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PAD590 – Directed Research Project

Prerequisite: DRP 999 / RES 531 To be taken as last course

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL

Maimon, E., Peritz, J., Yancey, K. (2010). A writer's resource: A handbook for writing and

research: 2011 custom edition (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Publishing.

Leedy, P., & Ormrod, J. E. (2010). Practical research: Planning and design,

2010 custom edition (9th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Strayer University. (2009). Directed research project: Manuscript guidebook and

project format. Washington, DC: Strayer University. Located under Class Information in Blackboard Course Shell.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Purchased individually by student and instructor. A copy is located at your campus Learning Resource Center.

I. COURSE DESCRIPTION

Enables 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 project during one of the last two scheduled class meetings. Students are encouraged to discuss the project with an instructor or academic officer early in their program. Students may not fulfill the directed research requirement by completing another course.

II. EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon the successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

· Identify, define, and conduct research in his/her major field of study utilizing standard methods of research and resources in the field

· Develop the research data in to written form as a completed project

· Write and defend an analytical report using standard research methods and appropriate resources in the field

WEEKLY COURSE SCHEDULE

The standard requirement for a 4.5 credit hour course is for students to spend 13.5 hours in weekly work. This includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of delivery mode.

Week

Preparation, Activities, and Evaluation

Points

Preparation

· Reading(s)

· Chapter 1: The Fundamentals

· Chapter 5: Writing the Research Proposal

Activities

· Discussions

· Confusing what must logically be true with what seems to be true in the world as we know it—a potential pitfall in deductive reasoning. What resources are you implementing to stay with the facts of your research and avoid your own personal feelings?

· Letting emotion override logic and objectivity. We humans are emotional beings, and our emotions often infiltrate our efforts to reason and think critically. We are apt to think quite rationally and objectively when dealing with topics we do not feel strongly about and yet think in decidedly irrational ways about emotionally charged issues—issues we find upsetting, infuriating, or personally threatening. Share 2-3 examples on how you are eliminating from writing in the first person (using words such as I, me, we, us, etc.) to keep an objective view of your research?

Evaluation

· None

Preparation

· Reading(s)

· Chapter 2: The Heart of the Research Process

· Chapter 10: Mixed Methods Research Section: Identifying Research Questions and Hypotheses

Activities

· Discussions

· Write a clear statement of a problem for research. This is 1-2 sentences Review your written statement and ask yourself the following questions:

· Is the problem stated in a complete, grammatical sentence?

· Is it clear how the area of study will be limited or focused?

· Is it clear that you have an open mind about results that the research effort might yield?

· Looking at the statement once more, consider this: Is the problem really what you want to investigate? Explain why. Remember no personal objectives. You are researching to add to the body of knowledge of public administration.

Evaluation

· Assignment 1: Directed Research Proposal Outline

Preparation

· Reading(s)

· Chapter 3: Review of the Literature

· Chapter 4: Planning Your Research Section: Comparing Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches and Practical Research

Activities

· Discussions

· What academic journals or other academic databases did you find research articles? Think about the entire article. What is, for you, most important? What do you find most interesting? What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of this article? Will you remember this article in the future? Why or why not?

· Quantitative researchers seek explanations and predictions that will generalize to other persons and places. The intent is to establish, confirm, or validate relationships and to develop generalizations that contribute to existing theories. Qualitative researchers seek a better understanding of complex situations. Their work is sometimes (although not always) exploratory in nature, and they may use their observations to build theory from the ground up. Explain whether your researches address quantitative and qualitative research and why?

Evaluation

· Assignment 2: References

160

Preparation

· Reading(s)

· Chapter 4: Planning Your Research

· Chapter 10: Mix-Methods Research: Addressing Validity Concerns

Activities

· Discussions

· What benefits might your study have for your discipline and society at large?

· What evidence do you have that the data you gather will be valid and reliable indicators of the phenomena you wish to study?

Evaluation

· Assignment 3: Chapter 1

160

Preparation

· Reading(s)

· Chapter 5: Writing the Research Proposal Section: Revising Your Proposal

· Chapter 7: Historical Research

Activities

· E-Activity

· Sample Turnitin Report

· Discussions

· Review the Turnitin Report from the student paper; provide and explain 2-3 editing marks to improve student feedback and clarity in writing and address the validity of the references used.

· Chapter 2 of your research proposal using historical research to support the background of your problem or issue. Identify 3-4 best practices to stay focus and alleviate straying away from the issue.

Evaluation

· None

Preparation

· Reading

· Chapter 8: Descriptive Research

Activities

· Discussions

· Using the references to address the research questions, compare and contrast the data findings for each article?

· What conclusions are evident from your compare and contrast of each article that may you agree or disagree with the research?

