Directed Research

Project

Manuscript Guidebook and Project Format

Manuscript Guidebook and Project Format

CONTENTS:Section 1: Course Description and Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................... 2

Section 2 : Introductory Guidelines ................................................................................................................... 3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................3 Required Reference .................................................................................................................................................................3 Teaching Strategies ..................................................................................................................................................................4 Peer Review/Technical Advisor ...............................................................................................................................................4 Certification and Assessment Form .........................................................................................................................................4 Class Size ................................................................................................................................................................................4 Course Requirements ..............................................................................................................................................................4 Registration Requirements ......................................................................................................................................................5 Grading ...................................................................................................................................................................................5 LRC Collection of Directed Research Projects ........................................................................................................................6 Information Literacy and Library Use .....................................................................................................................................6 Directed Research and Human Subjects Policy Statement .......................................................................................................6

Section 3: Stages of DRP Development .............................................................................................................. 7 Research Question and Subquestions ......................................................................................................................................7 Research Proposal (Chapter One) ...........................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 1: Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Literature Review ..................................................................................................................................................9 The Research Chapters ...........................................................................................................................................................9 Summary and Conclusions Chapter ........................................................................................................................................9 Draft of the Directed Research Project ....................................................................................................................................9 The Final Project ...................................................................................................................................................................10 The Defense ..........................................................................................................................................................................10

Section 4: The Directed Research Project Proposal .......................................................................................... 11 The Directed Research Project Proposal Flow Chart .............................................................................................................11

Section 5: Characteristics of Research ............................................................................................................. 12

Section 6: Planning and Designing the Research Proposal ............................................................................... 13 Key Questions for Planning and Designing the DRP Proposal ...............................................................................................13 Components of the DRP Proposal .........................................................................................................................................14 Context of the Problem .........................................................................................................................................................14 Statement of the Problem ......................................................................................................................................................14 Research Question/Hypothesis and Subquestions/Subhypotheses ..........................................................................................15 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................................................................................16 Research Design and Methodology .......................................................................................................................................16 Premises of the Qualitative and Quantitative Research .........................................................................................................17 Organization of the Study .....................................................................................................................................................17 Proposed Reference List ........................................................................................................................................................17

Section 7: Writing the Research Chapters 18 Citing the Literature ..............................................................................................................................................................19 Research Sampling ................................................................................................................................................................20 Analysis and Findings ...........................................................................................................................................................20

Section 8: The Final Chapter – Summary and Conclusions ............................................................................. 21

Section 9: DRP Format Requirements ............................................................................................................. 22

Section 10: Certificate of Approval Form ........................................................................................................ 25

Section 11: DRP Evaluation Form ................................................................................................................... 26

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICEThis document contains information confidential and proprietary to Strayer University. The information may not

be used, disclosed or reproduced without the prior written authorization of Strayer University and only in a manner consistent with the authorization. Reproduction of any section of this document must include this legend.

STRAYER is a registered service mark of Strayer Education, Inc. The University claims all rights of ownership to its trademarks and service marks, which include: “Strayer,” “Strayer University,” the official logos of Strayer University, and any other word, phrase, or image associated with Strayer University. © 2009 Strayer University, Inc.

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SECTION 1:

Course Description And Learning Outcomes

COurSE DESCrIPTIONEnables student to complete a research project in the field of major concentration. The research project will be monitored by a supervising faculty member and must be defended by the student in an oral examination. The oral defense may be conducted in a conference-style meeting of student, instructor, and second reader or technical advisor. A second type of defense allows students to present a synopsis of their projects during one of the last two scheduled class meetings. Students are encouraged to discuss the project with an instructor or Academic Advisor early in their programs. Students may not fulfill the directed research requirement by completing another course.

LEArNING OuTCOMESUpon completion of the Directed Research Project, the student will be able to:

1. Design, conduct, analyze, interpret, apply and write original research studies applicable to academic course content and/or the professional work environment.

2. Present research results in a clear, organized and effective oral delivery.

3. Identify and use major reference tools appropriately.

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SECTION 2:

Introductory Guidelines

IntroductionThe Directed Research Project (DRP) is designed as a vehicle for the graduate student to complete a research project in his/her field of major concentration. THE DRP IS NOT A TERM PAPER. The research project is monitored through its completion by a supervising seminar professor and, in some instances, an additional faculty technical advisor. Students must defend the completed DRP in a meeting attended by the seminar professor and technical advisor (if applicable).

rEquIrED rEFErENCELeedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical research: Planning and design (9th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.

Strayer University. (2009). Directed research project: Manuscript guidebook and project format. Washington, D.C.: Author.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Author.Note to Instructors: The American Psychological Association allows one desk copy per instructor; if you have ever received one before, a second copy can not be obtained. Copies should be requested on an individual—not institutional—basis.

Raimes, A. (2009). Keys for writers (5th ed.). Hoboken, New Jersey: Cengage Publishing.Note: This text comes shrink-wrapped with Perrin’s Pocket Guide to APA Style. The pocket manual is free of charge. Although Perrin’s guide provides basic APA information, it is abbreviated. As a result, purchase of the complete manual (previously noted) is still necessary. If any discrepancies exist between the two APA texts, the full manual published by the American Psychological Association should be viewed as the authoritative source.

