Selecting and Defining Topic

Project topic has to be selected with respect to the plan of the research being undertaken and preferably the area of specialization selected by the researcher. While taking into consideration a topic, one need’s to discuss and self interrogate if it sparks an interest. Discussing ideas may help refine focus. Going through former projects of experienced people, skimming through the titles of research papers over the past years, and reading the abstracts would prove useful.

Dissertations of earlier project topic can offer inspiration and useful suggestions for further research. An associated topic of interest, that one is already involved in and something that fits with the theory or methodology one has been working with.

Project topic should be selected in consultation with the other member’s views and should be communicated to the organisation. Preferences for particular kinds of research topic should be studied. Discussing the proposed topic is appropriate. The topic selected should be realistic and practical to be accessible to equipment and to the population of interest.

Writing chapters

A project report is a very important feature of a project. It should be properly structured, so that necessary and appropriate information regarding the project is included. The aim of the project is to produce a good report. As and when the various stages of a project is completed, design document has to be progressively converted to a project report. A tidy, well layout and consistently formatted manuscript makes for easier reading and is indicative quantity does not produce quality. Conciseness, clarity, and elegance are valuable qualities in report writing.

A report, which is written for the sake of being written, has very little value. The most important thing to be kept in mind right through the report writing process is that a report is written to be read by someone else. The project report should be written with great care as someone else can carry on working and improving on it. This is the central goal of report-writing. Before writing a report, the intended audience should be considered. In short, care should be taken that the report is of publishable quality and that it is readable and useful in general.

Following are the various chapters for research paper writing:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology
• Results and discussion
• Conclusion

Chapter 1: Introduction

In order to start the chapter with a good introduction the following questions should be answered. A project should consist of following questions as this could be the basis for introduction. It should be remembered that it’s the introduction to the project and not an introduction to the topic of the project.

• What was the purpose of the project report?
• How was the topic chosen?
• What were the main aims and objectives of the project report?
• What is the scope of the research project? (If your dissertation/project is focused on one particular group, industry or technology you might include introductory remarks here.)
• What were the limitations of the work?
• How is the text arranged in the dissertation/project?
• Is there anything particular to note that will make it easier for the person reading your dissertation/project to follow the work (e.g. about the format of referencing, layout of charts/tables)?

Chapter 2: Literature review

• An introductory paragraph which explains what is discussed in the chapter and why it is necessary to include this as part of the project.
• Demonstration of the literature search.
• Demonstration of a well read matter up to date material.
• Summarising the literature.
• Highlight trends in the discussion of the topic, for example over time, by geography, by sector.
• Commenting on the value of what is read.
• Organizing the findings of the literature review to fit in with the main themes of the research project.
• Identifying gaps or anomalies in the literature.
• Demonstration of what is assimilated, understood, read, written.

Chapter 3: Methodology

The methodology chapter is used to justify the choice of methods employed during the research project. Various options for conducting a research are demonstrated. Although much of the methodology chapter focuses on data collection, it is also worth acknowledging that the techniques used for the other activities related to the research project: literature searching, sampling or case study selection, data analysis.

Introduction to Chapter 3

• What does this chapter discuss?
• Why is it necessary to include this discussion in the project?

Chapter 4: Results and discussion

• An introductory paragraph which explains what is discussed in the chapter.
• Discussing results with reference to the findings of the literature review. The degree of repetition can be minimized by good cross referencing. The reader expects an interrelation between the results and what was established in the literature review.
• Writing thematically. In majority of cases, this means following a structure determined by the arrangement of themes in the literature review. It is not very sophisticated to take each questionnaire question and summarize the results. The questionnaire should be designed for the surveyed population to answer the questions and not designed to provide only with a thematic framework.
• Add value to the results comments.
• Highlight and provide analysis of any new themes that have emerged from the research.
• Recommendations.

Chapter 5: Conclusion

This should be a conclusion to the whole project (and not just the research findings). Check that the research answers the following questions

• Did the research project meet its aims (check back to introduction for stated aims)?
• What are the main findings of the research?
• Are there any recommendations?
• Do you have any conclusions on the research process itself?
• Where should further research be focused?

