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UNDERGRADUATE
FINAL YEAR PROJECT
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
International Islamic University Malaysia
2020
KULLIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 2
FINAL YEAR PROJECT REGISTRATION 3
TOPIC SELECTION 4
THESIS SUPERVISION 4
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 5
ETHICAL REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCT 6
EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA 6
THESIS STYLE GUIDELINES 9
REFERENCES 10
APPENDIX A 11
APPENDIX B 13
APPENDIX C 16
APPENDIX D 22
INTRODUCTION
Final Year Project (FYP), a SIX credit course, is a graduation requirement for all students
of all Departments in the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences.
For the Departments of Communication, English and Literature, Political Science, History,
Psychology, and Sociology and Anthropology, the FYP held the status of “Kulliyyah Required Course.” The status of FYP is set as “Department Major Course” for the
Departments of Arabic Language and Literature, Fiqh and Usul-al-Fiqh, Qur’an and Sunnah,
and Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion. Though of different status, the nature of the process and product is standardized.
According to the Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA), in the overall undergraduate curriculum, there is a component delineated to research-based work, assuming a minimum of 6 credit hours. Taking into consideration the common structure introduced by international higher learning institutions, thus, the Kulliyyah decided to label the component as FYP and treat it as an equivalent nomenclature to the undergraduate thesis. The nature of research in social sciences (e.g., sociology and anthropology, history, political science, communication, and psychology) and humanities (e.g., language and literature) are practically indicative of the scientific and empirical quest of each respective discipline that in turn will contribute to the build-up of new and/or refinement of existing body of knowledge. FYP is the mean for achieving this novel aim. FYP is a form of capstone learning experience where students are expected to be able to synthesize the knowledge acquired in various subjects of their respective discipline, together with the technical skills acquired from research methodology (quantitative and qualitative) and/or statistics courses to INDEPENDENTLY run a research project in its entirety. The learning outcome for FYP is the level six of the Bloom’s learning
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taxonomy which is CREATE, i.e., producing a new or novel piece of work. The choice of research work or project applicable for this course is thus, decided to be of empirical or analytical (i.e., not merely conceptual) in nature.
Working under the supervision of an academic, students will independently design and
execute a study within the chosen area of the discipline. The Kulliyyah would like to
cultivate the academic culture via this FYP exercise. Students are advised not to approach
the FYP with a forced feeling (although structurally it is forced unto you). It is encouraged
for students to embrace FYP as a form of an ultimate assessment of their overall four years
academic learning credibility. Executing an independent research project should be seen as
a rare opportunity to acquire an extra point in one’s academic as well as personal
credibility. This experience would indeed be significantly valuable for those considering
pursuing their postgraduate study. Nevertheless, the experience of holding one’s own
thesis after all the hard work, indeed, is a real satisfying one.
FINAL YEAR PROJECT REGISTRATION
There are three criteria that students have to fulfil to allow them to register for the undergraduate thesis or FYP: 1) Students who are assigned with the study plan of 171 and onwards. Generally students with matric number 171 onwards (eg 171, 172, 181). However there are few students with matric number 161 and below may have been using 171 study plan (e.g. those who exit from CELPAD). 2) Have reached level 3 or level 4 of their study and completed pre-requisite courses indicated in the course outline. The Department will make necessary announcements to alert students to register for FYP.
The Kulliyyah has structured the FYP to convene in TWO semesters in the form of FYP I
and FYP II, each bearing 3 credit hours. Please refer to FYP course outlines for division of
tasks and activities across two semesters of study consecutively. Although structurally it is
designed as such, the needed preparation has to come much earlier than the semester that
you are registering for it.
Please refer to Appendix A for the FYP course registration form. All students are
required to fill in and submit the form to their respective department.
TOPIC SELECTION
Choice of FYP topic commonly should be made within the boundary of research interests of the academics at the Department. Students should have the autonomy of choosing the areas/topics that interest them, aligned with the academics’ research interests. However,
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the Department shall consider different modes of choosing FYP topics depending upon arising necessities. Topic should be realistic enough to allow students to complete the research within the time frame given.
THESIS SUPERVISION
Each student will be assigned one supervisor, with whom he/she will work till the
completion of the thesis. FYP supervision is a compulsory process. Thesis supervisor is
responsible for giving directions and insights to students allowing for successful
completion of the thesis. However, similar to other taught courses, students hold the
biggest responsibility to manage the successful completion of the academic tasks.