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TEAChING STrATEGIESThe course will be conducted as an independent research project, which will be monitored by the instructor. The initial class sessions will be used to assist the students to define their research problems, develop their research proposals (Chapter 1 of the DRP), and initiate their research efforts. Subsequent Individual Project Review meetings between the supervising faculty member and each student will help address any individual concerns or problems the student might be having, and monitor the project’s progress. Instructors will establish progress milestones and requirements for draft writings to help the students in managing their research projects. The final DRP report will be defended by the student in a presentation to the instructor, as a minimum, with possible participation by a technical advisor and/or other class members.

PEEr rEvIEwEr/TEChNICAL ADvISOrIn those rare instances when the project is out of the scope of the expertise of the instructor, a technical advisor may be required to assist the instructor in guiding and assessing the student’s project.

CErTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT FOrMBoth the Supervising Instructor and the Peer Reviewer/Technical Advisor (if applicable) will also complete a certification and an assessment form that helps to assess student learning. The completed assessment form goes to the appropriate Department Chair and the Office of Institutional Research for compilation and analysis.

CLASS SIzELimit class size to fifteen (15).

COurSE rEquIrEMENTSStudents are required to identify a problem within their major fields that the research will intend to solve. Chapter 1 will be written by the student detailing what the completed DRP/research will entail. This is to be submitted to the seminar professor by the deadline prescribed by the professor. Individual project reviews will be conducted with the seminar professor. Every student is expected to meet the scheduled times to review his/her progress and to finalize the problem statement research questions. The help of a technical advisor may be solicited at the discretion and approval of the seminar professor.

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rEGISTrATION rEquIrEMENTS AND rECOMMENDATIONSStudents must meet three basic requirements prior to registering for the DRP. These are noted below. Two additional student status criteria are strongly recommended to promote academic success.

1. Required: Prior attendance in DRP Orientation (DRP 999). Students will not be allowed to register for the DRP without completion of this orientation session.

2. Required: Completion of at least 45 quarter hours of graduate study creditable to the Master’s degree.

3. Required: Completion of RES 531, which is a prerequisite for all 590 DRP courses.

3. Recommended: Cumulative GPA of at least 3.00, with no pending “I” grades.

4. Recommended: Concurrent registration with, at most, one other graduate course.

GrADINGThe nature of this course precludes written examinations as a means of determining student achievement. Therefore, the DRP and its defense, along with student attendance, will determine the final grade.

1. To achieve an “A” grade, the DRP must be excellent in content (both factual and grammatical) and in presentation (both written and oral). The student must have met all the draft deadlines, and the final manuscript must have been submitted by the last scheduled class. Excellent DRPs that are submitted after the end of the quarter in which they are started are not likely to be awarded an “A”. Only selected “A” graded projects will be included in the Learning Resources Center (LRC) collection at the Wilkes Library.

2. The DRP is not a term paper; it is more than a term paper.

3. The DRP must be the student’s original work. Plagiarism will result in an “F” for the course and possible disciplinary action, which may include expulsion from the program.

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LrC COLLECTION OF DIrECTED rESEArCh PrOjECTSDirected Research Projects may be recommended by the Dean of the School to be submitted to Strayer University’s Wilkes Library as part of its Directed Research Project Collection. These projects will be made available to other University students as a demonstration of the University’s expectations in completion of the Directed Research Project. Although the basic criterion for inclusion is an earned “A” grade, all aspects of a project will be reviewed to judge the work’s value to Strayer’s collection. Major points that will be screened by seminar professors are presentation (organized and professional approach), grammar/mechanics, and content (factual and analytical material). Students who would like to view bound hard copies of previously submitted Directed Research Projects can do so by showing their IDs to their LRC Managers and requesting copies from the Wilkes Library. These DRPs are for in-library use only. Online model DRPs are also available on the Strayer website under Learning Resources Center (LRC).

INFOrMATION LITErACy AND LIbrAry uSEAll students taking the DRP are encouraged to visit their LRC to tour of the facility and be shown the online features. In addition, students may review the collection of Directed Research Projects that have been identified as those successfully demonstrating the expected standards of the DRP. Students may use this collection to extract content and examine the format. Besides LRC and Wilkes Library resources, use of institutional collections such as Library of Congress and large university libraries are recommended. Strayer University has a consortium agreement with the University of Alabama in Huntsville to assist with DRP research. Resources may be obtained in both hard copy and electronic formats. This collection can be accessed through Strayer University’s website: www.strayer.edu under Current Students/Learning Resource Center.

DIrECTED rESEArCh AND huMAN SubjECTS POLICy STATEMENTThe Directed Research Project (DRP) is intended to be completed within a single quarter. Given this time constraint, it would be difficult to collect data and institute a review process to ensure compliance with standards for gathering data from human subjects to effectively contribute toward and support the research project.

In view of these considerations, DRP research must be restricted to projects that do not gather primary data from individuals. This would include information gathered through questionnaires, tests, surveys, observations, or interviews.

