Describe the organization, policy area, and targeted department or population.

Research Design Guidelines The research design is a valuable learning tool enabling students to employ selected research methods to craft a plan for comprehensively analyzing a public administration, policy, and nonprofit management problem in their area of interest. A research design is a vehicle for exercising key learning competencies. An effective research design is specific and concise. Unlike the fully developed research paper, the goal is not to analyze quantitative data. The learning objectives of the research design are to:  Develop and refine basic research skills, including interviewing and survey development.  Enable the student to integrate and synthesize theory and practice in analyzing public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management problems.  Develop a greater understanding of the internal and external factors influencing public problems.  Practice and reinforce ethical techniques of research design, administration, and analysis. The final research design should be approximately 15 double-spaced pages maximum, excluding the title page, references, and appendices. See “Week 1 & Week 15” Modules in Canvas for an example research design paper. I. Selecting a Topic Prayerfully and thoughtfully choose a topic that reinforces the Lord’s will for your lives. Ideally, this subject area is of personal interest and generates passion and enthusiasm. Below are examples of research design topic areas: 1. Customer Satisfaction Analysis 2. An evaluation of the effectiveness of a policy, program, or service (performance appraisal system, job training program, social welfare, etc.) 3. Assess employee attitudes (job satisfaction, motivation, commitment, etc.) 4. Political opinion survey 5. Attitudes towards key public policy issues (global warming, gun control, etc.) 6. Or other topic area approved by the instructor II. Data Sources: An effective research design employs multiple sources of information, including a review of internal documents, interviews, surveys, personal experience, and outside research. III. Research Design Components: (Due December 9th by 11:59 PM) 1. Section I – Introduction: Describe the topic and its significance. Describe the organization, policy area, and targeted department or population. In this section (which you will read more about in Creswell & Creswell), you will answer the “so what” question: What is your research question? Why should people care about this topic, and what contribution will this research make to the study and practice of public administration? In other words, provide the background information, state the research question and motivation, and explain the empirical relationship in the study. (1 page) 2. Section II – Literature Review: Present the literature review and the conceptual framework guiding the analysis. You must state a hypothesis and identify key dependent and Dr. Agyapong 2 independent variables to be examined (4 pages). The literature review is the basis for developing the conceptual framework that guides the research. For example, if the student is analyzing the level of customer satisfaction, what are the organizational practices associated with good customer relations? In other words, how does the analyst know that current organizational practices are consistent with best-practice customer service delivery? A thorough review may indicate ten (10) essential characteristics associated with high levels of customer satisfaction. These characteristics become the basis for the conceptual framework. In a sense, the conceptual framework is your “ruler” to assess the effectiveness of the program or service. Students will develop a complete conceptual framework based on the literature review. Present the framework in terms of a model or schematic diagram, then clearly describe the concepts and relationships portrayed. All references in the body of the paper and the bibliography must be in American Psychological Association (APA) format. Present a minimum of 15 references, at least ten of which must be from peer-reviewed academic journals. Below are examples of peer-reviewed journals frequently used in student case studies in Public Administration, Policy, and Nonprofit Management. The list of peer-reviewed journal articles for other areas will differ. The professor will determine the appropriateness of your literature review. The remaining references can be from trade publications, agency reports/studies, think tanks, newspaper articles, etc. Please do not cite Wikipedia! Academy of Management Journal/Review Administration & Society American Review of Public Administration American Political Thought Compensation & Benefits Review Industrial & Labor Relations Review Journal of Management Journal of Occupational & Organizational Psychology Journal of Organizational Behavior Journal of Public Administration Research & Theory Journal of Public Affairs Education Journal of Public & Nonprofit Affairs Journal of Nonprofit Management & Leadership Journal of Military Ethics Organization Science Management Review Organizational Dynamics Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes Organization Studies Personnel Journal Public Administration Quarterly Public Administration Review Public Personnel Management Public Productivity and Management Review Political Theory Review of Politics Religion and Politics Review of Public Personnel Administration Training and Development Dr. Agyapong 3 International Journal of Public Administration Ethics and International Affairs 3. Section III -Method: Present survey and interview instruments and the sampling and administrative protocols (5 pages). a. Survey Instrument (questionnaire): 20 questions b. Describe Survey Sampling Procedure c. Describe Survey Administration Procedure d. Interview Instrument: 10 questions e. Describe Interview Sampling Procedure f. Describe Interview Administration Procedure 4. Section IV – Pretest Results: Students will pre-test the survey and interview instrument with at least ten (10) respondents (five minimum for each). Groups may survey/interview members of other groups in this course or recruit participants from within your local communities and current places of work. Describe the results of the pre-test and a revised survey and interview instrument. (2 pages) 5. Section V – Research Obstacles and How They Can be Overcome: Discuss the main impediments to your research design, such as low response rates, and how they can be overcome. (1 page). Acknowledge potential limitations of the study, such as problems with the methodology, data, and analysis that might affect internal and external validity. In other words, this is where you anticipate and respond to the problems others might point out in your work. Finally, discuss different ways future studies might expand and improve the research you have done. What additional variables might you include in the analysis if you had more resources and time? Etc. 6. References in APA format: Include about 15 to 25 sources from academic journals, government/nonprofit agency reports, think tanks, or reputable news articles. Follow the APA style guideline for narrative and parenthetical in-text citations and references. In other words, all sources cited in the body of the paper must have full corresponding references and vice versa. Use direct quotes sparingly and appropriately. Instead, summarize or paraphrase ideas borrowed from the existing literature. In addition to resources provided within the Blackboard course content, students are strongly encouraged to attend the Writing Lab’s virtual APA and plagiarism workshops ( for a refresher on the mechanics of citing sources at the graduate school level. 7. Appendices: Final surveys, interviews, and focus group instruments Blessings,