As a general rule of supervision, supervisors should allocate a minimum of eight (8) supervisory sessions per semester. Students on the other hand, should allocate approximately 15 – 16 hours per week to the FYP-related tasks. The supervisory process structure and nature, however, is dependent upon the agreement between supervisor and students. It is acceptable to have a variety of means and ways of supervision. For instance, fortnightly supervision mode is acceptable and so as supervision made through the social network media or e-mail, rather than just face-to-face mode. The supervisory hours also can fluctuate based on the individual student’s needs, thesis topic, and the phase of the thesis.
Supervisory relationship is a formal work- or academic-based relationship. Students have to actively participate in the supervisory process to ensure that their FYP activities can take place and move forward. Students are encouraged to be at all-time prepared for their supervisory meetings. Cultivation of enough curiosity is highly encouraged to all students to self-direct their FYP activities. To aid the supervisory process, please consider using the Record of Supervision form (Appendix B). For every supervisory session, students are required to fill up the form and send a copy to the supervisors, while keeping one copy for their own reference.
Any problems arising between supervisor and student, any one from both parties can consult the FYP coordinator appointed by the Department/Kulliyyah.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Student’s Responsibilities
Students shall be responsible to:
● consult supervisor and discuss all aspects of the research according to the agreed schedule
● monitor own progress according to the time schedule ● document feedback from supervisor during meeting ● proofread their work before submission ● fund own research cost ● adhere to ethical guidelines (eg plagiarism, responsibilities towards participants)
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● prepare and submit research proposal and final research report following the deadlines and according to the stipulated guidelines
Supervisor’s Responsibilities
Supervisors shall be responsible to:
● conduct regular meetings with the students and adhere to student absenteeism rules and regulation as stipulated in the University Rules and Regulations
● guide students in the planning and implementation of the research project, ensuring that the final thesis product uphold high academic quality and integrity
● monitor students’ progress according to the research schedule and provide constructive feedback upon written drafts within reasonable time
● examine and grade both research proposal and final report ● key in students’ results in the system
FYP coordinator’s Responsibilities
FYP Coordinator shall be responsible to:
● assist registration of FYP students as well as assign supervisors ● monitor and ensure the planning and implementation of FYP run smoothly ● schedule FYP briefings ● collect all evaluation forms and compile database of students, supervisors and thesis
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ETHICAL REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH CONDUCT
When conducting a research, researchers should be guided by the respective discipline’s
research ethical conduct. Research ethics in general refer to the correct rules of conduct
necessary when carrying out research. In specific, ethics in a specific discipline of
knowledge may also be defined as “… a method, procedure, or perspective for deciding how
to act and for analyzing complex problems and issues” (Resnik, 2015). Commonly, each
academic- or research-based institution will have a committee that will review the ethical
standards applied in a particular research project. This committee, which generically
known as Institutional Review Board (IRB), will review the research protocols and
materials to ascertain the right and fair treatment of the research respondents/participants
as well as research data.
A similar committee, known as Ethics Committee, was established in 2004 by the
International Islamic University Malaysia to oversee research related conducts for all
research under the auspices of the University. In 2012, the former Ethics Committee was
known as IIUM Research Ethics Committee (IREC), based in the Kuantan campus. Its main
duty is to “… provide guidance to researchers and to ensure that research involving
persons is carried out safely with considered consent and respect to autonomy and privacy
of the subjects, with principles of distributive justice and in accordance with the ethical
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principles” (IIUM Research Ethics Committee, n.d). As such, both FYP students and
supervisors are required to follow the ethical standard when conducting the research
project. Please visit IREC’s websites http://www.iium.edu.my/centre/irec.
EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA
The thesis supervisor is responsible for evaluating the: 1) FYP I/Research proposal (100
%) and 2) Final thesis/FYP II (100%)
1) Research Proposal (100%)
Students are required to write a simple research proposal (a length of 5,000 – 6000 words, approximately 17-20 pages, excluding title page and reference as well as appendices), outlining their research plan. The proposal should briefly covers:
1. Introduction - Background of the study, research problem, inclusive of the research questions/hypotheses and objectives, research significance, scope of research.
2. Literature Review- An evaluation of the existing scholarly literature on the proposed research problem and research questions/hypotheses, theoretical framework
3. Methodology - techniques employed to answer the research questions/hypotheses and ethical concerns in conducting the research.
