework guiding the study should be discussed here.
The literature review should be consistent with the requirements of the title (internal
consistency) and aspects of the introduction e.g. background to the study.
The literature review should be properly cited, paraphrased and critiqued.
The Literature review should have a summary of identified gaps in the reviewed literature.
Unless for archival studies, 80% of the references used should be less than five years old.
Endeavour to use current refereed journals and periodicals as much as possible.
5.10. Methodology
The Methodology section should start with an introduction which specifies the subtitles of content
covered. This chapter highlights methodological details appropriate to the study. They include:
a) Research Design (State and justify the chosen design).
b) Study Area (State where the study will be done (location) and why it was chosen)
c) Target Population (describe the target population and give figures and a source).
d) Sampling Techniques (explain the Sampling techniques used for the study)
e) Sample Size (explains the sample size-(unit of analysis) and explains how it will be
determined).
f) Research Instruments or equipments (justify the choice of instruments that will be used in the
study and how they will be constructed and what they are meant to achieve)
g) Pre-Testing - Use relevant statistics techniques to conduct pre-testing
h) Validity and Reliability- Explain how the validity and reliability of the instruments will be
established. N.B. If using a standardized test, quote test and existing validity and reliability
levels.
i) Data Collection Techniques (Explain how field data collection will be done)
j) Data Analysis (researcher should explain and justify the analytical framework and also the
anticipated findings).
k) Logistical and ethical considerations (If any)
l) Conceptual framework and measurement of variables (explain the independent and dependent
variables and how they will be measured. The conceptual framework to reflect the research
title and the objectives)
13
5.11. Work plan
The work plan must show the time frame when to start and finish the work. Approval of the
proposal, time needed to collect samples; analysis, writing up and submission of the first draft
should be considered in the plan. It should be appropriate it should not be too short or too long.
5.12. Budget Breakdown
This helps to estimate the amount of money needed to conduct the research. Once a student
prepares this, she/he can submit the proposal to the potential sponsors.
5.13. Expected Outputs
After conducting the research what results will come out. This helps to plan ahead and select
appropriate methodologies that enable students to obtain the anticipated results. Sometimes
sponsors may develop more interest and confidence if they see the expected outputs.
5.14. References
(As described above), approval sheet can be prepared before/after listing references).
14
5. PART IV. GUIDELINES ON WRITING A THESIS
Some rules are followed all through the entire MSc research project proposals and corresponding
thesis write up. For the sake of clarity, these are divided further into sub-sections as indicated
below.
5.1.
General Format
The standard format shall comprise:
 Title page
 Signed approval sheet by the board of examiners
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 Table of Contents
 LIST OF TABLES( if any)
 LIST OF FIGURES(if any)
 LIST OF APPENDICES(if any)
 ABBREVIATIONS (if any)
 ABSTRACT
 The text of the thesis (INTRODUCTION, LITERATURE REVIEW, MATERIALS AND
METHODS, RESULTS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS)
 REFERENCES
 APPENDICES (Annexes)
 Declaration sheet
a) Title Page (Same as in proposal)
Full name of student should appear as it is in the registration form, while the registration number
should be written below the name, together with the name of the department, then follows the
writing. (Same as in proposal, but replace the word proposal with thesis.) Then the date e.g.
August, 2010 (Sample is put in Appendix 3)
b). Declaration Page (should be similar to that in the proposal except that the word “Proposal” is
replaced with “thesis,” followed by the declaration words.” This is my original work (As it is in
the proposal).
c). Dedication statement not exceeding 25 words for Masters’ thesis may follow declaration,
beginning on a separate page.
d). Acknowledgements
“Acknowledgements” recognize the persons and/or institutions the candidate is indebted to for
guidance, assistance received and those to whom he/she remains thankful for a special aid or
support. Good taste calls for acknowledgements to be expressed simply and tactfully. The
“Acknowledgments” is preferably written in a third person English form not exceeding 200 words.
e). Abbreviations or Acronyms (As it is in the proposal guidelines)
15
f). Table of Contents - This begins on a new page. It should assist the reader to know quickly and
clearly, how the thesis is organized. There must be consistency in the use of headings and
subheadings.
g). List of Tables - This follows the table of contents, beginning on a separate page. Numbering
of tables should be: Table 1.1, 2.1, 3.1…throughout the text.
h). List of figures - This immediately follows the list of tables and on a separate page. Numbering
should be figure 1.1, 2.1, 3.1 etc. The name/title of the figure and source(s) should be written
below it.
