CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION ANNA UNIVERSITY CHENNAI 600 025 GUIDELINES FOR PREPARATION OF MCA PROJECT REPORT (Prescribed Frmat and Specificatin) 1. GENERAL: The guideline is intended t prvide brad guidelines t the MCA candidates in the preparatin f the prject reprt. In general, the prject reprt shall reprt, in an rganized and schlarly fashin, an accunt f riginal wrk f the candidate including methdlgy, data analysis, interpretatin and summary f findings. 2. NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED FOR EVALUATION : MCA : Students shuld submit 5 cpies f Prject Reprt t the Study centre Crdinatrs thrugh the Prject In-charge f the Study centre cncerned n r befre the specified date. The Study centre Crdinatr may distribute the cpies as fllws: 1. One cpy t be signed and returned t the student 2. One cpy t be retained fr the Study Centre Library 3. One cpy t be given t the Guide cncerned 4. One cpy t be frwarded t the External Examiner After the Viva-vce Examinatin ne cpy f the prject reprt signed by the External Examiner, Internal Examiner, Crdinatr f Study centre t be frwarded t the Centre fr Distance Educatin, Anna University, Chennai (Refer Annexure III). CD cntaining the Cmplete prject reprt is als t be frwarded t the Centre fr Distance Educatin after the Viva-vce Examinatin 3. SIZE OF PROJECT REPORT: The size f prject reprt shuld nt exceed 60 pages f typed matter reckned frm the first page f Chapter 1 t the last page f the last chapter. 4. ARRANGEMENT OF CONTENTS OF PROJECT REPORT: The sequence in which the thesis material shuld be arranged and bund shuld be as fllws: 1. Cver Page & Title page 2. Bnafide Certificate 3. Abstract in English and Tamil 4. Acknwledgement 5. Table f Cntents 6. List f Tables 7. List f Figures 8. List f Symbls, Abbreviatins and Nm enclature (Optinal) 9. Chapters 1
10. Appendices 11. References The Tables and Figures shall be intrduced in the apprpriate places. 5. PAGE DIMENSIONS AND MARGIN: The dimensins f the final bund cpies f the prject reprt shuld be 290mm x 205mm. Standard A4 size (297mm x 210mm) paper may be used fr preparing the cpies. The final 5 cpies f the prject reprt (at the time f submissin) shuld have the fllwing page margins : Tp edge : 30 t 35 mm Bttm edge : 25 t 30 mm Left side : 35 t 40 mm Right side : 20 t 25 mm The prject reprt shuld be prepared n gd quality white paper preferably nt lwer than 80 gsm/sq.m. Tables and figures shuld cnfrm t the margin specificatins. Large size figures shuld be phtgraphically r therwise reduced t the apprpriate size befre insertin. 6. MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION: The candidate shall supply a typed cpy f the manuscript t the guide fr the purpse f apprval. In the preparatin f the manuscript, care shuld be taken t ensure that all textual matter is typewritten t the extent pssible in the same frmat as may be required fr the final prject reprt. Hence sme f the infrmatin required fr the final typing f the prject reprt is included als in this sectin. The headings f all items 2 t 11 listed in sectin 4 shuld be typed in capital letters withut punctuatin and centered 50mm belw the tp f the page. The text shuld cmmence 4 spaces belw this heading. The page numbering fr all items 1 t 8 shuld be dne using lwer case Rman numerals and the pages thereafter shuld be number ed using Arabic numerals. 6.1 Cver Page & Title Page - A specimen cpy f the Cver page & Title page fr MCA prject reprt is given in Annexure I. 6.2 Bnafide Certificate The Bnafide Certificate shall be in duble line spacing using Fnt Style Times New Rman Fnt Size 12, as per the frmat shwn in Annexure II. The certificate shall carry the signatures f student, Guide, Prject In-charge at the Study centre. The Bnafide certificate shall als carry the External Examiner s signature btained at the time f Viva-vce. 6.3 Abstract - Abstract shuld be an essay type f narratin nt exceeding 600 wrds, utlining the prblem, the methdlgy used fr tackling it and a summary f the findings, 2