Subject Matter

This step is primarily concerned with the development of a subject. There are two ways in which to develop a subject

1. Logically
2. Chronologically

Deciding the style and structure

A project report has to be a scholarly effort, which results in a contribution to the literature, either as a new theory, a new application of an existing theory or practice or a synthesis of the literature. As such, the report should include a significant literature review, research questions/hypothesis, appropriate research methodology, findings, and conclusions.

As the project topic is selected, the writing subject matter and the structure are decided. After this, the reference style of presenting the project report is also considered. There are various styles of reference used, while writing a project report, some of which are discussed in the later part of this chapter.

Structure of Project Report

The structure of project report consists of:

Title page: The title page should include

• Title of report
• Name of the Company
• Who prepared it?
• Nature and Date of submission

Certificate from faculty guide

Certificate from the director

Certificate from the company

Declaration from Author/Researcher

Acknowledgment: A brief thank you note to the people who have helped you in the project.

Table of Contents: List of various topics covered in the project along with the page numbers as

• Systematically numbered sections and subsections.
• List of tables and figures.

Executive summary: A one-page abstract of the entire report may be all that a busy business executive reads. It should

• Explain the terms of reference, the purpose and scope of the report.
• State the key methods and approach used.
• List the main conclusions.
• List the key recommendations.

Main text of the report

The main text of reports consists of:

Introduction and theoretical background of the study: Often a detailed analysis of the current situation or problem.

Research methodology: Research methodology should include

• Objectives of the research and the operationalization of the key variables.
• The population of case studies and the sampling procedures or selecting cases.
• Data capture instruments used.
• Data collection methods.
• Specific research techniques and applications.
• Data analysis procedures.
• Limitations of the study.

Company Profile: Profile of industry/company/product. It should also cover the profile of industry and the products concerned. This chapter should give a brief background of the company in which the study was conducted and shouldn’t exceed 5 pages.

Analysis and interpretation of Data

Finding and conclusions: It is the heart of the project and should be related to the objectives established.

Suggestions and recommendations: This would be the researcher’s/authors views/opinions on the project. He can give comments but they should be justified and logical.

Appendices: This includes:

• Any explanatory notes that would clutter up the main report.
• Tabulations and calculations not included in the text
• References.
• Copies of questionnaire or visual materials used.
• Bibliography: List of books, magazines, journals, websites, etc. referred.

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Analysis and interpretation, is not the only work of a researcher, he also has to put down his findings which is done through a research report. Research report is simply a document which describes the research project that includes its findings and analysis of the findings, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations.

The nature of the audience plays an important role in preparing any research report. The idea is to communicate information. Hence, the report should be prepared in a way which is exclusively for the readers of the report. At times, the format of the report will be explained to the researcher (for example, a dissertation), while other times, the researcher will have complete authority regarding the structure of the report.

A project report can be of any kind, a school project, business project or a research project. Generally, project reports are written for business initiatives to record the beginning, middle, and the end of specific project events. A project report can be written on any topic, in fields such as science, marketing, education or engineering.

A project is an action oriented study with the purpose of detecting the managerial problem and efforts to solve it in a business organisation. For successful completion of a management study programme, the project work is an important requirement and an integral part of the curriculum. It aims at developing insight and capabilities for an in-depth study, research, interpretation, and analysis on a particular topic chosen. A project is a scientific and a systematic study of a problem that exists in an organisation, with the aim to resolve it with the application of management concepts and skills.

For any discipline of management like finance, marketing, production, personnel, etc. a project work can be undertaken. It gives a researcher an opportunity to understand the corporate world by helping him understand, diagnose, and identify managerial problems.

Project works gives a feedback on the policies and plans of the organisation which further helps in decision making.

Importance of Project Report

The project work is a very important aspect in management as it gives a complete overview and is required for a successful research. The advantages and importance of undertaking a project work may be summarised as follows:

Practical exposure: It gives exposure to the practical aspects of the business world. A project work helps the researcher to know the environment in which he is expected to work.