Use of tables, figures and plates
Tables, Figures and Plates may be included within the text or appear on separate pages. If on
separate pages, however, they should be placed near the text, which refers to them. Each table in
the text must have a number and caption. Number them consecutively throughout, by chapter
using a decimal system e.g. the first table in chapter 2, for example, would be table 2.1, the second
would be table 2.2, and so on. Do not number tables and figures by sections in the chapter (as
2.21). In numbering appendix figures and tables, use a separate appendix system and do not
include them in the list of figures and tables.
Guidelines on Tables and Figures
 Place a table or figure immediately after the first mention of it in the text on the same page
if there is room, or on the following page.
 Tables or figures of peripheral importance to the text may be placed in an appendix.
 All tables and figures must be referred to in the text by number (not by a phrase such as
"the following table").
 Avoid using colour to distinguish different lines or areas in a figure because the distinction
will be lost when your work is photocopied or microfilmed.
 Words included in the figure should be typed unless there are technical reasons why this is
not possible.
 List and caption photographs as figures unless you wish to have a separate list of
photographs or plates.
 Landscape. If a table/figure is set up in landscape orientation then it should always be on a
page by itself. Landscaped materials must be placed reading outward (i.e., with the top of
the table/figure at the binding [left] side of the page). This page must have a page number.
The page number, however, should be in portrait orientation like all other page numbers.
 Each figure must have a caption that begins with the word “Figure” (“F” capitalized) and
the figure number, followed by a brief description of the figure. This must be placed below
the figure, with one blank line separating the bottom of the figure and the top of the
caption.
 Each table must have a caption that begins with the word “Table” (“T” capitalized) and the
table number, followed by a brief description of the table. This must be placed above the
table, with one blank line separating the bottom of the caption and the top of the table.
 When a figure or table is continued to the following page, a continuation note (e.g.,
“Figure 5, continued” or “Table 5, continued”) must appear in place of the caption on the
continuations. The original caption must not be repeated in either case.
 Avoid use of vertical lines to separate columns within a table unless absolutely necessary
16
j). Abstract
The “abstract” generally consists of short statements on the problem, objectives, methodology
followed by condensed summary of major findings with relevant data to support the results and
the conclusions to be drawn. The text of the abstract is therefore short, usually about 350 words
and in any case not exceeding 500 words written in 12 points font, italicized with line spacing of
1.5. No citations of previous study, reference to tables and/or figures in the text are made in this
section. Provision of less important data and author coined abbreviations must be avoided.
Abstract must not be paragraphed.
5.2.
Structure and Contents of the Text
The dissertation proper being with the very first page of Chapter 1 that follows the preliminaries
detailed above. The text is readily divided into six main chapters: (1) the introductory chapter, (2)
the literature review chapter; (3) the chapter that deals with the conditions under which the
experiment was conducted, including materials, methods and procedures used; (4) the results; (5)
discussion; and (6) the summary chapter (conclusion and Recommendation) which should contain
executive summary of the findings of the study and the conclusions and recommendations that
might be drawn based on the findings of the study. Each chapter of the text may further be divided
into sub-chapters/sub-headings, divisions and sub-divisions. If a student finds it necessary to
merge the result and discussion sections, he/she has to get a written consent from his/her
respective advisor and department and pertinent office of the faculty.
5.3.
Introduction
The “introduction” is the first of the six main chapters discussed under the text of a thesis. This
chapter is usually brief giving only the most relevant and pertinent background information about
the graduate research project under consideration (as it is in the proposal guideline). This chapter,
among others, provides:



5.4.
Background information on the subject (Supported with brief review of literature) and
clear and complete statement of the problem investigated,
Validation/justification of the problem or underlying hypothesis for undertaking the study,
which, by a discussion of discriminatingly selected reasons, established the significance of
the problem, and
The general and major but specific objectifies of the investigation written clearly and
precisely.
Literature Review
The “literature review” is the second chapter of a thesis. This section of the text provides a resume
of the history and the present status of the problem by means of a brief critical review of the
findings of previous and most recent investigations of the research problem in question as well as
of problems very closely related to it. Each one of the literature review items presented in this
17
regard should be made clear together with the fact that the investigation now in progress arises
from the fallacies or inadequacies of earlier studies (also see the proposal guideline).