4. Conclusion, covering limitations of the study and expected outcome. 5. An initial reference list or bibliography of scholarly sources referred and cited in
designing the research.
Research proposal should be submitted in Week 14 of the semester. Supervisors will
evaluate and grade the proposal accordingly. No In Progress (IP) grade can be awarded
to FYP I. Failure of FYP I will require repetition of the course before enrolment in FYP II.
Structure of the proposal:
● Use 1.5 spacing.
● Title page written according to the KIRKHS FYP I proposal template (for disciplines
that utilize the APA/ASR in-text and referencing styles).
● Bold and write in upper-case, the major headings of the proposal:
o INTRODUCTION – Should consist of background of study, problem statement, and
research questions/hypotheses, research objectives and research significance. .
o LITERATURE REVIEW – Select theoretical and empirically based relevant articles
to the study. Summarize and review the articles, linking relevant points and issues
to the research problem and questions/hypotheses.
o METHODS – Present details of research design, research setting, participants and
sampling procedures, data collection procedures as well as data analysis method.
o EXPECTED OUTCOME– Discuss expected outcome of the study.
o REFERENCE – Referencing and citation should strictly adhere to the departments’
choice of citation style.
o APPENDICES – Research Timeline (Gantt chart), questionnaire/interview
schedule (Optional)
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Please refer to Appendix C for Research Proposal scoring rubric.
2) Final Thesis (100%)
Thesis should be submitted within Week 14 of the current semester till Week 2 of the
subsequent semester. Thesis will be graded by each students’ supervisor, based on the
Thesis rubric (please refer to Appendix D). Failure to submit the final version of the
thesis for examination within the stipulated time will jeopardize the final marks for this
course. Submission of the final version of the thesis with substantial evidence that
plagiarism elements were found in it shall also jeopardize the final mark of this course.
Failure status can be assigned if a thesis was proven to be plagiarized work.
In Progress (IP) grade should be awarded to FYP II taking into consideration of its
research based component (please refer to SAPER 2015, Matters 24.1-5, pg 11-12). Should
students fail the FYP II, they will have to repeat the course.
Structure of the thesis write-ups:
● Bold and write in upper-case, the major headings and use bold, sentence case for sub-
headings of the proposal. Each major heading will be the chapter in the thesis:
o INTRODUCTION – Should consist of the following:
▪ Problem Statement
▪ Research Questions/Hypotheses
▪ Research Objectives
▪ Significance of Study
▪ Definition of Terms
▪ Summary of the introduction chapter
o LITERATURE REVIEW – Select theoretically and empirically based relevant articles
to the study. Summarize and review the articles, linking relevant points and issues
to the research questions/objectives.
▪ Theoretical framework – shows the relationship between the literature
and the problem statement
▪ Current empirical literature
▪ Summary of the literature review chapter
o METHODS – Should consist of the following:
▪ Research design
▪ Participants (including a description and selection/sampling procedures)
▪ Instruments/ Measures used
▪ Data collection procedures
▪ Data analysis
▪ Ethical considerations
▪ Summary of the method chapter
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o RESULTS – Present results of the data both descriptively and inferentially (for
quantitative research). Present results of the data thematically (for qualitative
research).
▪ Sub-sections the results are typically organized following research
hypotheses/questions.
▪ Summary of the result section
o DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSION – Should consist of the following:
▪ Synthesis and justification of findings
▪ Limitations of study
▪ Suggestions for future research
▪ Summary of the discussion and conclusion chapter
o REFERENCE – Referencing and citation could adhere to the KIRKHS FYP II thesis
template
o APPENDICES
Please refer to Appendix D for Final Thesis scoring rubric.
Note: Variation of the chapterization and chapter headings are acceptable when as
necessary, depending on the nature of the research work or areas. The in-text citation
and referencing style are dependent upon the common choice of respective
departments.
THESIS STYLE GUIDELINES
The full thesis should be written within a length of 30 – 40 pages, an approximation of 10,000 to 12,000 words. Please use Times New Roman or Gentium Alt typeface with font size of 12, and 1.5 spacing. Arial typeface can be used for tables and figures. Final thesis may be prepared in mirror-image document style in preparation for double-sided thesis printing. Pages with illustration in the thesis document may be prepared single-sided but the blank page attached to it should still be numbered in continuation with the numbering of the illustrated page. In preparation for printing a double-sided thesis, students are advised to choose a sufficiently opaque paper so that text and illustration on one side does not impair readability on the other side.
