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PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM
PROJECT GUIDE
PAD 405
2018
Description of the Capstone Project
Students of public administration undertake the supervised Senior Project once they have
completed nearly all core courses in the program. The Project is coordinated by a faculty advisor. The
student will enroll either on ground or online in PAD 405. The Senior Project is intended to
demonstrate the student’s ability to carry out independent scholarly research, to draw logical
conclusions from data gathered, and to present the results in a clear, intelligible, and consistent form,
in keeping with the established convention of the scholarly community. Students near the end of their
program will have the opportunity to synthesize the course work while applying their knowledge to a
practical problem culminating in the Senior Project. The student may choose an area of research
which has interested him/her in the process of taking another course.
Goals of the Senior Project
The purpose of this course is to provide students with the opportunity to acquire and
demonstrate the skills involved in developing and designing a viable research Project; collecting and
analyzing secondary data; evaluating research data and drawing conclusions; making an oral
presentation of research findings; and applying the APA format.
Senior Projects must address practical issues in public administration and must do so in a
rigorous fashion. Although variation is permitted, these Projects commonly take one of these four
forms:
 Analysis of a policy question with recommendations
 Analysis of a public law issue with administrative guidance and recommendations
 Description and analysis of a public management strategy, approach, or trend, with
recommendations
 Case study of an organizational issue with lessons learned and recommendations
The Senior Project challenges student and tests their abilities. It has proven its value over and over
again. For instance, many students have found Senior Projects to be useful as writing samples in job
searches. Some have developed substantive and technical expertise in completing the capstone
research that proved instrumental in securing a job following graduation. In sum, it is documentation
of a personal mastery of professional competencies. It is designed to be an integrative experience for
BPA students.
Objectives of the Senior Project
Upon completion of the Project, students will be able to:
1. develop a research question;
2. formulate a testable research hypothesis;
3. conduct a literature review;
4. draw conclusions and make recommendations based on the available data;
5. show an understanding of the ethical issues surrounding the collection and reporting of
research data;
Requirements of the Senior Project
Each student must complete a research Project that conforms to the requirements described in
the handout PAD 405 Senior Project – Requirements. Each Project must be organized into a five-
chapter APA format on a topic related to the field of public administration. Research Projects will
utilize a methodology appropriate for the research topic.
Section 1: Organization of Contents
Elements
The following preliminary pages (numbered in lowercase Roman numerals) precede the body
of the Project, in this order:
 title page
 abstract
 table of contents
 list of tables (if appropriate)
 list of illustrations (charts, graphs, figures) (if appropriate)
 list of symbols (if appropriate)
Title Page
All Capstone Projects must carry the following information on the title page:
A research Project presented to the faculty of National University in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Public Administration. Refer to sample page in back.
Abstract
All abstracts must be double-spaced and the title should simply be ABSTRACT. The abstract
can be no more than 350 words. It should present clearly and concisely the main objectives of the
study, the results, and their significance. References are generally not included in the abstract.
Table of Contents
The table of contents is designed for the convenience of the reader. It should consist of the
acknowledgment page, abstract, list of tables, list of illustrations, list of abbreviations or symbols,
appendices and references as well as the major sections in the text. Do not list the “Title Page” or
“Table of Contents” in the table of contents. Please note the following:
 you must have dot leaders between the end of a heading and its page number
 headings in the table of contents should appear as they do in the text
List of Tables
The term “table” applies to numerical and statistical data set in vertical or horizontal
alignment. If there are tables in your text/appendix, a list of tables must be included. The “List of
Tables” is on a page by itself and arranged in the same general format as the Table of Contents.
Please note:
 Titles may be shorter than they appear in the text as long as they are not misleading.
Titles may not be longer than the titles in the text.
 Numbering of tables. You have two options: (a) You may begin by numbering the first
table with the numeral “1” and continue to number your tables consecutively throughout
the entire manuscript; or (b) you may number the first table in each chapter with the
numeral “1” and continue to number your tables consecutively within each chapter. For
example, if chapter four has three tables and chapter five has three tables, the numbering
would be as follows: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3; 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.
