How to write a project report?

There are many projects which are undertaken and project reports written by professionals and students. The basic concept followed for all the project reports is the generally same for any kind of project report. Lets first understand what is a project report and how do we write one.

What is a project report?
A project report is a way of putting together all the details about the project done in a structured manner. It has the details starting from the scope of the project to the detailed analysis of the work done, findings, suggestions, conclusion, references, and also acknowledgements.

If we have to take example of writing a project report for a project undertaken by an MBA student, then it will be prepared in the below organized way-

1. Cover Page - This includes the title of the report, the college name, Student’s name who executed the project and compiling the report, College course name and year. All the text is centrally aligned.

2. Declaration- This is to declare the authenticity of the project and the report.

3. Certificate from the Company/ Organization- This is on the Company’s letter head where the project was undertaken and it is signed & stamped by the Company’s authority.
4. Certificate by the College-  this is signed by the Project Guide and the Director stating that the student has successfully conducted the project as part of the MBA course, the work is authentic.

5. Acknowledgement- Here the student mentions about Project guide and Company’s guide who guided him while conducting the project. This is signed by the Student.

6. Table of contents- This page has the list of all the information which is given ahead in the project report like the List of figures, Charts, Tables, chapters, references and Appendices.

7. List of Tables- this list as all the tables given in the project report in the same sequence as given in the report. The table title and page number is given for each table.

8. List of Graphs- this list as all the graphs given in the project report in the same sequence as given in the report. The Graph title and page number is given for each table.

9. List of Figures- this list as all the Figures given in the project report in the same sequence as given in the report. The figure title and page number is given for each table.

10. List of Abbreviations- this list as all the Abbreviations given in the project report in the same sequence as given in the report.
11. Executive summary- this gives short description in one or two paragraphs, of the project undertaken, scope, research methodology, findings, conclusions and suggestions.

--> 12. Chapters
a. Introduction- Talks about the Title of the project and scope, the Industry profile and company profile where the project was undertaken.

b. Objectives and Concepts- talks about the objective of the project, surveys and concepts worked on.

c. Methodology- what are the different sources of data(primary/ secondary), research plan, research methodologies used in identifying the information, target respondents, analysis tools, sampling the data, size of sample, time of sampling, etc.

d. Data Analysis – using the research plan and analysis tools generating the insights out of the information gathered. Presenting them using tables, diagrams, charts

e. Findings- what were the outcomes from the Research and analysis.  What are the inferences drawn.

f. Conclusion- summarizing the project scope/ objectives and findings of the project.

g. Recommendations/ suggestions- Suggesting any approach or solutions to the company, Industry while meeting the objective of the project.

h. References- list all the sources of information used by you like News papers, Research papers, Books and authors, Magazines, websites, etc.

i. Appendices- All the additional information is attached as appendix in the end of the report and its reference is given in the report as applicable.

 The last but not the least, the presentation of the report is also very crucial to show the structured thought process of the student. Avoid spelling and grammatical mistakes; use consistent fonts, correct page numbering as per the table of content, alignments and margin spaces. Minimum two copies of the project report are prepared and it’s generally hard bounded.

The above concepts and order used is mostly the same while preparing kind of project reports except some specific details as per the respective scope of the project.

How to get,” A” grades in Term End Exams?

We have seen our many IGNOU MBA friends who not only achieve,” A” grades in Assignments but they are able to get, “A” grades in TEE as well. I, myself, got,”A” grades in many course codes. Especially in MS 08, I achieved full marks (in assignments and TEE both)

We decided to conduct a survey among all of us who managed to achieve those wonderful grades in assignments and to share these experiences with our new IGNOU Friends so that they should also know how they can do it without wasting their valuable time.

1.   Selection of course codes/subjects while registration or re-registration:

Many of our IGNOU MBA friends do not know that the date sheet of our term end exams takes place as the regular sequences of course codes.

e.g. MS 1, MS 02, MS 03, MS 04 etc. examinations are held on 1^st, 2nd,3rd,4^th of June or December of every year (except holidays like Sundays or other gazetted holiday). So, while filling up the course codes in your registration or re-registration form, you should select course codes in irregular patterns so that you should get enough time for revision or preparation for your exams. Let me share how I selected my course codes during my Post graduation from IGNOU in MBA (Marketing):

S.no.	January - June	July - December	year
1	MS 01, MS 04, MS 09 and MS 11	MS 02, MS 06, MS 08 and MS 10	2010
2	MS 03, MS 05, MS 07 and MS 91	MS 97, MS 66, MS 68 and MS 95	2011
3	MS 100, MS 62, MS 63 and MS 64		2012

This is a very important task to avoid last time rush during exams. It’s very hectic to go for back to back exams and having left with few hours to prepare or revise for next exam. So, planning from day 1 would facilitate sufficient time for you.