Tape-binding copy of the final thesis should be submitted to the supervisor for examination
together with a soft copy of the final thesis for plagiarism check.
Upon examination and correction, ONE copy of hard-bound thesis (students may refer to
their respective department for this requirement) with the following specification should
be submitted to the supervisor:
● be covered in grey cloth (e.g. water resistant material)
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● be lettered in gold up the spine with name, title of the thesis, degree, and year (in
such order respectively) and written in 16 point font size, either Cambria or
Times New Roman font
Final version of the thesis document should have the following listed items:
● Title page
● Abstract page (150 – 250 words)
● Approval page
● Declaration page
● Declaration of copyright page
● Acknowledgment page
● Table of contents page(s)
● List of tables page
● List of figures page
● List of abbreviation and acronyms page and/or translation note.
● List of appendices
● Content pages
o CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION
o CHAPTER 2 – LITERATURE REVIEW
o CHAPTER 3 – METHODS
o CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS/FINDINGS
o CHAPTER 5 – DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSION
o REFERENCE
o APPENDICES
REFERENCES
IIUM Research Ethics Committee (IREC). (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www.iium.edu.my/irec
IIUM Student Academic Performance Evaluation (Undergraduate Regulations) (2015)
Resnik, D. B. (2015, December 1). What is Ethics in Research & Why is it Important?
Retrieved from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/whatis/
index.cfm
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APPENDIX A
REGISTRATION FORM: FINAL YEAR PROJECT I
SEMESTER ___ ACADEMIC YEAR _____________
Name: Click here to enter text.
Matric Number: Click here to enter text.
Department: Click here to enter text.
TITLE OF PROPOSAL
(maximum 50 words) Click here to enter text.
RESEARCH AREA
Click here to enter text.
SUMMARY OF PROPOSAL
Please provide a summary of the proposal. Please describe clearly: i) Background of research ii) Statement of Research Problem iii) Data Collection Technique/s. Add words below, 200-250 words, single space.
Click here to enter text.
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY:
Supervisor: ___________________________________________________________ Section:___________
Date: ________________
KULLIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
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APPENDIX B
Thesis Supervision Form
Final Year Project _________
This form is designed to be used in recording formal supervisory meetings between
research students and their supervisor.
Name:
Matric#:
Matric No. Date of meeting:
Supervisory meeting no:
Tasks/Objectives set in the last meeting:
KULLIYYAH OF ISLAMIC REVEALED KNOWLEDGE AND HUMAN SCIENCES
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General comments in the current meeting:
Specific comments in the current meeting:
Objectives agreed (with timescales) for action before next meeting:
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Other relevant information:
Date of next meeting:
Student Signature Supervisor Signature
…………………………………………………… ………………………………………………….
Date: Date:
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APPENDIX C
FYP I: Research Proposal Scoring Rubric
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
INTRODUCTION (30%)
Background of Study
and Problem
Statement
(10%)
No link is made to existing
research on the topic. No
research context is
described.
The context of the topic at
hand is described in broad
terms but there is no link
between what is known and
what will be researched
Context of the research is
defined well, with input from
the student. There is a link
between the context and
research problem
Context of the research is
defined sharply and to-the-
point. Research problem
emerges directly from the
described context
Research is positioned sharply
in the relevant scientific field.
Student is able to indicate the
novelty and innovation of the
research
Problem statement is hardly
articulated and not
supported/justified by
theory and/or past research
Problem statement is
articulated fairly clearly but
only minimally supported/
justified by theory and/or
past research
Problem statement is much
better articulated and
supported/justified by theory
and/or past research
Problem statement is
articulated clearly and
supported/justified by theory
and/or past research
Problem statement is
articulated very clearly & well
supported /justified by theory
and/or past research and
sociologically significance
Research
Questions
AND/OR
Research
Hypotheses
(10%)
Research questions/
hypotheses are
independent of one another.
Questions/hypotheses are
hardly focused and clear.
Questions/Hypotheses
seems not
testable/answerable.
