1

THE TITLE – ALL CAPS

This Template (Version 3/14) is designed in 6th Edition format

We STRONGLY RECOMMEND that you refer to a book on writing empirical research for this report.We recommend Pyrczak, F. & Bruce, R. (2011) Writing empirical research reports. 7th edition. Pyrczak Publishing: Glendale, CA

You will find this available on Amazon but not yet in Kindle format.

A Graduate Review

Submitted to the

Division of Instructional Technology

Department of Curriculum and Instruction

In Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Arts

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA

by

Your Name

Date (month, year of completion)

This Review by: Your Name

Titled: Title of paper

has been approved as meeting the research requirement for the

Degree of Master of Arts.

______

Date Approved Graduate Faculty Reader

______

Date Approved Graduate Faculty Reader

______

Date Approved Head, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

Abstract

Remember to write this abstract last.

Emperical Research Abstract has the following parts:

  • The problem under investigation – in one sentence if possible
  • Participants, specifying pertinent characteristics such as age, sex, and ethnic and/or racial group; in animal research, specify genus and species
  • Essential features of study method – restrict your description to essential and interesting feature of the study methodology
  • Basic findings, including effect sizes and confidence intervals and/or statistical significance levels
  • Conclusions and implications or applications
  • The conclusions

Limit it to 150 - 250 words.Table of Contents

Abstract......

Introduction......

Heading 2......

Heading 3......

Heading 4......

Heading 5......

Methodology......

Review......

Results......

Discussion......

References......

You are expected to include all of the headings, subheadings, sub-subheadings, etc in your table of contents. Word can create a Table of Contents automatically.

Remember to automatically create the Table of Contents above, format each of your headings with the Styles setting that matches the level of your heading. To format the title of each title, highlight the heading and then select the Heading style. You will find this heading style in the Word toolbar in a dropdown menu or in the Styles frame of the Home toolbar. Do the same for each of the levels that you will use throughout the paper.

NOTE: This template uses Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3, Heading 4 or Heading 5.

1

Introduction

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

Heading 5.

Describe the problem that the review will help resolve and indicate why an analysis ofexisting information is appropriate for addressing this problem.

The Introduction creates the framework for the paper:

  • Overview of Areas of Concern
  • Statement of Problem
  • Hypotheses or Research Question(s)
  • Definition of Terms

Methodology

  • Description
  • Subjects
  • Instruments Employed
  • Research Design and Procedures
  • Intended Method for Statistical Analysis

Review

Introduction to the Literature Review

Review of the Research – This is not as in-depth as the MA Literature Review. It is meant to provide your reader with enough background information to have a sufficient background to understand the significance of your study and how your results will fit into the existing literature.

Present evidence and ideas summarized from the sources analyzed. This review is drivenby the problem presented, and by sub-topics related to that problem. Therefore,individual sources are to be reviewed, not as isolated entities, but with attention to thecontribution they make to the topic under discussion. Information based on personalexperience, observations, or interviews may be included as a means of clarifyingquestions, exemplifying research conclusions, or as a source of new information. Thesource and limitations of such supplementary information should be clearly stated. Anevaluation of the quality or adequacy of the related sources may also be included.Thisevaluation may relate to individual works, or to characteristics of several investigationsavailable on a specific topic. This review, then, is a result of a search for theinformation that will provide the most useful answers available for your research questions.

This review might only be 5 pages long.

Results

This section is where you report the results of your research. If it is a quantitative study, you will be reporting the results of your tests and measurements. If it is a qualitative study, you will describe the overall results of your interviews and observations.

Your results should be organized around the research hypotheses, objectives or questions. Remember that the reason that you sought results was to answer your questions or test your hypotheses.

Notes:

  • It is usually not necessary to show formulas or calculations.
  • Scores of individual participants are usually not shown. If you believe that it would be helpful to share the actual scores for 50 participants, then share them in the Appendix.
  • Present the inferential statistics (e.g., frequencies or %) before you include inferential statistical tests (e.g., chi-square or t-tests).
  • Organize large numbers in tables.
  • Give each table a number and caption (i.e., a descriptive title)
  • Refer to statistical tables by number within the ext of the Results section.
  • When describing the statistics presented in a table, point out only the highlights.

Discussion

  • Conclusions
  • Discuss the findings
  • Recommendations
  • Provide a list of recommendations: future research or applications of the findings.

Notes:

  • Consider starting the discussion with a summary.
  • Early in the discussion, refer to the research hypotheses, objectives, or questions.
  • Point out whether results of current study are consistent with the existing literature.
  • Consider interpreting the results and offering explanations for them.
  • Mention important strengths and limitations of the study.
  • Do not introduce new data in the discussion.
  • When possible, state specific implications in the Discussion section.

Be specific when making recommendations.

References

List your references using the APA 6th edition format. These references should be sequenced alphabetically by author.

EVERYTHING in the references list is double spaced.

  • All of the references in this list MUST have been cited in your paper.
  • All of the references cited in your paper MUST be in this list.

Notes throughout this template were based upon the C&I Masters Degree Handbook

and

Pyrczak, F. & Bruce, R. (2011) Writing empirical research reports. 7th edition. Pyrczak Publishing: Glendale, CA.