 Single space within titles, which are longer than one line, but double space between each
entry.
 Tables one page or less in length should never be divided. Tables must not exceed the
usual margins of the page in the manuscript.
List of Illustrations (charts, graphs, figures)
This list is also placed on a page by itself and arranged in the same general format as the
Table of Contents. Designate figure numbers with Arabic numerals, and plate numbers, if any, with
capital Roman numerals. If the Project contains both figures and plates, arrange them on separate
lists.
List of Symbols
If symbols are needed in the text, a list should be provided to explain their definitions or
meanings. The list should be placed on a separate page and included where specified by these
instructions.
Text
The organization of the text varies somewhat with the subject matter. The Project is divided
into five chapters, each chapter titled and beginning on a new page. In general, the content of the five
chapters include:
Chapter I: Introduction
The first chapter provides an overview of the Project. The specific subsections of this chapter
will vary, depending on the subject matter. In general, the first chapter should include the following
information:
Background of the Study: provide a brief history of the ideas and issues related to the
research topic. This section should not be a review of the literature (though some information may be
repeated in the literature review), but a description of the events leading up to this research.
Problem Statement: this is the heart of the research Project. This subsection states the
reason(s) why this research Project is important. A good way to approach the Problem Statement is to
address the following: Because of x and y, there is a problem in society (or the public administration
system); if only we knew more about z, things might be better. The research Project should be
designed to answer z, which is the research question.
Students first might want to pose a question to be answered, and then rephrase that question
into the form of a statement.
Purpose and Objectives of the Study: list the component parts of the research question.
Rarely is a problem in public administration one dimensional. This subsection should describe the
specific elements of the problem being addressed by the research. It should also have at least 4
objectives. This section is written in the form of a discussion rather than just listing the objectives.
Chapter II will focus on a discussion surrounding these objectives.
Rationale of the Study: develop the reasons for examining the elements described in the
purpose and objectives section. Explain why those elements were selected, how they relate to the
topic of the research, and how they related to each other. In other words, explain how will
accomplishing the purpose and objectives answers the research question, and is something we should
care about.
Definition of Terms: list definitions for only those terms which might be unfamiliar to the
reader, especially those which can be considered terms of art and operational definitions. Definitions
should have references if they are of a technical nature.
Limitations of the Study: describe self imposed limits on the research, including those that
relate to both the breadth and depth of the inquiry. Also include limitations that exist due to factors
beyond your control. Describe the (potential) effects the specific limitations may have on your
research.
Theoretical Framework: if the research is driven by, or relates to, a particular theoretical
orientation, provide a brief overview of that orientation and how it relates to the research.
Research Hypotheses: based on the purpose and objectives, what are the expected outcomes
for the research? Hypotheses are fundamentally predictions about the answers to the research
question and its component parts. The research hypotheses are a critical element of the research
Project: they will guide the literature review; heavily influence the research methodology needed to
obtain data that will either support or reject the hypotheses; and provide the focus for data analysis,
discussion, conclusions, and recommendations.
Summary of Remaining Chapters: include a brief summary of the first chapter and
describe the content of the remaining chapters. If a preface is utilized, this subsection is not needed.
Chapter II: Literature Review
The second chapter should not be confused with the Introduction in Chapter I. The
introduction provides a review of the topic; the Literature Review summarizes what has been said
about the topic. The Literature Review is not a series of book (or journal article) reports. A good
literature review tells a story about the topic, using published works to support what is written. The
chapter should be organized in such a way as to (a) bring together the most important writings about
the research question in general, followed by (b) a closer examination of the writings related to the
component parts detailed in the Purpose and Objectives subsection of Chapter I. It is very helpful to
the reader if the ideas are presented in the same order throughout the Project.
This chapter will contain the greatest number of citations, so it is important that they be done
correctly. Each citation must have a corresponding listing in the Reference section.
The Literature Review should not include data that will be used to answer the research
question or test your research hypotheses. If the Project is utilizing an analysis of published research
to answer the research question, the Literature Review should provide the background and take the
reader up to the point where those studies begin.
