How to advise students Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by Raj Haj

The Graduation Research Project (GRP) is an important part of your academic journey. It allows you to explore a topic of your choice in depth and develop your research skills. The GRP helps you to demons­trate your ability to conduct indepe­ndent research, analyze data/ academic materials, and present your findings in a clear and concise manner. It also allows you to contribute to the body of knowledge in your field of study.

The three phases of the GRP (Before, During, and After) are important to keep in mind throughout the project. Keep these phases in mind, to ensure that you are on track and meeting the necessary deadlines. It also helps you to stay organized and focused throughout the project. Remember to consult with your advisor and take advantage of the resources available to you.

- Start with your interests
- Consider your career goals
- Focus on a specific area
- Consult with your advisor
- Research existing literature
- Consider interd­isc­ipl­inary collab­oration
- Empower yourself

- The seminar is a mandatory component for gradua­tion, contri­buting 1 credit towards the 124-credit requir­ement.
- It should be taken a semester before the GRP if all prereq­uisites are met; otherwise, permission is required to take them concur­rently.
- Students should take the CLA+ test in week 4, which accounts for 20 percent of the final grade. Failing to take the CLA+ test will result in a failing grade for the seminar.
- By week 10, students must submit the following items to the admin office via email by 12 p.m. JST on Friday, and copy their advisor:
- Draft proposal (400–500 words) for GRP
- Annotated Biblio­graphy: at least 10 sources, summar­izing and assessing each, helps comprehend signif­icance and credib­ility, stream­lines research process.
- For students studying abroad, provisions are made to ensure a smooth progre­ssion of their GRP and seminar:
- Parallel Seminar: Students should be approached for a parallel seminar conducted online. This allows them to actively partic­ipate in seminar discus­sions and receive guidance from their advisor, even when they are physically distant.
- Remote Advisor Guidance: The advisor shall provide guidance and feedback on the research progress, method­ology, and analysis. It is recomm­ended to schedule regular virtual meetings with the advisor to discuss any challenges or questions.

The Graduation Research Project (GRP) is an important part of your academic journey. It allows you to explore a topic of your choice in depth and develop your research skills. To help you with this project, we have provided some guidelines for struct­uring your GRP manusc­ript. These structures are not rigid templates, but rather a foundation upon which you can build and customize your manuscript to effect­ively present your research findings and arguments.

When defining a research question, consider the following aspects and make sure your research question is Specific, Measur­able, Achiev­able, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART):

- What: What is the main topic or issue that the research aims to invest­igate?
- Who is concerned: Who or what group of people, organi­zations or entities are involved or affected by the research question?
- What aspect: What particular aspect or dimension of the topic or issue is the research question focusing on?
- Where: Is there a particular geogra­phical or spatial context that the research question pertains to?
- When: Is there a specific time frame or period that the research question pertains to?

I. Introd­uction
A. Background Inform­ation
B. Thesis Statement
II. Literature Review
A. Overview of Relevant Research
B. Analysis of Research
III. Method­ology
A. Research Design
B. Materi­al/Data Collection and Analysis
IV. Results and Discussion
A. Presen­tation of Findings
B. Interp­ret­ation of Results
C. Counte­rar­guments or Limita­tions
V. Conclusion
A. Summary of Findings
B. Answer to the research question
C. Implic­ations for Future Research
VI. References

I. Introd­uction
- A. Background Inform­ation
- B. Research Question
- C. Literature Review
- 1. Overview of Relevant Research
- 2. Analysis and Synthesis of Research
- 3. Identi­fic­ation of Knowledge Gaps
- D. Method­ology
- 1. Method­olo­gical Consid­era­tions
- 2. Selection and Justif­ication of Primary Sources
- 3. Secondary Sources and Supporting Materials
- II. Evidence
- A. Primary Sources
- B. Secondary Sources
- III. Analysis
- A. Examin­ation of Primary Sources
- B. Integr­ation of Secondary Sources
- C. Discus­sions
- IV. Conclusion
- A. Summary of Findings
- B. Implic­ations for the Discipline
- C. Answer the Research Question
- D. Sugges­tions for Future Research
- V. Reference List

A literature review is a critical component of the Graduation Research Project (GRP). It involves analyzing existing research on your topic, identi­fying gaps, and situating your own research within the broader field. Here are some tips:

1. Define your research question: Clearly define the question that your research aims to address.
2. Search for relevant literature: Utilize various sources to search for literature that is relevant to your topic.
3. Evaluate and synthesize the literature: Assess the strengths and weaknesses of existing research, and identify key themes.
4. Identify gaps in the literature: Determine areas where the literature lacks coverage or unders­tan­ding, and use them to develop your conceptual framework.
5. Organize the literature review: Group the literature into themes or categories to provide a structured overview.
6. Note trends and patterns: Observe recurring trends or patterns in the literature to gain insights into the field.
7. Highlight research opport­unities: Identify areas where further invest­igation is needed and discuss how your research contri­butes to filling those gaps.

- Introd­uction
- Briefly introduce the research topic and its signif­icance.

- Conceptual Framework (Optional)
- Present the key theories or concepts that underpin your research topic.
- Explain how these theories or concepts inform your study.

- Review of the Literature
- Organize the literature review into themes or categories relevant to your research topic.
- Summarize and critically analyze each study, highli­ghting its purpose, method­ology, findings, and limita­tions.
- Compare and contrast the different studies, identi­fying areas of agreement and disagr­eement.
- Note any trends or patterns in the litera­ture, such as shifts in focus or emerging areas of interest.

- Identi­fic­ation of Gaps and Research Opport­unities
- Highlight gaps in the literature where further research is needed.
- Discuss how your research aims to address these gaps or contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

- Conclusion
- Summarize the main findings of the literature review.
- Reiterate the signif­icance of the research topic and the need for further invest­iga­tion.
- Briefly describe how your study will build upon the literature reviewed.

- Introd­uction
- Briefly introduce the research topic and its signif­icance.

- Conceptual Framework (Optional)
- Present the key theories or concepts that underpin your research topic.
- Explain how these theories or concepts inform your study.

- Review of the Literature
- Organize the literature review into themes or categories relevant to your research topic.
- Summarize and critically analyze each study, highli­ghting its purpose, method­ology, findings, and limita­tions.
- Compare and contrast the different studies, identi­fying areas of agreement and disagr­eement.
- Note any trends or patterns in the litera­ture, such as shifts in focus or emerging areas of interest.

- Identi­fic­ation of Gaps and Research Opport­unities
- Highlight gaps in the literature where further research is needed.
- Discuss how your research aims to address these gaps or contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

- Conclusion
- Summarize the main findings of the literature review.
- Reiterate the signif­icance of the research topic and the need for further invest­iga­tion.
- Briefly describe how your study will build upon the literature reviewed.

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