Evaluation

· Assignment 4: Chapter 2

220

Preparation

· Reading

· Chapter 9: Experimental, Quasi-Experimental, and Ex-Post Facto Design

Activities

· Discussions

· Using the references to address research questions, what are the independent and dependent variables for each article.

· Are there any variables that are threatening the study’s internal validity? If so, how is the researcher minimizing or eliminating its influence?

Evaluation

· Assignment 5: Chapter 3

150

Preparation

· Reading

· Chapter 10: Mixed Methods Research

Activities

· Discussions

· What specific research skills are you lacking that is preventing you from effectively analyzing the data?

· Do you have the time, energy, skills, and resources to carry out the study as you have designed it? If not, how might you scale down your study so that you can still address your research problem? Alternatively, how might you revise your research problem so that you can reasonably address it, given the time, skills, and resources you have?

Evaluation

· Assignment 6: Chapter 4

150

Preparation

· Reading

· Chapter 11: Strategies for Analyzing Qualitative Data

Activities

· Discussions

· What remains to be done before your problem can be resolved?

· What is your plan for carrying out this further interpretation of the data?

Evaluation

· Assignment 7: Chapter 5

150

Preparation

· Reading

· Chapter 12: Writing the Final Research Report

Activities

· Discussions

· How are the tables and figures presented clear and understandable and labeled appropriately?

· What are the recommendations for future research?

Evaluation

· Assignment 8: Chapter 6, Table of Contents, and Etc.

200

Preparation

· Reading(s): None

Activities

· Discussions

· Based on the knowledge and application of this course, has it prepared you to understanding the importance of academic research

· Based on the completion of this directed research project, are you thinking about furthering your education to a doctoral program?

Evaluation

· None

GRADING SCALE – GRADUATE

Assignment	Total Points	% of Grade
Week 2 Assignment 1: Directed Research Outline	30	2
Week 3 Assignment 2: References	160	10
Week 4 Assignment 3: Chapter 1	160	10
Week 6 Assignment 4: Chapter 2	220	14
Week 7 Assignment 5: Chapter 3	150	10
Week 8 Assignment 6: Chapter 4	150	10
Week 9 Assignment 7: Chapter 5	150	10
Week 10 Assignment 8: Chapter 6, Table of Contents, and Abstract	200	13
Week 11 Peregrine Assessment Exam	100	7
Participation (22 discussions worth 10 points apiece)	220	14
Totals	1540	100

GRADUATE POINT SCALE

Points	Percentage	Grade
1,3866 – 1,540	90% – 100%	A
1,232 – 1,365	80% – 89%	B
1,078 – 1,231	70% – 79%	C
Below 1,078	Below 70%	F

Assignment 1: Directed Research Project Outline

Due Week 2 and worth 50 points

Select a well-known public administration or political event that has impacted the United States in the last three years. You may choose your own topic. Suggested sites are below:

· The Website of Political Research Associates http://www.publiceye.org/index.html

· The National Center for Educational Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/

· Department of Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4377

· Hot Topics: USA PATRIOT Act

· American Political Science Association http://www.apsanet.org/

· American Society for Public Administration http://www.aspanet.org/scriptcontent/index.cfm

· Public Administration Theory Network http://www.pat-net.org

· International City Managers Association http://www.icma.org/main/sc.asp?t=0

· The National Academy of Public Administration http://www.napawash.org/index.html

· The Independent Institute http://www.independent.org/

The purpose of the outline is to get you to start thinking about your entire project at the beginning and not in pieces from chapter to chapter. Prepare an outline in which you present the format of the Directed Research Problem from Chapters 1-6 and provide detailed due dates beside each. This will give you a definitive guideline on your progress each week and keep you on track to succeed. Also, provide a brief sentence beside each area that represents your research project. Each section is worth 10 points and 2 points will be deducted for each part that does not have a due date and explanation.

1. Chapter 1

a. Introduction

b. Contexts of the Problem

c. Statement of Problem

d. Main Research Question

i. Sub-Research Question 1

ii. Sub-Research Question 2

iii. Sub-Research Question 3

e. Significance of Study

f. Limitations of Study

g. Organization of Study

i. Chapter 2

ii. Chapter 3

iii. Chapter 4

iv. Chapter 5

v. Chapter 6

2. Chapter 2 Literature Review

a. Introduction

b. Historical Research Main Research Question

c. Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 1

d. Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 2

e. Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 3

3. Chapter 3 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 1

a. Introduction

b. Author Findings Article 1

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

c. Author Findings Article 2

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

d. Evaluation of Data Findings

i. Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 1

4. Chapter 4 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 2

a. Introduction

b. Author Findings Article 1

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

c. Author Findings Article 2

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

d. Evaluation of Data Findings

i. Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 2

5. Chapter 5 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 3

a. Introduction

b. Author Findings Article 1

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

c. Author Findings Article 2

i. Population Sample

ii. Results of Study

d. Evaluation of Data Findings

i. Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 3

6. Chapter 6 Summary and Recommendations

a. Summary of Chapter 3

b. Summary of Chapter 4

c. Summary of Chapter 5

d. Final Evaluation of Main Research Question

e. Recommendations of Main Research Question

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

· Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Assignment 2: References

Due Week 3 and worth 160 points

The purpose of the assignment is to prepare you to research the academic scholarly articles needed for the entire research proposal. References must be separate and formatted under chapter. Each reference is worth 10 points.

