Using Inverted Pyramid Formatting Style and Title Case, Place the Title of Your Research Report Here Just Like This
by Your Name A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Your Major
Approved: n (enter appropriate #) Semester Credits __________________________ Place the name of your research adviser here
The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout Month, Year
For Graduate School reference only; do not print this “footer” information when you submit your paper. cjGS1.12.2007
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The Graduate School University of Wisconsin-Stout Menomonie, WI
Author: Title:
Wings, Gossamer A. Identification and Classification of Dragon Flies: A Sixth-Grade Environmental Education Curriculum Model
Graduate Degree/ Major: MS Environmental Education Research Adviser: Month/Year: Number of Pages: Fly Queen, Ph.D. May, 2007 54
Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 5 th edition ABSTRACT A completed abstract page includes preliminary information formatted as above, as well as a concise abstract of the paper. The page is collated within the research report (i.e. paper) immediately following the title page. As with all preliminary pages, the abstract page is paginated using lower case Roman numerals (e.g.i, ii, iii). Though contrary to APA style, the Graduate School accepts preliminary pages positioned in the upper righthand corner. The abstract is to be typed double spaced using the same margins as in the balance of the paper. Abstracts should be about 200 words in length. Consult pages 12-13 in the APA manual for some very good tips regarding the qualities of a good abstract. Pay close attention to grammar and spelling; papers with misspellings and typographical errors will be returned as will abstracts that do not follow the format as illustrated in this document.
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The Graduate School University of Wisconsin Stout Menomonie, WI Acknowledgments Many students like to acknowledge people who have significantly contributed to their graduate education on this page and are welcome to do so. Remember, however, that Acknowledgments are not part of the scholarly work; Acknowledgments and its page number are not listed in the Table of Contents.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................................................Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................... ii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vii Chapter I: Introduction ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................................1 Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................1 Assumptions of the Study ......................................................................................1 Definition of Terms ...............................................................................................1 Methodology..........................................................................................................1 Chapter II: Literature Review..........................................................................................3 Chapter III: Methodology ................................................................................................4 Subject Selection and Description ...................................................................4 Instrumentation .................................................................................................4 Data Collection Procedures ............................................................................4 Data Analysis ....................................................................................................4 Limitations ........................................................................................................4 Summary............................................................................................................4 Chapter IV: Results ..........................................................................................................5 Item Analysis .....................................................................................................5 Chapter V: Discussion .....................................................................................................5 Limitations ........................................................................................................5 Conclusions .......................................................................................................6
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Recommendations .............................................................................................6 References ........................................................................................................................7 Appendix A: Information about paginating your paper is included here for your reference only; don’t include it in your paper .........................................8 Appendix B: An Introduction to APA Style. Research Paper FAQS; Provided here for your reference only; don’t include in your paper ..............................9 NOTE: The chapter headings and sub-headings listed above are for purposes of example only. Your chapter headings and sub-headings may differ somewhat depending on your topic; consult with your adviser for guidance.
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List of Tables Table 1: Stats, Stats and More Stats…………..…………………………………………14 Table 2: Stats, Stats and More Stats. The title of this table is more than a single line; indent the second line just like this…………..……………………………18 If you’ve constructed more than a couple of tables and plan to place them in the body of your paper, include a list of them here. List the table number, name and page on which the table can be found (example above). If you only have a couple of tables, do not construct a List of Tables, simply include the title of the table and its page number in the Table of Contents in the appropriate place in the pagination order. Note 1: Not all papers will have a List of Tables (see above). Note 2: Pay close attention to the format and purpose of your tables and figures. Tables and figures are meant to provide a quick graphical reference to the textual discussion within your paper; as such, they should be concise. For a quick visual reference for formatting a variety of tables consult page 149-169 of the APA manual. Below is information about producing tables as well as an example of APA table format. How to Make a Table in APA Style Using Word XP Click on Table, then go to Insert and follow it right to Table. Figure out how many rows and columns you need. If you aren’t right the first time, you can add or delete them later by going to Insert and Delete under Table. Click on Auto Format in the lower right side of the pop-up. Find Simple 1 (which is green and toward the end of the options) and click on it. Where it says “Apply special formats to” toward the bottom of the screen unclick (i.e., get rid of the check mark in the box) all but “heading rows.” Hit okay. On the next page you’ll find an example of a properly constructed table. Some of the lines may appear in green; if you print using grayscale (file, print, properties, color, check grayscale, ok) the green will not appear. Also,the light gray lines will not print out; they are there for your reference.
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Table 4 I am Equipped with the Computer Technology I Need to Work Efficiently in my Classroom Response Disagree Neutral Agree Frequency (N=143) 27 26 89 Percentage 18.9% 18.2% 62.3%
If you have fairly simplistic information and do not want to go through the trouble of using an actual table, you can use the border and underline functions to make it since only horizontal lines are allowed. According to the UW-Stout Graduate School, tables are to be double-spaced. However, if the table is longer than one page double-spaced, you can change it to 1 ½ or single spacing. If the table still goes onto a second page, determine whether it would be helpful to the reader to include the headings at the top of the second page also. If you have very lengthy material, consider putting it in an appendix. [excerpt from: Pierson, A. (August, 2006) APA Style for UW-Stout Master’s Thesis. Retrieved January 10, 2007from: http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/reference/documents/apa_intro.doc]
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List of Figures If you’ve included more than a couple of figures list them here. List the number, name and page on which the figure can be found (same format as for Tables). If you only have a couple of figures, include them in the Table of Contents in their appropriate place in the pagination order.