This restriction only affects the use of persons as primary sources. Any data that is available in the public domain, such as information published by federal, state or local governments and various research organizations, colleges or universities may be used. Likewise, information from published sources may be freely used.

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SECTION 3:

Stages of DrP Development

rESEArCh quESTION AND SubquESTIONS Each student is required to identify a problem within his/her major field which the research will intend to address. A research question proposal, written by the student detailing what the contemplated DRP will entail, is submitted to the seminar professor for approval.

The research question and subquestions proposal consists of:

1. Topic

2. Statement of the problem

3. Specific research question and subquestions to be addressed

rESEArCh PrOPOSAL (ChAPTEr 1)Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the DRP. This chapter serves as the student’s research proposal.

CHAPTER 1: InTRoduCTIon After the research question and research subquestions are approved, the student develops the complete introduction for the professor’s review and approval. This provides the reader with a summary of the candidate’s research. In it, the researcher outlines the research problem, the research questions that need to be addressed to resolve this problem, methods the researcher has chosen to gather data to answer the research questions, and possible implications of resolving the research problem. Thus, Chapter 1 consists of:

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1. Context of the problem (background information and introduction to the problem)

2. Statement of the problem

3. Specific research question and subquestions to address the problem

4. Significance of the study (Why is this study important? Who will benefit?)

5. Research design and methodology (How will this research be conducted?) This section is used to describe and justify the research methodology used for collecting the data to answer the candidate’s research questions. Note the guidelines below.*

6. Organization of the study

7. Tentative Reference List*Note: Guidelines for #5—Research Design and Methodology

rESEArCh quESTION AN D SubquESTIONS Each student is required to identify a problem within his/her major field which the research will intend to address. A research question proposal, written by the student detailing what the contemplated DRP will entail, is submitted to the

It is generally required that a university establish an internal review board (IRB) to scrutinize all proposed research studies that involve human subjects. This is necessary to assure that legal and ethical procedures are followed. The manual entitled Research and Strategic Communication (Ormond & Leedy, 2010, p. 104) reiterates the requirement that any college, university or research institution will have an internal review board to protect human subjects and their privacy.

The two basic techniques for gathering data are primary and secondary. Primary research techniques are when information is obtained directly from a person or his/her private records. Primary research could involve interviews; surveys; questionnaires; school, employment, and health records; tests; observations; or any method that puts the researcher in direct contact with personal information related to the subject.

Secondary research information is obtained from primary research sources. It could involve scholarly books; peer reviewed journals; unpublished research papers; information from federal, state, county, or local governments; numerical data that is available from government sources; any data that has been published by private or nonprofit organizations (this includes not for profit organizations); and information available from a college, university, or trade school. Essentially, any information available in the public domain may be analyzed in either a verbal format or by applying statistical tests to numerical data to arrive at a research conclusion.

Only the secondary research techniques and secondary data can be used in the Directed Research Project until Strayer establishes an Internal Review Board.

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CHAPTER 2: REvIEw of THE LITERATuREIn this chapter, the candidate reviews the main bodies of existing knowledge and literature that relate to addressing the research problem. It is during this review that the candidate refines the research questions that form the basis for his or her research project. A DRP student is expected to read, evaluate and synthesize at least twenty (20) sources of literature relevant to his/her research problem. While these sources will probably not comprise a comprehensive coverage of the available literature, they should reflect a representative sampling of current and/or classic findings and texts. This literature review is not an annotated bibliography. Rather, the review of the literature is used to examine relevant scholarly sources and connections between these sources with respect to analysis of factors such as the following: comparisons, contrasts, consistencies, inconsistencies, strengths, weaknesses, reliability, validity, significance, limitations, positions (and relation to the student’s perspective), theoretical approaches, and/or research methods.

Writing a review of the related literature takes planning and organization, and the researcher must emphasize the relationship of the literature to his/her research topic. According to the University of Toronto Writing Support website (http://www.utoronto.ca/writing), the literature review should “be organized around and related directly to the thesis or research question…, synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known, identify areas of controversy in the literature, and formulate questions that need further research.” Various general approaches can be used to select and organize information for a literature review. One common method is to review the literature historically/chronologically. Through this approach, the DRP student might identify common threads or trends. Another option is to employ an issue oriented approach through exploration of specific themes, conflicts, or debates. Research methods, theories, or content related standards (e.g., legal standards, international regulations, ethical guidelines, etc.) could also be applied as criteria for analysis and organizational frameworks for presentation of the literature.

ThE rESEArCh ChAPTErSEach research subquestion in the statement of the problem becomes a separate chapter in the body of the work. In other words, Research Subquestion 1 becomes Chapter 3, Research Subquestion 2 becomes Chapter 4, etc. Major concepts from each subquestion should be reflected in short chapter titles.

In these chapters, the researcher lays out the data gathered via the research methodology described in Chapter 1 in a form easily accessible to the reader. Any analyses presented in these chapters relate only to relationships between the data and the research methodology.

