The 'Research Problem Analysis Report Writing - Management Assignment Help

Assignment Task

HANDBOOK FOR THE PROJECT PAPER
The Project Paper reports on original research you will conduct. However, the Project Paper is not a dissertation or a thesis but you are required to collect primary data and write their report following the format of a dissertation or thesis. You will identify a problem to be studied, systematically review the literature associated with the problem, collect data about the problem (quantitative and/or qualitative), analyse the data in order to answer research questions, discuss the results, present conclusions and make an appropriate recommendation based on the study.Students are often concerned about the length of the Project Paper. You do not want to write ‘too little’ or neither ‘too much’. It is uppermost in the minds of students. This is a 6-credit course and you are expected to spend about 240 hours of student-learning time (SLT) for completion of the work. It has been set that the length of your Project Paper should be about 12,000 word (excluding the Appendices). The Table below is an estimate on the number of words for each chapter.

Chapter 1 – INTRODUCTION.
Chapter 1 of your Project Paper is called "INTRODUCTION". There is no fixed format but it is sensible to write the introduction to form a logical funnel, where more general aspects are told first and sentence-by-sentence, paragraphby-paragraph proceeding into more details (see diagram below).
1. Background of the Study Tell the reader briefly about the problem you are planning to investigate. Start with sentences that are simple enough to understand even for those who are not exactly experts in the topic. Begin with presenting a broad perspective of the problem or issue which will lead to the next sub-section 'The Research Problem'.
2. The Research Problem The 'Research Problem' which is also called the 'Statement of the Problem' or 'Problem Statement' is a statement about an area you are concerned about, a condition that you feel should be addressed, a difficulty that you want to eliminate, an issue or question that exists in the literature you have read or something troubling that you encounter in your practice or workplace. See diagram. It is gap between 'what should be happening' and 'what is actually happening'. Take the example of 'leadership styles of leaders in organisations' and how they impact staff satisfaction. You are interested in investigating which leadership style leads to higher staff satisfaction or whether women leaders lead to greater staff satisfaction. It is here that you tell the readers:
• why is the topic is important (rationale for conducting the study)?
• why does problem matter to you?
• what is already known and responses to the issue or problem?
• how it advances theoretical and/or practical knowledge?
You can refer to newspaper reports, research reports, journal articles and so forth. The Research Problem is something to be solved or framed as a problem that must be answered.
3. Objectives of the Study Having stated ‘The Research Problem, ask yourself what you are going do about it. Here you tell the reader what you plan to do or plan to achieve; i.e. the objectives of the study. Just a few sentences would be sufficient. For example, The objective of this study is to determine which leadership style contributes to job satisfaction among teachers and the extent to which demographic variables (such as gender, age, experience, qualifications) of influences job satisfaction.
4. Research Questions Now comes the task of narrowing the scope of the study. ‘The Research Problem' and the ‘Objectives of the Study’ that you spoke about earlier is narrowed down in the form of 'research questions'. A Research Question is a question that focuses your study and stipulates the interaction between variables. It could also be stated as a statement. It should be narrow enough and researchable within the time frame and available resources for your Project Paper. You do not want to spend time answering a Research Question that will take too much time finding data to answer! At the end of this section you could state as follows: 'Specifically, the study seeks to answer the following research questions ..........' Does a democratic leadership style enhance staff satisfaction? 1. Are women leaders more democratic than men leaders? 2. Is there a relationship between leadership style and staff performance?
Checklist: Ask yourself about the Research Questions (RQ) you have proposed:
• Is the RQ too still too broad, too narrow, or OK?
• Is the RQ something that I am curious about and that others might care about?
• Does the RQ show a relationship between variables?
• Does my RQ try to solve a problem?
• Is my RQ researchable given the resources available?
• Is my RQ measurable? Can I find actual data to support or contradict a position? [YOU ARE ADVISED NOT TO USE ‘HYPOTHESIS’ FOR THE PROJECT PAPER]
5. Significance of the Study After having stated the problem, the objectives of the study and the research questions, you should include a section on 'significance' of the study in which you tell the reader the contribution of your study. Focus should be on the following:
• Why is your work important?
• What are the implications of your study?
• How does it link to other knowledge?
