Research Paper
Current Text on Website A research paper is less demanding than a project or thesis, but the student has to study a specific topic in some depth beyond the typical coverage in courses or textbooks. In the research paper option the students have to take two more courses (for a total of 10 courses) relevant for the research paper. The research paper must start with an introduction that carefully articulates the problem or topic addressed in the paper. It must clearly state the research question and give evidence concerning why it is important. Students are advised to select narrow well-defined topics. The research paper must contain a thorough literature survey that deeply explores the selected topic. The literature survey should be rooted in the academic literature (journals, conference proceedings, etc) but may also include trade publications. The student is expected to demonstrate knowledge of the specifics of the literature and recent contributions to the body of knowledge in the topic selected. The literature survey is not just a passive collection of data but must reflect a critical assessment of the state of knowledge in the selected topic. The research paper must therefore include some critical analysis of the literature. Proposed Revised Text Introduction While less demanding than a project or thesis, a research paper is the equivalent of two course credits, and requires an examination of a specific topic in considerable depth beyond the typical coverage in courses or textbooks. Consider the amount of work that you would normally give to two courses as the expectations of what is required for this paper. Select a Topic and Supervisor Finding a good topic to examine is a challenge – a bit of an art and a science. First select a general area of interest to you. It must be an area within e-commerce that deals with the business, legal or technical aspects of the discipline. Ideas may come from your own personal interests, experiences or knowledge; you may also consult previous e-commerce master theses or projects, or discuss with faculty who share your interests. A potential topic may be an extension of something learned in one of your classes. Browse faculty websites or recent conference proceedings for ideas. Note that selecting a topic and refining it takes time, so allow sufficient time for this phase of the work. Once you have settled in a likely area, discuss it with a potential supervisor. A supervisor can help to clarify the topic and give it focus. Topics are also restricted to the interests and knowledge of potential supervisors, as the supervisor must be knowledgeable in the area. Approach Do a thorough and exhaustive search for appropriate materials on the topic. The materials that you use must be selected from the research literature (either academic or industrial). This means refereed conferences and journals; for many topics in this cutting edge field, the sources will be from conferences. Trade publications may be used, but not to support a major premise in your paper. Use them primarily to get a sense of current events and applications. The Proposal
All topics and supervisors must be approved by the MEC Executive Committee. Submitting a proposal too soon may require re-writing, as you may not be able to articulate your ideas in sufficient detail for the Committee to understand your intentions. The proposal must include the following sections: 1. Title page with the title, your name, supervisor’s name and the date submitted 2. Introduction which indicates the purpose and scope of the paper 3. Body of the paper which outlines the key areas that your plan to address; include citations to the appropriate supporting documents. You should stress the relation of your topic to electronic commerce and discuss briefly related business, technology and law issues. 4. Conclusion which contains some idea of what you hope to achieve 5. Reference list to the items cited in this proposal 6. Bibliography containing the items that you plan to include in the final paper; note this gives the Committee an idea of the extent of your work to date and the likely scope of the topic Format of the paper: a) double-spaced, 12 point font with one inch borders b) no grammatical or syntactic errors c) all references contained in the Reference List or Bibliography conform to a bibliographic standard, e.g., APA. d) pages are numbered, and section have titles and sub-titles e) Proposal is approximately four pages, not including the bibliography, reference list and title page. Submission: a. Proposals must be submitted in digital form to Angie Bolivar [angie@cs.dal.ca]. b. Proposals must be received one week before the next MEC Executive Committee meeting in order to be considered by the committee Final Paper A typical paper contains the following sections: 1. Introduction (ca. 1-2 pages): The paper must start with an introduction that carefully articulates the problem or topic addressed in the paper. This section contains general background information to help the readers understand why this topic is important. In addition, the introduction outlines the scope of the paper and introduces the upcoming sections. 2. Body (ca. 15-20 pages): this part will be divided into multiple sections and sub-sections, each of which will help the reader to understand how you approached this topic and demonstrate the logical development of the paper. Each section should be a natural progression of the previous. A good paper will provide a thoughtful and analytical examination of the topic. To do this properly requires a critical examination of the research noting contradictions among the various research papers, as well as limitations of and gaps in the existing research. This section should demonstrate your considerable knowledge of the topic area and your ability to synthesis and analyze a body of literature. This must not be a mere description of the research, nor read like an annotated bibliography.
3. Relationship to e-commerce: you selected this topic for a paper in an e-commerce program. You will need to indicate what the relationship is, including identifying the business, legal and technical aspects of the area. You need not devote an entire section of your paper to this topic, but it must be clear from reading your paper that you have considered these three potential relationships. 4. Conclusions (ca. 1-2 pages); this section must summarize the paper and include your analysis on this topic. Is this an immature area with many research questions outstanding? Is this a mature, well-developed area in which much is known, with resulting theories or frameworks? 5. References: a list of all references cited in the paper in a standard bibliographic format 6. Appendices: include in an appendix any information that disrupts the flow of the paper, but which you believe to be essential to understanding the paper. All appendices must be referenced in the paper. Format of the paper: a) double-spaced, 12 point font with one inch borders b) no grammatical or syntactic errors c) all references contained in the Reference List or Bibliography conform to a bibliographic standard, e.g., APA. d) pages are numbered, and section have titles and sub-titles e) paper is 25-30 pages, not including the bibliography, reference list, title page, or appendices. Submission: a) The paper must be submitted to the supervisor for evaluation. Please make sure to agree with your supervisor on a suitable timeline. b) Final papers must be submitted to Angie Bolivar [angie@cs.dal.ca] and the supervisor must send an email to Angie stating that the student has successfully finalized the research paper.