SuMMAry AND CONCLuSIONS ChAPTErIn this final chapter, the research process is concluded. The researcher describes how the research problem is resolved through ways that the researcher’s findings answer the research subquestions of Chapter 1. It is in this chapter that the contributions to knowledge, in the realm of theory, are fully developed and described. This chapter also contains a discussion of the limitations of the analysis and suggestions for future research.

DrAFT OF ThE DIrECTED rESEArCh PrOjECT The draft consists of the entire research project, including the prefatory pages, introduction, content chapters, summary, conclusion and bibliography. The draft becomes the final project once the student incorporates the professor’s proposed changes and revisions upon completion of the defense.

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ThE FINAL PrOjECTThe final copy consists of:

PRELIMINARY PAGES (each separate; reference Keys for Writers or the APA Publication Manual for examples)

Title Page (required)

Approval Page (optional)

Abstract (required)

Acknowledgements (optional)

Table of Contents with page references, including preliminary pages

List of tables with titles and page references

List of illustrations with titles and page references, including figures, maps, etc.

INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXESNote: The final document should be at least forty (40) pages, excluding appendixes.

ThE DEFENSE The defense takes place at a time specified by the seminar professor. At the discretion of the DRP professor, this oral defense can be conducted one-on-one with the student, or presented to the professor and other invited faculty members, or attended by seminar classmates and their guests. A successful defense requires completion of all DRP chapters according to the design in this manual. The conclusion must address the research question, and it must be justified by the research findings reported in the summary section.

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SECTION 4:

The Directed research Project Proposal

ThE DrP PrOPOSAL FLOw ChArT

1 Context of the Problem

2 Statement of the Problem

3 Primary Research Question or Hypothesis and Subquestions or Subhypotheses

4 Significance of the Study

5 Research Design and Methodology

6 Organization of the Study

7 Prospective References

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SECTION 5:

Characteristics of research

The research project focuses on a question in which the researcher intentionally sets out to enhance an understanding of a phenomenon and expects to communicate what was discovered to the larger community. Leedy and Ormrod (2010) advise: “Research is the systematic process of collecting and analyzing information or data in order to increase our understanding of the phenomenon about which we are concerned or interested” (p. 2).

ChArACTErISTICS OF rESEArChResearch originates with a question or problem.1.

Research requires clear articulation of a goal.2.

Research requires a specific plan for proceeding. 3.

Research usually divides the principal problem into more manageable subproblems.4.

Research is guided by the specific research problem, question, or hypothesis.5.

Research accepts certain critical assumptions.6.

Research requires the collection and interpretation of data in an attempt to resolve 7. the problem that initiated the research.

Research is, by its nature, cyclical or, more exactly, helical.8. Leedy & Ormrod, 2010, pp. 2-3

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SECTION 6:

Planning and Designing The research Proposal

The DRP proposal provides the framework whereby the central research problem can be subjectively or objectively advanced. Leedy & Ormrod (2010) list the following among the key questions for planning and designing the DRP proposal:

KEy quESTIONS FOr PLANNING AND DESIGNING ThE DrP PrOPOSALPurpose What does the researcher want to know, and why does the researcher

want to know? What does the researcher want to be able to decide or offer as a result of the research? Why?

Target Audience Who will be interested in this research when it is completed? Is anyone providing funding, other resources, or support?

Data Needs and Collection

What kinds of information or data (published information, publicly available numerical data, literature reviews, published interviews, documents, historical records, videotapes, annotated bibliographies, and/or other secondary sources) are needed to conduct an analysis, draw conclusions, and make decisions or recommendations? How can this data or information be collected? What are the identifiable resources available to support information or data collection?

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Data Analysis What methodology seems most appropriate for analysis and interpretation of the data? The researcher must select an approach that is relevant to both the research question and available secondary source data such as a content analysis of written documents, historical trend analysis, correlational study, case study analysis, theory development, or analysis of conceptual representations.

Time Line When is the information or data needed? When must it be collected? How does data collection fit in with the overall research project time line?

Significance Why or how is the study important? Who or what will benefit from the research and work-product? Why?

The design of the DRP provides the overall structure for the procedures the DRP student follows, the information and data that the DRP student collects, and the information or data analysis the DRP student conducts. Simply put, the research design is the most significant part of the DRP proposal. Once a supervising faculty member approves the proposal, it becomes the DRP Chapter 1 – Introduction.

COMPONENTS OF ThE DrP PrOPOSALThe seven parts of the DRP proposal include the context of the problem, statement of the problem, research question and subquestions or hypothesis and subhypotheses, significance of the study, research design and methodology, organization of the study, and prospective reference list.

Step 1. Context of the Problem sets up the research statement with background, purpose and perhaps some support from the literature or acceptable literature alternatives. It is here that the DRP problem or issue is discussed and gives a transitory explanation of what the completed research work-product will most likely contain.

Step 2. Statement of the Problem. The DRP research statement of the problem is a three part statement: an introductory sentence, a problem sentence, and a transition/closing sentence. Introductory Sentence: The first sentence introduces the topic of the research problem that is of primary interest to the DRP student.

Example: “Organizational Behavior touts itself as a field that extracts its contents from various social sciences.”

