Synthesizing Research

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Harrisburg University

GRAD 695 PGMT

Guidance Article(s)	HU APA Guide Major Paper Sections Purdue OWL APA Major Paper Sections
Due?	ALL submissions

The abstract is written as a block paragraph (not indented) and summarizes your project management research paper in a single paragraph (150 to 250 words). A reader often uses the abstract to determine whether the research is applicable to the reader’s needs before deciding to read the entire article. The abstract is generally one of the last sections added. It is written upon completion of the research paper. An abstract includes:

1. The topic/purpose of the research

2. The approach and/or method of the research

3. The results of the research

4. The brief conclusion based on the research

Table of Contents

The research paper introduction is generally started after a clear problem statement has been identified and an initial literature review has been conducted. It is often modified throughout the writing of the research paper. Start your introduction on a new page after the TOC. Your introduction should be about 2 pages in length and include the following:

1. Clearly define why it is important to write this paper/solve this problem.

2. Provide motivation for people to read your paper.

3. Briefly describe the overall problem you will be researching.

4. Describe the context surrounding the problem.

5. Define commonly used terms.

6. Explain how the topic relates to larger field of project management (i.e. project management processes, methodologies, and knowledge areas). Do not focus on technology or business operations. a specific operational process.

Good research starts with a question to answer or a problem to solve. Your problem statement forms the basis of your entire research paper; therefore, it should be the first part of the paper to be written. It should begin with a clear and concise statement of the problem, and then provide additional detail and justification as to why it is an important issue to be solved. This section should be 2 to 3 pages in length and contain the following:

1. Problem statement – 1 to 2 sentence description of the problem to be solved.

· Clear - provides enough information to be easily understood

· Concise- expressed in the fewest possible words

· Focused – narrow enough to be answered in the scope of the paper

· Relevant – shows a relationship to the field of project management

Note that your problem statement may be, or include, a question to be answered. You may want to list your primary research question and any secondary questions that arise from it.

2. Justification – discussion of why it should be solved. This section should include the reasons why this problem should be solved and/or the consequences of not solving it. You should briefly reference and cite any relevant research to support your claims.

3. Hypothesis (optional) – proposed explanation, solution or suggested outcome. Some research will contain a hypothesis to be tested or explored. This may not apply to all research.

4. Limits (optional) – what the research paper will NOT cover. Note any boundaries, exceptions or limits to your research.

Problem Statement and Justification

Your literature review is the theoretical basis of your research paper. It establishes a link between your specific topic and what research has already been done about it. Your literature review should show how your research and/or findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge related to your topic. It should provide the reader with a holistic view of your research, showing a synthesis of all your references (as opposed to an annotated bibliography that details each source one by one). Your literature review should be 8 to 10 pages in length and be organized in logical way. Your literature should meet the following criteria:

1. Contain 10 to 20 scholarly sources such as journal articles, books and papers.

2. Contain research that is relevant and timely (resources should be related to your topic and most should be less than 5 years old).

3. Provide a thorough summary and analysis of previous research about your topic.

4. Be organized in a coherent way (theme, chronological order, order of interest).

5. Identify gaps in the research or areas to expand the existing research.

6. Contain and introductory and conclusion paragraph.

It is recommended that you include other literature reviews in your research. You can often find them by including “literature review” as a keyword in your search criteria. This will also provide you with examples to model.

Based on the Capstone 699 selection, your proposed solution approach should address a continued research study on the same topic that would support your GRAD 699 thesis or PMGT 699 applied project management plan by improving success factors.

GRAD699 Capstone students:

You will research your selected topic and design a preliminary study in GRAD695. The research design should include the following:

· Purpose of the study and the main results expected

· Main approach you will be taking and why (quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, etc.)

· Methodology you will choose (survey, observation, interview, case study, statistical analysis, etc.)

· Process you will use including main steps and any sub-steps.

· Any instruments you will use for data collection (questionnaire, interview questions).

· Your intended sample and setting (NOTE: Any projects that will involve human subjects MUST gain IRB (Institutional Review Board) approval before beginning. See your instructor.

· How validity, reliability and overall quality of results can be assured

PMGT 699 Capstone Students:

· Description of the topic/problem selected including your approach to research including discussion of the research methods used in the literature.

· Discussion of how the problem was addressed by the researchers and suggestions for future research and/or recommendations to address the question/topic/problem.

· Discussion on how you plan to integrate this research into your PMGT 699 project management plan.

· Summary of the expected benefits to the project based on the solution/topic researched.

The conclusion of your paper presents a great opportunity to restate the benefit and findings of your research. Purdue OWL APA Style Guide (2006) suggests that the Conclusion should:

1. Restate your topic and why it is important

2. Restate your thesis/claim

3. Address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position

4. Call for action or overview future research possibilities.

Your references section should include all sources that were used in your research paper and be formatting using APA style. References should be listed in alphabetical order according to the last name of the author. They should be double spaced like the rest of your paper and use a hanging indent. Examples of APA format are listed below, and additional information about APA can be found on the HU Library website. You can get assistance with APA format through the HU Library, HU Writing Center and Smarthinking.

References

Cummings, J. N., Butler, B., & Kraut, R. (2002). The quality of online social relationships. Communications of the ACM, 45(7), 103-108.

Hu, Y., Wood, J. F., Smith, V., & Westbrook, N. (2004). Friendships through IM: Examining the relationship between instant messaging and intimacy. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10, 38-48.

Tidwell, L. C., & Walther, J. B. (2002). Computer-mediated communication effects on disclosure, impressions, and interpersonal evaluations: Getting to know one another a bit at a time. Human Communication Research, 28, 317-348.

Underwood, H., & Findlay, B. (2004). Internet relationships and their impact on primary relationships. Behaviour Change, 21(2), 127-140.