1. Chapter 1

· 2 References for Context of Problem Only

2. Chapter 2 Literature Review

· Historical Research Main Research Question

· 2 References

· Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 1

· 2 References

· Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 2

· 2 References

· Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 3

· 2 References

3. Chapter 3 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 1

a. 2 References

4. Chapter 4 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 2

a. 2 References

5. Chapter 5 Data Analysis Sub-Research Question 3

a. 2 References

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 3: Chapter 1

Due Week 4 and worth 160 points

This is the first chapter of your Directed Research Project. The format should follow as state in the below as well as in the outline in Assignment 1. The total pages for Chapter 1 are a minimum of 5.

Introduction – 10 points

Contexts of the Problem – 20 points

Statement of Problem – 35 points

Main Research Question – 20 points

Sub-Research Question 1 – 10 points

Sub-Research Question 2 – 10 points

Sub-Research Question 3 – 10 points

Significance of Study – 10 points

Limitations of Study – 10 points

Organization of Study

Chapter 2 – 5 points

Chapter 3 – 5 points

Chapter 4 – 5 points

Chapter 5 – 5 points

Chapter 6 – 5 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 4: Chapter 2

Due Week 6 and worth 220 points

This is the second chapter of your Directed Research Project. The format should follow as state in the below as well as in the outline in Assignment 1. Each section is worth 10 points. The total pages for Chapter 2 are a minimum of 15.

Introduction- 20 points

Historical Research Main Research Question – 50 points

Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 1 – 50 points

Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 2 – 50 points

Historical Research on Sub-Research Question 3 – 50 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 5: Chapter 3

Due Week 7 and worth 150 points

This is the second chapter of your Directed Research Project. The format should follow as state in the below as well as in the outline in Assignment 1. The total pages for Chapter 3 are a minimum of 5.

Introduction – 10 points

Author Findings Article 1 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Author Findings Article 2 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Evaluation of Data Findings – 30 points

Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 1 – 20 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 6: Chapter 4

Due Week 8 and worth 150 points

This is the second chapter of your Directed Research Project. The format should follow as state in the below as well as in the outline in Assignment 1. The total pages for Chapter 4 are a minimum of 5.

Introduction – 10 points

Author Findings Article 1 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Author Findings Article 2 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Evaluation of Data Findings – 30 points

Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 1 – 20 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 7: Chapter 5

Due Week 9 and worth 150 points

This is the second chapter of your Directed Research Project. The format should follow as state in the below as well as in the outline in Assignment 1. The total pages for Chapter 5 are a minimum of 5.

Introduction – 10 points

Author Findings Article 1 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Author Findings Article 2 – 30 points

Population Sample – 5 points

Results of Study – 10 points

Evaluation of Data Findings – 30 points

Does It Answers Sub-Research Question 1 – 20 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Assignment 8: Chapter 6

Due Week 10 and worth 200 points

This is the final chapter of your Directed Research Project. The entire Directed Research Project should be submitted as one document, which includes the Title Page, Table of Contents, Abstract, Tables and Figures, and complete Reference Page. The total pages for Chapter 6 are a minimum of 5.

Summary of Chapter 3 – 20 points

Summary of Chapter 4 – 20 points

Summary of Chapter 5 – 20 points

Final Evaluation of Main Research Question – 30 points

Recommendations of Main Research Question – 50 points

Title Page – 10 points

Table of Contents – 10 points

Abstract – 20 points

Tables and Figures – 10 points

Reference Page – 10 points

Your assignment must:

· Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.

Weekly Course Schedule

The purpose of the course schedule is to give you, at a glance, the required preparation, activities, and evaluation components of your course. For more information about your course, whether on-ground or online, access your online course shell.

The expectations for a 4.5 credit hour course are for students to spend 13.5 hours in weekly work. This time estimate includes preparation, activities, and evaluation regardless of the delivery mode.

Instructional Materials

In order to be fully prepared, obtain a copy of the required textbooks and other instructional materials prior to the first day of class. When available, Strayer University provides a link to the first three (3) chapters of your textbook(s) in eBook format. Check your online course shell for availability.

Review the online course shell or check with your professor to determine whether Internet-based assignments and activities are used in this course.