The Problem Sentence: The second sentence presents the structure from which the research question will be derived.

Example: “A review of academic and professional journals reveals no studies illustrating the Organizational Behavior/Social Science linkage.”

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The Transition/Closing Sentence: The third sentence is a transition or closing sentence.

Example: “Universities use an Organizational Behavior interdisciplinary approach to educate business professionals about behaviors occurring within organizations and the Organizational Behavior/Social Science relationship.”

Anyone with or without expertise in this intended research area of interest can immediately understand where the DRP research effort is headed and why. This provides a basis for how the DRP student will relate the DRP research conclusion back to the statement of the problem, and either the primary research question or hypothesis as the research moves forward.

Step 3. Research Question/Hypothesis and Subquestions/Subhypotheses. The research question or hypothesis is derived from the statement of the problem. This provides a clear basis for the research to be done. The research question/hypothesis can be broken into applicable manageable subquestions or subhypotheses.

Example: Research Question and Subquestions

The purpose of this research is to determine the following: How do universities use Organizational Behavior’s interdisciplinary approach to educate business professionals about behaviors within organizations and the Organizational Behavior/Social Science relationship? To answer this question, the following subquestions will be addressed:

1. What is Organizational Behavior’s core body of knowledge and interdisciplinary approach? (Qualitative)

2. What Social Science concepts influence the Organizational Behavior field’s core body of knowledge and the correlation between them? (Quantitative)

3. How are business professionals educated about behaviors occurring in organizations? (Qualitative)

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Step 4. Significance of the Study. The Significance of the Study section is the researcher’s opportunity to explain why the research problem under study is significant in theory and/or practice. The following example of a declaration of significance may be helpful:

Example: Significance of the Study

This case study is important because it recognizes the value and benefits of conducting e-business on the WWW.

The study will help clarify the nature of warranted change and how a significant segment of the corporate structure communicates strategically in business and the professions. This research is also of importance because it will add to the growing base of knowledge about e-business and the WWW global market place. A third consideration of the significance is that much more can be learned about what companies can do to be successful and to circumvent initial failure in the first place. It is expected that insights will be gained regarding management and the need for effective strategic communication.

To the extent this study reveals how e-business can be successful, corporate management may or may not need to be concerned with whether or not organizational policy changes are necessary, or whether the phenomena are matters of environmental business changes of the day; then the study will have contributed to a better understanding that is unique to the larger WWW e-business community.

Step 5. Research Design and Methodology. There are two kinds of DRP research design–qualitative and quantitative. The first sentence of the section explains which kind of design the student will use.

Qualitative research focuses on understanding phenomena, rather than predicting as in the application of traditional quantitative or statistical research.

The methodology section describes the procedures the DRP will follow, describes the information and/or data that the student will collect, and describes how the student will develop conclusions to address the purpose of the study.

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PrEMISES OF ThE quALITATIvE AND quANTITATIvE rESEArChQualitative Quantitative

Research Definition A formal systematic, realistic and consistent subjective strategy for obtaining information about a targeted research group or individual situation that can be used to describe life experiences and give them meaning. Qualitative researchers explain the complexity of their data using a literary (or written) style.

A formal systematic, realistic and consistent objective strategy for obtaining information about a targeted research population. A method used to describe, test relationships, and examine cause and effect relationships. Quantitative researchers typically use descriptive and inferential statistics to summarize their data.

Research Goal The realistic goal is to clearly identify a primary research question to answer and gain an understanding and insight by exploring the depth, richness, and complexity inherent in phenomena.

The realistic goal is to clearly identify the primary research hypothesis, test relationships, find facts, describe and examine cause and effect relations.

Research Objectives A prioritized arrangement of specific key researchable and measurable research questions and subquestions; or specific key measurable research hypothesis and subhypotheses, respectively.

Research Objectives The creation of a unique, appropriate, timely design, techniques and activities appropriate for the research objective(s) and goal(s) that are consistent and synergistic. Because credibility, reliability and validity weigh heavily upon the research outcome, it is important for the researcher to “do the right thing and do things right.”

Note: See Leedy and Ormrod (2005) pp. 97, 105 – 107, Comparing Quantitative and Qualitative Approaches.

Step 6. Organization of the Study. This section is the researcher’s opportunity to present the research chapters and sections in brief, describing how the total research effort will be presented. In particular, it means each research chapter is presented in four to five sentences indicating what actions the researcher will perform in the research process.

Step 7. Proposed Reference List. This is a preliminary report of at least ten potential sources. These sources are listed in APA style in alphabetical order by authors’ last names.

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SECTION 7:

writing the research Chapters

DRP research starts with the statement of the problem, a research question (and subquestions) or research hypothesis (and subhypotheses), and terminates with answers to the research question or hypothesis.

