Research

=240:299 Research - Writing Your Final Masters Paper=

This course is a 2-credit course where you are going through the process of writing your final masters paper.

This resource page will provide you with a series of materials that should be helpful. This is a wiki so if you find some additional materials that could be useful, please add them to the list.

As discussed in class and the graduate handbook, you will have 4 options for completing your Masters Paper:
 * Definition of the Masters Paper Assignment**
 * 1) Literature Review
 * 2) Project
 * 3) Original Research (including Action Research) - Requires IRB approval
 * 4) Writing a Journal Article (and actually submit it to a research journal)

Conversely, each of the sources listed in your reference list MUST have been cited appropriately in your paper.
 * Requirements:** All of these papers are expected to be a minimum of **30 pages in length** and include a minimum of **30 references.** Remember that each reference that you cite in your paper MUST appear in your References list.

Although APA has published a **6th edition**, the 2008 IT Cohort has been using the **APA 5th edition** for the past 2 years and it doesn't make sense for you to have to purchase a new book and learn a new format.
 * APA Style?**
 * THEREFORE:** your final masters papers will be written **using APA 5th edition.**

Foundational Resources

 * General Outline of the UNI Literature Review [[file:reviewoutlinetemplate.pdf]]
 * Example of a Completed Outline for a Literature Review [[file:multimediaoutlineexample.pdf]]
 * **[|Instructional Technology Literature Review Masters Paper template (5th edition)]** - This template is designed to provide you with the appropriate formatting for your paper.
 * **ABSTRACTS for Lit Reviews**
 * Write your abstracts LAST
 * DO NOT use the 6th edition APA outline for the abstract
 * USE the 5th edition:
 * Identify topic in one sentence.
 * Succinctly define the purpose, thesis or organizing construct and the scope of the review.
 * Identify sources used
 * identify conclusions in one sentence.

Formatting Resources

 * **Do's and Don'ts for Writing a Lit Review Wiki** - A wiki filled with good ideas for writing. **READING THIS WIKI PAGE IS A MUST!!** It is filled with important information.

IT Masters e-Portfolio
Although this class isn't explicitly designed to support you creating your e-Portfolio, it makes sense to provide some resources at the bottom of the page.
 * **e-Porfolio Guide** - Here are the requirements and rubrics that will be used.
 * **[|e-Portfolio Examples]** - Some of the best e-portfolios created from our program.