FOR DAISY ARABELLA

  

Step 2: Choose an Issue to Research Further In the last step, you used research to identify three top trends in your industry. That was the first part of the project. Now it is time to focus on an issue within one of those trends that you think is noteworthy in your field. This project requires that you review the trends and develop a plan to research the issue further, and synthesize the information you find into a coherent, well-supported analysis. But first, you have to develop a focused research question or statement of the problem. Consider this step similar to the starting point for solving any problem with the scientific method. You first have to identify the problem. Then, when you have researched a bit more, you will form a reasonable assumption (a hypothesis) of what you think might be a potential resolution/answer. You will look for more information that reflects different sides or viewpoints of the issue, and use analytical thinking to arrive at a well-reasoned conclusion. This conclusion may or may not bear out your original first estimate; however, your quest is to arrive at an answer that is well-supported and based on facts. Remember, your objective is to consider the impact of this issue on your industry, so this may be the first step toward a practical solution for your organization. So, choose an issue from your research on a trend in your industry that has potential for great impact on the field, and then draft a preliminary question or statement of the problem. Your research should reveal if the question has already been answered, or if there is enough information on the topic. Refine your question or statement and submit it to the “so what” test. Will your answer contribute to knowledge about the issue you have selected? Is the question answerable? Remember that in academic work you would normally avoid normative or open-ended questions, which start with the words should or would, or any question that can be answered with a yes or a no. Once you have chosen your issue and completed enough research to provide a well-reasoned answer (or solution), you will be ready to write your issue paper. In the next step, you will draft your research paper.

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· Step 3: Writing your Research Paper In the previous two steps, you performed searches, first to identify industry trends, and then for information about an issue in one of those trends that you consider to be important to your industry. Now you should be ready to draft your paper. This would be a good time to review organization in writing and paragraphs. You might also review the Effective Writing Center’s Online Guide to Writing, a valuable reference to students who seek to improve their writing. Review your task. You are to provide a research paper that provides a summary of the three top trends in your industry (with associated NAICS codes). Supply sufficient background for your reader that the trend is clear and supported by resources you have found. Review resources in References and Citations to ensure that you are using “in text” citations to give credit for the ideas of other authors and to build your credibility as a researcher, neither ignoring sources nor quoting excessively. You will develop a paper that accomplishes two objectives: It will identify the three top trends in your industry and your rationale, based on the resources you have found, for your choices; It will discuss the issue within one of the trends that you deem important, based on the current state of the industry, and will be supported by your analysis of facts and a well-reasoned conclusion of what it means to the industry. Start with an outline and flesh out the main themes with supporting statements. This will become your roadmap to an organized paper. Draft, sleep on it, and edit. Repeat. Your paper will be 5-7 pages, not including your cover page and References page(s), double-spaced and set up in APA standards. It does not require an abstract. Your citations, both “in text” and in References will be in accordance with the APA Style Manual Sixth Edition . Your headings will follow this general pattern: Introduction Findings Top Trends of the _____ Industry An Important Emerging Issue in a trend and what it means in context to the industry Conclusions References MILESTONE: Many students are asked to re-submit their papers based on incomplete or inaccurate citation formats. This milestone will get you off to a good start with APA citations. By the end of Week 2, please submit a draft of your References page. Please use the APA style guide or References and Citations to draft your complete citations. This is an opportunity for you to get feedback before your project is graded. When you submit your draft References page for review, your faculty member will provide feedback on your citation format so that you can correct for your project submission at the end of Week 3.

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· Step 4: Submit Your Paper and Share Your Research Experience After editing and re-reading your assignment again for errors in writing and citing, please submit your project in the assignment folder by the end of Week 3. Also, please share your industry issue with your classmates in the Project 2 discussion area. Were there any particular epiphanies or hardships that you encountered in your research and writing process? Please feel free to interact with your classmates in any constructive way. Before you submit your assignment, review the competencies below, which your instructor will use to evaluate your work. A good practice would be to use each competency as a self-check to confirm you have incorporated all of them in your work. 1.1: Organize document or presentation clearly in a manner that promotes understanding and meets the requirements of the assignment. 1.2: Develop coherent paragraphs or points so that each is internally unified and so that each functions as part of the whole document or presentation. 1.3: Provide sufficient, correctly cited support that substantiates the writer’s ideas. 1.4: Tailor communications to the audience. 1.5: Use sentence structure appropriate to the task, message and audience. 1.6: Follow conventions of Standard Written English. 2.1: Identify and clearly explain the issue, question, or problem under critical consideration. 2.2: Locate and access sufficient information to investigate the issue or problem. 2.3: Evaluate the information in a logical and organized manner to determine its value and relevance to the problem. 2.4: Consider and analyze information in context to the issue or problem. 2.5 Develop well-reasoned ideas, conclusions or decisions, checking them against relevant criteria and benchmarks.

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