Term Research Paper Overview:
The topic of this term’s paper will be “A Construction Project Case Study.” This can either be an international, national or local construction project. The object of the paper will be to select a major construction project, either presently under construction, or built, preferably, within the last 10 years, by a company of the students choice and approved by the instructor and generally discuss the project, including the name of the project, the Architect and the Consultants, the Owners, a complete description of the structure being built, the project delivery system being utilized, and construction related issues, especially with respect to the country in which the project is located. Such issues, at a minimum, should include whether the project is in the public or private sector, building codes being utilized, the jurisdiction in which the building permit has been granted and specific challenges represented by local requirements and restrictions. Of special interest would be any problems that were solved by methods that were different or unique from those commonly used in the U.S., especially through the cooperation of international teams, and how this affected your outlook toward the tenets of global citizenship, as articulated in class. Information must also be provided about the construction company building the project, including a brief history of the company, how long it has been in existence, how many employees overall, how many offices and employees per office, the type and volume of work they do and what makes the company unique.
Directions:
This is a formal Research Paper so please submit your research paper in MLA Format with 12 size font and style the to be New Times New Roman. However, you can be creative with your Title Page can use any font for the title. I will also allow creativity in the way you arrange your reference materials, just be consistent with the font size/style. Your research package needs to include the following:
- Title page (Required)
- Abstract (Optional)
- Table of Content (Optional but suggested if you have a lot of additional reference material)
- Introduction, Body and Conclusion – 6 pages minimum (Required)
- Bibliography (Required)
- Additional Referenced Materials (Required)
Tips on How to Format a Good Research Paper
A research paper contains the following elements:
- Title page features a title, student’s name, educational establishment, and publication date.
- Abstract a summary, brief (up to 250 words) and not obligatory. (Optional)
- Table of Content Optional if you have a lot of supporting materials.
- Introduction background information that leads to the thesis statement. In the introduction you can explain the choice of your topic, state your approach, express a theory or suggestion, make a strong thesis statement. This part implies covering the purpose and the main idea of your paper. Additionally, you have to provide the contextual information on the topic for the readers to have a good grasp on the matter. Note that effective introduction should attract the attention of a reader, so think of a story, current event, or statistics that pertain to the topic. Moreover, if the research that you are carrying out is rather complicated or involves using many terms, add them to your outline too. That will help you to understand the basic concepts of the topic. Do not forget that the introduction should close with the thesis statement, which is 1-2 sentences in length.
- Body consists of several parts: materials, methods, results, discussion, and the conclusion. This is the largest part of your paper, and therefore, it has to be split into several subtopics. Each subtopic has to be introduced as a separate paragraph with the main idea and at least two arguments, examples, or explanations supporting this idea. Mind that one paragraph should smoothly go over to the next one so that there is an inextricable link between these subtopics. Also, every thought or idea introduced further should not contradict the previously stated one.
- Conclusion restate the thesis, proving that your study is important and relevant, and mission has been accomplished. It usually takes half of page or so and aims to give a brief summary of the subject in question, particularly the direction of your research. Here, you have to indicate the research method and theoretical approach you used. You will have to mention why you have chosen this topic and how significant or interesting it is.
- Bibliography list of cited works, which includes both literature quoted directly and paraphrased sources.
- Additional Referenced Materials tables, charts, figures, terminology, photos, plans, construction documentation etc. Aside from reference list, you might need to add notes and appendices. The purpose of notes, which are divided into footnotes and endnotes, is to add important or interesting yet not directly relevant information on the matter. Appendices, on the other hand, provide more detailed information on the topic, which would distract a readers attention if mentioned in the body of the text.