when typed duble line spacing, Fnt Style Times New Rman and Fnt Size 12 and signed by the candidate. 6.4 Acknwledgement The acknwledgement shuld be brief and shuld nt exceed ne page when typed in duble spacing. The candidate s signature shall be made at the bttm end abve his / her name typed in capitals. 6.5 Table f cntents - The table f cntents shuld list all material fllwing it as well as any material which precedes it. The title page, Bnafide Certificate and Acknwledgment will nt find a place amng the items listed in the Table f Cntents but the age numbers in lwer case Rman letters are t be accunted fr them. One and a half spacing shuld be adpted fr typing the matter under this head. 6.6 List f Table - The list shuld use exactly the same captins as they appear abve the tables in the text. One and a half spacing shuld be adpted fr typing the matter under this head. 6.7 List f Figures - The list shuld use exactly the same captins as they appear belw the figures in the text. One and a half spacing shuld be adpted fr typing the matter under this head. 6.8 List f Symbls, Abbreviatins and Nmenclature - One and a half spacing shuld be adpted fr typing the matter under this head. Standard symbls, abbreviatins etc. shuld be used. 6.9 Chapters - The main text will be divided int several chapters and each chapter may be further divided int several divisins and sub-divisins. The cntents f the Chapters are nly indicative. Only Chapter titles are cmmn. Preparatin f Prject Reprt Each student is expected t submit fur cpies f Prject Reprt The fllwing shuld be the cntents f the reprt: Title Sheet Bnafide Certificate duly signed by the Prject Guide and Prject in-charge Acknwledgement Abstract (in Tamil and English) Table f Cntents List f Tables List f Figures List f Abbreviatins Chapter 1 - Intrductin Overview f the prject Literature survey Prpsed System Objectives & Scpe Organizatin f the reprt Chapter 2 Requirements specificatin Intrductin 3
Overall Descriptin Prduct Perspective Prduct Functins User Characteristics Operating Envirnment Cnstraints Specific Requirements External Interface Requirements System Features Data Flw Diagrams, Entity Relatinship Diagrams r UML Diagrams, Whatever applicable Perfrmance Requirements Sftware Quality Attributes Chapter 3 System Design and Test Plan Decmpsitin Descriptin Dependency Descriptin Detailed Design Prpsed Sampling Methds Test plan Chapter 4 Implementatin and Results Implementatin Results Chapter 5 Cnclusin and Future wrk Summary Future Wrk References Appendixes * Each chapter shuld be given an apprpriate title. * Tables and figures in a chapter shuld be placed in the immediate vicinity fr the reference Where they are cited. * Ftntes shuld be used sparingly. They shuld be typed single space and placed directly underneath in the very same page, which refers t the material they anntate. 6.10 Appendices -Appendices are prvided t give supplementary infrmatin, which if included in the main text may serve as a distractin and clud the central theme under discussin..* Appendices shuld be numbered using Arabic numerals, e.g. Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc..* Appendices, Tables and references appearing in appendices shuld be numbered and referred t at apprpriate places just as in the case f chapters..* Appendices shall carry the title f the wrk reprted and the same title shall be made in the cntents page als. 6.11 List f References - Any wrks f ther researchers, if used either directly r indirectly, 4
the rigin f the material thus referred t at apprpriate places in the prject reprt shuld be indicated. A paper, a mngraph r a bk may be designated by the name f the first authr fllwed by the year f publicatin, placed inside brackets at the apprpriate places in the prject reprt shuld be indicated. The listing shuld be typed 4 spaces belw the heading "REFERENCES" in alphabetical rder in single spacing left-justified. The reference material shuld be listed in the alphabetical rder f the first authr. The name f the authr/authrs shuld be immediately fllwed by the year and ther details. A typical illustrative list given belw. 6.12 Tables and Figures - By the wrd Table, is meant tabulated numerical data in the bdy f the prject reprt as well as in the appendices. All ther nn-verbal material used in the bdy f the prject reprt and appendices such as charts, graphs, maps, phtgraphs