MBA 6330
Research Paper Guidelines
Your research paper (about any Operations Management topic that interests you, for example Supply Chain Management, Dynamic Ticket Pricing, etc.) is to be the following:
1. A traditional research paper, 10 pages (double-spaced) minimum with 10 references, appropriately CITED. MLA Style or APA Style preferably.
https://uca.edu/cwc/quick-help/apa-basics/ Look here for assistance and guidance.
Here is an example of citing using APA style (McMurtrey, McGaughey, and Downey, 2009). Here’s another one:
Downey, McMurtrey, and Zeltmann (2008) reported that…etc.
Cite all authors the first time, afterwards you may use et al., like this (McMurtrey et al., 2009). Here’s another one:
Downey et al. (2008) further noted that…etc.
** The ten pages do NOT count your cover page, table of contents, or bibliography. I need 10 solid pages (OR MORE) of research at the Graduate School level.
2. Make sure you have all the bibliometric information: authors (ALL), pages, journal name, volume, number, page number, month/year/date/issue, and complete URL. Here’s two examples of an appropriate citation:
Downey, James P.; McMurtrey, Mark E. and Zeltmann, Steven M. (2008). Mapping the MIS Curriculum Based on Critical Skills of New Graduates: An Empirical Examination of IT Professionals. Journal of Information Systems Education. Volume 19, Number 3, pp. 351-364. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ831395
Here’s one that we are very proud of!
McMurtrey, Mark E.; Downey, James P.; Zeltmann, Steven M. and McGaughey, Ronald E. (2011). Seniors and Technology: Results from a Field Study. Journal of Computer Information Systems. Volume 51, Number 4, pp. 22-30. Available at:
https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f870/6e37174e151124d5fe2014949cab155ba193.pdf
3. It must not be from another class project.
4. You MUST clear your topic with me by the middle of the semester (or so). J
*** Let’s do this by the Midterm or shortly thereafter ***
Final Paper Due Friday. August 9th, at 11:59 p.m. on Blackboard.
Submit online under the Research Papers tab on Blackboard.
(I will have that upload area open later).
(I will also have a grading rubric posted later).
Yay! 😊
5. A good source of information is the ABI Inform (or ProQuest) Research Database available online through Torreyson Library:
http://www.uca.edu/library/ Look around here, you’ll find a lot.
(It changes a little bit every semester, lol. Just plow on, you’ll find everything!)
Here is the direct link but it can be troublesome.
https://uca.libguides.com/az.php This is the direct link to “Databases A – Z”. Once you get here, pick ProQuest ABI/Inform) and/or any of the others.
Another good one in the “Databases A – Z” list I found was one called Business Source Elite. Remember, you’re trying to find good, scholarly articles and reputable trade publications, not People, Time, and Southern Living (okay but not for university-level research).
*** Try the library’s research database, “Web of Science”. It rocks!!! J ***
Another good one is this: under the “A-Z databases” webpage, there’s a drop-down for “All Database Types”. The “eBooks” have a TON of materials (mostly full text) that can spark some ideas.
A fellow student found that one. Props to them!!!
OFF-CAMPUS ACCESS:
For accessing databases from off-campus, you will be prompted for your UCA username and password.
NOTE:
I have gone to great pains to show you how to find scholarly research articles for your graduate-school level research paper. As such, make sure that you utilize these kinds of resources and not USA Today, TIME, or Southern Living, etc. Doubly make sure that you do not use Wikipedia and simply “a bunch of websites” for your research paper.
UCA Writing Center
5 points will be added to your final score on the research paper by receiving verifiable help from the Writing Center. Send me/forward me your email correspondence with them, and I’ll give you the five points.
https://uca.edu/cwc/
You can make an appointment by calling (501) 450-5123, or you can schedule an appointment yourself. Scroll down from their home page for instructions on how to do that, it’s easy.
While doing this part online may seem like the easiest way to go, your best bet is to go over there in person (if you’re local) and work with them. You’ll get more done and in a quicker amount of time. Continuous back-and-forth e-mailing, about a document as lengthy as yours, will require substantially more effort and time than simply going over there for a half-hour or less.After you fix everything like they say, it would behoove you to RETURN to the Writing Center one last time to ENSURE that you have done the best job you can possibly do.
Obviously, going there in person is not possible unless you live in the area.
Be sure and be very courteous, professional, and nice to these fellow students and professors there who are helping you. One final warning: they are going to be very busy the last couple of weeks of this semester with other customers, so get over there as soon as you can! J