Instructional materials are obtained through the university’s virtual bookstore and can be accessed through iCampus: http:bookstore.mbsdirect.net/strayer.htm . Courses with Internet-based assignments and activities on publisher sites may require the purchase of onetime access codes. When purchasing used textbooks, a separate access code purchase will be necessary.

Discussions

Students taking this course online are required to post their discussions to a weekly thread in the online course shell. Respond to at least one other student’s posts to earn full credit for each discussion. As it is always possible that you could lose your work due to unforeseen circumstances, you should routinely save your work in a separate file before posting in the course discussion area.

Professors hold discussions during class time for on-ground students. Check with your professor if any additional discussion participation is required in the online course shell outside of class hours.

Grades are based on individual effort. There is no group grading; however, working in groups in the online or on-ground classroom is acceptable.

Resources

The Resource Center navigation button in the online course shell contains helpful links. Strayer University Library Resources are available here as well as other important information. You should review this area to find resources and answers to common questions.

Technical support is available for the following:

· For technical questions, please contact Strayer Online Technical Support by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus.strayer.edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket.” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact Technical Support via phone at (877) 642-2999.

· For concerns with your class, please access the Solution Center by logging in to your iCampus account at https://icampus.strayer.edu/login and submitting a case under “Student Center,” then “Submit Help Ticket.” If you are unable to log in to your iCampus account, please contact the IT Help Desk at (866) 610-8123 or at mailto:[email protected] .

TurnItIn.com is an optional online tool to assess the originality of student written work. Check with your professor for access and use instructions.

The Strayer Policies link on the navigation bar in the online course shell contains academic policies. It is important that students be aware of these policies. s

IV. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND TEACHING STRATEGIES

The course will be conducted as an independent research project, which will be monitored by a supervising faculty member. The initial class sessions will be used to assist the student to define their research problem, develop their research proposal (Chap 1 of the DRP), and initiate their research effort. 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 student in managing their research project. The final DRP report will be defended by the student in a presentation to the instructor, as a minimum, with participation by other faculty at the instructor’s discretion.

Directed Research and Human Subjects Policy Statement

The total number of pages for the Directed Research Project from Chapters 1 through 6 is 40. This does not include the Title Page, Table of Contents, Abstract, Tables and Figures, and Reference Page. The 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 affectively contribute 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 or do any original or primary resources. This would include information gathered through questionnaires, tests, surveys, 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.

All Graduate Courses

Writing Assignments

The objective of graduate level writing assignments is to promote attitudes and skills that will improve a student’s ability to communicate in writing, develop research skills and documentation techniques, and encourage critical analysis of data and conclusions.

All graduate courses must include assignments totaling a minimum of ten pages of writing. The writing requirement may be fulfilled through one long research paper or several shorter writing projects such as journal reports, journal entries, book or article reviews, class projects or essay examinations as deemed by the instructor to be appropriate for the discipline.

Instruction and evaluation methods will vary by teacher and course, but some general guidelines apply. Students should be given clear task objectives and expectations for each writing assignment. In-class discussion of sample work and collaborative writing projects can provide guidance in addition to written feedback from instructors. When evaluating work, instructors should assess students’ adherence to the assigned writing objectives, clear organization and presentation of their ideas, evidence of original thought and critical analysis, etc.

American Psychological Association (APA) Style

All written work submitted by students in this course must confirm to the most recent APA guidelines for referencing, in text citations, appendices, and/or any means of crediting an outside source.

V. EVALUATION METHODS

To achieve an "A" grade, the project must be excellent in content and presentation, has met all deadlines, and is submitted by the scheduled class. Excellent DRP's that are submitted after this quarter are not likely to be awarded "A" grades.

The DRP must be in the form of a “problem solving” research effort requiring data collection, analysis, and recommendations that address the problem statement. The DRP is not intended to be simply an informational report. The work must be original and be only the student’s -- plagiarism results in an "F" for the course, and probable disciplinary action by the graduate committee, including expulsion from the program. Students will be required to document their primary and secondary sources with citations in the body of the report and a cumulative reference list with full citations at the end of the report.

The nature of this course precludes written examinations as a means of evaluation. The completed DRP will determine the grade. Regular attendance at scheduled class sessions and individual project reviews is an extremely important aspect of this course
Grading Scale
90-100	A
80-89	B
70-79	C
60-69	D
Below 60	F
*Note: In the graduate program, grades below “C” are considered as “F.”

VI. COURSE REFERENCES

Course references are suggested readings and data sources for student to use for additional independent study or reference. These are not required items for the course, just supplemental sources of information.

(Course instructor may add additional reference material.)

Gay, L.R. & Airasian, P. (2008). Educational research competencies for analysis and application (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Shank, G.D. (2002). Qualitative research: A personal skills approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Johnson, B. (2001). Toward a new classification on nonexperimental quantitative research. Educational Researcher, 30(2), 3-13.