No alignment between
research problem and
questions and/or
Research questions/
hypotheses are independent
of one another. Questions/
hypotheses are fairly focused
and clear
Questions/ Hypotheses
appear to be marginally
testable/ answerable
Marginal alignment between
research problem, questions
Research questions/
hypotheses are inter-related
with one another and fairly
focused and clear
Questions/Hypotheses appear
to be fairly testable/
answerable
Fair alignment between
research problem, questions
and/or hypotheses
Research questions/hypotheses
are inter-related with one
another are focused and clear
Questions/Hypotheses appear
testable/ answerable
Some degree of alignment
between research problem,
questions and/or research
hypotheses
Research questions/hypotheses
are inter-related with one
another are highly focused and
clear
Questions/Hypotheses indeed
are testable/ answerable.
Total alignment between
research problem, questions
and/or hypotheses and
sociologically significance
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hypotheses and/or hypotheses
Research
Objectives
Research
Significance
(10%)
Research objectives are
independent of one another.
and hardly focused and
clear.
Research hardly offers any
relevant contributions
towards theory/knowledge
development or practices
Research objectives are
independent of one another.
Questions/ hypotheses are
fairly focused and clear
Research offers marginally
relevant contributions
towards theory/ knowledge
development or practices
Research objectives are inter-
related with one another and
fairly focused and clear
Research offers fairly relevant
contributions towards theory/
knowledge development or
practices
Research
objectives/hypotheses are
inter-related with one another
and are focused and clear
Research offers relevant
contributions towards theory/
knowledge development
and/or practices
Research objectives are inter-
related with one another and
are highly focused and clear
Research offers very relevant
contributions towards theory/
knowledge development as well
as practices
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
Literature Review (30%)
Definition of
terms /main
concepts/
Operational
definition of
variables
(10%)
No/ very little operational
definitions/main concepts
are provided.
Vague operational
definitions/main concepts are
provided.
Fairly clear operational
definition/main concepts are
explained.
Clear and good operational
definitions/main concepts are
explained
Comprehensive operational
definitions/main concepts are
well-developed and explained.
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Theoretical
Literature
Review/
Framework
(10%)
No discussion of
underlying theories.
Student has found the
relevant theories, but the
description has not been
tailored to the project at hand
or shows occasional errors.
Student has found the relevant
theories, and has been partially
successful in tailoring the
description to the project at
hand. Few errors occur.
Student has found the relevant
theories, makes a synthesis of
those, and has been successful
in tailoring the description to
the project at hand.
Clear, complete and coherent
overview of relevant theories.
Exactly tailored to the project at
hand.
Empirical
Literature
Review
(10%)
Literature reviewed are
not relevant to the whole
research context. The
reviewed literature do not
justify the research
objectives, hypotheses,
and/or questions.
Few relevant literature are
reviewed but they appear to
be a mere summarization of
procedures and findings. No
connection however, is made
to the research objectives,
hypotheses, and/or
questions.
Literature reviewed are very
relevant to the research
context. Reviews are not mere
summaries but include few
insights and arguments
depicting a marginal critical
analysis. The link between the
literature and the objectives,
hypotheses, and/or questions
are only marginally connected.
Very relevant literature are
reviewed and better insights
and critical discussions of the
literature are portrayed.
Stronger links are depicted
between literature and the
objectives, hypotheses, and/or
questions.
Demonstrates significant
amount of critical thinking,
creativity and insight in
reviewing earlier literature.
Impressive justifications and
connections are made between
the literature with relevant
objectives, hypotheses, and/or
questions.
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Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
METHODOLOGY (30%)
Research
Design,
Population
and Sampling
(10%)
Somewhat appropriate
research design that is
capable of addressing only
some of the research
questions
Rather vague description
of the population, research
sample, sampling
techniques
Justifications for the use of
the methodology are
vaguely presented and not
discussed
Marginally Appropriate
research design that is
capable of addressing some of
the research questions
Marginally clear description
of the of the population,
research sample, sampling
techniques
Justifications for the use of
the methodology are
presented but not discussed
Fairly Appropriate research
design that is capable of
addressing some of the
research questions
Fairly clear description of the of
the population, research
sample, sampling techniques
Justifications for the use of the
methodology are presented but
not adequately discussed
Appropriate research design
that is capable of addressing
most of the research questions
Clear description of the of the
population, research sample,
sampling techniques
Justifications for the use of the
methodology are presented and
somewhat adequately
discussed
Very appropriate research
design that is capable of
addressing all the research
questions
Very clear description of the of
the population, research
sample, sampling techniques
Justifications for the use of the
methodology are clearly
presented and adequately
discussed.
