Assignment: Research Project: Focus of the Research Project
The final version of your Research Project should be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages (not including the title page, reference page, tables, appendices, etc.). The paper will be an original business research project that tests a hypothesis of your choice. The research can relate to your place of current/previous employment or other contexts of interest. Sample topics could include, but are not limited to:
• Manufacturing quality/cost improvement
• Service quality improvement
• Systems design
• Accounts receivable/billing/accounts receivable aging
• Marketing/advertising Issues
• Sales of goods
• Investments
• Product safety
• Workplace safety
• Labor pools
• Human resources matters of broad concern
• Population studies
For your Research Project, you will be combining all parts that you have worked on from Weeks One through Five. Your paper should be formatted as follows:
• Part 1: Introduction
• Background information about your research project (Week One)
• Describe the management dilemma (Week One)
- Ethical Concerns (Week Two)
o Develop and explain your hypothesis (Week One)
• Part 2: Literature review
• Background research on at least three scholarly sources (Week One)
Part 3: Data
o Secondary data (Week Three)
- Measurement benchmark and scales (Week Three)
- Plans for using observations, focus groups, interviews, or surveys (Week Four)
o Plans for analyzing data (Week Five)
- Plans for how to analyze results (Week Five)
• Part 4: Results
• Summarize and display the results of your research. Provide charts, graphs, tables, and so forth, as they might apply to your research.
• State whether you reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis based on your study; explain.
• Part 5: Conclusion
- Summarize the entire study and reflect on it
• Consider the "take-home" message that management and other decision makers can use from this research to make informed business decisions.
• Include the strengths and weaknesses of the study and suggestions for future research.
• Part 6: References
- Include a separate references page and cite all references within the text of the paper.
• Part 7: Appendix
• If applicable
Writing the Research Project
The Research Project
• Must be 10 to 12 double-spaced pages in length (not including the title page, reference page, tables, appendices, etc.) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center o .
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
o Title of paper
- Student's name
- Course name and number
o Instructor's name
• Date submitted
• Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement.
• Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought.
• Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.
• Must use at least three scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library, in addition to the text.
• Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.