Each student is responsible for a well-established and thoughtful Final Term Paper (10 pages, double space, 12 pt. Font with appropriate margins). You are to do an in-depth analysis of a key personnel

Title

Full Name

Golden Gate University

Month Year

Author Note

This paper was prepared for Course Name, administered by Adjunct Professor Profs Name.

Certification Statement

I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another.

Signed: ___________________________________

Date:

Abstract

The abstract should summarize the problem, purpose, research method, research questions or hypothesis, procedures, results, and recommendations of the study. It should not contain more than 300 words (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Table of Contents

Title

Introduction

This section sets the stage for the research completed by the author. After reading the introduction, the reader should clearly understand the nature of the problem, which led to the study, the purpose of the study, the research method chosen (historical, descriptive, evaluative, action, correlational, causal-comparative or experimental), and the research questions addressed or the hypothesis that was tested (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Background and Significance

This section is an extension of the introduction wherein the author explains the background of the problem being researched; the past, present and probable future impact of the problem on the organization; and how the project is related to the specific course that is being completed (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Literature Review

This section summarizes critical findings of others who have published documents related to the research problem and clearly describes how such information influenced the author’s research effort (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Procedures

This section explains how the student arrived at the final results of the study. Procedures should be described in sufficient detail to (1) permit the evaluator to determine whether the researcher has selected and completed procedures that were appropriate for the stated purpose and method; (2) allow interested readers to replicate the project in their own organization; and (3) explain how the researcher arrived at the final results.

The Procedures section should clearly describe how the project progressed from beginning to end (What was done? When? By whom? Who was involved?). If interviews, focus groups or observations were used, describe the process in detail; when, how long, purpose, questions asked/information sought, etc. Documentation of each interview, focus group or observation should be in place in an Appendix. If a survey was conducted, explain the purpose and define the audience (number of total population surveyed, number of surveys returned, etc.). Always include a copy of the actual survey as an Appendix and a copy of the collective (total) results of the survey. If a sample was used, provide clear evidence of proper sample selection (appropriate size, random selection, and how you ensured that the sample was representative of the total population) (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Results

This section should provide a clear and comprehensive narrative description of the findings (the data you collected) of the study. In a historical, descriptive, evaluative or action research project, this section would first focus on defining specific answers to each original research question. In a correlational, causal-comparative or experimental research project, the central focus would be on whether or not the results supported the hypothesis(es) and to what degree.

If the research method was evaluative, final conclusions reached must be clearly defined.

If research procedures included survey(s), interview(s), focus group(s), etc., specific and detailed results of each procedure also must be provided when answering the appropriate research question.

Action research also requires a final product of some kind; depending on the stated purpose, this may be an SOP, a strategic plan, a new policy, etc. The final product should be generally described in the Results section and documented (Appendix --). The product should also be included in its entirety as an Appendix.

It also would be appropriate to describe “unexpected” findings, i.e., information derived from the data that was not intentionally sought but is relevant to the problem. Numerical data should be presented in clearly labeled tables followed by narrative summaries that highlight important factors.

The results must be presented in a logical and objective manner without personal editorializing. Generally, all data used to derive the results should be presented in this section, and the process by which the analysis was accomplished should be described completely.

However, when data are particularly long and complex, only the narrative summary should be included in the Results section and detailed descriptions of all data should be placed in the Appendix (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Discussion

In this section, the writer has an opportunity to provide his or her analysis about the study results. Three basic issues should be discussed:

1. How did the study results compare to the findings of others discussed in the Literature Review?

2. What is the author’s own analysis of the results?

3. What are the implications of the results for the organization?

(National Fire Academy, 2015)

Recommendations

This section must include recommendations for the future: What needs to happen within the organization based on research results? Recommendations may focus on additional research requirements, suggested program implementation methods, follow-up/evaluation proposals, etc.

All recommendations should be supported clearly by data presented in the report and should relate specifically to the original problem and purpose statements. Explain how each recommendation represents positive change and/or potential improvement within the organization.

Conclude the section with general recommendations for “future readers” who may wish to replicate some or all of the study within their own organization (National Fire Academy, 2015).

Reference List

National Fire Academy. (2015, May 13). Executive Fire Officer Program Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/efop_guidelines.pdf

Appendix --