Table of Contents
- Research Problem Guidance
- A Title
- An abstract
- An Introduction
- Review of Literature
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussion and Conclusion
- Tentative Schedule of Events for the semester
- Research Problem Guidance
"Human Computer Interaction and its effects in Production Planning" this is the topic that I want you to write about and do the research for.
This document serves as a guide of my expectations for the level of work you will be providing me with by the end of the semester. In this document you will find rough overviews of what is expected in each section of your paper. The document should be written formatted in the latest version of APA, which is APA 6th edition. A timeline of events, pertaining to what is due and when it is due is provided also with this document. When an assignment is due you are expected to email your assignment to the professor by the end of the week stated. You are expected to abide by this document for the entire duration of the semester as it pertains to your final paper.
In order to conduct this study the following sections of your paper are needed:
A Title
The title should not
1. Be a question
2. Contain abbreviations
3. Contain an excess of words such as a, an, or the, or phrases such as a study of or investigations of
4. More than 13 words
An abstract
The abstract is the reader's first encounter with your paper. Reviewers will form first impressions of your research by reading the abstract.
The abstract should:
1. Briefly summarize of the principal findings of your paper.
2. Be a stand-alone, self-contained document that can be read independent of the paper.
3. Convey:a. The purpose of the research or the research problem,
b. A general overview of how the problem was studied,
c. The principal findings and conclusions.
4. Be one or two paragraphs, and no more than 200 words.
5. Not include subheadings such as "Purpose" or "Results."
6. Not use first person, e.g., "I."
7. Not include information or conclusions that are not stated in the paper.
8. Not emphasize minor details.
9. Not contain bibliographic references, figures, or tables.
10. Not use jargon or abbreviations (unless they are commonly used and do not require explanation, e.g., DNA or UV light).
An Introduction
In this section you are to identify your problem or project and why you are studying it. Here is where you will also create a map of the path you are going to embark on to solve the problem.
Your introduction provide the following information:
1. Enough contextual information that allows the reader to understand and evaluate the results of your study.
2. A brief literature review that points the reader to previous studies that are similar in nature to yours. Here you must also state explicitly how your research is different from others
3. You must also provide a reason for you choosing this particular topic.
Therefore:
a. Why did you choose this particular topic
b. And why is it important?
4. A paragraph or two explaining the most important point(s) that you will address in your paper.
Your introduction should have and do the following:
1. Have a general overview which will then become specific to the problem that you have identified.
a. Introduce the problem,
b. Present necessary background information,
c. Show the continuity or similarity between previous work and the work you did, and
d. Indicate your purpose and rationale.
2. Only relevant background information and studies should be used and not everything you know about the topic.
3. Cite the relevant literature sources in the text using APA 6th edition
4. Assume that your reader is scientifically literate but not familiar with the specifics of your study.
A three to four page write up is expected.
Review of Literature
A literature review is an assessment of a body of research that addresses a research question. The purpose of the review is to identify what is already known about an area of study. It may also uncover questions a body of research does not answer, or even makes the case for why further study of research questions is important to a field.
In order to complete the review of literature you need to:
1. Have a rough idea about your research question
2. Search relevant bodies of literature
3. Manage your search results
4. Synthesizing the research literature
5. Writing an assessment of the literature
This process is iterative-as you gain understanding, you'll return to earlier steps to rethink, refine, and rework your literature review.
A four to six page write up is expected
Methodology
This section should:
Describe the experimental design with sufficient detail for a trained researcher to replicate your experiments and obtain similar results.
Enable the reader to evaluate the appropriateness of your methods and the reliability and validity of your results (APA, 1994).
Describe how you conducted your study,
Describe what materials and equipment you used, and
Describe what methods or procedures you followed.
This section should also be written in narrative, paragraph format. Be specific and don't leave the reader with unanswered questions. The
Materials and Methods section should not include any of the results.
Materials should not be listed separately, but rather included in the description of Methods. Include exact technical specifications for:
Chemicals: purity and names of suppliers. Use generic or chemical names, not trade names unless the known difference is critical.
Apparatus/Equipment: type, brand, model. Describe your apparatus/equipment only if it is not standard and was constructed for your study.
Use figures, if appropriate, to help the reader picture the equipment.
Standardization of methods employed should be sought through your review of literature.
Include criteria for selection and an "informed consent" statement when human subjects are used. Also if human subjects are used please make sure you have IRB clearance.
A two to three page write up is expected/