Skill development: A project work gives an opportunity to the researcher to enhance his analytical, communication, research, and decision making skills while working in the actual business environment.

Training in problem solving: By doing an extensive research of all the stages of the project work, a researcher gets real life exposure to the different problems that arouse in business and in the corporate world.

Understanding the theoretical concepts: A researcher learns to apply concepts in a real manner and also gets a chance to explore the different management concepts.

Interaction: Project work provides an opportunity to the researcher, for interaction with the environment so that the association between the industry and the people involved may be successfully established.

Industry placements: Cautiously and successfully completed research projects places the researcher in the industry and also gives him the confidence to face the selections for the final placements. It also helps him choose the type of environment that would be suitable and satisfying for his professional aspirations and progress.

Characteristic of  Good Project Report

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Research helps in many ways:

1. Research helps to upgrade knowledge. It helps researcher to know more about something that interests him. Removes ignorance and doubt in our minds.
2. Research improves the chances of achieving specific goals.
3. Research bridges the communication gap.
4. Research is a process of analysis from different points of view, which helps to know a subject by reading, reflecting, playing with the ideas and choosing the areas of interest.
5. Research is very profitable as it solves problems with immediate concern.
6. Research is necessary for making important decisions. Most people make decisions without gathered information to back them up. Research helps to assemble a back up on any decision making.

Importance of Research in Relation to Various Fields

Research in Business and Management: The attributes of practical problem solving and decision-making are becoming more and more common to research. Both medium and large-scale companies undertake economic and marketing researches as most of the decision-making is based on research. Research in business studies is not different from practical problem solving. The managers undertaking research need to have some knowledge and evaluation capabilities to understand the consequences or outcomes of their decisions. Hence, more and more firms and managers are using research as a tool to gain competitive edge over others.

Research in Functional Areas of Management: With every passing day, research is gaining more and more value in the field of management. A deeper understanding of the problems and sound decision-making is required in almost all the areas of management. Here, research plays a critical role in enabling the success of decision-making.

Financial Management: It is one of the most pivotal functional areas of management, as the effectiveness of a business project extensively depends on the efficient utilisation of its financial resource. The shareholders provide capital to a company with the expectation of earning a competitive return and if this expectation is not fulfilled, they may have to sell their shares which may ultimately pull down the market price of the company’s stock, thus jeopardizing its ability to raise additional market price of the company’s stock, thus jeopardizing its ability to raise additional financial resources. Hence, it is of utmost importance to efficiently manage the finances of the company concerned. Such questions are often faced by the managers in their day-to-day activities making it imperative for them to be well-versed with the potentials of research in management functions and areas.

Production and Materials: The aim of the research carried for the production department and processes is to help enable the production manager in taking various decisions. It helps in determining – what to produce, when to produce, how much to produce, besides ensuring quality control and optimum inventory level.

Banking and Insurance: Extensive research activities are carried out in the banking sector to study the various aspects of banking which in turn helps them introducing newer products in the market, increase the customer satisfaction towards the banks etc. It also helps in making in-depth investigations on economic conditions of business, planning and management reporting activities. On the other hand, the insurance sector is a growing sector of the economy that needs a research survey to study the performance of the different plans introduced in the market, the future products which can attract more customers, etc.

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Clarity: It is the most important quality of any research topic. The topic of the research should be clear so that others can easily understand the nature and purpose of the research. To avoid distraction research topic should have a single interpretation. In order to execute the research in a proper way the topic should be very clear in mind. The research topic should be free of ambiguity. Clarity of the research topic should be such that it sets the process in a directional way which in turn sets the whole research methodology.

Well-defined: A well-phrased research topic is half assurance of a successful research. It should have a single meaning. A double barrelled impression is sometimes created when researchers are not able to define the topic in a proper way. The research topic has to be not only well-defined and well-phrased but it should also be easy to comprehend.

Systematic Investigation: Research is a systematic enquiry which is carried out in an organised manner. It unravels the hitherto unknown useful facts by critically viewing all the dimensions of a given phenomenon. This requires an immensely planned activity. In other words, reproducing something that is already found or stated cannot be termed as research.

