Remember: The final project has the same document format as the proposal, but instead of discussing what you will do, you are discussing the results of what you did. And, no, you cannot just change the Deliverables/Expected Results section only in the final report. You will have to change every section, if for no other reason than to correct verb tense.

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Feedback from Proposal:———————

Background: Your Background states the reason the project is being undertaken, and provides a brief background that describes the problem or issue this project will seek to resolve or explore. Well done.

Goals: Your Goals section does not provide clear, concise, measurable goal(s) statement(s) for the project. Or, your goals are those of an organization and not you, the researcher.

Methodology/Approach: Your Methodology/Approach states the proposed approach that will be used to meet the project goal(s).

Deliverables/Expected Results: Good. You listed the end product or services that are to be produced in order to fulfill the goal(s) of the project; deliverables have measurable results; and there are clear deliverables to measure against each goal.

Requirements/Resources: You listed the specifications for each deliverable, which may include quality, workmanship, use of specific products/components; and you listed the critical success factors that will be used to measure the project’s success at its completion. Well done.

Assumptions: You listed conditions believed to be true before beginning the project.

Limits and Exclusions: You listed items/products/services that are not part of this project, or clarified items /products / services that may be produced to minimum levels.

Milestones: Good; provided a list of milestones and their completion dates or the Critical Path Method for key project events (At least 3 major milestones needed to be provided. The 4th is the deliverable project)

Bibliography: Finally, you provided an APA formatted list of sources you plan to use in this research.

Overall, I think your proposal mainly met the outlined requiremements, and you should continue with your research.

Please review the following recommendations…

In APA Style, an abstract is a required, which is a SEPARATE PAGE that includes a concise summary of the key points of your research. The content will vary, depending on the type of research (see the APA Manual’s Abstract section for details). Generally speaking, it should contain your topic, research questions, participants, analysis methods, research results, and any conclusions you make. Regardless of research type, all abstract content should be accurate, non-evaluative, coherent, and concise. Mechanically, it should be a single paragraph, double-spaced, between 150 and 250 words. Note that an abstract is not a copy of the first paragraph of the report.

Here is a good abstract example:

“Trainee performance using computer-based training (CBT) may be related to the degree of interaction that occurs between trainees and the instructor, or between trainees and each other. This is significant in that the individualized nature of CBT (and perhaps Web-based training) is contrary to the social interaction needs of trainees.”

This first section defines the problem/opportunity.

“Using relevant pedagogical and social communication theories as a basis, this study employed empirical research methods on undergraduate participants to achieve the following objectives: to explore the use of computer mediated communication (CMC) as a surrogate for face-to-face interaction with CBT trainees, and to provide research-based recommendations for human resource development (HRD) managers charged with deployment of these and related technologies.”

This second section defines the research and its scope.

“The research results showed that personalized email sent to undergraduate CBT participants once per week performed significantly better than participants that received no email. However, email provided no significant impact on participant satisfaction, except with regard to the research question concerning the construction of performance measures.”

The final section defines the results of the research.

Note that the flow is clear and logical, and by reading this abstract, you know exactly what the study was about, and the outcome of its results.

Please note that your writing could be improved by using more transitions. For example, here’s an example with poor transition:”Fuel efficiency is an important aspect of the car purchasing decision. Overall cost is probably more important.” This is improved by showing contrast:”Fuel efficiency is an important aspect of the car purchasing decision. However, overall cost is probably more important.” The latter reads better and helps the reader understand what the writer had in mind.

There are numerous transition words. For example, there are words that:
…Show conclusion
…Repeat information
…Show comparison
…Show contrast or differences

For an exhaustive list, see http://writingcenter.unc.edu/resources/handouts-de…

Transitions or segues are also important for citations. For example:

According to Smith (2001, p.2), “The sky is blue.”

“The sky is blue” Smith (2001, p. 2).

In this case, the former is generally better than the latter.

To avoid an informal tone, I recommend that you do not refer to yourself (e.g., this author, the writer) in your papers.