Robertson, Childs & vanOostveen, 2014 Research Thesis Project BA AEDT UOIT

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BA Research Project/Thesis Report An Outline for the Final Document
Front Section:
Title of Paper
The title of your project or thesis should fully explain your work.
Use a shorter version of your title for the running head on your final printing.
Title page not numbered
Abstract (maximum of 150 words written last) see Section 2.04 in APA 6
th
edition
This goes at the beginning of your paper. It is approximately 150 words.
Summarize what you have done in your project or thesis.
Table of Contents Consider Headings levels as you design your Table of Contents (See
Sections 3.02-3.03 of the APA manual for headings).
Acknowledgements
You may wish to briefly thank persons who supported you.
List of Tables (if appropriate) see APA for formatting
List of Figures (if appropriate) see APA for formatting

Chapter 1: Introduction: (1-2 pages) *Note: these are page guidelines only

The introduction is often the most difficult part to write and you may choose to return to this
section and re-write it after the entire document is finished. The introduction provides the
context and framework for the rest of the document and provides that first taste of your
writing style. The first page of Chapter 1 should be numbered as page 1.

The introduction needs to do the following:
Describe the topic you have selected in general terms that encompass the entire
research project. What does this project consist of? Explain the educational context.
Explain terminology including who owns the terms and provide definitions. Some folks
have a subheading Definitions and then list the terms there.
Establish purpose. Why is there a need for this research? How does it supplement
current research or how does it fill a void?
Provide the reader with an overview of the structure of the document.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: (6 - 10 pages)
The literature review is your place to demonstrate that you (the author) have a solid grasp and
understanding of the relevant literature applicable to the field of study based on your research
question(s). The literature review is more than just a recounting of who has done what. You
need to do the sense-making for the reader and help them to connect the dots between what
the literature is saying and what you are examining in your research. You need to demonstrate
to the reader your knowledge and understanding about the issue(s) under study by using the
literature to support your key points.

Robertson, Childs & vanOostveen, 2014 Research Thesis Project BA AEDT UOIT
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The literature you review needs to situate your study and research question(s) in an existing
body of research. As such, you will use quotes from the literature but quote and cite
strategically your literature review cannot just be a stringing together of quotation after
quotation. It is the integration, analysis and synthesis of ideas that needs to take place in the
literature review not name dropping or using quotations as substitution for an explanation or
an argument. Of course there will be times when you really cannot say it any better and need
to cite directly but use these strategically and thoughtfully.

The literature review should cover:
What has already been done and published by other scholars in the field?
Who are the scholars who have informed your theoretical framework and who have
established definitions?
Show clearly how this previous work relates to your study.
Establish the perspective or approach that you are taking to your study and identify the
scholarly sources for your perspective or approach. Whose perspectives may be
represented in the literature to date and what perspectives might be missing?
Outline the theoretical framework for your study (A diagram is helpful here.).
Explain how your research questions have emerged from your review of the literature
and your theoretical framework.
Identify your research questions.
NOTE: if you are doing secondary research (i.e.: qualitative meta-synthesis) where the findings
of primary research studies is your data then the literature review will
Chapter 3: Methodology: (3-5 pages)
The methodology section needs to clearly articulate what you did when undertaking the
research and why you did it in that manner. It needs to describe the what, how, when, where
and why of your study methods in sufficient detail that in theory, someone could replicate your
process and recreate your study.

It will do the following:
Explain the type of research you are undertaking in order to seek answers to your
research questions.
Outline in general the components to your research and then describe each component
in detail.
Explain why you have chosen a particular research methodology from a particular
research paradigm.
Address issues of validity and reliability with respect to your research methods based on
the research paradigm from which you are working.
Identify how you are hoping to build confidence in your findings (through triangulation
or inter-rater reliability.)
Explain each step of your data collection in detail.
Explain each aspect of your data analysis in detail.
Robertson, Childs & vanOostveen, 2014 Research Thesis Project BA AEDT UOIT
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Explain the scope of your study what this study did and did not do.
Explain limitations and any elements of bias that were present in the study.
Note: you are writing this up after it has happened so what you did etc. will be in past tense.

Chapter 4: Analysis or Findings: (3-5 pages)
In this section you are reporting out on what you found in your research in a clear and concise
manner so that the reader can develop an understanding of what was found. There are multiple
ways to present your findings:
You may wish to organize your data in a manner that responds to each of your research
questions.
Your data may suggest categories for the presentation of your findings such as for
example: early innovators, later innovators, resistors.
You may present your findings as a case study or cross-case studies.
Do not hesitate to use tables or figures as sometimes they are the most appropriate
way to display the data see APA for formatting of tables and charts.
Chapter 5: Discussion (5-7 pages)
This section is the synthesis section you need to connect the findings back to the literature
and your research question(s) and help the reader to see the sense you are making of the
whole study. This section should:
Discuss the answers to your own questions You summarize what you found out about
you reflect on your findings.
Go back to the review of literature and reflect on how your findings have built on the
literature, address a gap in the literature, or present findings that have not yet been
articulated in the literature.

NOTE: sometimes Chapter 4 and 5 are combined in an Analysis and Discussion section. For
those of you doing secondary research, you may want to consider this approach see the
sample secondary research paper as well as some of these articles to see how they approached
this distinction.
Jenkinson, J. (2009). Measuring the effectiveness of educational technology: What are
we attempting to maeasure?The Electronic Journal of e-Learning (EJEL), 7(3), 273-
280. http://www.ejel.org/issue/download.html?idArticle=106
Reavis, L. J. (2009) Art teacher preparation for teaching in an inclusive classroom: A
content analysis of pre-service programs and a proposed curriculum. Unpublished
Masters thesis.Art and Design Theses, Paper 48, Georgia State University. 86
pages. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1047&context=art_desi
gn_theses
Robertson, Childs & vanOostveen, 2014 Research Thesis Project BA AEDT UOIT
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Singh, K., Allen, K., Scheckler, R., & Darlington, L. (2007). Women in computer-related
majors: A critical synthesis of research and theory from 1994 to 2005. Review of
Educational Research, 77(4), 500-533.
Slagter van Tryon, P., & Bishop, M. (2009). Theoretical foundations for enhancing social
connectedness in online learning environments. Distance Education, 30(3), 291-315.
Chapter 6: Summary and Conclusions (1-2 pages)
What were the major findings of your research?
What more could be done in this area?
References (APA style)
Referencing is critical and its point is to give credit where credit is due. It acknowledges sources
of ideas that are not your own. It should be to the level of detail that allows the reader to locate
the original source in order to verify the information presented. All references are to be
formatted as per APA style. You may choose to use referencing management software such as
Refworks or Zotero. In general you want the majority of your reference list to be sourced from
peer reviewed journals, books etc. Self-published work (much of what you may find on the web
i.e.: white papers etc.) does not carry as much weight.

Appendices
Useful for a survey, interview questions, interview protocol, charts or glossaries.

BA AEDT Thesis/ Research Project General Guidelines
Write up should not exceed 30 pages.
Page setup (p. 42-44 and 228-230 in APA 6
th
Edition)
o Times New Roman, 12. Two spaces after periods that end sentences and one
space after other periods such as abbreviations.
o Margins are 1 and aligned left and unjustified on the right, double spaced
o No extra spaces between sections or between paragraphs
o Indent each paragraph except the paragraph directly below the headings
o Headings levels (See Sections 3.02-3.03 of the APA manual for headings).