IGNOU MAUS Projects
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IGNOU MAUS (Master of Arts (Urban Studies)) Project
Select Your Subject
MEDSP 45
₹3816
₹1800
IGNOU Project Synopsis
Format & Structure
A complete, generalised guide for writing and submitting your IGNOU project synopsis — applicable across all programmes and disciplines.
Formatting Requirements
(check your programme guide)
12pt body, 14pt headings
Synopsis Structure — Section by Section
Full title of your project, your name and enrolment number, programme name and code, name and designation of your supervisor, name of your study centre and regional centre, and the academic session (year).
- Title should be specific, concise, and reflect the scope of the study
- Avoid vague words like "A study on…" alone — add the subject and context
- Supervisor must sign this page before submission
Begin with the broader context of your topic — what is its relevance in society, policy, or your discipline? Then gradually narrow the focus to your specific area of study. Establish why this topic matters now.
- Move from the general (global/national context) to the specific (your area/focus)
- Cite 2–4 relevant references to establish credibility
- End with a brief indication of what the study will investigate
Think of the introduction as an inverted triangle — start broad and end pointed at your exact problem.
Clearly articulate the problem your study is trying to solve or understand. Explain what is unknown, understudied, or contested in existing knowledge, and why your research is needed to fill that gap.
- State the problem in 1–2 short, direct paragraphs
- Connect the problem to real-world relevance or policy implications
- Avoid making it too broad (e.g., "poverty is a problem") — be precise
⚠️ The statement of the problem should logically flow from your introduction. Do not introduce new context here.
List the specific outcomes your study aims to achieve. Each objective should be actionable and directly tied to the problem statement. Use action verbs like: to examine, to analyse, to assess, to explore, to identify, to compare, to evaluate.
- Write as a numbered list — typically 3 to 5 objectives
- Ensure every objective can be addressed in a chapter of your final project
- One objective should relate to existing literature; at least one to your fieldwork/data
Your objectives should directly map to your chapterisation scheme. Each objective = one chapter (roughly).
Summarise and critically discuss what scholars, researchers, and institutions have already written about your topic. Show how their findings relate to your study. Conclude this section by identifying the research gap that your study will address.
- Include at least 8–12 references from books, journals, and reports
- Do not just list sources — discuss and link them thematically
- Show convergences and contradictions in existing literature
- Clearly state what is still missing or unexplored (the gap)
Organise the review thematically (by topic/concept), not chronologically. This makes it more analytical and impressive.
Describe the complete research design: what type of study it is, who will be studied, how data will be collected, and how it will be analysed. Be specific and justify your choices.
- Research design: Descriptive / Exploratory / Experimental / Analytical — and why
- Universe & sample: Who or what you are studying; total population and sample size
- Sampling method: Random / Purposive / Stratified / Snowball — justify the choice
- Data collection tools: Questionnaire / Interview schedule / Observation / FGD / Secondary data
- Data analysis: Statistical tools / Qualitative analysis / Thematic coding / Software (SPSS, NVivo, etc.)
- Secondary sources: Government reports, databases, published studies, official statistics
- Ethical considerations: Informed consent, confidentiality, participant rights
⚠️ This section is heavily evaluated by supervisors and the university. Vague methodology is the most common reason for synopsis rejection.
List all proposed chapters with their titles. Each chapter should correspond to a major section of your study. This gives the evaluator a complete picture of how your project will unfold.
| Chapter | Suggested Title & Contents |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | Introduction and Background Context, significance, scope, and structure of the study |
| Chapter 2 | Review of Literature and Theoretical Framework Existing scholarship, theories, and the research gap |
| Chapter 3 | Research Design and Methodology Detailed methods, sampling, tools, and data plan |
| Chapter 4 | Data Presentation and Analysis Field findings, tables, figures, and interpretation |
| Chapter 5 | Discussion of Findings Linking results back to objectives and literature |
| Chapter 6 | Conclusion, Recommendations, and Limitations Summary, policy suggestions, future research directions |
| Appendices | Bibliography, Questionnaire/Tools, Consent Forms, Glossary |
You may have more or fewer chapters based on your programme guide. Always verify the required chapter count in your PGDP/MSO/MBA/MCA handbook.
List all books, journal articles, reports, and websites you have cited in the synopsis. Arrange alphabetically by author's last name. Use a consistent citation format throughout.
- Minimum 10–15 references for a standard synopsis
- Include a mix of books, peer-reviewed articles, and institutional reports
- Separate bibliography from the reference list only if your guide requires it
Citation Formats
IGNOU accepts APA, MLA, and Chicago styles. APA is most commonly used across disciplines. Click a tab to see the format.
Journal article: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page–page.
Government/institutional report: Organisation Name. (Year). Title of the report. Publisher.
Website: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the page. Website Name. URL
Journal article: Author Last, First Name. "Title of the Article." Journal Name, vol. X, no. X, Year, pp. X–X.
Government report: Organisation Name. Title of Report. Publisher, Year.
Website: Author Last, First Name. "Title of Web Page." Site Name, Day Month Year, URL.
Journal article: Author Last, First Name. "Title of Article." Journal Name Volume, no. Issue (Year): page–page.
Government report: Organisation Name. Title of Report. City: Publisher, Year.
Website: Author Last, First Name. "Title of Page." Website Name. Last modified Month Day, Year. URL.
Final Submission Checklist
- Title page complete with enrolment number, programme, study centre, and supervisor details
- Supervisor has signed the title page
- All 8 sections (title page through bibliography) are present
- Research methodology is detailed and justifies all choices
- Minimum 10 references cited, in a consistent citation style
- Font is Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced, 1-inch margins on A4
- Chapterisation scheme matches the objectives of the study
- Soft copy uploaded on the IGNOU student portal
- Hard copy submitted to the Regional Centre within the deadline
- Synopsis is within the prescribed page limit for your programme
Common Reasons for Rejection
A title that does not clearly indicate the subject, population, and geographic scope of the study confuses evaluators.
Not specifying sample size, sampling method, or data analysis tools is the most common cause of rejection.
Failing to clearly articulate what is missing in existing literature and why your study is needed.
Objectives that do not align with the problem statement, methodology, or proposed chapterisation.
Wrong font, single spacing, incorrect margins, or exceeding the page limit as per the programme guide.
Synopsis submitted without the supervisor's counter-signature on the title page is automatically returned.