UNDERGRADUATE PROJECT
WRITING
A quick guide to Chapter One
Contents of Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.4 Relevant Research Questions
1.5 Statement of Hypotheses
1.6 Scope of the Study
1.7 Limitation of the Research
1.8 Significance of the Research
1.9 Definition of Unfamiliar Terms
References
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This is your introductory part and you must:
Create readers interest here
Establish the areas of the research. This may
contain:
i. The general and specific description of the
topic, and
ii. A brief preview of the topic or/and the
foundation of the problem.
Background of the study Example….
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
“The debate for or against organizations engaging in societal
improvement is no more the bane of contention. Much of the
discourse amongst organizations has shifted from the mere levels of
“should we?” or “should we not?” to more pressing demand of how
fair and true is the information supplied to financial accounting users in
line with best global practices and how such financial details
transparently inform stakeholders of the organizations dealings with
the society?”………..
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
This provides the context for the research study and the questions
which the research hopes to answer. A problem statement articulates
the issue to be addressed and indicates the need for the study.
A good problem Statement should “tickle the fancy" of the reader
in a persuasive way.
It is advisable to keep your statement as concise as possible
…..between (100-250words), but with enough information to
convince readers that the research is feasible, appropriate and
worthwhile.
The statement should concisely include the research gap you hope
to close
To achieve this you must attempt to observe the following keys to a
good statement of problem:
Keys to good Statements
What is the relevance of the topic to Accounting?
How current is the issue?
Will the problem likely to continue into the
future?
Does the problem have theoretical importance
and support?
What is the effect of the problem on a larger
population?
Will your study substantially revise or extend
existing knowledge?
Statement of the Problem…Example
………The problem is that conventional reporting is inadequate to
completely convey all the details of firms involved in corporate
social accounting. Corporate neglect and avoidance of vital details
creates gap in financial information reporting. There is no
completeness and correctness of fair view to users of financial
information, such as shareholders, rating agencies, government
and investors due to failure to report in transparent formats.
Utama (2010) acknowledging this gap affirms that companies,
especially large companies, report their Corporate Social
Responsibility activities in varying and difficult to evaluate manner.
Hartani, (2003), argues that businesses should not be expected to
voluntarily disclose their negative reports. Thus, only choice details
are made available for public consumption given a
freehand……………
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of your research should summarize what
you hope to achieve by the end of the study. As a
standard rule your objectives should be related to the
research problem stated in 1.2 above.
It is possible to make a general statement of what you
hope to accomplish (General Objective). However it is
advisable to break them down into logically smaller
parts (Specific Objectives).
The Specific objectives are used to systematically
address the various research questions.
Benefits of Objectives
Minimizes a wild-goose chase.
Keeps you Focused on the key aspects of the
study.
Reduces the temptation of accumulated
unwanted data.
Helps to align your conclusion at the end of
the research.
Stating your Objectives
Be simple, straight forward and avoid ambiguous
statements and as much as possible.
Use only action verbs that are specific enough to be
evaluated. Below are standard action verbs used in
objective statements: To
i. Determine;
ii. Compare;
iii. Verify;
iv. Calculate;
v. Describe, and
vi. Establish.
Objectives of the study……example
The purpose of this study is to determine the level of
transparency of Corporate Social Accounting practices
in Nigerian quoted companies. The specific objectives
include:
1.Determine the degree of Corporate Social
Responsibility Disclosure of quoted firms in Nigeria;
2.Determine how Corporate Social Responsibility
expenses are accounted for in financial statements
by Nigerian firms;
3.Determine whether corporate social Responsibility
is avenue for increased profitability in Nigeria or
not……….
Relevant Research Questions
These are the specific queries you want to
answer in addressing your research problem.
It is advisable that your relevant research
questions are stated in specific order to the
objectives of your study.....
Relevant Research Questions….Example
Aligning with the objectives stated in 1.3. above
the below questions are made:
1.What is the degree of Corporate Social
Responsibility disclosure amongst quoted firms
in Nigeria?
2.Are Corporate Social Responsibility expenses
tracked independently of other operating
expenditure?
3.Is social responsibility an avenue for quoted
firms in Nigeria to increase profitability?
Statement of hypotheses
A hypothesis is simply a statement that can be proved
or disproved. It is very possible for a research question
to be developed into a hypothesis by changing it into a
statement.
When you make specific predictions regarding
answers to a research question posed, then you are
building a hypothesis that can be tested empirically.
Its is advisable to make at least three of such
statements to confirm your findings.
The Null Hypothesis
A null hypothesis (H0) is the hypothesis to be disproved.
A working null hypothesis is simply developed by adding
“not” or making it a “negative statement”.
Example……..
“The degree of Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure
amongst quoted firms in Nigeria is not significant”.
Or
“There is no significant relationship between Corporate
Social Responsibility disclosure and quoted firms
performance in Nigeria”
The Alternative Hypothesis
This is what you hope will be accepted based on the
literature. It is denoted as (H1). The alternative
hypothesis is a positive statement or the reverse of the
Null.
Example……..
“The degree of Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure
amongst quoted firms in Nigeria is significant”.
Or
“There is a significant relationship between Corporate
Social Responsibility disclosure and quoted firms
performance in Nigeria”
Scope of the study
This is an outline of what your study will cover. It
should define the parameters of the study such
as the time period, object, theory, process or
activity area to be covered.
It is advisable you use the scope to define
specific boundaries in which the study will be
operating in.
Scope of the Study……Example
“The area of this study covers all industries
within the Nigerian economy as long as the
company is listed on the stock exchange.
However, the study is specifically focused on the
public limited companies that are quoted and
whose shares are traded on the floors on the
Nigerian stock exchange for the period of 2000-
2011”.
Limitation of the Research
The limitation of your study are those
characteristics of design that can influence the
interpretation of the results of your study.
Remember, these must be the constraints you
could not avoid in the process of the study. They
are basically outside your control, at least during
the period of the study.
Limitation of the Research… Example
Though good effort has been made to put up an empirical
research however the following factors have been unavoidable
absent as a result of their critical limiting factors for this study:
1.The most recent Annual Reports of some quoted companies
and
2.Financial Statements for the estimated sample size included
only the companies which are listed in the Nigeria Stock
Exchange market (NSE) whose annual reports are statutorily
published and made available to the general public. The
research was limited by information about companies which
are not public quoted companies since they are not required
statutorily to make available to the public their annual
reports.
Significance of the Research/Study
The significance of your research simply
explains the importance of the proposed
study and its relevance. The significance
should be able to show how the study will
contribution to knowledge.
You must also specifically state the
beneficiaries of the study and how they stand
to gain from the finding of the research.
Significance of the Research…Example
..This study will be greatly beneficial to a number of
groups in Nigeria. Companies Stakeholders rank amongst
the top beneficiaries of this study on corporate social
responsibility
Another set of interest group that will benefit from the
findings of this research will be the community and society
from where companies operate.
The last set of beneficiary of this study is the international
community- particularly in the area of urgent significance in
the uniformity and standardization of the reporting formats
for entities involved in Corporate Social
Responsibility……
Definition of Unfamiliar Terms
This is the definition of terms or words used
outside of their universal meaning or
application.
References
These are works from authors and materials
consulted in this first chapter.
Look out for details on referencing in the nearest
future.
Please note the followings:
1. APA fifth edition is the recommended style for
use.
2. It is advisable to use the available referencing
application on Microsoft word 2007 or 2010.
I strongly believe these tips helps. Good luck!
You're a Unique Scholar!
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