university · Rivers State
University of Port Harcourt
The School of Graduate Studies regulations (2023/24) set general binding and presentation requirements but do not itemise Chapter One sub-headings — so follow your department for the internal structure.
| Rule | What UniPort requires |
|---|---|
| Chapters | 5 chapters |
| Title length | not stated in the handbook |
| Body font | not stated in the handbook |
| Line spacing | not stated in the handbook |
| Referencing | not stated in the handbook |
| Hypotheses | not stated in the handbook |
| Plagiarism screening | not stated in the handbook |
Source: the UniPort document itself. If your department circulates its own variant, follow that.
What Chapter One must contain
Consistent across every Nigerian handbook we have read. Leaving any of these out is a common reason for departmental corrections.
- Background to the Study — Situates the problem in its Nigerian or sector context.
- Statement of the Problem — The gap or issue, usually closing on one crisp problem sentence.
- Purpose / Aim and Specific Objectives — An overall aim, then numbered objectives.
- Research Questions and / or Hypotheses — Hypotheses only if your design is inferential — NOUN writes "and/or".
- Significance of the Study — Who benefits, and how.
- Scope / Delimitation of the Study — Geographic, population and conceptual bounds.
- Operational Definition of Terms — Your major constructs, defined as you use them.
Check yours against it
Select University of Port Harcourt in the free check and it applies these rules to your own title, objectives and questions.
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