BUSINESS RESEARCH 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
o Background information about your research project (Week One)
o Describe the management dilemma
o Ethical Concerns
o Develop and explain your hypothesis
• Part 2: Literature review
o Background research on at least three scholarly sources (Week One)
• Part 3: Data
o Secondary data
o Measurement benchmark and scales
o Plans for using observations, focus groups, interviews, or surveys
o Plans for analyzing data
o Plans for how to analyze results
• Part 4: Results
o Summarize and display the results of your research. Provide charts, graphs, tables, and so forth, as they might apply to your research.
o State whether you reject or fail to reject the null hypothesis based on your study; explain.
• Part 5: Conclusion
o 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
o Include a separate references page and cite all references within the text of the paper.
• Part 7: Appendix
o 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.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
o Title of paper
o Student's name
o Course name and number
o Instructor's name
o 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.
• Must include a separate reference page that is formatted according to APA style.