and diagrams may be designated as figures. * A table r figure including captin shuld be accmmdated within the prescribed margin limits and appear n the page fllwing the page where their first reference is made. * Tables and figures n half page r less in length may appear n the same page alng with the text. Hwever, they shuld be separated frm the text bth abve and belw by triple spacing. * All tables and figures shuld be prepared n the same paper r material used fr the Preparatin f the rest f the prject reprt. * Fr preparing captins, numerals, symbls r characters in the case f tables r figures, the Cmputer shuld be enclsed. * Tw r mre small tables r figures may be gruped if necessary in a single page. * Wherever pssible, the entire phtgraph(s) may be reprduced n a full sheet f phtgraphic paper. * Phtgraphs if any shuld be included in the clur Xerx frm nly. Mre than ne phtgraph can be included in a page. * Samples f Fabric, Leather, etc., if abslutely necessary may be attached evenly in a page and fixed/pasted suitably and shuld be treated as figures. 7. TYPING INSTRUCTIONS 7.1 General This sectin includes additinal infrmatin fr final typing f the prject reprt. Sme infrmatin given earlier under 'Manuscript preparatin' shall als be referred. The impressins n the typed/duplicated/printed cpies shuld be black in clur. If Cmputer printers are used unifrmity f the fnt in the same prject reprt shall be bserved. A sub-heading at the bttm f a page must have at least tw full lines belw it r else it shuld be carried ver t the next page. The last wrd f any page shuld nt be split using a hyphen. One and a half spacing shuld be used fr typing the general text. The general text shall be 5
typed in Fnt Style Times New Rman and Fnt Size 12. Single spacing shuld be used fr typing: (i) Lng Tables (ii) Lng qutatins (iii) Ft ntes (iv) Multilane captins (v) References All qutatins exceeding ne line shuld be typed in an indented space - the indentatin being 15mm frm either margin. 7.2 Chapters The frmat fr typing Chapter headings, Divisins headings and Sub-divisin headings are explained thrugh the fllwing illustrative examples. Chapter heading : CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION Divisin heading : 1.1 OUTLINE OF PROJECT WORK Sub-divisin heading : 1.1.2 Literature review, as given in annexure IV The wrd CHAPTER withut punctuatin shuld be centred 50m m dwn frm the tp f the page. Tw spaces belw, the title f the chapter shuld be typed centrally in capital letters. The text shuld cmmence 4 spaces belw this title, the first letter f the text starting 20mm, inside frm the left hand margin. The divisin and sub-divisin captins alng with their numberings shuld be left-justified. The typed material directly belw divisin r sub-divisin heading shuld cmmence 2 spaces belw it and shuld be ffset 20mm frm the left hand margin. Within a divisin r sub-divisin paragraphs are permitted. Even paragraph shuld cmmence 3 spaces belw the last line f the preceding paragraph, the first letter in the paragraph being ffset frm the left hand margin by 20 mm. 8. NUMBERING INSTRUCTIONS 8.1 Page Numbering All pages numbers (whether it be in Rman r Arabic numbers) shuld be typed withut punctuatin n the upper right hand crner 20mm frm tp with the last digit in line with the right hand margin. The preliminary pages f the prject reprt (such as Title page, Acknwledgement, Table f Cntents etc.) shuld be numbered in lwer case Rman numerals. The title page will be numbered as (i) but this shuld nt be typed. The page immediately fllwing the title page shall be numbered (ii) and it shuld appear at the tp right hand crner as already specified. Pages f main text, starting with Chapter 1 shuld be cnsecutively numbered using Arabic numerals. 8.2 Numbering f Chapters, Divisins and Sub-Divisins The numbering f chapters, divisins and sub-divisins shuld be dne using Arabic numerals nly and further decimal ntatin shuld be used fr numbering the divisins and sub-divisins within a chapter. Fr example sub-divisin 4 under divisin 3 belnging t chapter 2 shuld be numbered as 2.3.4. The captin fr the sub-divisin shuld immediately fllw the number assigned t it. Every chapter beginning with the first chapter shuld be serially numbered using Arabic 6
