DEPARTMENT OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING
EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
GUIDELINES FOR RESEARCH PROJECT
9/ 2004
Graduate Research Paper for MURP at Eastern
Graduate planning students at EWU have two choices for their research paper. They can prepare a non-thesis research paper (601) or they can undertake a Practicum Report for a Professional Internship (695). Most students elect the former and so the discussion below primarily addresses the non-thesis research paper.
Students should begin to consider a topic soon after being admitted to the Graduate School. They may find ideas for their research in papers they write, courses they take, lectures or special discussions they attend, or conversations with professors and other graduate students. After choosing a topic of interest the student must find a faculty member willing to oversee the research project. This person will serve as the student’s advisor and is formally titled as Chair, Graduate Committee.
Research Topic
Generally, the research-paper topic should have the following characteristics:
*Of great interest to student.
*Of sufficient scope to fulfill requirements of the student’s advisor(Chair of Graduate Committee).
*Feasible. Specifically, the student must provide evidence that complete treatment of the topic is possible and desirable within the available time for completion (normally 3 quarters).
*Within the specialties of one or more Planning Department faculty members.
Proposal
When the student has chosen a research area and found a faculty member willing to serve as Chair, a conference should be arranged with that Chair/advisor to explore the various possibilities of the project. After the topic has been chosen, the student must prepare a proposal, which should include the following:
*A prose statement of the purpose, methods, and scope of the topic.
*An outline showing the projected organization and manner of treatment (methodology and time line).
*A bibliography of reference materials related to the topic.
Preparing the proposal is an expected outcome of the research prep class in the fall of the second year. The completed proposal must be presented to the graduate committee chair and the prep class instructor. Once the proposal is presented and approved, the student undertakes the chief responsibility: the research and writing of the paper. The Chair will offer direction and suggestions for improvement. Typically, the second departmental committee member does not engage with student until review of first or second draft of report. There are exceptions to this norm.
Research Paper
Although the exact format of each research paper will be decided by the specific advisor (Committee Chair) and committee,all research papers should conform to the general requirements for non- thesis format research reports and that consist of 5 major parts:
*Abstract summarizing the important results of the project
*Preliminary material (Title Page, Acknowledgments, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, etc.)
*Text
*Introduction to the Project-Problem Statement
*Background and Literature Review
*Objectives of Research
*Methods Employed during Research
*Results of Research
*Analysis of Results
*Conclusions and Significance of Research
*References
*Appendices
NON-THESIS PRACTICUM GUIDELINES
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Practicum requirements will be determined by the advisor and student, and approved by the other committee members. Three basic requirements must be included:
1.There must be a formal (physical) practicum product in the form of a report or paper. This product would be the outcome of applied research undertaken in the context of professional internship with assigned agency.
2.The practicum report must be presented at a public forum, similar in manner to that of a non –thesis research report presentation.
3.The practicum must be defended, similar in manner to that of a research report defense.
The practicum product will have due dates and general formats similar to those of the non thesis research report, including:
1.A cover page which shall be signed by the graduate committee.
2.A complete copy, including all appendices, that will be filed in the Department.
3.Copies for each Committee Member.
A Practicum Product Agreement Form – must be on file before the student begins the practicum work.
The following are examples of a Basic Research Paper practicum and an Applied Research Report practicum. With the approval of the student’s committee, the practicum product may take different forms than presented in these two examples. The guiding principal in committee deliberations is that the effort and educational outcome should be comparable to that of a thesis.
1.A Basic Research Paper Practicum
a.A final paper that is ready both in content, format and presentation for submission to a peer-reviewed journal.
i. The paper will demonstrate an appropriate theoretical context, literature review, methodology, and conclusions.
ii. A detailed set of sample data sets, correspondence letters, meeting notes, and similar research material shall be included in appendices.
b.Submission of the paper (excluding appendices) to a peer-reviewed journal.
c.A presentation and an oral defense of the research to the practicum committee and general public, which includes a reflection of the results and what was learned.
Format of the practicum paper will be negotiated with Committee Chair. One similarity with the non thesis paper is that it will include a literature review that provides a context for research project undertaken. One potential distinction with the non thesis paper is that the practicum report will include a lessons learned section in report.
