Page 149 - PG-Handbook23-24-finale

1.2 Article Style Format

Apart from the conventional style of writing, a research report/dissertation/thesis can also be
presented in the chapters that are in the format of journal article (Table 1.2). The number of
chapters to be included is at the discretion of the author, depending on the suitability of the
chapters in answering the research questions.

This format is also applicable to candidates of Doctoral Degree by Research using Concurrent
or Prospective Publication. The candidate submits a thesis/conspectus which incorporates
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publications that may have multiple authors since registration. The candidate may also
present a portfolio of interconnected, published research papers or articles encapsulated in a
coherent thesis/conspectus, demonstrating overall an original contribution to knowledge.
Such publications may include papers, chapters, monographs, books, scholarly editions of a
text, technical reports, creative work in relevant areas, or other artefacts. The thesis (with the
publications or equivalent works) must meet the criteria and outcomes established for a
doctoral award and assessed through a viva voce.

The article style format should not be confused with the format for thesis by retrospective or
prior publication. Similar to the conventional format, a research report/dissertation/thesis in
the article style format should be written extensively to elucidate the different aspects of the
research work in great details.

The main body of a research report/dissertation/thesis in the article style format should contain
the following chapters:

(a) General Introduction
The General Introduction gives an overview of the research by outlining the objectives,
novelty as well as the research questions addressed. This chapter should also explain the
correlation among the articles/chapters.

(b) Literature Review
The Literature Review provides extensive background information on past studies and
current knowledge pertaining to the research topic.

(c) Article 1, Article 2, Article 3 or more
Each article should address a specific research objective or a related topic of the study.
Each article forms a separate chapter and must be written in a cohesive manner with a
logical and coordinated progression from one article/chapter to the other. The
article/chapter should consist of its own sections on Introduction, brief Literature Review,
Methodology, Results, Discussion and Conclusion.

(d) Conclusion and Recommendation
The Conclusion chapter summarizes the findings in all articles and suggests the future
direction for research.

The format specifications of the research report/dissertation/thesis must conform to the
general research report /dissertation/thesis requirements as outlined in Chapter 2.

1 A critical review which locates the artefact/s within a coherent theoretical framework and field/s of study.

3