Descriptive research and writing is a process, a set of steps, not a project that is started and finished in a single session. These steps in the writing process group themselves naturally into two phases, and each phase requires an approach. The first phase is composing — the DRP student should be very free and creative. The second phase is editing — the DRP student must evaluate, rewrite, reject, and correct the materials that were developed while composing. In the end, the two questions to be asked are:

1. Did the DRP student do what was offered in the DRP proposal?

2. Did the DRP student do what was supposed to be done?

Creative writing on the part of the DRP researcher can make DRP writing interesting. The main intention of the DRP writing and style must be to ensure effective communications, clarity and understanding. DRP students who need to improve their writing skills must work to develop adequate writing skills for DRP purposes. Fortunately, help is plentiful. Help is available from faculty, books, electronic media and the Internet, even if it means revisiting the basics of grammar.

Regardless of the level of a researcher’s writing and communications capabilities, all DRP researchers benefit from editors or other types of readers who can offer independent observations and feedback. Before releasing the final DRP work-product, the DRP student is wise to seek that last independent observation with feedback as one more assurance of having done things well.

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CITING ThE LITErATurEDRP research does not have to prove everything written, but it should contain enough support to be convincing to the Strayer University faculty. The literature support is essential to the DRP having a principle source of information or data. The DRP student reads and reviews the literature for different purposes:

• toobtainandpresentgeneralknowledge,informationordata,

• toobtainandpresentspecificknowledge,informationordata,or

• toidentifyandestablishanidea,relationshipbetweenideas,orresearchproblemwithsupport.

Whether the DRP research effort quotes, paraphrases, or summarizes, it is important to record the extracted original source material properly, especially specialized information or data that is not common knowledge. There are clear distinctions between quotations, paraphrases, and summaries.

DRP research benefits from quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of relevant work already done. Sometimes the DRP student may wish to highlight a disagreement on a subject, or just make a point or two, or extend the breadth or depth of the DRP research work-product.

Example: The following includes a dialogue on “Organizational Strategy” from McCray et al. (1985) to show how the researcher benefited from the contributions of others and is able to convey this through a documented literature review and a list of references:

Translated into organizational terms, Simon (1976) refers to organization as the complex pattern of communication and relationships in a group of human beings (p. xvii). It is the view of Barnard (1968) that the most useful concept of cooperative systems is embodied in the definition of organization as a system of consciously coordinated activities or forces (p. 73). Follett (1977) adds, “the form of organization should be such as to allow or induce the continuous coordination of the experience of men” (p. 121). As a matter of fact, the administrative head is not the man in whom all control is centered, but the leader of many with specific control according to Follett (p. 123). The views of Simon (1976), Barnard (1968), Follett (1977) & Tilles (1972) strongly suggest that an organization be consistent: “Hence an important test of strategy is whether the chosen policies are consistent with the environment – whether they really make sense with respect to what is going on outside” (p. 154). Accordingly, Bonge and Colman (1972 enumerated that “the consideration of problems and the formulation of strategies to increase viability of an organization requires the consideration of many variables and the assessment of many alternatives... (p. 1). Finally, in the view

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of Polivka and Stryker (1983), their experience indicates program evaluation can play a consistently influential part in the development process if certain conditions are met (p. 259). This is with an understanding from Lau (1988) that even with a literature review, there is a lag between some of the theoretical developments and the practical implementation of a successful organizational strategy. In a practical sense as well, there is also a significant gap between the top managers’ strategic knowledge and their ability to use knowledge. In fact, the challenge to overcome are some of the particular perspectives that tend to behold their organizations without adequately addressing the need for applicability in their business environment.

rESEArCh SAMPLINGA sample is a restricted and limited part of a statistical research population, whose properties are studied to gain information about the whole research population of interest. It must be attained with awareness, however, of the significance of different ways of sampling and determining an appropriate sample size. DRP research must present conclusions about an entire research population based on the use of inferential statistics; therefore, sampling enables the DRP research to determine or estimate the intended research population’s characteristics by directly examining only a representative portion.

Remember, it is important to confine research samples used in the DRP to data that has been published or is available to the general public. This means that secondary data can be used in devising a sample; however, current laws and regulations prohibit gathering primary data without approval of an Internal Review Board (IRB), which Strayer University does not have at the present time. Thus, students cannot use primary data collection methods, including interviews, questionnaires, tests, survey documents or observations.

ANALySIS AND FINDINGSThe DRP researcher’s analysis, findings and conclusions have an important place in the final DRP research work-product. Research readers will be looking for clarity as the number one objective. Analysis of the data and findings of the research should be reported in relation to the research methodology.

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SECTION 8:

The Final Chapter – Summary and Conclusions

The final chapter has three sections: an Introduction, the Summary and Conclusion(s). The introduction provides a concise statement of the purpose of the study, research subquestions, and the methodology used.

In the summary section, the researcher provides the most important substantive details of the research conducted in the previous research chapters. A DRP summary must convey a very clear and positive influence, providing a cogent grasp of the research interest and findings. The research summary is an objective and impartial representation of the total DRP research project, which should be fully comprehensible to someone who is not familiar with the DRP research effort. The summary usually ranges from one to three pages.

The conclusion section presents research conclusions based on the consolidated summary of the analyses and findings as reported in the summary section. The research conclusions are inferences or deductions based on evidence presented in the body of the DRP research chapters. This is not something simply repeated earlier. Previously, the DRP research analysis and findings were merely summarized and not concluded.