Additional points to be observed during the preparation of the “literature review” section of a PhD
dissertation are:



The chapter heading, starting on a new page, must be numbered (with “2”) and all letters be
written in bold capital letters as: 2. LITERATURE REVIEW,
The chapter may be divided into as many sub-chapter and divisions and sub-divisions
depending of the nature of the study, and
The section must be kept as brief as possible by limiting the review material to information
essential to orient the reader about the state of present knowledge about the subject under
investigation.
5.5.
Materials and Methods
The “materials and methods” section is the third chapter of the text of the thesis manuscript. This
section provided a statement of the sources of data and the methods and procedures of data
collection and analysis. A brief and concise description of the conditions under which the
investigation was carried out and the materials, procedures, techniques, treatments, experimental
design/techniques and the treatments and inputs used should be given under this heading.
Additional points to be observed during the preparation of the “Materials and Methods” section of
a dissertation are:
 The chapter heading, numbered (with “3”) and all letters written in bold upper case letters as:
3. Materials and Methods shall start on a new page,
 The chapter could be divided into as many sub-chapters/sub-headings and divisions and subdivisions depending on the nature of the study, and
 The section is expected to be as much as possible detail and comprehensive. Sufficient
information must be provided to allow the reader to repeat the experiment/study in an identical
manner
 It should be written in past tense in an impersonal style (ex. Rather than saying I collected the
samples from three sites, say the data were collected from three sites).
5.6.
Results
The “results” section is the fourth chapter of the text of the thesis manuscript. This section of the
text presents the results and analyses. It is impossible to give specific directions for organizing the
findings of all studies, because of the wide variety of topics investigated, techniques employed and
kind and volume of data and information collected. It is thus suffice to say that the contents of this
chapter are the core matter of the entire study of the thesis or dissertation as these are the student’s
contribution to knowledge.
18
All other portions of the manuscript are subordinate to what actually has been discovered and it is
only here that the findings of the present study are being disclosed. The student should, therefore,
take great pains to present clearly his/her major findings and assess the significance of the results.
 A table or figure must normally be placed on the same (or jus next) page where it is cited in
the text for the first time.
 The contents of Tables and Figures presenting the results should be very clear to be
independently comprehensible without reference to text.
 Lengthy Tables should be avoided by dividing information into two or more separate Tables.
 One should not break a Table into two pages.
 In case of Table, column headings are brief and self-explanatory. Align digits to proper
position and centred to column headings.
 No vertical lines in the Table and no horizontal lines other than the one at the top, one at the
bottom and one separating the column heading from contents of the Table.
 The footnote for the level of significance, abbreviations or any other footnote can be given at
the bottom of the Table.
Additional points to be observed during the preparation of the “Results and Discussions” section
of a thesis are (some of these may also apply to the discussion section):
 The chapter heading numbered with “4” and all letters written in bold capital letters as:
4,
RESULTS must start on a new page,
 The chapter could be divided into as many sub-chapters/sub-headings and divisions and subdivisions depending on the nature of the study. In fact as much as possible sequences of the
sub-heading need to follow the sub-headings and division/sub-division headings of the
“literature review” section,
 The section is expected to be as much as possible detail and comprehensive to orient the reader
about the results obtained from the study and the practical significance of the findings,
 Repetitions of numerical values, as for example presenting the same data both in Table and in
Figures should be avoided, similarly, do not repeat data presented in the text description in
tables or figures
 However, when data are presented in form of Figures in the text, the data used to create each
Figure in the text must be shown in the Appendix(ces)
 Numerical values must be always followed by unit of measurement,
 One should not begin a sentence with numeral, instead provide another word or spell out the
number and the unit of measurement that follows,
 When a word intervenes between the numeral and its unit, the unit has to be spelled out, e.g.
10 consecutive days,
 Following words start with capital letter followed by Arabic numerals like Table 6, Figure 7,
Experiment 3, Group 6, Lot 9, and Treatment 2, and
 There is no space between numerals and %. However, one space is to be given between
numerals and unit of measurements.
19
5.7.
Discussion
The “discussion” section is the 5th chapter of the text of the thesis manuscript. This section should
deal with the interpretation and explanation of the findings of the study with regard to the stated
hypotheses and research questions. The contents of this chapter are the second core matter of the
entire study of the dissertation as these are the student’s contribution to knowledge. The student
should, discuss the possible practical implications with reference to the problems indicated and the
objectives stated in the “introduction” section’ Citations that the author feels that they would
strengthen the results as well as those contradicting the present findings are also quoted in this
section. However, attempts have to be made to give appropriate explanation for obtaining
contradictory findings with the findings of previous studies.
In discussing the results, simple, short, direct, rational and declarative sentences should be used.
