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Research Project Guidelines
1.
Introduction
As a requirement of AD 644 you are to write a research paper. The main objective of
the research paper is to analyze a project or a research question of your choosing
using as many of the concepts of this course as possible. Ideally you will cover cost
and schedule estimation and management, risks, quality, ethics, and contracts. Then,
you are to provide recommendations as if you were the project manager.
This course addresses the following topics:
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Cost and Schedule Estimation
Cost and Schedule Tracking and Management
Risk Identification, Analysis, and Management
Quality Management
Contract and Procurement Management
Ethics and Professional Conduct
The goals of the paper are for students to:
1. Select a topic relevant to this course and acquire the appropriate research
and data about the topic.
2. Apply the concepts, tools, and techniques of the course to your project or
research question
3. Analyze the research
4. Make interesting and useful recommendations.
The topic or subject of the paper must be one that is covered in the course lectures.
For example, if you work for an entertainment company you might want to focus
your research on cost and schedule management for a film budget. If your company
can provide data on their cost and schedule management all the better. Questions
you might ask are: What are the major cost and schedule risks in film
budgeting? How are those risks mitigated at your company? How do you monitor
the risks? What are the environmental factors that impact your budget and
schedule? How can these environmental factors be controlled?
You may not be able to find answers to all your questions, so one or two may be
sufficient. You may also do a literature review where you may find supporting
research on cost and schedule management in the entertainment
industry. However, it is strongly recommended that you pick a topic, organization or
company you are familiar with so that you can ask for and obtain relevant data and
information . Using a known organization also shortens the learning curve. Do not
select a topic that is overwhelming – keep it simple and focused. We are available to
assist you throughout the course in defining your topic.
At the end of this document you will find a list or resources along with possible
topics that may help you generate your own ideas for resources and research
topics. There are thousands of topics you could choose from but you only need to
select one that is relevant to the course but also your professional interests.
2.
Content and Format
Length:
The length of the paper should be approximately 10 double-spaced pages. The title
page, abstract, references, and appendices do not count in the 10 pages, so you are
encouraged to add supporting graphics and data in the appendices.
Use Microsoft Word for your paper, 12-point font, and number the pages.
Remember to submit your paper as a Microsoft Word document. Do not
submit a PDF version of your paper!
Appendices should immediately follow the body of the document. All charts,
graphics, and tables included in the appendices or in the body of the document
should be appropriately referenced. A References section should be at the end of
your document following your appendices. You are encouraged to focus on
academic references.
You may include as many appendices as you like. The appendices may contain
figures, charts, graphs, tables, and data, and these should not include much text
beyond that necessary to explain the figure, or to provide a title or reference for the
figure. These can be in any format that you find convenient. All charts that you
develop for the paper should follow the guidelines of the tutorial in Lecture 2.
Format:
This is a research paper. The paper should follow the APA Research Paper. Proper
attribution is required for all sources, and citation & references must be in APA
format. Sample APA format documents are available at Blackboard. On the other
hand, if you want to format your paper slightly differently, e.g., numbering the
sections, which is not strictly APA-aligned, that will be acceptable as well. However,
ensure that you include a title page, an abstract, the body of the paper, appendices,
and references in that order.
We expect a detailed analysis, supported by charts and graphs. We recommend that
you put the textual analysis in the paper and place as much data as possible in
Appendixes, which can be referred to in the text. You are encouraged to place
in the body of the paper any important charts, graphs, and tables (or relevant pieces
of them) that are needed to emphasize a point or to back up the conclusions and
recommendations.
Avoid the temptation to write too much about the project’s description. Assume the
audience knows about the project and is primarily interested in your analysis.
Recommendations:
There must be a final recommendations section. Recommendations should be based
on your research and analysis. This is a research paper, so the recommendations
should be supported by research.
3.
Grading
We will evaluate your research papers in the following categories:
– Writing:
Communication is a key aspect of Project Management. Use the terminology of the
course correctly and throughout. Concentrate on clearly communicating your
recommendations, which should reference research.
– Research Analysis & Tools:
The goals of the final paper are for students to:
1. Select a research topic or project(s) and acquire the appropriate and
relevant data about the topic including the relevant literature,
statistics and qualitative research, and lessons from practice.
2. Apply the information provided in the course to the topic you choose
to analyze including cost estimation and schedule analysis, cost and
schedule control systems, risk management processes and
procedures, quality management, contract and procurement
practices, ethical issues in project risk management and other related
topics.
3. Learn enough from an analysis to be able to make useful
recommendations about the topic or project in the context of the
larger organization of which it is a part.
– Recommendations
Your final section should make recommendations about the topic you’ve discussed in
the paper. One way to think about this is to imagine that you have been asked to
assess a project as an independent project management consultant. You are to brief
the project manager and/or management team on the overall status of the project .
You first analyze the available information including your own research. Then, you
present your findings and recommendations.
Make certain that the recommendations clearly derived from analysis of your
research and that the recommendations say something original about the topic.
Resources and possible Topics for Final Research Papers
Highlighted below are some possible resources for your topic, as well as some
sample topics for those of you who are having difficulty making a decision. For those
of you who don’t have programs or projects within your professional workplace,
these resources should provide assistance.
To the extent that you are currently working on a project or a program, you may find
a research topic within your own organization. Research can include interviewing
your colleagues or fellow project and program managers, developing a survey to
distribute to team members, or recommending new policies, processes and
procedures for a current program. Remember it does not have to be an actual
project or program. For example, if your organization is thinking about establishing a
new risk management framework, you may want to conduct research on risk
management programs within organizations. Use your imagination and be
innovative and creative in your thinking and in your research.
During the course, we will talk about your selected topics. I will provide constructive
feedback, and answer any questions you have. I will advise you on whether you
appear to be proceeding in the right direction, and ensure that your proposal is
feasible. If in doubt, ask!
Suggested Resources
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Project Management Institute
The Project Management Journal
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The International Journal of Project Management/
The Risk Management Association
The Risk Doctor
Siemens Quality Management System
PMI Practice Standard for Project Risk Management
The Academy of Management Journal
International Project Management Association
Boston University Questrom School of Business
Harvard Business School Publishing
MIT Sloan Management Review
The World Bank
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Safety and
Mission Assurance
The U.S. Department of Commerce Enhanced Cyber Risk Management
Standards
The NIST Standards for Risk Management
MassDOT Big Dig
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