1

Format of Major Research Project

While there does not exist any one, standard format of Research Reports
followed world-wide, the following is the format that shall be used for the
MRPs at Pioneer Institute of Professional Studies, Indore.
The Major Research Project contains 13 parts as explained below with
examples. The language used must be of a formal and academic tone, using
Times Roman font, font size being 12. Line Spacing of 1.5 shall be used in the
text. The alignment of justify shall be applied to the text. Major headings
(such as names of the various parts of the MRP: table of Contents, literature
review, data analysis, major findings, etc.) should be typed in bold, with font
size of 16. Subheadings would be written in bold, with font size of 14. Writing
in point forms and paragraphs needs to be considered as per the various parts of
the MRP report (for instance, major findings would be written in point form-
with each point/finding explained in some detail). Page numbers are to be
inserted on right hand lower column.
I: TITLE PAGE:
Title of the Research study (e.g.: A Study of Brand loyalty in the product
category of biscuits or A Study of Job satisfaction levels among school
teachers or A Study of the impact of non-performing assets on select national
banks )
Submitted by: (Name of Student, MBA-IV, Batch of .., Roll No. ....)
Name of Guide: Prof/Dr. ....
II.NECESSARY CERTIFICATES/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
III: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Including columns for contents, page number
E.g.:
Comment [a1]: STANDARDISED; TO BE ADDED
TO THE REPORT AT THE END OF THE STUDY
Comment [a2]: TO BE ADDED TO THE REPORT
AT THE END OF THE STUDY
2

Contents Page No.
Executive summary 1
Introduction/Background of the Study 2-3
Research Problem 4

IV. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: A one page summary of the entire study
including research objectives, methodology used, analysis and findings and
conclusion.
E.g.: This objective of this study was .. . For this, data was analysed using
(method). It was found that In conclusion, it may be stated that.

V. INTRODUCTION /BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
This section would contain brief introductory information material related to the
study.
E.g.: In A study of Brand loyalty in the product category of biscuits: this part
may contain:
Overview of the Branded Biscuit Industry of India
Branding and brand loyaltybasic conceptual meaning
E.g.: In A Study of Job satisfaction levels among school teachers
Meaning of Job satisfaction; its importance to employees: improvement
of productivity, building of morale, etc.
E.g.: In A Study of the impact of non-performing assets on select national
banks:
Overview of financial performance of major national banks in the country
Meaning of NPAs
Impact of NPAs on financial performance of banks
Size of NPAs in the banking industry and in particular, in the case of
national banks.
VI. STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM:
1. Research Objectives
Comment [a3]: WOULD BE WRITTEN AT THE
END OF THE REPORT, BUT ADDED AS PER THIS
ORDER IN THE REPORT
3

2. Research Problems/Questions: (i.e. Scope of the study as decidedby the
Guide and Student)
Examples:
Research Objective: To find.... [e.g.: To find the level of customer loyalty in
select biscuit brands]
Research Problems/Questions:
1. What is the level of customer loyalty of select biscuit brands?
2. What, if any, are the differences in the loyalty levels towards the select
brands of biscuit brands?
3. What are the reasons for differences (if any) in the loyalty towards select
biscuit brands?
Or
Research Objectives: To find the level of job satisfaction among school
teachers
Research Problems/Questions:
1. What are the factors affecting job satisfaction?
2. What is the level of job satisfaction among the school teachers?
3. What impact on ...(on all or few of -performance, absenteeism, turnover,
etc.) does job satisfaction have on school teachers
4. What are the reasons that explain this level of job satisfaction?
Or
Research Objectives: To find the impact of the non-performing assets on the
financial performance of select national banks
Research Problems/Questions:
1. What is the level of NPAs in the select national banks?
2. What is the financial performance/status of the select banks in terms of
...?
3. What is the impact of (1) on (2) ?

4

VII. RESEARCH DESIGN:
Research Type (exploratory/descriptive)
Sampling : Sampling Method; Sample size
Data Collection Methods
Data Analysis Method(S).
VIII. LITERATURE REVIEW &CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT
(findings from previous academic research studies in the topic under study):
This part would contain literature review written with proper in-text citations
and the material from the literature review would lead to development of the
various concepts (conceptual development) or variables used. Following are
examples to make this clear:
e.g.: In A study of Brand loyalty in the product category of biscuits, finding
which bring out role of branding; branding in the area of FMCGs/low
involvement products-which biscuits are); brand loyalty and its impact;
impact of brand loyalty in the specific case of biscuits/FMCGs/low-
involvement products : all leading to the development of concepts related to
brand loyalty such as components of brand loyalty; types of brand loyalty.
e.g.: In A Study of Job satisfaction levels among school teachers, findings that
bring out meaning and role of job satisfaction in an organisation, factors that
affect job satisfaction (which would help in conceptual development of job
satisfaction); how does job satisfaction impact employee ( in areas of chosen in
the study , as per research problem/question 3 for the same example)
e.g.: In Study of the impact of non-performing assets on select national banks,
findings related factors defining banks financial performance; factors affecting
bank financial performance; nature of NPAs; impact of NPAs on banks leading
to development of concepts relating to bank financial performance; nature and
meaning of NPAs.
IX. DATA ANALYSIS:
Body of the Report carrying the findings based on data analysis such as
description of the sample; findings related to data analysis with Tables, Figures,
where needed and used. [Formulae used, Excel sheets not to be used here-but in
the Appendices]
5

Data Result
e.g.: The percentage of respondents who indicated they would not buy another
brand of biscuits in case their favoured brand is not available in the case of
Parle G is x%, whereas in the case of Britannia is y%. This difference is
significant when applying the ....test of significance at 95% level of
confidence(please see appendix 3.1 )
Interpretation (Data Interpretations emerging from data analysis.)
e.g.: (stemming from the above example of data analysis result ...)It may thus
be said that in terms of not switching to another brand when the preferred
brand is not available, customers of Parle (or Britannia) are more brand loyal
than customers of Britannia (or Parle)
X. MAJOR FINDINGS [in point forms]: Summarised version of Data analysis
findings plus interpretations for various findings.
e.g.:
1. In terms of unavailability of their preferred brand of biscuit brand, customers
ofParle (or Britannia) biscuits exhibited a lower switching behaviour than
Britannia (or Parle) , indicating that customers of Parle (or Britannia) have
greater brand loyalty than those of Britannia (or Parle)
2
3 ...etc.
XI.CONCLUDING COMMENTS
1. CONCLUSIONS, EMERGING MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
2. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
XII. REFERENCES
XIII. APPENDICES-Questionnaire, analysis carried out in Excel sheets, any
graph not considered important enough to be contained in the main body of the
report