Data
Collection
Procedure
No data collection
procedure is described.
Description of data collection
procedure is sparsely
provided. Explicate only the
major process but no
explanation on the details
procedure.
The step-by-step process by
which data will be generated is
provided. Major processes are
sparsely explained.
The step-by-step process by
which data will be gathered is
provided. A fair amount of
information of major processes
is provided.
The step-by-step process by
which data will be gathered is
provided. Major processes are
clearly described.
Measures /
Instruments
eg Q.aire,
Scale,
Interview
Guide (10%)
Measures /Instruments
used are incorrect or are
not stated
Measures/Instruments are
correct and stated but not
described.
Measures/Instruments are
stated but only marginally
described.
Measures/Instruments are
stated and fairly described.
Measures/Instruments are
clearly described.
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Data analysis
&
Data analyses are
appropriate but hardly
adequate to address the
research questions.
Data analyses are fairly
appropriate and only
adequate to address some of
the research questions.
Data analyses are appropriate
but only adequate to address
some of the research questions.
Data analyses are appropriate,
and are adequate to address
most of the research questions
Data analyses are appropriate,
extensive and sophisticated,
and are adequate to address all
the research questions
Ethical
consideration
(10%)
Fails to conduct research
according to academic and
ethical norms.
Shows awareness of ethical
issues; may sparsely report
on them.
Demonstrate marginal
knowledge on ethical issues;
only fairly report them.
Demonstrates fair amount of
knowledge of ethical issues;
Displays competence in
addressing potential ethical
issues.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
FORMAT AND LANGUAGE (10%)
Format
References are missing or
do not follow standard
format. In-text citations
mostly are incorrect.
References are not scientific;
some are missing and some
are not correctly reported. In-
text citations are marginally
correct.
Some references are scientific;
some are missing and some are
not correctly reported. In-text
citations are fairly correct.
Most references are scientific
and correctly reported, based
on the standard format. In-text
citations are mostly correct.
All references are scientific and
correctly reported based on the
standard format. All In-text
citations are correct.
English,
Spelling and
grammar
(10%)
English incorrect and
unreadable. Spelling and
grammar errors too many
to count.
English somehow correct but
not pleasant to read. Spelling
and grammar errors
numerous.
English basically correct and
readable. Spelling and grammar
errors present but at acceptable
quantities.
English correct and pleasant to
read. Some spelling and
grammar errors.
English fluent and pleasant to
read. Few spelling and
grammar errors.
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APPENDIX D
FYP II: Thesis/Final Report Scoring Rubric
INTRODUCTION (10%)
Introductio
n (10%)
No link is made to existing
research on the topic. No
research context is
described.
The context of the topic at
hand is described in broad
terms but there is no link
between what is known and
what will be researched.
Context of the research is
defined well, with input from
the student. There is a link
between the context and
research problem.
Context of the research is
defined sharply and to-the-
point. Research problem
emerges directly from the
described context.
Research is positioned sharply
in the relevant scientific field.
Student is able to indicate the
novelty and innovation of the
research.
Problem statement,
Research questions/
hypotheses is hardly
articulated and not
supported/justified by
theory and/or past
research.
Problem statement is
articulated fairly clearly but
only minimally supported/
justified by theory and/or
past research.
Problem statement is much
better articulated and
supported/justified by theory
and/or past research.
Problem statement is
articulated clearly and
supported/justified by theory
and/or past research.
Problem statement is
articulated very clearly & well
supported /justified by theory
and/or past research and
sociologically significance.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
LITERATURE REVIEW (10%)
Literature
Review
(10%)
Literature reviewed are not
relevant to the whole
research context. The
reviewed literature do not
justify the research
objectives, hypotheses/
questions.
Few relevant literature are
reviewed but they appear to
be a mere summarization of
procedures and findings. No
connection however, is made
to the research objectives,
hypotheses, and/or
questions.
Literature reviewed are very
relevant to the research
context. Reviews are not mere
summaries but include few
insights and arguments
depicting a marginal critical
analysis. The link between the
literature and the objectives,
hypotheses questions are only
Very relevant literature are
reviewed and better insights
and critical discussions of the
literature are portrayed.
Stronger links are depicted
between literature and the
objectives, hypotheses/
questions.