Chain effect of sentences within the paragraph and continuity of logical order between the
paragraphs is important. Using past tense when referring to the thesis research and reverting to
present for discussing existing knowledge or prevailing concepts for conclusion is a better way
writing. All the facts stated and quoted from the other sources must be referred and acknowledged.
Plagiarism is illegal and unethical.
Describe the nature of the findings; do not just tell the reader whether or not they are significant.
The discussion section should be a brief essay in itself, answering the following questions and
caveats:
1. What are the major patterns in the observations?
2. What are the relationships, trends and generalizations among the results?
3. What are the exceptions to these patterns or generalizations?
4. What are the likely causes (mechanisms) underlying these patterns resulting predictions?
5. Is there agreement or disagreement with previous work?
6. Interpret results in terms of background laid out in the introduction – what is the relationship
of the present results to the original question?
7. What is the implication of the present results for other unanswered questions in tourism policy,
development, hospitality etc....?
8. Multiple hypotheses: There are usually several possible explanations for results. Be careful to
consider all of these rather than simply pushing your favourite one. If you can eliminate all but
one, that is great, but often that is not possible with the data in hand. In that case you should
give even treatment to the remaining possibilities, and try to indicate ways in which future
work may lead to their discrimination.
9. Avoid bandwagons: A special case of the above. Avoid jumping a currently fashionable point
of view unless your results really do strongly support them.
10. What are the things we now know or understand that we didn't know or understand before the
present work?
11. Include the evidence or line of reasoning supporting each interpretation.
12. What is the significance of the present results: why should we care?
20
Additional points to be observed during the preparation of the “Discussions” section of a thesis
are:
 The chapter heading numbered with “5” and all letters written in bold capital letters as:
5,
DISCUSSION must start on a new page,
 The chapter could be divided into as many sub-chapters/sub-headings and divisions and subdivisions depending on the nature of the study. In fact as much as possible sequences of the
sub-heading need to follow the sub-headings and division/sub-division headings of the “result”
section,
 Key results should be stated in clear sentences at the beginning of paragraphs. It is far better to
say "X had significant positive relationship with Y (linear regression p<0.01, r^2=0.79)" than
to start with a less informative like "There is a significant relationship between X and Y".
 The section is expected to be as much as possible detail and comprehensive to orient the reader
about the practical significance of the findings
5.8.
Conclusion and Recommendation
The “conclusion and recommendation” section is the sixth and the last chapter of the texts of the
thesis. As this chapter is independent entity, it should provide a very brief narration of important
objectives, material and methods, and the major findings of the study. It is therefore meant to
restate the developments of previous chapters and presents succinctly the more important findings
of the investigation; draw conclusions and perhaps give recommendations on development or
policy implications based on the results obtained only from his/her study. The author may also list
unanswered questions that he/she has encountered with but which require research beyond the
limits of the undertaking report. In general, this section is brief and abridged but prepared
carefully in a way to reflect the important contents of the manuscript.
Additional points to be observed during the preparation of the “conclusion and recommendation”
section of a thesis are:
 The chapter may be divided into two sub-chapters as: 6.1. Conclusions, 6.2. Recommendation
if necessary but not more than these
 The section is expected to be as brief as possible, preferably not exceeding four pages of 1.5
line spacing
 In this section, except under a few exceptional cases, citations of previous study results and
references to table or figures in the text or appendix of the manuscripts shall be avoided
5.9.
References
This list should contain all the literature you are intending to use to write the literature review,
methods and the discussion.
21
5. APPENDICES
5.1. Appendix 1: Cover Page for Seminar
Title of the Seminar
(Upper case, centred, bold, and 12 font size)
By
Name of the students
(Centred and 12 font size)
A paper presented for the course ------ (insert name of the course)
University of Gondar
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Month and Year of Submission
Gondar, Ethiopia
22
5.2. Appendix 2: Cover Page for Proposal
Title of the Proposal
(Upper case, centred, bold, and 12 font size)
By
Name of the students
(Centred and 12 font size)
A proposal submitted to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Gondar to conduct a research for preparation of a thesis for Partial Fulfilment of
the Requirements for the Degree of Master of ------- (insert name of the program)
Month and Year of Submission
Gondar, Ethiopia
23
5.3. Appendix 3: Cover page for Thesis
Title of the thesis
(Upper case, centred, bold, and 12 font size)
By
Name of the students
(Centred and 12 font size)
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Gondar
in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of --------------(insert name of the program).
Month and Year of Submission
Gondar, Ethiopia
24