Group Project (25%)

1.1 The task in one line

● Objective

The main goal of this group project is for students to be able to communicate an explanatory analysis with an appropriate report.

You are not being asked to discover something nobody has ever known. You are being asked to take a question you care about, gather data on it yourself, choose visuals that answer it honestly, and write it up so a reader understands in ten pages or fewer.

1.2 At a glance

Weight	25% of the course
Group size	3 members (maximum 4)
Tools	Google Spreadsheet or Power BI — your choice
Data	Primary data only — collected by your group
Objectives	Maximum 2, clearly defined and measurable
Content	Title · Abstract · Introduction · Methodology · Results · Conclusion · References (3–5) · Appendices (if any)
Format	Prescribed template · single spacing · maximum 10 pages
Briefed	Week 5
Due	Week 14, with the presentation

● Read this twice — primary vs secondary data

The report needs primary data: data your group collects yourselves, normally with a questionnaire. Downloading a ready-made file from DOSM or Kaggle is secondary data and does not satisfy this task. (Secondary data is allowed for the presentation — the two tasks have different data rules, so don't mix them up.)

1.3 Choosing your objectives

Two objectives, no more. Each one must be answerable with a table or a simple plot from the data you collected — if you cannot picture the chart, the objective is wrong.

● Example — from the guidelines

Objective 1: To describe the demographic profile of the respondents.
Objective 2: To analyse anonymised student performance data (e.g. exam scores, attendance, GPA).

✓ Measurable

“To compare average weekly study hours between first- and second-year diploma students at Kampus Raub.” — you know exactly what to measure, who to ask, and which chart (boxplot or clustered bar).

✗ Too vague

“To study student life.” — nothing to count, nothing to plot, no way to tell whether you achieved it.

Test: write the objective, then sketch the chart that answers it on paper. If you can't sketch it in 30 seconds, rewrite the objective.

1.4 How the weeks fit together

Week 5 — project briefed. Form your group, agree on a topic, draft the two objectives.
Weeks 6–7 — build the questionnaire, pilot it on a few people, fix confusing questions, then start collecting.
Weeks 8–11 — clean the responses and build your tables and charts as you learn Google Sheets and Power BI.
Week 12 — supervision and group discussion. Bring your draft results — this is the week to catch problems.
Week 13 — write and polish. Abstract last.
Week 14 — submit the report and deliver the presentation.

● Do this in Week 5

Before you leave the lab: names of your 3–4 members, a one-sentence topic, and the two objectives written out in full. Show them to your lecturer. A weak objective in Week 5 becomes a weak report in Week 14.

Everything below comes straight from the official guidelines. Follow the order in the template, but write the Abstract last.

2.1 Title 0.5 weight

A good title is typically 10–12 words and uses descriptive terms that highlight the core content.

Concise, accurate, meaningful — highlights the significant issue.
Interesting enough to attract attention, and different from the others.
No abbreviations. Not too short, not too long.
It should answer: What is my paper about? What techniques or designs were used? Who or what is studied?

2.2 Abstract

Write it after the full content is finished, in the past tense, as a single paragraph following IMRaD order.

Answer “What problem are we trying to solve?” and “What motivated us?” — pull the major objectives from your Introduction.
Answer “How did we achieve the objective?” — key sentences from your Methods.
Reveal the findings — the major results.
Answer “What are the implications of our findings?”
Arrange steps 1–4 into one paragraph: Introduction → Methods → Results → Conclusions.

● An abstract must be self-contained

It must not contain: information that isn't in the paper, figures or tables, abbreviations, literature review, or citations. Check the flow reads as purpose → design → major findings → conclusions → implications.

2.3 Introduction 1.5 weight

This section orients the reader — it gives them the perspective they need to understand everything that follows.

Contains a review of up-to-date literature.
Discusses the objective(s) and the significance of the work.
Includes at least 3, maximum 5 citations.

The five stages of an introduction

Stage 1 — Establish the territory. Why does this topic matter at all?
Stage 2 — Review what is known. What have other people already found? (cite them)
Stage 3 — Show the gap. What is still missing or unclear? This is the stage students skip.
Stage 4 — State your objectives. How your study fills that gap.
Stage 5 — Say what the paper does. A sentence on scope and structure.

Stage 3 is where the marks are. Use the literature review to establish a knowledge gap, then let your objectives answer it.

2.4 Methodology 1.5 weight

Written in the past tense and passive voice (“a questionnaire was distributed…”, not “we sent out…”). It must contain these sub-sections:

Sub-section	What to write
Research design	A simple description — e.g. a cross-sectional survey of diploma students.
Population & sampling	Reference population, target sample, and sampling technique (required when using primary data).
Instrumentation	The questionnaire — its sections, number of items, scale used.
Statistical analysis	The data visualisation used to achieve each objective — and, critically, what you chose and why.

The “why” is graded. “A boxplot was used to compare the distribution of study hours across two groups because it shows median, spread and outliers in one view” earns marks. “A boxplot was used” does not.

2.5 Results / Findings 3.0 weight — the biggest

This is the most important part: a critical analysis of your results, presented with tables, graphs, figures and dashboards.

