RESEARCH FORMAT FOR BA304 (BUSINESS RESEARCH)

The typical APA* research paper for students contains the following sections:

1. Cover Page
2. Abstract
3. Contents
3. Introduction
4. Background
5. Objectives (or Statement of the Problem)
5. Methodology
6. Results and Discussion
7. Conclusions
8. Recommendations
9. References
10. Appendices
* APA - American Psychological Association

Each of the above sections are discussed below.

Cover Page/Title Page

The title must have the following attributes:

 It must be reflective of the problem.

 It mentions the major variables.

 It answers the questions: what? who? and where?

 It avoids such phrases as “A Study of,” “An Analysis of,” “An Evaluation of,”
etc.

 It must not be more than 15 keywords.

 It is eye-catching.

 For details, you may refer to the link below. An example is provided in Annex
A.
https://apastyle.apa.org/ins.../student-title-page-guide.pdf

Contents

This is the table of contents containing the list of the sections covered in a
research report. Please refer to Annex B for an example of this page in APA format.
Abstract

As a summary of the whole research paper, this section should have answers to
the following questions:

1. What is the study about?

 The general framework of your study

2. What is/are the problem/s addressed in the study?

 The problem

3. What is the methodology applied in the study?

 The population and sample

 The research design

 The data analysis procedure

4. What are the major findings?

Write the abstract in one paragraph, single-spaced, and not more than 250 words.
Keywords: (5 to 10 words) Selected based on:

 Participants

 Setting (origin)

 Research design

 Specific concepts

Introduction

 Provides an overview of the selected topic area.

 Presents facts and figures about the prevailing condition.

 Explains the reason for the choice of the research topic.

 Justifies the need for the study.

Background

 What do the other authors say about the topic? (Summarize the major
literature/studies conducted on the topic)

 It should be written in terms of the purpose of the study.

 It should be organized thematically to conform to the specific

problems/objectives.

Objectives (or Statement of the Problem)

 There should be an introductory statement that reflects the main purpose of

the study.

 Specific objectives should include all the variables necessary for your study.

 Specific objectives should be arranged in a logical order and extensive in

coverage and must be mutually exclusive in its dimensions.

Methodology

 Discusses the plan or outline of the plan for the study.

 Discusses the execution of the plan.

 Describes the respondents/participants and the sampling frame and specifies the
sampling technique used and how the sample size is determined (for primary
data).

 Indicates the source of data (for secondary data).

 Describes the procedure for data collection.

 Explains the analytical tools used in the treatment of data.

Results and Discussion

Presentation of results

 Results are often displayed in summarized tabular forms or graphs.

 Presentation is the objective portion of the section.

 An example of a table is provided in Annex C, and example of a figure is also

provided in Annex D.
 Analysis of results

 Guides the reader on the components of the results that are interesting.

 Breaks down the results into smaller meaningful components.

 Analysis is another objective portion of the section.

Interpretation of the results and analysis

 The author gives meaning to the results obtained based on his own expert
opinion.

 Interpretation is the subjective portion of the section.

Conclusions

Conclusions are general statements based on the findings of the study. The
following should be observed when writing conclusions:

 One to one correspondence. One specific problem, one conclusion. No more

data or figures.

 Conclusions should appropriately answer the specific research questions or

address the specific objectives.

 No conclusion should be drawn from the implied or indirect effects of the

findings.

 Conclusions should be formulated concisely.

 The use of qualifiers such as, probably, perhaps, maybe, etc. should be
avoided as much as possible.

 Conclusions should refer only to the population, area, or subject of the study.

 Conclusions should not be repetitions of any statements anywhere in the

research report. However, if recapitulations are necessary, these should be
worded differently.
Recommendations

Recommendations are appeals to people or entities concerned to solve or help

solve the problem discovered in the inquiry. Based on the conclusions, recommendations
should

 Aim to solve problems in the study; recommendation for problems not

covered by the study is irrelevant.

 Be made to ensure the continuance or improvement of good prevailing

practice or system.

 Be Feasible and viable or attainable

 Be logical and valid.

 Be addressed to the persons, entities, agencies, or offices who or which are in

a position to implement them.

 Recommend a further study or research in a wider application.

References

 Should be presented in accordance with the APA 7th Edition Manual.

 Alphabetically arranged. An example is provided in Annex E.

 For in-text citations and information regarding reference page,

https://www.citationmachine.net/apa

Appendices

This section is a repository of supplementary materials such as the questionnaire,

cover letters, etc. Annex F shows and example of an Appendix.

Other Specifications

Style, in the words of Lord Chesterfield, is the “dress of thoughts.” For this
reason, thesis/dissertation writers are advised to abide by the following specifications:

1. Paragraph

 Indent the first line of each paragraph.

 Do not hyphenate words at the end of a line.

2. Paper Size

 Use short (8.5” by 11”) bond paper.

3. Margins

 Top margin: 1 inch

 Bottom margin: 1 inch

 Left margin: 1.25 inches

 Right margins: 1.25 inches

4. Font

 Use only Courier New or Times New Roman size 12 throughout the
manuscript. Size 10 may be used for footnotes or legends.

5. Page Numbers

 Use Arabic numerals except for the preliminary parts of the manuscript
like the abstract and the table of contents, where lowercase roman
numbers should be used.

 Every page of your manuscript starting from Page 1 (excluding the

preliminary pages such as the title page, acknowledgment, table of
contents, list of tables, list of figures, list of appendices, references,
appendices, and curriculum vitae) may have a running head, which is the
title of your study. Below is an example for your guidance.

 Please refer to Annex G for a sample page.

6. Text Headings

 Whenever possible, all headings should be limited under ten keywords.

 Primary heading – Type the entire heading in capital letters, centered on a

line by itself.

 Secondary heading – Type the heading flush on a line by itself.

 Tertiary heading – Underline the heading and run it into the text, e.g.,

Educational Attainment. Education plays a vital role…

7. Tables and Figures

 Only tables and charts used in the discussion should be included in the
text, and should be numbered using Arabic numerals.

 Table numbers and captions shall be in accordance with the APA Manual,
7th Edition.

 Reference tables and charts should be placed in the appendix.

 An example of a table is provided in Annex C, and example of a figure is

also provided in Annex D.

8. Numerals

 Write out single digit numbers, except in a series where they appear with
some numbers 10 or higher.

 Write out all numbers that begin sentences.

9. Abbreviations

 Use standard abbreviations whenever possible.

 Define in footnotes or legends all nonstandard abbreviations or symbols

used in a figure or table.

10. Measurements

 Use only the international metric system (SI).

 Abbreviate standard units of measure when they follow a number, e.g.,

500 m2.

11. Quotations

 Avoid excessive use of quotations. A thesis or dissertation is not a

compilation of quoted materials.

 Quotations not over five lines in length should be run into the text and
enclosed in double quotation marks (use single quotation mark for
quotation within a quotation).

 Long quotations (more than five lines) should be made in separate

paragraphs, single-spaced and indented half an inch from the left margin.
 Only quotations less than one-half page should be included in the text. A
longer excerpt from another material should be placed in the appendix.

 When a quotation consists of several paragraphs, the paragraphs after the

first should be indented 1.25 inches from the left margin.

 Quotations from poetry should be centered and single-spaced.

Annex A
Annex B
Annex C
Annex D
Annex E
Annex F
Annex G