Language: The language for the research topic should be kept simple. Technical terms should be used only when required, otherwise the language should be kept simple enough for better and easy understanding. To avoid unethical term ethics of writing should be kept in mind. Prejudice — directly or indirectly, willingly or unwillingly should be avoided in the research problem.

Titling: The researcher should follow the rules of titling. There are a variety of rules of titling which should be read beforehand. Either a sentence case or a title case can be used but most of the researchers follow the title case.

Importance: While selecting a research topic the existing importance of the topic should be considered. The topic should have current importance as an outdated topic will not be beneficial for anyone. The importance and usefulness of the topic should also be assessed.

Logical: A research should be carried out in a purposeful manner without any biases or prejudices of people involved in the entire procedure. In order for the research to be vital and useful it has to be free from all biases. This is so, since only logically drawn conclusions can give meaningful insights into the phenomenon under study.

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Research can also be termed as a field of scientific and practical study, where, in order to better administer the business, the company obtains data and analyses it. Research includes financial data, consumer feedback, product research and competitive analysis. The companies where the executives and managers apply research methods are able to understand their business better, the position it holds in the market and the various ways of enhancing that position.

Research is a practical activity intended to find out things about business matters in a systematic and a logical way. The idea is to advance knowledge and help managers solve business problems by providing reliable and consistent measures. Fast-changing global marketplace, the need for cost-effective, accurate information and timely decision-making are the most distinguished features of modern age business. Hence to keep up with the ongoing trend the management has to take decisions in a certain environment that is influenced by many factors. The main aim of a business research is to help the management by providing them with information that can serve as a foundation for sound decision-making. Research methodology provides a means for management to meet the information requirements of key decision-makers.

Thus, research is an ‘organised’ and ‘systematic’ approach of finding solutions to problem or finding answers to questions. Research ¡s said to be systematic as ¡t involves a definite set of steps in order to arrive at some conclusion. Also, it is said to be structured, as it is a planned procedure which is focused, having a well defined scope and method. Research is designed and meant to find answers – be it simple or hypothesis. It is believed to be successful only when solutions are sought. Questions are the most important part of a research and a research would be incomplete without it, therefore it stands out as the chief component of research. This is so, because the dynamics of research invariably involves the process of focusing on relevant, useful and important questions. The questionnaire for a research may originate from management dilemma.

To sum up, research may be termed as “systematic, controlled, empirical and critical investigation of hypothetical proposition”.

Purpose of Research

Research ¡s undertaken to set a business organisation apart from its competitors in all aspects. It is especially essential for individuals who want to launch a start-up, as it proves helpful to evaluate a new business plan and its standing in the society. It is a systematic and methodical attempt to study the solution of a specific crisis encountered in a working environment. The purpose of business research is to provide learning and guidance to managers helping them take sound business decisions and also to overcome the existing and forth coming challenging situations in a business organisation.

Research serves the following purposes:

1. It reduces the risk of product failure as there is no assurance about a new initiative to be a commercial hit, but accurate and up-to-date previous knowledge and surveys on market can help a business make knowledgeable decisions to achieve commercial success.

2. It forecasts future trends. Research not only provides information regarding the existing state of the business market but is also used to anticipate future customer requirements. Based on these research organisations can then apply the necessary improvisation to their product portfolios and levels of output in order to flourish.

3. It increases the knowledge of an individual on topics like humans, social life, and environment and to make reliable predictions of events yet to happen. It also helps in analysing inter-relationships between variables.

4. It helps in verifying and testing of existing facts and theory. It also proves to be helpful in creating generalizations and reducing risk factor. It saves time and money during a new start-up.

5. It develops new tools, concepts and theories for improved study of unidentified phenomenon. It helps in the learning of where and how to produce, distribute and sell the product.

6. It gains a comprehensive understanding of consumers’ needs and requirements. Research can help firms to learn consumers’ opinions on a vast range of issues, e.g., views on products’ prices, packaging, recent advertising campaigns.

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