Guidelines for conducting and writing the Master’s level research project
Manhattan College
School of Education
Division of Graduate Education
Administration and Leadership Program
Counseling Program
Special Education Program
Summer, 2002
The following document is offered as a guide in the preparation of your final master’s
project in fulfillment of the Master of Arts degree. The following guidelines reflect the
expectations of the faculty responsible for evaluating student-based research. Individual
professors may suggest minor alternatives to the format of the final paper as outlined
below:
The research project should demonstrate the scholarly pursuit of inquiry focused on an
identifiable educational problem or phenomenon. Your research should reflect original
research or replicate an existing study. You may be expected to share your design with the
class and produce a paper that could be submitted for publication.
Acceptable style for final presentation of the project should follow the most recent edition
of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Formatting of title
page, table of contents, margins, reference notes, lists, tables and general typing
instructions should coincide with APA style. Equally as important is an appropriate
professional style of writing. Please consult the APA manual or other writing style guides
(e.g., Strunk and White’s Elements of Style).
The final project should be submitted in publishable article format. The first parts,
including the introduction, literature review and methodology sections will be formulated
in EDUG 713.
The following sections detail the appropriate contents of each section.
Introduction
Your introduction should provide the reader with a general introduction to the topic area.
The writer should introduce clearly and succinctly, the rationale for choosing the topic
under discussion. The introduction should provide the reader with a definitive statement
of the problem under consideration and the potential benefit of the proposed research.
The author should indicate whether the proposed research falls within the quantitative or
qualitative paradigm and the general rationale for choice of methodology. The reader
should be clear as to whether the project is to be basic or applied research. It should
introduce and define key terms/constructs inherent in the study.
Included in this section should be:
General introduction of the topic area
Statement of the Problem
Potential benefits of the research
Section II : Review of the Literature
The general purpose of Section II is to refine the research questions and provide the
reader with a broader understanding of current research related to the topic under study.
The writer should provide the reader with a brief forward describing the topic and
subtopic areas reviewed providing the parameters of the study. The review of the
literature should provide the reader with a clear focus for the study. The concluding
section of the chapter should reiterate the original research questions or offer revised final
questions as shaped by the review of the literature. Students conducting statistical
research (all students) need to state the hypothesis(es) being tested. Students may use
either a null or directional hypothesis.
Included in Section II should be:
Substantial review of recent literature pertinent to proposed topic divided into
sections based on variables (approximately 8-10 pages double spaced
SUMMARY
Research hypothesis(es) and/or questions
Section III: Methodology
Section III provides the reader with a clear understanding of the processes by which the
researcher collects and analyzes the data. Students conducting research projects should
clearly describe the research design, type of data, statistical procedures and limitations of
the study. General course requirements of EDUG call for completion of the first three
sections of the research project. Student grades will be in conventional grade format.
Students who may be considering qualitatively based inquiries need to obtain special
approval I order to proceed. These students need to clearly express components of
naturalistic inquiry in Section III. Students should convey to the reader procedures
detailing the collection and coding of data, discuss “truth value” and study limitations in
accordance with the qualitative paradigm. Please be advised that qualitative inquiry is
significantly more time-consuming than conventional statistical procedures and that
naturalistic inquiry requires above average writing skills.
Section III should include:
A description of Research design (e.g., causal-comparative, correlational)
A description of Subjects
A description of Instruments used to gather data including
- Instrument reliability and validity
- Scoring
Data Collection procedures
Statistical analysis procedures including type of analysis and alpha levels
Coding procedures if qualitative
Section IV: Results
The basic organization of Section IV is directed by the original or revised research
questions stated at the end of Section II. Null or directional hypotheses should be restated
in the introduction of the chapter. Students should clearly illustrate the findings of
statistical procedures through the appropriate use of charts, tables, etc. Students
conducting qualitative inquires must clearly illustrate the findings of their study by
providing descriptive passages for the reader. The reader should find a concise, yet
thorough description of the research. This should include or be followed by discussion of
the significance of the findings.
Section IV should be:
guided by research questions and/or hypotheses
include tables and text illustrating analysis and findings
should start with descriptive statistics
include statistical analysis results
include discussion of findings
Section V: Discussion and Recommendations for Future Reasearch
Section V provides the reader with a brief reiteration of the preceding four chapters. It
should then focus on integrating the findings of the current study with findings from other
studies including those in the research review in section II. When appropriate, Section V
should include a section suggesting the limitations of the study and directions for
continued research on the topic.
Section V should include:
A summary including the significance of findings and relation to literature review
a brief reiteration of research questions/hypothesis(es)
conclusions
limitations
recommendations and need for further research
Reference List:
The author should provide a complete reference list of all materials used in the study.
Format for that list should follow APA guidelines as established in the manual.
Appendices:
Tables, charts, samples of student work etc. are best entered as appendices. References to
attached materials should be entered at the end of the paper.
Informed consent forms:
Students should design and retain in their possession, any informed consent forms.
Students need to obtain necessary permission from cooperating school districts. Copies of
the original forms should be placed in an appendix.
Drafts and rewrites:
Students need to understand the evolving nature of writing and thinking about a research
project. Drafts of chapters I through III are required in EDUG 713. Some specific writing
style guidelines include:
writing should be in the third person; papers done in first person will not be
accepted
use of quotes should be mimimal if at all; learn to paraphrase
use transitional words to enable your reader to anticipate the next idea and connect
that idea with prior ideas (see attachment)
chapter II must show strong evidence of analysis and synthesis of studies
The Education department looks forward to working with you as you complete your final
paper in your course of study. We hope that you will find this process both professionally
and personally rewarding.
Dr. Fitzpatrick
Revised, Fall, 2001