• How does it inform policy making?
• What new perspective does your study bring to the field?
• Who would you share your findings with when the study is completed?
Begin with a general contribution of your study and then proceed towards its contribution to individuals such as practionners (such as teachers, managers), parents, administrators, policy planners and so forth. For example, the study on 'leadership style' may produce findings that are relevant to managers, principals, government officials and staff.
6. Limitations of the Study The final section of this Chapter is ‘The 'Limitations of the Study' in which you tell the reader the shortcomings, conditions or influences that you cannot control. You have to mention them because they may influence the results of your study. Some researchers are reluctant to write about the limitations of their study because they feel it weakens their study and points out the flaws of the study. However, it should be pointed out that most studies especially in education have limitations and it is better to indicate upfront to the reader. You stipulate the limitations but show why the results or findings of your study are still important or significant.
The following are some possible limitations in a study: Sampling –
• for example you did not use random sampling and instead used intact classes which may significantly limit your ability to make broader generalisations from the results.
However, the degree to which this reduces the quality of our findings is a matter of debate. • for example, the study was restricted to a rural area and the findings may not be generalisable to an urban environment because the characteristics of the population may be different. Duration of the Treatment - for example, if you were conducting an experiment and administering a treatment or intervention on speaking skills, you may state as follows; "the research was conducted over eight weeks and this may not be enough for the researcher to observe all of the students’ speaking performance in their classes. It would be better if it was done over a longer period of time". Researcher Conducting the Study - "Since the assessment of the pre-test and post test was conducted by the researcher, it is possible that a certain degree of subjectivity may be found. In fact, it would have been more objective if it had been administered two or more examiners. Instruments Used - some respondents may have difficulty in understanding the items in the questionnaire and its format and may lead them to fill in incorrectly.
Chapter 2 – REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE.
Chapter 2 of your Project Paper is called the ‘Review of Related Literature’. This is where you tell the reader about the research that has been done in the topic you are studying. Focus on articles from journals that provide quantitative or qualitative data or both. • Begin Chapter 2 with a short introduction to the research problem and the purpose of the study. • Divide the articles you have reviewed into several sub-headings which are aligned to the research questions. For example, if one of your research questions - Is there a difference in leadership styles according to the age of the leader?, you could include similar studies under the sub-heading ‘Age and Leadership Styles’. • You decide on the number of sub-headings to group the studies you have reviewed. • At the end of Chapter 2, you should have a ‘Conclusion’ which you: o Summarise major contributions of the important studies and how they relate to the problem statement and research questions in your study. o Stipulate gaps the in research, inconsistencies in theory and findings, and areas or issues pertinent to future study. For example, most of the studies focused on adolescents and few studies on young children.
For example, under the category of 'Democratic Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction' some studies showed that democratic leadership styles resulted in greater job satisfaction among staff while in other studies there was no relationship. Following are some tips?
a) Check to see if the articles are up-to-date
b) You have included enough of current works - typically the last 5 years
c) Also include seminal or landmark works if they are relevant in shaping your study
d) Use linking words such as the following: similarly, in addition, also, again, more importantly, however, on the other hand, conversely, nevertheless
e) Avoid using. Wilson (1990) says ......but instead use an appropriate verb which more accurately reflects the authors viewpoint, such as "argues", "claims" or "states".
f) Quotes are used to emphasise a point or if what the author said cannot be rewritten in your own words.
g) Sometimes quotes are used to quote terms coined by the author.
h) When paraphrasing a source that is not your own, be sure to represent the author's message or viewpoint accurately in your own words.
i) Keeping your own voice - Even though you are presenting the views of others, you should maintain your own voice by starting and ending a paragraph with your own words
Chapter 3 – METHODOLOGY
In Chapter 3 of your Project Paper, you discuss details about the method you employed in collecting data for your stud and that is why is called 'Methodology'. In this chapter you explain to the reader how you collected the data to answer the research questions stated in Chapter 1 - Introduction. You have to ensure that methodology employed is explained in sufficient detail to enable someone else to replicate your study. Chapter 3 consists of several components that work together to address the research questions. There are several ways of writing Chapter 3. But for the Project Paper you should include the following sections.