The Problem Statement in the Research Paper
The First Substantial Step
The problem provides the context for the research study and typically generates questions which the research hopes to answer. In considering whether or not to move forward with a research project, you will generally spend some time considering the problem.
In your paper, the statement of the problem is the first part of the paper to be read [we are ignoring the title and the abstract]. The problem statement should "hook" the reader and establish a persuasive context for what follows.
You need to be able to clearly answer the question: "what is the problem"? and "why is this problem worth my attention"? At the same time, the problem statement limits scope by focusing on some variables and not others. It also provides an opportunity for you to demonstrate why these variables are important.
Problem Importance
The importance of the problem should receive considerable and persuasive attention [note that importance is inevitably subjective and will vary from person to person and agency to agency]. Clearly indicate why your problem is an important one by answering questions such as these:
*Is the problem of current interest? Is it topical?
*Is the problem likely to continue into the future?
*Will more information about the problem have practical application?
*Will more information about the problem have theoretical importance?
*How large is the population affected by the problem?
*How important, influential, or popular is this population?
*Would this study substantially revise or extend existing knowledge?
*Would this study create or improve an instrument of some utility?
*Would research findings lead to some useful change in best practice?
*Is there evidence or authoritative opinion from others to support the need for this research?
The problem statement should persuasively indicate that major variables can be measured in some meaningful way. If you can identify likely objections to the study, identify and respond to them here.
Problem Statement Question
The problem statement should close with a question. The purpose of the literature search that follows is to answer the research problem question. In doing so, the synthesis would identify one or more of the following:
1.What are the salient variables of the probleme?
2.What has or can or will be measured?
3.What relationships between variables have or will be examined?
4.What is the scope of this problem?
The Problem Statement and lit review that supports the statement Identifies :
1. issue, controversy, or problem at hand,
2. significance of the problem,
3. context of the problem,
4. specific purpose and/or research questions and hypotheses,
5. limits of the target population, variables, and setting,
6. framework for reporting results. It will help write the conclusion by providing a way to answer the 'so what?' question.
Good Problem Statements are:
1. practically important, not trivial. They contribute to the field by adding new information. The need for the study is clear.
2. focused and restricted. They precisely limit the population, variables, and context so the study is manageable.
3. empirical (if based on quantitative data). The problem can be tested; it is researchable.
4. explicit in framing an interpretation if qualitative (e.g., So what?).
Once Can Establish the Need for One's Study by:
CHOICE OF SUBJECT
The purpose of the research project is to permit a student to investigate an original research topic and to report findings with full documentation, development, and complete tabular and graphic presentation in a readable style. Selection of a subject which is worthy of investigation is a significant first step of the research project. A topic should never be chosen without thoughtful consideration by the student and the concurrence of the student's advisory committee chair and perhaps other members.
The research paper must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent literature associated with the topic and must express clearly and grammatically the method, results, and value of the student's research. The length of the completed report should be no longer than necessary to present all pertinent information. The length will vary depending on the research topic and format.
PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION OF RESEARCH PROPOSALS
A research proposal must be submitted to the student's graduate committee chair. The proposal shall include a detailed problem statement and work program for completion of the research project. The background of the problem, its nature, the research method to be employed, and the importance of the projected work should be carefully but succinctly narrated in the proposal. The proposal should also include an preliminary bibliography of materials to be used in the research.
The proposal shall be completed as part of the pre-thesis class. Students should expect the proposal to be reviewed by the student's committee and rewritten prior to final approval before moving ahead with the research project.
All rules of style and format and those suggestions which apply to the completed research paper also apply to the proposal. The narrative portion of the proposal shall be double-spaced and be as long as necessary to explain the research without being redundant. It is expected that this cannot be done with less than five pages and may require more. The work program and bibliography must be attached to the narrative.
GENERAL RULES
The Journal of the American Planning Association (JAPA) and The Chicago Manual of Style, Thirteenth Edition are the proper models for the format and style of the research report. This includes all technical aspects of endnotes, references, and diagrams. There should be no footnotes at the bottom of pages. The style of writing should minimize the use of parenthetical notes. When needed, these should be endnotes and be placed before the bibliography at the back of the paper as is done at the end of a JAPA article. If there are any problems with the interpretation of the journal style, the student should contact the graduate committee chair for assistance.