Demonstrates significant
amount of critical thinking,
creativity and insight in
reviewing earlier literature.
Impressive justifications and
connections are made between
the literature with relevant
objectives, hypotheses/
questions.
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marginally connected.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
METHODOLOGY (10%)
Methodology
(10%)
Somewhat appropriate
research design that is
capable of addressing only
some of the research
questions.
Rather vague description
of the research sample,
sampling techniques and
data collection
procedures.
Marginally appropriate
research design that is
capable of addressing some of
the research questions.
Marginally clear description
of the research sample,
sampling techniques, data
collection procedures and
methods of data analysis.
Fairly appropriate research
design that is capable of
addressing some of the
research questions.
Fairly clear description of the
research sample, sampling
techniques, data collection
procedures and methods of
data analysis.
Appropriate research design
that is capable of addressing
most of the research questions.
Clear description of the
research sample, sampling
techniques, data collection
procedures and methods of
data analysis.
Very appropriate research
design that is capable of
addressing all the research
questions.
Very clear description of the
research sample, sampling
techniques, data collection
procedures and methods of
data analysis.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
FINDINGS/RESULTS (30%)
Findings
(30%)
The findings presented are
not discussed in relation
to theory and findings of
past studies cited in
literature review and
research problem.
Results are not explained,
level of detail is severely
insufficient, and there are
serious organizational
The findings are superficially
discussed in relation to
theory and findings of past
studies cited in literature
review and research problem.
Results are not clearly
explained, level of detail is
severely insufficient, and
there are serious
organizational issues.
The findings are fairly
discussed in relation to theory
and findings of past studies
cited in literature review and
research problem.
Results are not very clearly
explained, level of detail is
insufficient, and there are more
organizational issues.
The findings are clearly
discussed in relation to theory
and findings of past studies
cited in literature review and
research problem.
Results are explained but not as
clearly, level of detail is not as
sufficient, and there are some
organizational issues.
The findings are clearly and
judiciously discussed in relation
to theory and findings of past
studies cited in literature
review and research problem.
Results are clearly explained in
a comprehensive level of detail
and are well organized.
21
issues.
Items 1-6 7-12 13-18 19-24 25-30 TOTAL
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION (20%)
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
Discussion
(10%)
Conclusion
(10%)
Discussion of how the
study relates to and/or
enhances the present
scholarship in this area is
absent
No link between research
questions, results and
conclusions.
Discussion of how the study
relates to and/or enhances
the present scholarship in
this area is severely limited
Conclusions are drawn, but in
many cases these are only
partial answers to the
research questions and are
not substantiated by results.
Discussion of how the study
relates to and/or enhances the
present scholarship in this area
is limited.
Most conclusions well-linked to
research questions and
substantiated by results.
Conclusions mostly formulated
clearly but some vagueness in
wording.
Discussion of how the study
relates to and/or enhances the
present scholarship in this area
is adequate.
Clear link between research
questions and conclusions. All
conclusions substantiated by
results. Conclusions are
formulated in exact manner.
Insightful discussion of how the
study relates to and/or
enhances the present
scholarship in this area
Clear link between research
questions and conclusions.
Conclusions substantiated by
results. Conclusions are
formulated exact and concise.
Conclusions are
grouped/ordered in a logical
way.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
FORMAT and LANGUAGE (20%)
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
Format
(10%)
References are missing or
do not follow standard
format. In-text citations
References are not scientific;
some are missing and some
are not correctly reported. In-
Some references are scientific;
some are missing and some are
not correctly reported. In-text
Most references are scientific
and correctly reported, based
on the standard format. In-text
All references are scientific and
correctly reported based on the
standard format. All In-text
22
mostly are incorrect. text citations are marginally
correct.
citations are fairly correct. citations are mostly correct. citations are correct.
Language,
Spelling and
grammar
(10%)
English incorrect and
unreadable. Spelling and
grammar errors too many
to count.
English somehow correct but
not pleasant to read. Spelling
and grammar errors
numerous.
English basically correct and
readable. Spelling and grammar
errors present but at acceptable
quantities.
English correct and pleasant to
read. Some spelling and
grammar errors.
English fluent and pleasant to
read. Few spelling and
grammar errors. English is
(almost) at the level of what is
written in peer-reviewed
journals.
Items 1 – 2 3 – 4 5 – 6 7 – 8 9 – 10 TOTAL
23