The DRP student must not only present logical conclusions but must also demonstrate how the conclusion(s) derived answer the research question or address the hypothesis.

Strayer University DRP researchers are advised to avoid of stating that something was proved. This is because the time and resources available for proving something are extremely limited, or the something the DRP student is after just may not be possible to prove. The DRP researcher is advised to rely on and put into words what a preponderance of the best evidence provides, rather than attempting to position the research effort as having proved something.

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SECTION 9:

DrP Format requirements

ThE FINAL DrP PRELIMINARY PAGES consists of:

Title Page

Approval Page (optional)

Abstract (required)

Acknowledgements (optional)

Table of Contents with page references, including preliminary pages

List of tables with titles and page references

List of illustrations with titles and page references, including figures, maps, etc.

INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS

REFERENCES

APPENDIXES

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Check when Completed

Paper Type the document on one side only; use 8-1/2 X 11, 20-pound white bond paper.

Font Use one of the following type faces: 12-point Times Roman or 12-point Courier. Script fonts are not acceptable.22

Margins Use one-inch margins at the top, bottom, and right sides. You must leave a one and one-half inch margin on the left side to allow space for binding the DRP. Do not right justify margin.

Spacing Double space throughout the document. Double-space after every line of the title, headings, quotations, references, etc. Single spacing is acceptable for table and figure captions or footnotes. The APA Manual states that single spacing can also be used for long quotes and/or for references as long as double spacing is used between references

Paragraphs Indent all paragraphs five to seven spaces; this is about a half-inch indent on word-processors. Leave the right margin uneven or “ragged right.” Do not break (hyphenate) words at the ends of lines. Do not end any page with less than two lines of text. Ensure all paragraphs are at least three complete sentences with completed thoughts.

Pagination Type page numbers in Arabic numerals placed at the header upper right corner of each page, 1 inch from the top and right side. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association does note, however, that an automatic default is typically set ½ inch from the top of the page in word-processing software, and this is allowable. It is also acceptable to change the page number position, if necessary, on full-page figures or tables. Continue page numbering through the appendix/ces. Use lowercase Roman numerals for all preliminary pages following the Title Page. The running head is not needed on these preliminary pages.

Title Page The title page contains the full and complete title of the work-product, a running head for publication, and the researcher’s name and institutional affiliation. APA does allow style exceptions for college theses and dissertations; therefore, a page header and Arabic page number 1 do not need to be included on the title page.

Approval Page (See Section 10.)

Abstract The word Abstract is centered as the first line of the Abstract page. The Abstract for the finished DRP is a separate page and a brief comprehensive summary of the finished DRP. The abstract contains three parts: Introduction, Summary and Conclusions. The Introduction provides a brief statement of the research question and subquestions and a description of the methodology used by the researcher. The Summary includes a synopsis of all important findings of the research chapters. The Conclusion contains a brief statement of implications and/or recommendations. The abstract is single spaced throughout and, according to APA style, should not exceed 120 words.

Acknowledgements

Table of Contents Every manuscript must contain a table of contents and, if appropriate, a list of tables, maps or illustrations.

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Tables and Lists of Figures

It is practical to label every Table and Figure, with the words Table and Figure, and use an Arabic numeral to identify each. The text accompanying tables and figures may be single or double-spaced; this recommendation must remain flexible. All tables and figures larger than a page in size appear at the end of the DRP in the appendixes with each table or figure on a separate page. Each table and figure must be listed, and the list of tables and figures must be placed in the first section of the DRP right after the table of contents.

Chapter Titles Each Research Chapter should start on a new page and be headed with a title. For example, Chapter 1 might be established as the Introduction. (This is acceptable for the DRP, a thesis, or a dissertation, even though the Introduction is typically not identified as such in other writings using APA style.) The chapter title is typed in uppercase and lowercase letters, centered one inch below the top of the page. It is not placed in bold type or italics. (See the APA Manual regarding “Heading Levels.”) Numbering each chapter is optional.

Hyphenation Type a line short or just beyond the right-hand margin rather than break a word at the end of a line. If a decision must be made as to when, where or how to hyphenate a word, the DRP student is advised to consult the dictionary.

Document Style* The student must use APA style and consistently follow its usage through the paper as outlined in the APA manual.

Parenthetical References

Each source reference is cited in parentheses within the body of the text.

Reference List The Reference List begins on a new page and includes all sources the DRP student relied upon. Type the word References centered one-inch below the top of the page.

All sources used for the Direct Research Project must be included in the references. Sources must be listed in alphabetical order by authors’ surnames. Entries themselves may be single or double-spaced, with the first line flush to the left margin; indent five spaces for any lines which follow. Double-spacing may be used throughout or to separate single-spaced entries. References used should not be older than five years, except for works considered to be “classics.”

Appendices Appendixes (each appendix document) – Appendix A through the last appendix should each be preceded with a titled appendix page. Appendixes will usually include a copy of any document used by the DRP student that was important to the research effort.

Minimum # of pages

Final document should be at least forty (40) pages, excluding appendixes.

*The student shall affirm that each of the format requirements is complied with upon submission of the final copy.

