Research Paper

The Research Report
The Research Report needs to be at least 14 – 20 pages and is written in the past and present tense, as appropriate.

APA Format
The format of the research report should comply with the APA guidelines.

Chapter 1- Introduction (3 – 4 pages)
In this section, present enough information about the proposed work so that the reader understands the general context or setting. It is also helpful to include a summary of how this document is organized.

In the research report, each chapter should begin on a new page

Introduction

This section introduces the reader to the structural content of your Research Report.

Problem Statement and Purpose of Research
In this section, present a concise statement of a research-worthy problem to be addressed (i.e., why the work should be undertaken – don’t state “it was a requirement of the professor”). Follow the statement of the problem with a well-supported discussion of its scope and nature. The discussion of the problem should include: what the problem is, why it is a problem, how the problem evolved or developed, and the issues and events leading to the problem. Your problem statement must be clear, concise, to the point and able to be articulated in no more than three sentences.

Relevance and Significance
This section provides the necessary support for both the problem statement of your study. Consider the following questions and support your discussion by citing the research literature:

· Why is there a problem? What groups or individuals are affected?

· How far-ranging is the problem and how great is its impact? What’s the benefit of solving the problem?  What has been tried without success to correct the situation? Why weren’t those attempts successful?

· What are the consequences of not solving the problem?

· How does the goal of your study address the research problem and how will your proposed study offer promise as a resolution to the problem?

· How will your research add to the knowledge base?

· What is the potential for generalization of your results?

· What is the potential for original work?

Research Questions
In this section you will define the research questions you expect to answer in your finding / results / conclusion sections. The research question(s) must be directly related to the problem statement and introduce the reader to their respective relationships. The answers to the research question(s) as elaborated in Chapter 3 need to be either qualitative or quantitative. In this section, the research questions should be numbered

Barriers and Issues
In this section, identify how the problem is inherently difficult to solve. You should also show how the solution you propose are difficult to obtain (unlike a book report). You should show the study you propose is of adequate difficulty to warrant a successful grade assignment.

Chapter 2 – Review of the Literature (6-8 pages)
In this section, it is important to clearly identify the major areas on which you will need to focus your research in order to build a solid foundation for your study in the existing body of knowledge. This section requires that you review at least 5 peer-reviewed literature sources to be used in the research.

The literature review is the presentation of quality literature in a particular field that serves as the foundation and justification for the research problem, research questions or hypothesis, and methodology. You will develop a more comprehensive review of the literature as part of your report.

For each of the 5 articles, write a paragraph each for the following sections The following topics are intended to serve as a guide:

· Description of the research including who the target population was (if available)

· Research Method used to conduct the research (describe what the researcher(s) did to gather data for the research) o Was survey distributed? How many questions? How many participants?

o Was it a focus group? Was it a case study? Be explicit

· Findings: Indicate the findings as reported in the article

· Conclusion: What was the conclusion of the research

Citation in APA format, is critical as you report/review the articles

DO NOT add the APA reference at the beginning of each article review in Chapter 2. Be

sure to add to them to the References page

DO NOT include any subheadings in Chapter 2

Chapter 3 – Research Methodology (3 – 4 pages)
This section is the core of your research. You are required to describe how to the research problem will be addressed and the stated research goal will be accomplished. Based on the literature, elaborate on the major steps that must be taken to accomplish the goal and include a preliminary discussion of the methodology and specific research methods you plan to implement. Provide adequate discussion of the general process you will follow to implement your research methodology.

Chapter 4: Findings, Analysis, and Summary of Results (2 – 4 pages)
Chapter 4 includes an objective description and analysis of the findings, results or outcomes of the research. Limit the use of charts, tables, figures to those that are needed to support the narrative. Most of these illustrations can be included as part of the Appendixes.

The following topics are intended to serve as a guide:

· Data analysis

· Findings & discussion

· Analysis

· Summary of results & discussion

Chapter 5: Conclusions (2 – 4 pages)
· Conclusions – Clearly state the conclusions of the study based on the analysis performed and results achieved. Indicate by the evidence or logical development the extent to which the specified objectives have been accomplished. If the research has been guided by hypotheses, make a statement as to whether the data supported or rejected these hypotheses. Discuss alternative explanations for the findings, if appropriate. Delineate strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of the study.

· Implications – Discuss the impact of the work on the field of study and its contributions to knowledge and professional practice. Discuss implications for future research.

· Recommendations – Present recommendations for future research or for changes in research methods or theoretical concepts. As appropriate, present recommendations for changes in academic practice, professional practice, or organizational procedures, practices, and behavior.

References
Follow the most current version of APA to format your references. However, each reference should be single-spaced with a double space between each cited entry. Make sure that every citation is referenced and every reference is cited.

Research Report Structure
· White space added to the report will negatively affect the final grade of your report. Do not add extra space to your document in an effort to extend the page count.

· Times New Roman Font style should be used throughout the paper

· Font color should be black throughout the paper

WHAT TO INCLUDE:

Front Matter
· The front matter includes the following: o Title Page

· Approval Signature page – LEAVE BLANK o Abstract

· Acknowledgements page – LEAVE BLANK

· Table of Contents o List of Tables (if applicable) o List of Figures (if applicable)