Writing an excellent project work (whether for your degree or diploma programme) starts with creating a very straight forward and easy table of content. The table of content serves as a map for the project work as it helps you streamline your search for materials.
A welll written project Table of Content makes it easier for the student to write his or her project work. It also guides the reviewer or supervisor in going through the project work.
What a Good Table of Content Should Contain
For project works there is no hard and fast rule to creating a good table of content. In fact table of contents vary for various courses. The format for table of content for a project work in engineering will vary from a table of content for project topic in accounting.
Aside from these variances in table of content based on the discpline or course there are generally tips that will help every student or scholar develop a formidable table of content.
Tips to Creating a Good Table of Content
1. Make the Chapter One Your Introduction : In most project work the first chapter is used to introduce basic concepts, issues and scope to be discussed in the main project work. There is no fixed sequence for the writing the sub chapters of your Chapter One however (in case of research projects) it mostly contains;
– Statement of problem
– Scope of Work
– Methodology
– Definition of Key or Significant Terms
– Scope and Challenges of Study or Work
2. Most Times Chapter Two is for Review of Related Literature: You use your second chapter to review the basic issues and concepts up for discussion. The content of your chapter two will depend on the project topic you are working on.
3. Chapters Three and Four are the Main Body of Your Project Work: Within these two chapters you are expected to go fully into discussion and analysis of your project work. You discuss the methodology and give any theoretical framework involved in the project work. Many times (depending on how sophisticated your project is) your Chapter Four or Five might be the results discussion and analysis chapter that will seek to deduce results from the work done in the previous chapter.
4. Close with Summary and Conclusion and Perhaps Recommendations
To make sure you are right on track with creating your table check for table of content of past project works from your school library on similar courses or go online and look for clues of past project reports in the same discipline as yours.
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