Narrative Description

MPA 613 Final Project FAQs (updated 07/14/2020)

1. The 20-30 pages does that include the appendices?

Yes, that includes the Appendices at the end. I would include all your required forms as appendices as well as your survey instrument. However, you probably shouldn’t have more than three or four pages for your appendices.

2. I am having trouble with my table of content page. I watched the videos from your email but when I go through the steps the top section does right but the bottom section my dots are on the left side?

As you format your Table of Contents, and go through the steps in the videos, make sure your Tabs box is setup correctly like the one below. If you still experience problems let me know and we’ll work through it.

3. The papers we turn in on writing assignments--are we allowed to add that to our capstone? The majority of my case study was written to be used in my final paper.

Yes, please use your writing assignments to develop your final paper. That’s the intent of those assignments.

4. You’ve commented on my running head not being APA compliant. What exactly do you mean?

On one hand, the running head on an APA paper is a minor detail, but the details separate quality papers from average papers. Suppose your paper is examining the relationship between new employee orientation programs and employee retention. You’ll want to identify your primary variables but keep your running head as concise as possible. A reasonable running head for this study might read: EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION PROGRAMS AND RETENTION.

This is what the running head on your title page should look like (Notice the lowercase ‘h’):

Running head: EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION AND RETENTION 1

The following pages should just include the running head:

EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION AND RETENTION 2

5. I am having trouble with understanding statistical analysis. I state yes I used it because I am comparing different facilities and the resources they provide.

Don’t overthink the statistical analysis portion. First, focus on the data you’ve been able to collect. Only look at the data you have from your data collection. Second, focus on basic statistics like averages, percentages, and similar measures.

For example, to calculate your survey response rate, divide the total surveys sent by the number of responses. If you email surveys to 26 people and 14 people respond, that’s a 53.8 percent response rate.

Another example, suppose you have two survey questions:

(1) What is your gender?

Male Female

(2) I am currently satisfied with my job supervisor.

Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree

Think about how can you present those two questions….

Table format:

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree	Total
Male Responses	4	6	8	2	20
Percent	20%	30%	40%	10%	100%
Female Responses	12	6	4	3	25
Percent	48%	24%	16%	12%	100%

Pie Charts:

Line Charts:

These are just two basic questions. Imagine what you can do with your questions. What does this data tell you? Clearly more women are satisfied with their job supervisor than men. Fifty percent of men gave a favorable response (Strongly Agree or Agree) while 60 percent of women gave a favorable response. However, a similar percentage of both Males (10%) and Females (12%) gave a strongly negative response.

6. What are some of the things you want to see in a quality research project?

This is a good question. The suggested length of each section in pages is in brackets, so [0.5] reflects ½ page while [3] reflects three pages. Let’s review each section:

TITLE PAGE [1]

· Does the running head at the top follow proper APA format? (several do not)

· Does the title sound formal and academic? Does the title clearly outline the variables in the study?

· Does the title page generally follow APA format, include relevant information, and exclude any personal contact information?

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (ALSO CALLED ABSTRACT) [0.5]

· Does the Executive Summary follow proper APA format? Does the first line have an indention or not? (it should not)

· Is the Executive Summary around three-fourths of a page in length? More than one page is too long.

· Does the Executive Summary include one or two quality sources that support the purpose of the project?

· Does the Executive Summary clearly state the purpose of the study, the hypothesis of the study, and the results (findings) of the study? (very few include all three elements)

TABLE OF CONTENTS [2]

· Does the Table of Contents follow APA format?

· Are the page numbers correct and aligned along the right margin?

· Are the sections prescribed in the module listed with proper headings and subheadings?

INTRODUCTION/OVERVIEW [3.5]

· Introductory statements

· Is the Statement of Purpose clearly stated with supporting biblical principles?

· Is the Research Question clearly stated with supporting biblical principles?

· Is the Hypothesis clearly stated with supporting biblical principles?

· Are all three elements (Statement of Purpose, Research Question, Hypothesis) consistently worded and address the same variables, or do they vary and stray from the core purpose of the project? In other words, are the three elements reasonably consistent with the academic title of the project and reference the same variables?

· Are all three elements (Statement of Purpose, Research Question, Hypothesis) generally one developed paragraph that incorporate biblical principles? These three elements should be no more than one good paragraph each.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE [6]

· Does the Review of Literature generally follow APA format? Are the citations correct?

· Is each paragraph well-developed and free of short, choppy sentences?

· Does each paragraph have at least one academic citation?

· Does the writing style limit personal references like “my hypothesis” or “I concluded” and focus on the project like “The hypothesis for the study….” and “The study concluded…”

· How many citations are in the Review of Literature? Can all the citations be found in the References page at the end?

METHODOLOGY (ALSO CALLED METHODS) [5]

· Does the Data Collection section clearly outline the methods used to collect primary data? If a survey was used, is it included as an appendix?

· Is a response rate mentioned? Were any actions taken to improve response rates?

· Does the methodology describe whether the overall population was under study or was a sampling method used? Did the study use a probability or nonprobability sampling method?

· Were any limitations of the data collection process mentioned?

· Does the Data Analysis section clearly outline the measures used to analyze the data collected? How much of the analysis matches back to the variables mentioned in the Statement of Purpose, Research Question, and Hypothesis?

· Does the analysis include appropriate charts (pie, line, or bar) and/or tables to illustrate the data?

RESEARCH CASE STUDY [1]

· Does this section effectively provide a complete, yet concise synopsis of the research conducted?

· Is it written in past tense—as if the research has already been conducted?

· How do the research procedures of the study compare with other similar studies?

FINDINGS [1.5]

· Do the findings of the study effectively use the data analysis to respond to the research question and hypothesis of the study, or are the findings disconnected from those elements?

· How do the findings of the study compare with other similar studies?

LIST OF REFERENCES [3]

· Are there an appropriate number of references?

· Are all of the references listed someone in the body of the paper? Are any references listed that do not appear anywhere in the paper?

· Does the list of references generally follow APA format?

APPENDICES [3]

· Are any required forms included?

· Is the survey instrument included if one was used?

· Are the appendices appropriately referenced in the Table of Contents?