A GUIDELINE TO CHAPTER ONE FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

Research writing has been a bone of contention for both undergraduate and postgraduate students for time immemorial. Many a time some academic giants have fallen on the way due to their failure to complete their research on time. This could be either due to inadequate supervision or perhaps the induction package being a wrong dosage. Traditionally research writing has been put beyond the reach of many scholars as it has been clouded in professional and research jargon yet its major purpose is either to test theories or generate knowledge. Notably are the beneficiaries of research who are both academicians and laymen, hence the need to make research writing user-friendly. The thinking is that there are many ideas laying fallow out there which are stifled by the demands of a scientific report. The purpose of this article is to simplify the requirements of dignified research without compromising the standards with the ultimate goal of advancing the frontiers of human ignorance. This thrust can only be achieved by reviewing the major components of Chapter One as suggested by other scholars and the researcher, which may differ as per academic dictates of every university. The major argument is that when Chapter One is well written, it gives a global view of the whole project and lays a firm foundation for genuine research to take place in earnest as attempts are being made to initiate research students into generators of knowledge not consumers only.