1. Introduction It is encouraged that you begin this chapter or section reiterating the purpose of the study and the components of the chapter in a few paragraphs. Example: "The purpose of the study ......................This chapter covers the research design and methodology, including sampling, population, establishing rigour during and after data collection, ethical considerations and data analysis".
2. Research Method In this section, you tell the reader what is method you used. The following are several methods:
• quasi-experimental,
• correlational
• survey
• ethnography
• observation
• case study
• action research
• document analysis
• generic qualitative method.
Be specific. Highlight a rationale for your research method and appropriateness. Show how the design you have chosen will help to accomplish the goals of the study. DO NOT COPY FROM THE MODULE OR TEXTBOOK. Use your own words and tell ACTUALLY HOW YOU USED THE METHOD IN YOUR STUDY This section should not be a textbook description of various research methods [This often happens in research proposals].
3. Sample In this section, you describe people you ae studying who may be children in preschool, students in primary and secondary school, college or university students, teachers, lecturers, headmasters, principals, assistant principals, parents, working adults and so forth.
• Describe how you obtained the sample for your study
• Why did you choose the particular sampling method?
• How did you determine the size of the sample?
• Describe the characteristics of the sample such as age, gender or other relevant information. • You could include table describing the demographics of the sample.
4. Data Collection Techniques In this section, you tell the reader how you collected data to answer the Research Questions. The following are some of the data collection techniques you may have used:
• Questionnaire – consists of several questions which subjects answered – for e.g. using a Likert scale
• Psychometric tests – there are many such tests which may include attitude tests, aptitude tests, personality inventories, interest inventories and others
• Achievement tests – e.g. mathematics test, English language test
• Interview checklist – it contains a list of questions you asked during the interview
• Observation checklist – list of things that guided your observation in the field
• Document checklist – list of statements that guided your examination of written material The instruments used to collect data may be created by the researcher or based on an existing instrument. If the instrument is researcher created, the process used to select the questions should be described and justified. If an existing instrument is used, the background of the instrument is described including who originated it and what measures were used to validate it. If a Likert scale is used, the scale should be described. Instruments should be placed in an appendix, not in the body of the text. Most quantitative studies include both a demographic survey to develop a picture of the participants, and an interview protocol.
5. Ethical Considerations In this section, you tell the reader how you protected the privacy and identity of subjects used in your study.
• Their names and identity are not indicated in your Project Paper.
• You could use pseudo names
• You did not mention the institution from which the sample came from such as preschool, school, college or university
• You did not endanger the subjects when conducting your study – especially if your subjects were young children
Chapter 4 – RESULTS
In this Chapter, you present the results or findings of your study. This Chapter consists of the following sections: If you adopted the QUANTITATIVE APPROACH in your study, you should do the following:
• An introductory paragraph where you remind the reader again briefly about the purpose of the study, the research questions, the sample, the research method and data collection techniques used.
• Organise your presentation of the findings by answering each research question Research Question 1 – Is there a difference in attitude between male and female students towards the death sentence?
• Describe the data collected in sufficient detail to demonstrate the credibility and validity of conclusion.
• Because the data has been collected, you should write in the past tense.
• Present the collected data and explain the statistical analysis performed on them
• Remember to write for the reader and it should be logical and easy to follow - 'make it simple but not simpler'
• Tables, graphs and figures provide the most efficient and effective means of communicating the data
• APA requires black and white graphics.
• Consult APA to ensure that you use the appropriate format for tables, charts, and figures.
• Tables, charts, graphs and figures should be interpreted - it is your responsibility to tell your reader what you think is the most important information in the graphics.
• Make sure that each graphic is clearly referenced by numbering and title so that readers can easily identify and understand them
• Never present a table, chart, or figure that you are not planning to explain
• Avoid citations - not necessary to cite sources At the end of Chapter 4, make a summary of the findings for the reader in 1 or 2 paragraphs. DO NOT INTERPRET THE FINDINGS. If you adopted the QUALITATIVE APPROACH in your study, you should do the following:
• Begin with an introductory paragraph where you remind the reader again briefly about the purpose of the study, the research questions, the sample, the research method and data collection techniques used.
