Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx

Caterpillar: Confidential Green
Research Process
• Week 1-2
• Focus and define topic
Research
• Week 3
• Define problem or
question backed in
research
Problem Statement
• Week 4
• Literature review on
your refined topic and
problem statement
Literature Review

Assignment 2.1: Refining a Topic
1. Read guidance on refining a research topic.
2. Conduct preliminary research on your topic
3. Conduct research and narrow or broaden your topic
4. Repeat until you reach a manageable number
Instructions List Keywords used in search Number of
Results
Search using your original Topic
Add additional focused keywords
based on the guidance for narrowing
or broadening
or broadening
or broadening

Research Tips
• Make peace with research as an ongoing process
• Leverage your HU Library resources (and help!)
• Remember “full text” and “peer reviewed” are your friends
• Use advanced search options when available
• Remember your Boolean logic: AND, OR and NOT
• Use quotes to keep search words together “project
management”
• Look at references and keywords authors use
• Look for recommendations for future research in conclusion
Annotated
Bibliographies
Annotated Bibliography
• List of works used in a document

• (Referred to as References in APA Format)
Bibliography
• Evaluation of those works including a
summary, analysis and reflection.
Annotated
Bibliography
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
Summarize
• Purpose?
• Approach?
• Methods?
• Conclusions?
• Implications?
Analyze
• Meaning of conclusions?
• Accuracy?
• Credibility?

• Timely?
• Comparison to others?
Reflect
• Impact on PM?
• Relevancy/fit to your
topic?
• Reshaped your topic?
• Summarize objective data and findings
• Explain relevance to project management
• Address opposing viewpoints
• Discuss gaps/ future research possibilities
• Explain impact on topic
Critical Analysis
Annotated Bibliography Example
Ehrenreich, B. (2001). Nickel and dimed: On (not) getting by in

America. New York, NY: Henry Holt
and Company.
In this book of nonfiction based on the journalist's experiential
research, Ehrenreich attempts to
ascertain whether it is currently possible for an individual to
live on a minimum-wage in America. Taking
jobs as a waitress, a maid in a cleaning service, and a Walmart
sales employee, the author summarizes
and reflects on her work, her relationships with fellow workers,
and her financial struggles.
An experienced journalist, Ehrenreich is aware of the
limitations of her experiment and the ethical
implications of her experiential research tactics and reflects on
these issues in the text. She is
forthcoming about her methods and supplements her
experiences with scholarly research.
APA
Standards
writing style
content

organization
reference
citations
publication
preparation
Practice APA Format
Paraphrasing and Citation
• HU students are required to take GRAD 695 as part of their
capstone experience.
General Knowledge – list in references
• According to researchers, students who take a capstone
experience are more successful (Geisler, 2017; Webber, 2015).
Paraphrase or Summary – in-text citation and references
• According to the HU Student Handbook, students pledge that
they “will not engage in academic dishonesty” (2017, p. 11).
Direct Quote – in-text citation, page # and references

References
Double spaced
Hanging indent
Listed in alpha order
by last name
Starts on new page
called “References”
Includes all works
consulted whether
cited or not
Finding MORE Focused Research
Your
Topic
Keywords in
Abstract
Authors cited
in text

Articles cited
in references
Journals cited
in references
Authors cited
in references
Multiple
references
Formulating a
Problem Statement
What is a research problem?
Problem is a situation that needs a solution
Discrepancy between what is and what ought to be
Gap in the knowledge base that needs to be filled
Must have possible solution(s)

“Everybody wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die.”
Problem
No possible
solution
Why is a problem statement important?
• Description of issue currently existing
• Explanation of why it needs to be addressed
• Provides the context for the research
• Generates questions research aims to answer
• Focal point of any research
"There is a lack of understanding about the impact of
outsourcing of project
management in the pharmaceutical industry causing…”
“Formal recognition programs are not effective in retaining
human resources in project management.”

What support does it need?
“Formal recognition programs are not effective in retaining
human resources in project management.”
There are different forms of recognitions that companies use to
recognize and motivate their employees, which impacts
individual
performance, and in turn, impacts team performance as well.
Many of the companies have formal recognition programs and
they assume that monetary rewards are the primary source of
motivating employees. However, researchers have confirmed
that
apart from extrinsic motivators, there are other things that
motivate employees and impact their overall performance.
This paper seeks to understand what is the role in motivating
employees and impacting their overall performance through…
Where do you find it?
“Formal recognition programs are not effective in
retaining human resources in project management.”
According to Attridge (2009), disengaged

employees are not just unhappy, but they “are
busy acting out their unhappiness” (p. 387).
Rath & Conchie in their study mentioned that
Gallup estimated that disengaged employees in
the US cost approximately $250 to $350 billion
a year (as cited in Attridge, 2009, p. 387).
Look in the
literature!
Backup your Problem Statement
Lit
Review
Who says?
How long?
Agreements? Disagreements?
Conclusions?
Implications

What research questions emerge?
“Project scope creep in projects has negative impact
on the triple constraint in a consulting environment”
• What is the problem? How is it defined?
• How it can be managed or controlled?
• What are its sources?
• What are the effects of scope creep?
• What is the impact on variables such as budget and schedule?
• How can scope creep be managed effectively?
• What kind of a project scope management plan can be
devised such that scope creep can not only be averted but
can also be dealt with if encountered at any point in the
project?
Questions to ask yourself…
Is the problem of current interest? Is it topical?
Is the problem likely to continue into the future?
Will more information about the problem have practical
application?

Will more information about the problem have theoretical
importance?
How large is the population affected by the problem?
How important, influential, or popular is this population?
Would this study substantially revise or extend existing
knowledge?
Would this study create or improve an instrument of some
utility?
Would research findings lead to some useful change in best
practice?
Is there evidence/authoritative opinion to support the research
need?
What are the key components?
1. The problem itself, stated clearly and with enough
contextual detail to establish why it is important
2. The method of solving the problem
3. The purpose, statement of objective and scope of any
project being proposed
4. Any variables of interest or relationships among variables

Getting Started …
• There is a problem with ________________________(topic).
• Despite __________ (something that should be happening),
____________is occurring (provide the supporting research).
• This problem has negatively affected _______________
(victims).
• A possible cause of this problem is
________________________.
• If we do not solve it, ________________ would happen.
• Perhaps research that investigates ______________________
could
remedy this situation.
Week 3
Assignments
Part 1: Annotated Bibliography

Summary
250-word
paragraph
Paraphrased
content
Analysis
Big Picture
Major
themes
Impact on
topic
Reference
APA
Format
Hanging
indent
Double
spaced

Citations
Paraphrase
citation
Short
quote
Long quote
Problem
statement
Clear
Focused
Specific
Arguable
Part 2: Problem Statement

Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx

Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx

Similar to Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx (20)

More from keturahhazelhurst

More from keturahhazelhurst (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Caterpillar Confidential GreenResearch Process• Week .docx