Write  

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Research Process

• Week 1-2

• Focus and define

topic

Research

• Week 3

• Define problem or

question backed in

research

Problem Statement
• Week 4

• Literature review on

your refined topic and

problem

statement

Literature Review

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Assignment 2.1: Refining a

Topic

1. Read guidance on refining a research topic.

2. Conduct preliminary research on your topic

3. Conduct research and narrow or broaden your topic

4. Repeat until you reach a manageable number

Instructions List Keywords used in search Number of

Results

Search using your original Topic

Add additional focused keywords

based on the guidance for narrowing

or broadening

Add additional focused keywords
based on the guidance for narrowing

or broadening

Add additional focused keywords
based on the guidance for narrowing
or broadening

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Research Tips

• Make peace with research as an ongoing process

• Leverage your HU Library resources (and help!)

• Remember “full text” and “peer reviewed” are your friends

• Use advanced search options when available

• Remember your Boolean logic: AND, OR and NOT

• Use quotes to keep search words together “project management”

• Look at

references

and keywords authors use

• Look for recommendations for future research in conclusion

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Annotated
Bibliographies

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Annotated

Bibliography

• List of works used in a document

• (Referred to as References in APA Format)
Bibliography

• Evaluation of those works including a

summary, analysis and reflection.
Annotated

Bibliography

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How to Write an Annotated Bibliography

Summarize

• Purpose?

• Approach?

• Methods?

•

Conclusions?

•

Implications

?

Analyze

• Meaning of conclusions?

• Accuracy?

• Credibility?

• Timely?

• Comparison to others?

Reflect

• Impact on PM?

• Relevancy/fit to your
topic?

• Reshaped your topic?

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• Summarize objective data and findings

• Explain relevance to project management

• Address opposing viewpoints

• Discuss gaps/ future research possibilities

• Explain impact on topic

Critical Analysis

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Annotated Bibliography Example

Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in America. New York, NY: Henry Holt

and Company.

In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist’s experiential research, Ehrenreich attempts to

ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking

jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart sales employee, the author summarizes

and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers, and her financial struggles.

An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the limitations of her experiment and the ethical

implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on these issues in the text. She is

forthcoming about her methods and supplements her experiences with scholarly research.

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APA

Standards

writing style

content

organization

reference

citations

publication

preparation

Practice APA Format

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Paraphrasing and Citation

• HU students are required to take GRAD 695 as part of their
capstone experience.

General Knowledge – list

in references

• According to researchers, students who take a capstone
experience are more successful (Geisler, 2017; Webber, 2015).

Paraphrase or Summary – in-text citation and references

• According to the HU Student Handbook, students pledge that
they “will not engage in academic dishonesty” (2017, p. 11).

Direct Quote – in-text citation, page # and references

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References

Double spaced
Hanging

indent

Listed in alpha order
by last name

Starts on new page
called “References”

Includes all works
consulted whether

cited or not

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Finding MORE Focused Research

Your

Topic

Keywords in

Abstract

Authors cited

in text

Articles cited

in references

Journals cited

in references
Authors cited
in references

Multiple

references

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Formulating a
Problem Statement

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What is a research problem?

Problem is a situation that needs a

solution

Discrepancy between what is and what ought to be

Gap in the knowledge base that needs to be filled

Must have possible solution(s)

“Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.”

Problem
No possible

solution

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Why is a problem statement important?

• Description of issue currently existing

• Explanation of why it needs to be addressed

• Provides the context for the research

• Generates questions research aims to answer

• Focal point of any research

“There is a lack of understanding about the impact of outsourcing of project
management in the pharmaceutical industry causing…”

“Formal recognition programs are not effective in retaining

human resources in project management.”

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What support does it need?

“Formal recognition programs are not effective in retaining
human resources in project management.”

There are different forms of recognitions that companies use to

recognize and motivate their employees, which impacts individual
performance, and in turn, impacts team performance as well.

Many of the companies have formal recognition programs and
they assume that monetary rewards are the primary source of

motivating employees. However, researchers have confirmed that
apart from extrinsic motivators, there are other things that

motivate employees and impact their overall performance.

This paper seeks to understand what is the role in motivating

employees and impacting their overall performance through…

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Where do you find it?

“Formal recognition programs are not effective in

retaining human resources in project management.”

According to Attridge (2009), disengaged

employees are not just unhappy, but they “are
busy acting out their unhappiness” (p. 387).

Rath & Conchie in their study mentioned that

Gallup estimated that disengaged employees in

the US cost approximately $250 to $350 billion

a year (as cited in Attridge, 2009, p. 387).

Look in the
literature!

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Backup your Problem Statement

Lit
Review

Who says?

How long?

Agreements? Disagreements?

Conclusions?
Implications

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What research questions emerge?

“Project scope creep in projects has negative impact

on the triple constraint in a consulting environment”

• What is the problem? How is it defined?

• How it can be managed or controlled?

• What are its sources?

• What are the effects of scope creep?

• What is the impact on variables such as budget and schedule?

• How can scope creep be managed effectively?

• What kind of a project scope management plan can be
devised such that scope creep can not only be averted but
can also be dealt with if encountered at any point in the
project?

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Questions to ask yourself…

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/authoritative opinion to support the research need?

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What are the key components?

1. The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough
contextual detail to establish why it is important

2. The method of solving the problem

3. The purpose, statement of objective and scope of any

project being proposed

4. Any variables of interest or relationships among variables

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Getting Started …
• There is a problem with ________________________(topic).

• Despite __________ (something that should be happening),

____________is occurring (provide the supporting research).

• This problem has negatively affected _______________ (victims).

• A possible cause of this problem is ________________________.

• If we do not solve it, ________________ would happen.

• Perhaps research that investigates ______________________ could
remedy this situation.

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Week 3
Assignments

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Part 1: Annotated Bibliography

Summary

250-word

paragraph

Paraphrased

content

Analysis

Big Picture

Major

themes

Impact on

topic

Reference

APA

Format

Hanging

indent

Double

spaced

Citations

Paraphrase

citation

Short

quote

Long quote

Problem

statement

Clear

Focused

Specific

Arguable

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Part 2: Problem Statement