IGNOU MADJ Project: MDJP-004 Dissertation & MDJP-005 Production Portfolio

The MA in Development Journalism has practical project-related work as part of its programme. In the second year, eligible learners register for either MDJP-004 Dissertation or MDJP-005 Production Portfolio. The former requires a researched and approved supervised study; the latter requires a set of original journalistic outputs. Always check your registered course before planning the submission.

MDJP-004 is the 6-credit Dissertation elective for second-year MADJ learners. It asks students to select a development journalism problem, prepare a proposal, work with a supervisor and obtain required approval before completing research and submitting a structured dissertation. The project manual recommends carefully bounded studies such as surveys or case studies.

MDJP-005 is the 6-credit Production Portfolio elective. Students undertake any ten of twelve prescribed journalism activity groups, such as reports, features, scripts, interviews and campaign planning. Each selected group carries ten marks. The portfolio is a set of practical outputs rather than one long dissertation.

No. They are alternatives within the second-year elective. The student follows the option for which they are registered. Completing ten portfolio activities does not substitute for a registered dissertation, and submitting a dissertation does not replace a registered production portfolio.

Yes. The programme guide specifies a supervised dissertation route. Select an eligible supervisor, consult them about the project topic and methodology, and follow the university procedure for submitting the proposal for approval. Keep relevant approval and supervision documents safely.

No. The programme guide describes the Production Portfolio as a self-driven option without a supervisor requirement. Learners still need to follow the manual for ten chosen activities, item quantities, originality, formatting and submission requirements.

Any ten of the twelve activity groups listed in the official MDJP-005 manual are mandatory. Each selected group has ten marks, totalling 100 marks. Some groups require two pieces to form a single ten-mark group, so count the prescribed groups and component pieces carefully.

The manual includes investigative or research-based news, features, opinion writing, reviews, radio/TV scripts, print news scripts, online news scripts, a research article, an interview, social campaign planning, a case study and a research questionnaire. Choose ten of these twelve groups and follow the quantity requirement for each.

The research-based news or investigative reporting group prescribes two pieces. Likewise, some other groups prescribe two items while the whole group is worth ten marks. Use the manual’s activity table to avoid counting one incomplete group as a completed activity.

MDJP-005 does not follow the same dissertation-proposal approval route as MDJP-004. It is based on original production activities. However, the portfolio manual may specify cover pages, documentation, declarations and presentation rules. Do not invent a dissertation synopsis when your registered course does not require one.

Choose a specific development communication or public-interest journalism issue that can be researched within the available time. Narrow the geographical context, population, media format and question. For example, studying rural audiences’ understanding of a community health radio programme is more manageable than investigating “health journalism in India”. Discuss the topic with your supervisor.

Yes, surveys are among the approaches discussed by the MDJP-004 manual. A useful survey should have clear questions, defined participants, an explainable sampling approach and ethical consent. Report the actual responses and limitations rather than inventing numbers or generalising from an unsuitable sample.

Yes. A case study can explore one campaign, community radio station, local news initiative or development communication programme in depth. Collect evidence from interviews, documents and observations where possible. Explain why the case was chosen and be careful about how broadly its findings apply.

Yes, where it fits the approved research objectives and programme scope. Environmental reporting topics could cover water shortages, heatwaves, waste management or conservation stories. Strong research designs specify the media sources, coverage dates or audience and the method of analysis.

Health journalism can be relevant to MADJ when the research question concerns public communication, access to credible information or reporting practices. Use trustworthy health sources, preserve privacy and avoid presenting unverified claims as facts. Choose a realistic study population and consult your supervisor for the dissertation.

The acceptability depends on the approved methodology. Media content analysis, government reports or trustworthy public datasets may suit some studies. Explain selection criteria, source dates and analytical methods. Never label published data as primary survey findings or imply interviews were conducted if they were not.

State what you will actually examine, compare or measure. For example: “To analyse the framing of sanitation initiatives in two regional newspapers over a defined period.” Use objectives that match available records and can be answered in the analysis chapter.

The MDJP-004 manual calls for a topic title, problem statement, objectives, questions, necessary information or data, a hypothesis if relevant, methodology and expected outcomes. A good proposal also explains rationale, scope, sampling, ethics and limitations where appropriate. Follow the authorised proforma and approval procedure.

The proposal describes research that you intend to undertake, including the problem, rationale, objectives and proposed methods. The dissertation describes the research actually conducted, with documented methods, analysis, findings, conclusions and references. Its topic and scope should remain consistent with the approved proposal.

Do not independently substitute a new approved title or materially different research objectives. Contact the designated university academic authority or supervisor to understand the approval procedure for major revisions before proceeding. Keep any revised approval documentation available for evaluation.

A structured dissertation commonly includes title and declarations, required approval and supervision documents, contents, introduction, literature review, objectives, methodology, analysis, findings, conclusion, references and appendices. Follow the MDJP-004 manual for exact arrangement and required certificates.

Read the evaluator or coordinator’s comments carefully, consult your supervisor and revise the identified weaknesses. Common issues include an overly broad topic, vague objectives, missing methodological details or missing supporting documentation. Resubmit by the current authorised process with required records.

