Each student is to prepare a final research analysis report on the research case you have been  conducting this semester. The body of the report should run between 15 to 20 double-spaced  pages in Times New Roman 12-pt. font and consist of information you have retrieved from    various sources and collected from a quantitative research method of your choice. Please        include a title page stating (1) your FULL name, (2) the date, and (3) the title of the research.  (4) Reference pages using APA style (7th ed.) and (5) Appendixes are also required. The total page number could exceed 25. An electrical copy in MS Word ofthe assignment should be  submitted on BlackBoard.

Format requirements

All written assignments MUST be submitted in computer-generated, typed format. All writings must be completed by you, not by others or machines/AIs.

CAUTION: One of the kisses of death in public relations practice is sloppy work, especially    incorrect use of language, misspelled words, incorrect punctuation, and poor presentation.         PROOFREAD and fix mistakes before you turn in the assignment. The easiest way to lose        points on any assignment is to include grammar/spelling/punctuation errors. The second easiest way to lose points is to fail to follow the directions for the assignment.

The following format should be used for all submitted written assignments. Failure to follow the format will result in grade deduction:

•APA Style 7th edition for in-text citations and references

•Microsoft Word Document file (Do NOT use Mac's Pages Software) •Times New Roman font

•12-point type

•1-inch margins

•Double-spaced

Outline of the final paper

Each report is to be following APA 7th   style with the citations from where you found your  information. 1 The research paper will take the form of a research convention paper of 15-20 pages, excluding the title page, abstract, tables and figures, references, and appendices. The paper will report an exploratory content analysis study conducted during the semester and  consist of all the following sections of a typical research paper:

1.   An Abstract of your research (up to 200 words);

2.   Introduction/ Purpose of the Study (about 1-2 pages), including background on the problem and a problem statement;

3.   Literature Review (about 3-4 pages) to the project that covers a set of facts that provides the reader with (1) a historical understanding of your research case and

(2) statements of the problems specific to your research topic (i.e., why the research needs to be done).

4.   Research questions to be answered (i.e., what are you trying to find out through your research).

5.  A Method (about 4-5 pages) section that covers the empirical study you have  conducted, including an explanation of the data collection process, sampling,  variables measured, their measurement items, and measurement reliability and validity, etc.;

6.  A Results (about 4-5 pages) section presents the answers to each of the research  questions raised. The presented results of your research should be narrated for the readers in plain English and accompanied by statistics.

7.   A Discussion (about 3-4 pages) section that summarizes the findings and provides recommendations   and   practical   implications.   Your   recommendations   and implications should and ONLY be based on your results. Do NOT over-interpret. Any limitations of the current investigation and/or generated suggestions for future research should also be included in this section.

8.   Reference pages that include any secondary sources and data that help you establish baselines.

9.   Appendices

a.   Measurements

b.   Tables and/or graphs

i.   Do NOT insert tables or graphs in the main text if you intend to use any. ONLY attached them in the Appendix.

ii.   Remember to number your tables and graphs—for example,      Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2. The table and graphs order and numbers should be aligned with writing in the main text.

More details about what to cover in each section

Abstract

200-word executive summary of the project, including the general research inquiry, the method adopted, primary results found, and their implications.

Introduction, Literature Review, and Research Questions/Hypotheses

Purpose of Introduction and Literature Review: 1) give your readers an overview of sources you have explored while investigating a particular topic or idea, 2) demonstrate how your          research fits into the larger field of study and practice, and 3) develop research questions and    hypotheses for further research activities.

The literature review is a pivotal step in a research project. In your report's literature review         section, you will summarize, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize all the articles you find relevant to your research. You are not simply regurgitating information but assessing and leading the readers to questions of your own and ideas that haven't been explored or addressed in detail by the           literature in the field. Below is the suggested structure to organize these two sections.

Introduction

•    This opening will sum up and evaluate the research done in this field. The introduction  part explains the focus and establishes the importance of the subject. It discusses what   kind of work has been done on the topic and identifies any controversies within the field or any recent research.

Literature Review

•   Body: Often divided by headings/subheadings, the body summarizes and evaluates the    current state of knowledge in the field. It notes major themes or topics, the most               important trends, and any findings with which researchers agree or disagree. It is to make an argument that will justify your proposed research. Therefore, it will only discuss         research that leads directly to your project.

•    Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes all the evidence presented and shows its         significance. It highlights gaps and indicates how previous research and practice lead to your research project and chosen methodology. It should also suggest practical              applications of the research.

•    Research Questions/Hypotheses: A research question/hypothesis can be either          embedded in the body section placed after a review of a relevant theme or topic or       inserted at the end of the body section (after all themes or topics have been reviewed) before the conclusion. Each RQ/Hypothesis must be testable with inferential statistics. Each of them needs to be indented and numbered.

Method and Results

Purpose of Method and Results: 1) give your readers an overview of what research method      you have carried out to answer the research questions/hypotheses, 2) provide detailed procedures of the research regarding how samples have been collected and variables have been measured,    demonstrating your research validity and reliability, 3) introduce the compositions and features of the final sample, 4) how each RQ/H has been answered by running what statistical analysis, 5) what results/answers you have obtained for the RQs/Hs.

Your report of the Method section provides a detailed overview of how you conducted your         research. Because your study methods form a large part of your credibility as a researcher and     writer, it is imperative that you be clear about what you have accomplished in gathering               empirical information in your study. Others who read your method should be able to replicate the study if interested. The Results section presents the results of your research, narrated for the         readers in plain English and accompanied by statistics.

Samples of Method and Results write-ups can be found in almost every peer-reviewed journal article. For your convenience, I have uploaded four research articles on Blackboard. You can follow their structures and flows to organize and write your Method and Results sections.

Your proposal for Method and Results should be written in the past tense. Below is the suggested structure to organize these two sections. 

Method

•    Study overview. An overview of the method section. What was the method to be used? How and Why?

•    Sampling procedure. What was the sample regarding both the topic and timeframe? What was the sampling strategy employed? What was the final sample size in your   study? Explain how and why it differed from the expected sample size, if applicable. How was the data collected and stored, if applicable?

•    Measures. You need to briefly introduce how each variable in your RQs/Hs was           measured in the main text. You need to introduce the scale type (e.g., five items, seven- point Likert scale adopted from XXX, 2010), reliability, and sample items.

o  For detailed measurement items, an example of measurements appendix can be found on Blackboard under the proposal two assignment. Your measurement    items, especially those for latent variables, must be adapted from previous       studies' existing measurements. Properly cite your sources in APA 7th style for both in-text citations and after-text references.

Results

In this section, you should only report the findings as they are. Save the interpretations in the Discussion section.

•   Sample profile and preliminary analysis

In this part, you need to report the features and compositions of the final sample (e.g.,          respondent rate of your survey, breakdowns of the demographics, etc.) You also need to       examine how each demographic variable relates to your focal variables if the demographic  variables have not been considered in RQs and Hs constructions. In situations where            demographic variables are statistically associated with the focal variables, you may consider including them in your models as control variables when testing for the proposed RQs and   Hs. For focal variables that are measured in a continuous manner, you can provide results    using correlation analysis and present a correlation matrix to give readers a preview of the   association dynamic among the continuous focal variables.