• Present your findings according to the Research Questions
• Verbatim quotes are used to support your arguments. Verbatim quotations (spoken word) or extracts are often used interchangeably and are passages taken from interviews (one-to-one) or focus group. Quotes are generally short while extracts are longer passages.
• Quotes demonstrate how the findings of your interpretations have arisen from the data.
• Quotes and extracts are used to support your interpretations and explanations - as a general rule of thumb, try to use at least two different quotations from two different people to support each argument.
• No set rules on how long quotes or extracts should, nor how many quotes you should use
.• Should quotes and extracts be ‘cleaned’? Some researchers would argue that every hesitation, every ‘um’ and ‘er’ of a respondent should be reported, since it has meaning. Others argue that breaks in the text may make it difficult for the reader to follow the flow of the conversation. As a general rule quotations and extracts should be presented in a manner that reflects as accurately as possible the conversation that occurred, whilst omitting unnecessary breaks and pauses in the conversation.
• Is it acceptable to shorten extracts (longer passages of text)? It is generally acceptable to shorten passages of text as long as you make it clear what you have done. For example, text followed by a number of dots (………………) generally denotes where text has been removed or left out.
• Identifiers are included in (brackets) at the end of a quote or extract. You may give details without revealing the identity of the participant. For "I do not like football because ................." (Male aged 43). Gender and age is identified because your study intends to compare gender and age preferences for football. Details about the identifier depends on the purpose of the research. Anne Croden and Roy Sainsbury (2006) in study involving several qualitative researchers identified the following reasons for using verbatim quotations in reporting qualitative data:
• just like statistical data, verbatim quotations provide evidence for interpretation made by the researcher - i.e. shows how the findings emerged from the data which is an 'audit trail' that strengthens credibility (one of the components of trustworthiness). Qualitative researchers have to work hard at justifying their findings so that is does not appear to be unscientific or subjective.
• verbatim quotations are used to explain how something happened - understand why people had particular views or perspectives; behaved in a certain way, how they constructed something.
• verbatim quotations to illustrate a particular theme
• verbatim quotations used to deepen understanding, i.e. the strength of their views or depth of feelings; or their passivity and lack of engagement
• verbatim quotations used to provide a voice for informants; i.e. empower people to give their own views or express thei feelings or beliefs
• verbatim quotations to enhance readability; i.e. to provide colour, vividness and even humour to keep the reader focussed. EXAMPLE # 1: Children's Ability to Discriminate Among Food Types The Verbatim Quotation: 'My mother says drink juice because it's healthy and she says if you don't drink it you won't get healthy and you won't have any sweets and you'll end up having to go to hospital if you don't eat anything like vegetables because you'll get weak'. (Girl, age 11 years).
Explanation by the Researcher: Various statements by informants highlight the significance of self-confidence when interacting with people attributed to pursuing a degree. Self-confidence is interpreted as being able to do new things or doing things better than before. Self-confidence is mostly exemplified by the ability to communicate. [REMEMBER – You DO NOT cite sources or include Quotations in Chapter 4. Everything that you write is ONLY from the data you have collected using your OWN WORDS]
Chapter 5 – DISCUSSION
Writing Chapter 5 is often considered the easiest to write. However, students continue to have difficulty. We will use the title “RESULTS” for this Chapter. You should divide the Chapter into FOUR sections as follows:
1. Introduction
Like stipulated in all the earlier chapters (except for Chapter 1), begin with a preamble stating briefly the objectives of the study, the problem statement, the research questions (or hypothesis), the sample and the data collection techniques.
2. Summary
In this section you highlight the “main points” of the results (i.e. what you had stated in Chapter 4). There is no need to explain in detail and avoid the temptation to copy and paste from Chapter 4. Subscribing to KISS adage (keep it short and simple), write sentences in past tense and use the passive voice. You are encouraged to use different semantic markers such as the following to avoid repeating the same words or phrases:
• additionally,
• also,
• further,
• in addition to,
• moreover, • contrary to,
• with regard to,
• as regards,
• however, finally,
• during the past ___ years, from 1996 to 2006,
• after 10 years,
• as shown in,
• as presented in,
• consequently,
• nevertheless,
• in fact,
• on the other hand,
• subsequently,
• nonetheless and others.

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