Note: Not all papers will have a List of Figures; consult the APA manual beginning on page 176 for more information regarding the use of figures.
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Chapter I: Introduction
Introductory information here. Statement of the Problem Statement of the problem should include the basic difficulty, area of concern, and/or perceived need for the study. Purpose of the Study Discuss the goal - emphasize practical outcomes or products. Assumptions of the Study Discuss any assumptions here. Definition of Terms Term and its definition here. Only include terms that may not be well understood by a layperson outside of your field. Information in this section is formatted in paragraphs just like information in any other sub-heading. However, the most important point to note here is the use of italics. Italicize all terms, but not their definitions. The use of italics for each term is for emphasis, not to indicate the beginning of a new subheading. Once you’ve italicized the term, treat the definition of terms section just as If you use the exact words of a definition - from a dictionary, for instance - indicate that it is quoted material by adding the page number and putting it into quotation marks if less than 40 words. Term here. Type its definition, here. Format each new term just as you would any new paragraph. Next Term. Definition ……..
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Limitations of the Study Discuss the study’s limitations here. Methodology Briefly outline the remainder of the paper.
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Chapter II: Literature Review No sub-headings are indicated for this chapter because they will vary considerably from research paper to research paper. The format of headings and subheadings depends upon the number of heading levels that appear in the paper. Place headings in their appropriate spot on the page and use italics as indicated. For more information about headings, see the APA manual beginning on page 111.
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Chapter III: Methodology Begin with an introduction. Some suggestions include reiterating the statement of the problem and briefly discussing what this chapter will include. Sections to be addressed might include subject selection and description, instrumentation, data collection procedures, data analysis, and limitations. Subject Selection and Description Discuss the sample and population. Instrumentation Talk about the survey used, if applicable. Was it created for this purpose or did you find it somewhere? Data Collection Procedures A 57 question survey was administered…. Data Analysis How was the data analyzed? EX: A number of statistical analyses were used in this study. The Statistical Program for Social Sciences, version 10.0, (SPSS, 2002) was used to analyze the data. Independent Groups T-Test analyses were conducted… Limitations Discuss methodological limitations or procedural weaknesses. Summary This is optional, but make sure it is in the table of contents if you use it.
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Chapter IV: Results Start with another introduction, you might briefly reiterate the purpose of the study and how it was conducted, e.g. a survey was given…. Your sub-headings for this chapter also will vary considerably: some people use each question as a sub-heading and some don’t. If you do use each question as a sub-heading, write out the question rather than just “Question 1.” The purpose is to provide the reader with at a glance information about the nature and scope of your paper. Item Analysis Use tables when appropriate, but don’t overuse them or discuss the whole table in text. Discuss the high points in text, providing the table for further details. All tables should conform to the APA style manual (see pages 147-176). See pages vi and vii of this document for more information about tables as well as an example. Tables are different than figures, name and refer to them appropriately. Information about figures can be found beginning on page 177 of the APA manual. There is no hard rule as to whether a summary at the end of this chapter should be provided since chapter 5 is often a summary. Discuss this with your advisor.
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Chapter V: Discussion Again, start with an introduction. Summarize what has happened in your paper so far. This chapter will also vary considerably in headings and organization; what follows is a suggestion or possibility. Limitations State them again. Conclusions Hit the high points of your findings. There should be a relationship to the literature review: did your study correlate with previous research or did you find something different? Recommendations Recommend some further research or a change in practices.
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References Make sure that everything you cite in text is also in the reference list and vice versa. The APA Manual describes the correct format for each type of reference. Be especially careful about how you reference and format on-line sources. Each entry should be in a hanging indent format. This paragraph is typed using hanging indent format. See examples of types of references below: Bormann, C. A., & Stone, M. H. (2001). The effects of eliminating alcohol in a college stadium: The Folsom Field beer ban [Electronic version]. Journal of American College Health, 50(2), 81-88. Crowl, T. K. (1993). Qualitative Research Methods. In P. Geller & S. Schmidt (Eds.). Fundamentals of Educational Research (pp. 432-456). Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark. Federal Initiative Supporting School-to-Work Transition. (2000). Retrieved October 5, 2002, from http://www.transitioninschools.org Liswood, L. A. (1999, March 31). Gender politics and the oval office: Why don't women run for president? [Electronic version]. Baltimore Sun, A23 Pierson, A. (2000). Perceptions of high school faculty of the educational programs held at libraries. (ERIC Document Reproduction No. ED ### ###) Rusch, F., Conley, R., & McCaughrin, W. (1993). Benefit-cost analysis of supported employment in Illinois. Journal of Rehabilitation, 59(2), 31-36. Skrtic, T. M. (1996). Research methods. Menomonie, WI: Plenum Press. . Use + to make a page break so the next section will start at the top of the new page.
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Appendix A: Pagination The page numbers in this template appear in their appropriate place in terms of UW-Stout Graduate School formatting requirements. Notice that the introductory pages (title page, abstract, acknowledgments, and table of contents) are Roman numerals while the rest of the pages are Arabic numerals.
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Appendix B: An Introduction to APA Style. and Research Paper FAQs. You’ll find helpful resources for producing your paper at the URLs below An Introduction to APA Style: APA Style for UW-Stout Master’s Theses http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/reference/documents/apa_intro.doc Research Paper Frequently Asked Questions http://www.uwstout.edu/grad/faq_paper.html