Provide a sufficient number of good-quality figures or tables.
Tables and figures must be complementary — never repeat the same information in both.
Every table or figure must be referred to in the text. Anything not referred to should be removed.
Do not paste raw software output. Summarise your results in words, using the figures to illustrate your points.
Explain the possible reasons for what you found.

✗ Screenshot dump

A page of pasted Google Sheets output with the caption “Figure 3” and no sentence about it anywhere in the text.

✓ Interpreted

“Figure 3 shows that 62% of respondents studied fewer than 10 hours a week, with second-year students clustered at the lower end — possibly reflecting their heavier practical workload.”

2.6 Conclusion 1.5 weight

One paragraph only. Conclude the findings and make some recommendations.

Refer back to the main purpose of the study.
Review the most important findings — reinforce the originality and significance of the work.
Stay consistent with your objectives; highlight what you achieved.
Refer only to work done in the present study.
Discuss applications and future work, and state the limitations of your study.

2.7 References 1.0 weight

At least 3, maximum 5 references.
APA 7th Edition style, formatted consistently.
Everything cited in the Introduction appears here, and nothing appears here that wasn't cited.

2.8 Overall presentation 1.0 weight

The last criterion is the report as an object: well-structured, professionally formatted, good grammar, clean visuals, and a flow that carries the reader from question to answer. Use the prescribed template, single spacing, and stay within 10 pages.

3.1 How your lecturer scores it

Each of the seven criteria is scored 1–10. That score is multiplied by the criterion's weight, and the seven results are added up.

● The formula

Marks awarded = Weight × Score (1–10) · Weights total 10, so the maximum total is 100. That total is your project mark, which carries 25% of the course.

3.2 What each score means

Score	Band	Description
9–10	Excellent	Outstanding work, exceeds expectations, very clear, well-structured and accurate.
7–8	Good	Strong work with minor weaknesses; clear and mostly well-presented.
5–6	Satisfactory	Meets basic requirements; some clarity issues or lack of depth.
3–4	Weak	Below expectations; limited effort, many gaps in clarity, depth or accuracy.
1–2	Poor	Very weak or minimal effort; unclear, incomplete or irrelevant.

3.3 The seven criteria

#	Criterion	Weight	Max
1	Title Clear, concise and relevant to the topic	0.5	5
2	Introduction Strong background, clear objectives, well-defined scope	1.5	15
3	Methodology Method clearly explained, appropriate and logically structured	1.5	15
4	Results / Findings Clear, accurate, well-presented with proper visualisation	3.0	30
5	Conclusion Summarises findings effectively and links back to objectives	1.5	15
6	References Properly formatted, relevant and sufficient	1.0	10
7	Overall report presentation Structure, formatting, grammar, visuals and flow	1.0	10
	Total	10	100

Read the weights as a plan. Results alone is worth 30 — nearly a third of the mark. Title and References together are worth 15. Spend your time accordingly.

3.4 Score yourself before you submit

Be honest — give each criterion the score you think your lecturer would give it, and see where the mark actually goes.

Self-assessment calculator

Criterion	Weight	Marks
Title	0.5	3.5
Introduction	1.5	10.5
Methodology	1.5	10.5
Results / Findings	3.0	21
Conclusion	1.5	10.5
References	1.0	7
Overall presentation	1.0	7

Report mark: 70.0 / 100 · contributes 17.5 / 25 to your course grade

3.5 How to submit

● Submission — Week 14

One submission per group. Upload your report as a PDF to the course submission folder, named STA191_Group<number>_Report.pdf.

Submission folder: to be announced — the link will be posted here and shared in class before Week 12. Late submissions follow UiTM's standard penalty; if something goes wrong, email me before the deadline, not after.

● Academic integrity

The report must be your group's own work: cite every source in APA 7th, never fabricate or alter questionnaire data, and make sure every name on the cover belongs to someone who contributed. Read the full rules on the syllabus page — and if you're unsure whether something is allowed, ask before you submit.

3.6 Final checklist

● Before you submit

Title is 10–12 words with no abbreviations.
Abstract is one paragraph, past tense, no citations, no figures.
Introduction cites 3–5 sources and names a clear gap.
Methodology is past tense and passive, with all four sub-sections.
Every figure and table is referred to in the text — and none repeat each other.
No raw software screenshots pasted in without explanation.
Conclusion is one paragraph, tied to the objectives, with limitations.
3–5 references in APA 7th, matching the in-text citations.
Prescribed template, single spacing, 10 pages or fewer.
Every member's name and student ID is on the cover.

Group Project — Case-Study Report

What you hand in

1.1 The task in one line

1.2 At a glance

1.3 Choosing your objectives

1.4 How the weeks fit together

2.1 Title 0.5 weight

2.2 Abstract

2.3 Introduction 1.5 weight

2.4 Methodology 1.5 weight

2.5 Results / Findings 3.0 weight — the biggest

2.6 Conclusion 1.5 weight

2.7 References 1.0 weight

2.8 Overall presentation 1.0 weight

3.1 How your lecturer scores it

3.2 What each score means

3.3 The seven criteria

3.4 Score yourself before you submit

3.5 How to submit

3.6 Final checklist