Evaluation A research paper is a substantive and critical analysis of a well-defined topic. It will be assessed according to the following criteria: 1. Topic: the paper has a succinct topic that is clearly stated, worthy of development and appropriate in scope for a Research Paper in E-Commerce 2. Analysis: the paper uses evidence appropriately and effectively; arguments are supported; sources are critically evaluated showing insight into the research and its direction 3. Organization and Coherence: the paper has a logical structure with a clearly thread. 4. E-Commerce focus: the paper addresses the business, legal and technical aspects of the topic. 5. Style: the paper uses the English language appropriately; paragraphs have a central idea, sentences are not long and rambling, nor short and choppy; in essence, you know what you mean and are able to say it clearly
6. Mechanics: spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate.
Research Paper Evaluation Name: Topic: 1. Topic: the paper has a succinct topic that is clearly stated, worthy of development and appropriate in scope for a Research Paper in E-Commerce
2. Analysis: the paper uses evidence appropriately and effectively; sources are critically evaluated showing insight into the research and its direction; arguments are supported;
3. Organization and Coherence: the paper has a logical structure.
4. E-Commerce focus: the paper addresses the business, legal and technical aspects of the topic.
5. Style: the paper uses the English language appropriately; paragraphs have a central idea, sentences are not long and rambling, nor short and choppy; in essence, you know what you mean and are able to say it clearly
6. Mechanics: spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate. Reviewer: Recommendation: ______ OK _____ Rewrite (see comments above)
[ could use same form for proposal; could ask faculty supervisor to use the same form for submission to the Committee]
Research Project Current Text on Website Each project results in a written report that follows Faculty of Graduate Studies thesis preparation guidelines. The report must start with an introduction that carefully articulates the problem or topic to be addressed. It must clearly state the research question that the project addresses and give evidence concerning why it is important. Students are advised to select narrow well-defined topics. However, it is essential that the project results be generalizable. A topic like "How company X implemented policy, business plan or technology Y" would likely be too specific. A better choice might be "How companies in sector X should/could/have implement(ed) policy, business plan or technology Y and its impact on that sector". The report must also contain a thorough literature survey that deeply explores the selected topic. The literature survey should be rooted in the academic literature (journals, conference proceedings, etc) but may also include trade publications. The student is expected to demonstrate knowledge of the specifics of the literature and recent contributions to the body of knowledge in the topic selected. The literature survey is not just a passive collection of data but must reflect a critical assessment of the state of knowledge in the selected topic. The last essential part of a project is a creative component that builds on the literature survey to help answer the research question. Examples of appropriate creative components include: conducting a survey, building a business case, developing a software prototype or architecture, performing a quantitative study, proposing and evaluating a policy, proposing and defending a new business model, and researching a policy case. In terms of scope, a research project is equivalent to one term's work (i.e. four months full time), however it may be spread over a longer period. Proposed Revised Text Introduction A research project is the equivalent of four course credits (a term), and requires the completion of an applied research project. A research project must have a clearly defined and answerable research question, or set of testable hypotheses); the collection of data to support the answering of that question, and the analysis and interpretation of the data. Examples of appropriate projects include: conducting a survey, building a business case, developing a software prototype or architecture, performing a quantitative study, proposing and evaluating a policy, proposing and defending a new business model, and researching a policy case. Select a Topic and Supervisor Finding a good topic to examine is a challenge – a bit of an art and a science. First select a general area of interest to you. It must be an area within e-commerce that deals with the business, legal or technical aspects of the discipline. Ideas may come from your own personal interests, experiences or knowledge; you may also consult previous master theses or projects, or discuss with faculty who share your interests. Once you have settled in a likely area, discuss it with a potential supervisor. A supervisor can help to clarify the topic and give it focus. A potential topic may be an extension of something learned in one of your classes. A topic such as "How company X implemented policy, business plan or technology Y" is too specific; a better choice would be "How companies in sector X should/could/have implement(ed) policy, business plan or technology Y and its impact on that sector". Possible research projects
are restricted to the pool of potential supervisors, as the supervisor must be knowledgeable in the area of the research. Approach First, do a thorough and exhaustive search for appropriate materials on the topic. The materials that you use must be selected from the research literature (either academic or industrial). This means refereed conferences and journals; for many topics in this cutting edge field, the sources will be from conferences. Has this question been studied before? Is your work a replication, a replication in a different domain? Second, design the protocol for responding to the question? Which research methods will you apply? Will you use human subjects? If so, you will need ethics approval. How much will the work cost, and how will it be funded? Where will it be conducted? Methodological issues must be worked out with your supervisor. The Proposal All research projects and supervisors must be approved by the MEC Executive Committee. Submitting a proposal too soon may require re-writing, as you may not be able to articulate your ideas in sufficient detail for the Committee to understand your intentions. The proposal must include the following sections: Title page with the title, your name, supervisor’s name and the date submitted Introduction which indicates the purpose and scope of the paper Previous work: summarize the work that has been done in this area Methods: how will you conduct the research? Indicate in summary form including the following items if applicable to your research a) Variables (both dependent and independent) b) Instrumentation c) Participants d) Procedure e) Data Analysis 5. Conclusions: what do you hope to find? 6. Reference list to the items cited in this paper 7. Appendices: Include copies of your research instruments; schedule for the work; budget. 