numerals. Appendices included shuld als be numbered in an identical manner starting with Appendix 1. 8.3 Numbering f Tables and Figures Tables and Figures appearing anywhere in the thesis shuld bear apprpriate numbers. The rule fr assigning such numbers is illustrated thrugh an example. Thus, if a figure in Chapter 3, happens t be the furth then assign 3.4 t that figure. Identical rules apply fr tables except that the wrd Figure is replaced by the wrd Table. If figures (r tables) appear in appendices then figure 3 in Appendix 2 will be designated as Figure A 2.3. If a table t be cntinued int the next page this may be dne, but n line shuld be drawn underneath an unfinished table. The tp line f the table cntinued int the next page shuld, fr example read Table 2.1 (cntinued) placed centrally and underlined. 8.4 Numbering f Equatins Equatins appearing in each Chapter r Appendix shuld be numbered serially, the numbering cmmencing a fresh fr each Chapter r Appendix. Thus fr example, an equatin appearing in Chapter 2, if it happens t be the eighth equatin in that Chapter shuld be numbered (2.8) thus: f = k (2.8) While referring t this equatin in the bdy f the thesis it shuld be referred t as Equatin (2.8). 9. BINDING SPECIFICATIONS * Prject reprt submitted (5 cpies) fr MCA shuld be bund using flexible cver f thick white art paper. The spine fr the bund vlume shuld be black Calic f 20mm width. The cver shuld be printed in black letters and the text fr printing shuld be identical t what has been prescribed fr the title page. 7
ANNEXURE I (A typical Specimen f Cver Page & Title Page) <Fnt Style Times New Rman - Bld> ONLINE RAILWAY RESERVATION <Fnt Size 12> <1.5 line spacing> By <Fnt Size 12> Student Name <Fnt Size 12> <Bld - Capital> Rll N. Reg. N. <Fnt Size 12> <Fnt Size 12> A PROJECT REPORT <Fnt Size 12> <Capital> Submitted t the <Fnt Size 12> FACULTY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICAT ION ENGINEERING <Fnt Size 12> <Bld - Capital> in partial fulfillment fr the award f the degree f <Fnt Size 12> <Italic> MASTER OF COMPUTER APPLICATIONS <Fnt Size 12> <Bld - Capital> CENTRE FOR DISTANCE EDUCATION ANNA UNIVERSITY CHENNAI 600 025 <Fnt Size 12><Bld - Capital> Mnth, Year <Fnt Size 12> 8
ANNEXURE II BONAFIDE CERTIFICAT E Certified that the Prject reprt titled is the bnafide wrk f Mr. / Ms. wh carried ut the wrk under my supervisin. Certified further that t the best f my knwledge the wrk reprted herein des nt frm part f any ther prject reprt r dissertatin n the basis f which a degree r award was cnferred n an earlier ccasin n this r any ther candidate. Signature f student Signature f Guide Name : Name : (in capital letters) (in capital letters) Rll N. : Designatin : Reg. N. : Address : Signature f Prject-in-charge Name : (in capital letters) Designatin : 9
ANNEXURE III * Certificate f Viva-vce-Examinatin This is t certify that Thiru/Ms./Tmt.... (Rll N. ; Register N... ) has been subjected t Viva-vce-Examinatin n (Date) at..(time) at the Study centre....(name and Address f the Study centre). Internal Examiner External Examiner Name : Name : (in capital letters) (in capital letters) Designatin : Designatin : Address : Address : Crdinatr Study centre Name : (in capital letters) Designatin : Address : Date : *Nte: 1. This Annexure shall be attached t the Prject Reprt t be sent t the Directr, Centre fr Distance Educatin, Anna University, Chennai 600 025. 2. A Xerx cpy f the signed certificate shall be attached t the prject cpy retained at the Study centre library. 10
ANNEXURE IV * (A typical specimen f table f cntents) <Fnt Style Times New Rman> TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER NO. TITLE PAGE NO. ABSTRACT LIST OF TABLE LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF SYMBOLS iii xvi xviii xxvii 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 GENERAL 1 1.2............. 2 1.2.1 General 5 1.2.2........... 12 1.2.2.1 General 19 1.2.2.2.......... 25 1.2.2.3.......... 29 1.2.3............ 30 1.3.................. 45 1.4.................. 58 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 69 2.1 GENERAL 75 2.2.......... 99 2.2. 100 11