**Students are cautioned not to use studies in this section as well as in chapter IV. Do not
use this section to tell the reader what information is going to be in chapter IV, use it to talk about
prior findings in research.
Chapter III: Methodology
In general, this chapter describes how the data were collected that answers the research
question and its component parts. It is important to utilize appropriate methods of data collection in
order to be able to hold up or reject the research hypotheses. This chapter should begin with a
description of the research methods used in the research, including a description of the dependent and
independent variables, if any. There will not be any original data collection, as you will all use
secondary data.
Chapter IV: Results
This chapter includes a presentation and analysis of the data, not how the data was collected.
The tone of the chapter is purely objective, devoid of assumptions and interpretations.
Chapter V: Discussion, Conclusions, and Recommendations
This chapter involves (a) a discussion of the research Project, including the findings,
interpretation of the results, and problems and/or limitations; (b) a conclusion: what did the author
find? What did the author learn? And (c) recommendations for changes in policy or practice, future
research, or anything else that will direct solutions to the problem(s) that were the focus of the
research.
Endnotes
Endnotes supplement or amplify information in the text. They should be used sparingly: if
the information is of central importance, it should be included in the text; if the information is
irrelevant or nonessential, it should be excluded; however, if the information is tangential, and more
fully develops an element of the text, endnotes may be appropriate. Endnotes can be included at the
end of each chapter or at the end of all the text. Appendix or Appendixes
The main purpose of the appendix (or appendixes) is (are) to provide detailed information that
would be distracting if presented in the text. For example, a survey instrument or questionnaire, a
data collection form, or a list of variables would be appropriate for placement in an appendix.
References
Only those works cited in the text appear in the Reference section and, conversely, every
work in the Reference section must appear in the text. The Reference page is always the last section
of the manuscript. Appendices should come before the references. The last page of the references
should be the last page of the manuscript. It is important to properly cite all references according to
the APA manual 6th edition. Further, students must properly cite tables, charts and so forth according
to the APA manual.
Index
An index can be extremely useful, but also difficult to create. Consider including an index
only if word processing software facilitates its creation.
Section 2: Format for Text
Style
The Public administration program, has adopted the style of the American Psychological
Association (APA). While there are a number of style manuals available, all Capstone Projects must
conform to APA style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th Edition). It is the responsibility for students to make sure their Project conforms to
the APA style. The title page is specific to National University, and therefore does not use running
headers.
Line and Word Spacing
Double spacing, left margins, is required except where the style calls for single spacing (refer
to APA Manual). Widows (the last line of a paragraph as the first line of a page) or orphans (a
heading or the first line of a paragraph as the last line on a page) are not acceptable. Words must not
be divided in a way which leaves one letter of the word on either line or the past tense of a verb at the
end of the first line. APA calls for only one space between words. Lengthy quotations (a prose
quotation of two or more sentences which runs to five or more typewritten lines) must be in block
form, single-spaced, intended five spaces from the margin on both sides, and not enclosed in
quotation marks (see style manual for specific details) Care must also be taken to observe all rules for
making omissions in the quotation, including omission of the beginning of the first sentence of a new
paragraph in the quoted source.
Chapters
Each chapter must begin on a new page. Chapters should be numbered. Refer to the APA
Style Manual for different styles of headings.
Section 3: Illustrations
The purpose of illustrations (drawings, photographs, diagrams, maps, tables, plates, etc.) is to
present information more clearly than can be done with words. Legends or titles should be self-
explanatory, concise, and consistent in form with APA. Refer to the APA Style Manual for specific
details.
Tables
The term “table” applies to numerical and statistical data set in vertical and horizontal
alignment. Tables over half a page in length should be placed on a separate page. Tables too wide to
be accommodated on one page may be typed on two or more pages, pasted together, and either folded
or reduced to page size by a suitable photographic process. Lengthy tables should be placed in the
Appendix.
Footnotes for tables are to be indicated by standard symbols (*, etc.) or lower-case letters (a,
b, etc.). Do not use numbers for footnotes to tables. Footnotes are placed at the bottom of the table,
not the bottom of the page.
Sample of Title Page for Capstone Project
TITLE
A RESEARCH PROJECT SUBMITTED TO