1. 2. 3. 4. Format of the paper: a) double-spaced, 12 point font with one inch borders b) no grammatical or syntactic errors c) all references contained in the Reference List or Bibliography conform to a bibliographic standard, e.g., APA. d) pages are numbered, and section have titles and sub-titles e) Proposal is approximately six pages, not including the bibliography, reference list title page, and appendices. Submission: a) Proposals must be submitted in digital form to ????; th b) Proposals for Research Projects must be received by the 15 of each month, and are considered at the last meeting of the Executive Committee for each month
Final Project Paper The final paper must contain the sections listed below. However, different types of projects may have different outlines as it depends on the type of project conducted: a) Introduction (ca. 1-2 pages): Begin with a problem statement that draws the reader into the report, describes the problem, sets its context, indicates its importance, and showes the relevance of this research to it. Some items you could consider for this part: a. introduction, b. background to the topic, c. statement of the problem (what is the problem generally), d. purpose of the study (what is the problem specifically?) e. importance of the work f. definition of terms that are needed to understand your work g. scope and limitations of the study h. outline of the remainder of the document b) Previous Work: (ca. 15-20 pages): this section will contain an overview of the previous research that frames the problem that you have identified. To do this properly requires a critical examination of the research noting contradictions among the various research papers, as well as limitations of and gaps in the existing research. This section should demonstrate your considerable knowledge of the topic area and your ability to synthesis and analyze a body of literature. This must not be a mere description of the research, nor read like an annotated bibliography. c) Objectives: in very specific language, indicate the objectives, hypotheses and or research questions. What you suggest should be achievable d) Methodology: this section should include the following sections, although the exact sections will vary depending on the type of research conducted: a. Overview of the methods including very briefly which method or approach (experimental, quasi-experimental, survey, interview, focus group, data mining technique, multiple methods, etc.) was used b. Variables: define the variables to be measured and identify the dependent or independent, control, if appropriate c. Participants: if a human participant study, describe briefly who they are, how they were recruited, or sampled d. Instrumentation: indicate which tests, measures, observations, questionnaires, etc. were used; copies of these should be included in the appendices e. Procedures: describe exactly the procedures used in collecting the data; describe the pilot study or pre-test as well. f. Data analysis: indicate precisely how the data was prepared and analyzed; which statistical tests (if required) were performed e) Results: this section contains an objective statement of the results. What are your findings? For statistical tests, you should include the test result. This section reports exactly what the results are with no discussion or analysis; this is not the place for opinions or intuitions of any sort. f) Analysis/Discussion: This section should start with a summary of your results, and should answer research question asked, and/or contain the response to each hypothesis. In addition, you need to compare you results to previous work. Does your research extend it? Refute it? Replicate it? Finally, because this project is an e-commerce project, you need to indicate how it furthers our business, legal and technical knowledge. g) Conclusions: this section must summarize the project indicate its key contributions. What is the benefit, and what future work does it lead to? h) References: a list of all references cited in the paper in a standard bibliographic format
i)
Appendices: include the final copy of all instruments used in the research, and include all supplementary material that is important to the
Format of the paper: a. double-spaced, 12 point font with one inch borders b. no grammatical or syntactic errors c. all references contained in the Reference List or Bibliography conform to a bibliographic standard, e.g., APA. d. pages are numbered, and section have titles and sub-titles e. paper is 50-100 pages, not including the reference list, title page, table of contents and appendices. Submission: c) Project reports must be submitted in digital form to the supervisor ????; d) [what else?]
Evaluation A research project is a substantive piece of research. It will be assessed according to the following criteria: 1. Topic: the paper has clearly defined research questions or hypotheses that are clearly stated, worthy of development and appropriate in scope for a Research Project in E-Commerce 2. Methods: the methods are appropriate and rigorous; there are no confounding variables that may influence the results 3. Results: data has been handled appropriately given the purpose and objectives 2. Analysis: insightful and critical analyses of the results are included, as well as a relationship to prior work. 3. Organization and Coherence: the paper has a logical structure. 4. E-Commerce focus: the project report addresses the business, legal and technical aspects of the topic. 4. Style: the paper uses the English language appropriately; paragraphs have a central idea, sentences are not long and rambling, nor short and choppy; in essence, you know what you mean and are able to say it clearly 5. Mechanics: spelling, punctuation and grammar are accurate.