A questionnaire is a structured instrument for collecting comparable responses. Include questions that directly support your study objectives, avoid leading wording and protect participant consent and privacy. For the MDJP-005 portfolio questionnaire activity, follow the separate activity-specific manual instructions and minimum-question requirement.

Choose an appropriate person, research their background, prepare thoughtful questions, seek permission, record accurate statements and distinguish quotations from your interpretation. Organise the output with a clear introduction, meaningful question-answer progression and source details, following portfolio requirements.

Yes. One of the prescribed portfolio activity groups is radio and television news script writing. It requires one item for each medium as specified by the manual. Use an appropriate format, timing, plain spoken language and clear factual sourcing.

You may have existing material relevant to a portfolio, but suitability depends on the manual’s originality, activity and documentation rules. Clearly identify authorship, sources, publication details where relevant and required edits. Do not use work authored by someone else as your own.

Put a contents page at the start, then number each selected activity group and include the correct number of pieces within it. For every output, give a title, relevant introduction, sources and supporting evidence where applicable. Check that the ten groups match ten of the manual’s twelve categories.

MDCP-006 is a 4-credit first-year MADJ course described as Internship or Development-based Research Project. It is distinct from the second-year elective dissertation and production portfolio. Follow its own approved handbook and registration requirements, rather than reusing another course’s documentation.

No. Although both may include field activities, their course requirements, credit weight and evaluation instructions are distinct. Confirm whether you are registered for MDCP-006, MDJP-004 or MDJP-005 and prepare the correct deliverables under the applicable manual.

Provide enough detail for readers to understand and trace the evidence when appropriate, while respecting confidentiality. For public sources, include author, title, outlet, date and accessible reference details. For confidential interviews, use the ethical and citation conventions approved for your study.

Spreadsheets can help prepare frequency tables and percentages. Basic qualitative coding may be done in well-organised documents or appropriate analysis software. The tool is less important than a transparent method that matches the study objectives and accurate treatment of raw evidence.

Phone or online interviews may be useful when appropriate to your approved method and participants. Obtain informed consent, document the date and format, protect personal information and note limitations compared with in-person observation. Ask your supervisor whether the approach fits your dissertation design.

Export text documents directly to PDF, compress oversized images carefully and preserve readable scans of signatures or necessary evidence. Confirm the current file-size limit on your particular portal field. Reopen the final document after compression to check all pages and tables.

For a session covered by the new OPMS process, log in to the IGNOU Samarth student portal, open Services and Project Portal where available, pay any applicable fee, select the registered course, upload required documents, inspect Preview and complete Final Submit. Save the acknowledgement as proof of successful submission.

No. Payment and uploading the finished project are separate steps when the portal requires both. A payment receipt does not show that the university received a dissertation or portfolio. Complete the applicable upload and Final Submit stage and retain the acknowledgement.

The updated OPMS instructions discussed for the December 2026 cycle indicate 30 November 2026. Confirm the live session notice for your registered course, pay the applicable fee and complete Final Submit within the university’s stated window. Do not rely on a draft upload.

This page includes 30 May 2027 as the requested planning date for the June 2027 cycle. Before uploading, confirm the officially announced deadline and any course-specific instructions on Samarth or IGNOU’s website. A future date should not be treated as a confirmed university notification without the notice.

Check that you used the correct Samarth student account, that your course is registered, that any required fee has reflected and that the portal is open for the chosen session. Keep a screenshot and transaction reference if necessary; use official help channels rather than submitting duplicate payments.

Do not assume a submitted document can be replaced automatically. Preview the full PDF, certificates and selected course code before final confirmation. If a mistake is discovered, follow IGNOU’s current correction procedure or contact the relevant university helpdesk for instructions.

The current MADJ programme guidance identifies MDCP-006 and second-year project electives as assessed by project work rather than normal theory assignments. Always check the specific course instruction and assignment portal, since theory courses in the programme have separate requirements.

The official Production Portfolio activity plan lists twelve possible groups, any ten of which must be completed. Each chosen group carries ten marks, totalling 100. Individual groups may require one or two pieces, so follow the quantity column rather than counting pages or articles alone.

Formulate a specific reporting or research question, collect genuine evidence, keep dated research notes, attribute sources, document interviews and distinguish analysis from opinion. For portfolios, produce your own original articles and scripts. Avoid plagiarism, fabricated interviews and unsupported statistics.

For the supervised dissertation route, assistance with identifying or coordinating an eligible guide may be discussed subject to availability and the university’s criteria. This is not an assurance of automatic university acceptance, and it is not a compulsory requirement for the Production Portfolio route.

Our advertised 100% Approval Guarantee refers to the academic-support commitment and applicable corrections or revisions under agreed service terms. Approval, grading and final academic decisions are made by IGNOU and cannot be transferred to a private service provider.

Visit https://ignouprojectreport.com/contact/ and share your programme, registered project course, stage, topic or portfolio requirement and the kind of support requested. The team can explain available academic assistance, scope, charges and revision terms. Never share Samarth passwords, OTPs or confidential student account access.