2. Understand your selected subjects/course codes:

You should make up your mind and should understand your selected subjects/course codes. This will help you to clear your basic concepts about each topic. For this, you should look up at the contents of each course codes and to know what you will be learning through those topics. This will somehow make you easy to understand your courses. In nutshell, you can say that a general introduction is required to each topic of the course selected.

3. Take your assignments seriously:

We know that assignments are somehow boring to many of our IGNOU friends but these are a very important part of our management course. Around 99% of IGNOU candidates are full time employees or self employed. The purpose of giving assignments is to let us know and read (at least up to some extent) about our courses and topics. We should utilize it. We are provided with around 3 months time to complete it and to fill up term end exam form along with it.

• During this time frame, you should first of all mark or tick those chapters from where the questions have been asked.
• Then just read the topics that full fill your solution requirements. 
• Make short notes out of them to make understand you about the concept. 
• Then you can re-write and re-edit the material to write the solution part. 

We know these things will consume time but THINK:

• We register 4 course codes per semester 
• 4 assignments are required to do in Toto. 
• Approx 6 questions are asked per assignment. 
•  Total questions to solve are 6×4 = 24 questions 
• 1 question per day is possible to READ, UNDERSTAND and WRITE.

Do these activities in rough notebook first. Then later on you fair it.

So friends, implementing these points, the assignments are doable within the time frame. Moreover, you are left with sufficient time to search for schematic diagrams, to prepare graph and to think of examples to be written within the solution part.

4. Preparing for Term End Exams:

During March and September of each year we have to submit our TEE form and before it we have to submit assignments to get eligible for exams. After submission of assignments and TEE form, we are left with 2-3 months.

Now, during this time frame, you should practice following things:

·         Mark up the easier and tougher subjects on cover page of the books.

·         Count and write in front of each course codes the total no. Of pages, no. Of chapters and no. Of individual topics. If possible, write down the individual topics’ name too.

Plan a schedule for you according to your routine work. If you are left with 2 months then you can cover your syllabus in first month and in 2^nd month, do the revision and writing part.

• Make short points and notes while reading your topics from day 1 in neat and clean handwriting. 
•  Try to write summary of each chapter after finishing it at your own. This will let you know to analyse your writing skills and power to explain. This is important because, in exams, most of us are not able to write and explain enough hence they got to manage only C or D grades. 
• Whichever topic you are studying, try to connect it from your official consequences. e.g. you are reading Role of a Manager in an organization. While reading and grasping the subject, co-relate the roles of a manager with the concerned person in your organization. May be the concerned person is you. By this way, it will be easy to you to remember the stuff and would enable you to write and explain enough in your exams. 
• Day by day complete all of the stuff and mark up on regular basis to check how much you’ve completed. Maintaining the notes register is very much required. Because you will need it in your exams. 
• The notes register that you’ve prepared during syllabus coverage is very much helpful on the night before exam. You can simply revise the things and memorize everything that you’ve noted earlier. This will be a great time saver.

5. On examination day:

Time management is very important on this day. What to do?

• Go through the question paper.
• Tick the questions to be answered by you. Those you feel you can do fast.
•  3 hours are allowed to complete the paper.
• Complete Section A first. Do the questions those you think you can do fast. The solution should contain the introduction, main body in which you explain all things about the topic asked, cite an example and close with a conclusion.
• You need not to be a professional writer. Write in simple words and cite examples from the evidences you know. Explain in the way you learnt.
•  Draw all possible diagrams or graphs in support of your answers.
• In case of marketing paper like Ms 06, cite examples from our daily brands like nestle, sun feast yippee (new product development example) etc. Elaborate with the advertisement you see in television commercials. I used it personally to cite example for Promotion in marketing mix in my exam.
• The total time should be split up in three parts – 1 hour30 minutes for section A, 45 minutes for Section B and last 45 minutes to read your all solutions. It will facilitate time to edit few things in your solution booklet wherever needed.

Of course, planning to execution track takes involvement from day 1 but it requires few hours per day/week. Few hours are manageable rather the rushing and crucial hours when exams are on head. We wish our IGNOU MBA friends to get good grades in their exams and you should also share your experience what different things you did to manage such good grades.

Keep visiting and writing to us.

IGNOU MBA Help Desk