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SECTION 10:

Certificate of Approval Form

STrAyEr uNIvErSITy CErTIFICATE OF APPrOvAL FOrM

A DrP ENTITLED

__________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________

By

_________________________________________________

We hereby certify that this DRP submitted by _________________________________________ conforms to acceptable standards, and as such is fully adequate in scope and quality.

It is therefore approved as the fulfillment of the requirement of the degree of ________________________________________________________________________________.

Approved:___________________________________________

Supervising Faculty: ___________________________________________

Peer Review/Technical Advisor: ___________________________________________

Note: The instructor may wish to require that the student include this form, once completed, in the preliminary pages of the final DRP.

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SECTION 11:

DrP Evaluation Form

EvALuATION FOrM

Student’s Name: _______________________________________ Campus:___________________

E = Excellent; S = Satisfactory; M = Marginal; U = Unsatisfactory N = Not Applicable

A. Title Page1. Conforms to format. E S M U N2. Topic reflects the nature of the study clearly. E S M U N

B. Abstract1. Conforms to format. E S M U N2. Is written in the past tense. E S M U N3. Nature of the problem is stated E S M U N4. Purpose of the study is stated. E S M U N5. Specific hypotheses and/or basic research questions are stated. E S M U N6. Procedures are stated (research design and methodology). E S M U N7. Results are summarized. E S M U N8. Conclusions are summarized. E S M U N9. Recommendations are summarized. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Note: The instructor may wish to use the following form to provide feedback to the student.

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C. Table of Contents1. Appropriate format has been followed. E S M U N2 List of tables and/or figures is included as necessary. E S M U N3. Abbreviations are included as necessary. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

D. Chapter 1 – Introduction 1. Background and context of the problem are stated precisely and clearly. E S M U N2. Statement of the problem is stated precisely and clearly. E S M U N3. Main research question and sub-research questions are stated clearly. E S M U N4. Research hypothesis are stated clearly if appropriate. E S M U N5. Significance of the study is stated clearly. E S M U N6. Research design and methodology are stated clearly. E S M U N7. Premises of the qualitative and quantitative research are stated clearly. E S M U N8. Research chapters and sections are clearly stated in the organization of the

study section of Chapter 1.E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

E. Chapter 2 – Review of Literature 1. Chapter introduction presents a conceptual overview, rationale, and

framework for the project.E S M U N

2. Correct use of present and past tense. E S M U N3. Entries are adequate and relevant. E S M U N4. The literature review is organized by concepts or topics with appropriate

headings and authorship..E S M U N

5. Summary statements of the relationship between the review literature and the research or practicum are included.

E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

F. Methodology 1. Appropriate methodology is stated (Research, Evaluation, Development). E S M U N2. Procedures are consistent with proposal; if not, reasons are explained. E S M U N3. Procedures appropriately address research questions/research hypothesis. E S M U N4. Procedures are delineated sufficiently and clearly to permit replication. E S M U N5. Procedures and treatment of data are appropriate for the methodology

selected.E S M U N

6. Assumptions are stated clearly. E S M U N7. Limitations are stated clearly. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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G. Results 1. Results are stated descriptively (evaluative statements are not included). E S M U N2. Results are reported accurately and derived from the procedures. E S M U N3. Outcome of each procedural component is stated sequentially. E S M U N4. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are clear, labeled and representative of

appropriate data.E S M U N

5. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are referenced and summarized in text. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

H. Discussion, Conclusions, Implications, and Recommendations 1. Discussion demonstrates interrelationship of results, purpose and review of

literature.E S M U N

2. Conclusions are stated and flow logically from the discussion. E S M U N3. Implications are stated and flow logically from the conclusions. E S M U N4. Recommendations are stated and E S M U N

a. are logically derived from implications; E S M U Nb. flow logically from the conclusions and improve educational practices, if

implemented; E S M U N

c. include statements for dissemination of results; and E S M U Nd. include statements for further research. E S M U N

5. Table and/or figures, if applicable, are referenced and summarized in text. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

I. Appendixes (if applicable) 1. Materials included are appropriate. E S M U N2. Proper references to the appendixes are included in the text. E S M U N3. Format is appropriate and conforms to Guidelines for Form/Style and APA. E S M U N

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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J. Technical AspectsS = Satisfactory; SC = See Comments; NA = Not Applicable

Application of the PHE Form/Style and APA Guidelines Quality of WritingAPA S SC NA General writing style S SC NACopy Quality S SC NA Editing S SC NAHeadings S SC NA Organization S SC NAMargins S SC NA S SC NANeatness S SC NA S SC NASpacing S SC NA S SC NA

S SC NA S SC NAS SC NA S SC NA

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

DocumentationCitations S SC NAQuotations S SC NAReference Lists S SC NA

Comments: ___________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Grades _________A _________B __________C_____________Pass _________Revise *Date:__________________________

Evaluator’s signature: __________________________________________________________________________

* The student could be given some time (from this date) to revise and receive a passing grade for this practicum report.

[ ] Should be rewritten for publication.

[ ] Should be submitted to ERIC.

Notes

Notes

Notes