Research Paper Instructions

Your Research Paper will be submitted in 3 parts: Topic Approval, References Page and Sentence Outline, and Final Draft.

Topic Approval

  1. You can write about anything database-related except the history of databases.
  2. The topic needs to have sufficient scholarly sources published within the last five years. The topic should be highly relevant and specific to databases.
  3. In addition to scholarly support, strong Biblical support is essential to your success. The topic must include suitable opportunities for the integration of a Biblical worldview.  For example, assure you integrate a Biblical worldview into the management, storage, integrity and security surrounding the storage of personal information.  At least one question you could esteem to address is what are the policies, procedures, processes, and standards that are appropriate to ethically and Biblically hold personal property of others?  What are we called to do as believers to care for the personal property of others?  In other words, provide a justification for the ethical storage of user data.
  4. Write a 1-paragraph summary, with at least 250 words, of what you plan to discuss in your paper. Your instructor will read your proposal and either approve it or suggest that you select another topic. If your topic is not approved, you will have 2 calendar days to resubmit a second proposal for full credit. The summary must be written in 12-point Times New Roman font and be double-spaced.
  5. The 1-paragraph summary must be in 3rd person narrative. That is, do not include any references to yourself (i.e. I, we, my, mine, ours) or the second person (e.g., you, yours, etc.). Acceptable pronouns are he, she, his, hers, they, them, theirs, etc.
  6. Select a topic that will allow you to get at least 7 valid scholarly references for your research paper. Note that websites and articles from websites are not considered scholarly sources. Although your references page will be due in a separate deliverable, you must keep it in mind when selecting your topic.
  7. Use / search for the Liberty University Online Writing Center. The current link at the time of this writing is: https://www.liberty.edu/academics/graduate/writing/?PID=17176
  8. The writing center addresses important elements such as where to find scholarly journal articles, how to use proper APA, how resolve grammatical issues, and many other important elements to assist your research and writing

References Page and Sentence Outline

Reference Page:

  1. Submit your references (minimum of 7) in a Word document.
  2. Note that most websites, blogs, and sites like Wikipedia are not considered valid scholarly peer reviewed references. We are looking for journal articles. In your paper, be sure to cite everything you get from another source (i.e. direct quotations, charts, pictures, or summaries of someone else’s ideas). Also, be sure to include all of the materials that you have consulted in writing your paper, even if you did not cite them in the body of your paper. The Bible and course textbook can count as additional references.  In addition to the latter references, you need to meet the outlined minimum for scholarly references.  When in doubt, go above and beyond as minimums will not necessarily equate to quality and high evaluation marks.
  3. Use current APA format in the construction of your entire paper including margins, spacing, and your references page.

Sentence Outline:

  1. In the same Word document, but on separate pages, include an outline of your research paper. Include as much detail as possible without writing complete paragraphs. (This will help you as you construct your final version.)
  2. A cover sheet is required (current APA format). The outline format will be as follows:
  3. item 1
    • sub-item
      • sub-item
  4. item

Final Draft

  1. Your final draft must be written in a Word document in current APA format and must include a title page, an abstract, a running title, a body, and a references page. Note that you do not have to include the sentence outline you prepared in the previous assignment. The sentence outline was designed to help you organize your paper.
  2. The body of the paper must be at least 1,500 words.
  3. At the minimum, the research paper should include the following headings:
    1. Introduction
    2. Problem statement
      1. What is the research paper attempting to solve?
      2. What are the implications of a Biblical worldview on the problem?
    3. Purpose statement
      1. What are the goals of the research paper?
    4. Literature review
      1. Review of related research relevant to the problem
    5. Implications of the research paper
      1. Relevant to a Biblical worldview
      2. Relevant to industry and managers
    6. Biblical worldview implications
      1. Justification for ethical storage of user data
      2. Biblical worldview of integrity of personal data
    7. Conclusion