All narrative material of the proposal and research paper should be clearly understandable through careful, well organized writing and adequate utilization of references, graphics, and endnotes. Consistency of style and form should be the rule throughout the paper.
Each departmental member of the student's committee shall receive a full draft version of the paper no later than the end of the third week of the quarter in which the student intends to complete the paper and sit for the graduate oral. The paper will then be reviewed by the student's committee and returned for at least one rewrite. The student should plan on more than one revision of the paper and allow for this in preparing for the comprehensive examination which will include a review of the research.
Upon completion of the comprehensive examination which might include suggestions for revisions to the paper, the student shall prepare the final copy of the paper. Two bound copies of the approved research paper must be submitted to the department. These copies will be the property of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning. The original report should not be submitted to the department; however, quality reproduction is expected. Copies with faint print, dark or blurred lines or edges are unacceptable. Cost of producing the copies and any originals are the responsibility of the student.
No interlineations, crossings out of letters or words, strikeovers, corrections made with the use of liquid paper or erasures are permitted on final copies. It is suggested that the student use computer word processing to complete the paper. This will eliminate the use of the above mentioned errors. The final manuscript shall be accurate, consistent in style, acceptable in form, and neat in appearance.
Begin every major division of the research paper on a new page. These major divisions are: abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, list of tables, list of figures, chapters or sections, endnotes, bibliography or references, and appendices. Subheadings or subdivisions within chapters or sections do not necessarily start on a new page but are placed on the page wherever they appear in the development of the text of the narrative.
Care must be taken when mounting photographs or other graphics for inclusion in the report to insure that they are securely and permanently fastened to the sheet. If possible, photos should be electronically scanned and inserted into the text. If not, permanent adhesive should be used to insure proper fastening.
Oversized materials, such as large maps or charts, which cannot be reduced in size and are to be included in the research report, must be folded to measure no more the 7 1/2 by 10 inches and enclosed in a closely fitting envelope. The envelope will be fastened to the back of the report when it is bound.
Tables and figures should be placed as close as possible to the first reference made to them in the text. For a short table or small figure, this may be on the text page itself. When placed on the page of text, the table should be separated from the text by triple spacing at the top and bottom. A full page table or figure should be placed on the page following the first reference to it. Subsequent references to a given table or figure should include a parenthesis giving the page number, i.e., "... as in Figure 3 (p. 9)."
Each table or figure in the main body of the research paper must have a number and title which must be exactly transcribed on the List of Tables or List of Figures page. A List of Tables or List of Figures is not necessary when the research paper contains only one table or figure. Titles should be concise as possible but should clearly describe the content of the illustration. Placement of the titles should follow the pattern and style of the Journal of the American Planning Association. If tables or illustrations must be placed the long way of the paper (landscape mode in word processing), the top of the table or illustration should be at the binding side of the table.
FORMAT AND TYPING REGULATIONS
Plain typeface is required in all reports. Script typefaces are unacceptable. Italics shall be reserved for references to reports, books, or journals or other important material that might need highlighting. The same typeface must be used throughout the report including the title page and all front material.
The proposal and report must be double-spaced except for quotations, endnotes, and itemized or tabular materials. Paragraphs shall be indented five spaces with the first letter of the paragraph on the sixth space.
Any quotation of four typed lines or fewer shall be double-spaced. Quotations longer than four lines should be inset and single-spaced. Inset quotations do not require the use of quotation marks.
The margins of the report shall be as follows:
Top1 inch
Bottom1 inch
Right Side1 inch
Left Side1.25 inches
The report will be paginated. The Title Page is never numbered. Preliminary pages utilize small Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.). The first numbered page is the Abstract Page which is numbered ii since it follows the Approval Page which should not be numbered but should receive a page designation.
Use Arabic numbers on the text and supplementary pages. The first page of the narrative is numbered "1" but should not appear on the page. All subsequent pages should be numbered consecutively to the end of the manuscript including any appendices. All page numbers should be consistently located on the pages of report.