University of the Immaculate Conception

Graduate School

GRADUATE SCHOOL RESEARCH GUIDE

ACADEMIC YEAR 2022-2023

RATIONALE

The University of the Immaculate Conception graduate school department follow

definite curricula and standards set by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and
the institution. For graduating students to be granted their respective degrees, they must
be able to comply with all curricular requirements that include passing all their subjects and
submitting co-curricular tasks and conditions. One of the subjects, Research/Dissertation,
also follows a coursework prescribed in the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) and its
specific syllabus. This means that students are expected to produce quality research paper.

For the graduate students to be guided in the conduct of their research work, this
research guide is prepared for them. This will guide them in the process from the writing of
their papers to the preparations for proposal and final oral presentations. Included in this
research guide are instructions and guidelines they need to follow and fulfill to complete
their scholarly work.

Furthermore, this Graduate School Research guide provides a detailed guide on

how to navigate the challenge of writing a reliable research paper. It talks about
recommended steps to be followed and elements to be covered in the paper. Moreover,
this graduate school research guide provides some guidelines on citation.

UIC PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION

University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC) adheres to the RVM Philosophy of

Education aimed at leading all to fullness of life in Jesus Christ.

We believe that…

God is Father who, in abundant love and total graciousness, created humanity and
all creation to share His love.
When humanity chose to live apart from God, in tender mercy, the Father sent His
Son Jesus to show humanity the way back to Him to pursue the path of justice, truth
and love.

The Father sent the Holy Spirit to sanctify, inspire, guide and enlighten everyone in
following Jesus so that the will of God for the well-being of all may be fulfilled.

God chose Mary to be the Mother of Jesus, the Son of God and the Mother of the
Church. Mary, being the first disciple, journeys with us to fullness of life in Jesus
Christ.

We believe that…

By the example set by Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, the RVM Education
proclaims that it is the heart that knows God, who is the source of all wisdom (cf.
Prov. 2:6; 9:10; Job 28:20,23; Ecll 2:26; Ps 51:6;James 3: 17 – 18).
 Education is a life-long process whereby human persons grow and develop their
potentials in the pursuit of their God-given mission of transforming all things in Jesus
Christ.

Learning is growth for every person to become a witness to faith, excellence and service
in varied socio-cultural settings thus, participate in the transforming experience of life in
Jesus Christ.

The School is where the process of growth is directed towards reverence for
creation and persons, which fortifies the spirit of communion.

The Students who are citizens of their times, unique with their own history,
capacities and inspiration, have the sacred and the good, the promise and the
potentials for the actualization of the mission entrusted to them.

The Teachers are persons committed to the process of becoming whole and to the
task of leading others to maturity in Jesus Christ.

The School Administrators are servant leaders committed to witness to the “Good
News” and to journey with the academic community in their search for truth, beauty
and goodness.

As a Catholic School, UIC works for the development of the whole person who
recognizes one’s Christian role of exemplifying ethical and corporate responsibilities
in a humane society through a constant encounter with Jesus Christ and others.

As a Filipino School, UIC is dedicated to the task of producing well-rounded

citizens who can preserve and witness to relevant and wholesome Filipino culture,
values and attitudes.

As an RVM School, UIC is committed to the Christian formation of Ignacian Marian leaders
who are imbued with Ignacian Spirituality and live simply to serve God and creation.

UIC VISION, MISSION, AND GOALS

A globally recognized Catholic university that nurtures faith, builds passion for
excellence and develops lifelong learners with compassion for service that impacts
transformation in a fast-changing
society.

A. MISSION

We commit ourselves to:

1. provide an excellent educational experience to students to help them become globally

competitive and adaptive to change;
2. inculcate among students the values of serving others with humility and love, working
for justice, promoting peace, and preserving the integrity of creation;
3. engage in research activities in collaboration with local, regional, national, and
international partners;
4. uphold the dignity of the persons especially the poor;
5. promote and strengthen our Filipino culture and values; and
6. administer the university following Catholic doctrine.

B. GOALS

The University of the Immaculate Conception is a Catholic School that is an

instrumentality of the Congregation of the Religious of the Virgin Mary that aims to provide
within its community of students and personnel Catholic values. Its goal is to provide an
educational program and environment animated by Catholic doctrine, beliefs, teachings,
traditions, and practices, the exercise of which is protected by, among others, Article III,
Section 5 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

In order for us to approximate our vision and live our mission, we dedicate all our
human resources to transform the members of the UIC family to become enlightened,
empowered, pro-active and liberated Christian leaders living in a humane and harmonious
community for love of God, country, and the world.

GRADUATE SCHOOL RESEARCH GUIDE OBJECTIVES

Reflecting on the University’s vision and in realizing Mission Statement #2 – exercise

leadership in pursuit of excellence in instruction, research and community service – the
UIC undergraduate research objectives are to – [1] develop research projects for
knowledge generation; [2] improve life and conditions of the society in general and
communities in particular; and more importantly [3] convey values and principles to
students which should not stop only at achieving personal growth and psycho-spiritual and
social maturity but also contributing for the common good of humanity.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Adviser. A full time or partime faculty of the graduate school of the same disciplinal
preparation with the student and has the capacity to give input relative to the content of the
paper.

Research/Dissertation teacher. A faculty who handles the Research/Dissertation

subject with respect to the curriculum.

Consultation. A research-related period/time between the adviser and the advisee.

QUALIFICATIONS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE

THESIS/DISSERTATION TEACHER, THESIS/DISSERTATION ADVISER, PANEL
MEMBERS, VALIDATORS, DEBRIEFER, GRAMMARIAN, AND STATISTICIAN
THESIS/DISSERTATION TEACHER

Qualification. The teacher who handles the research subject with respect to the
curriculum, must be
a) a fulltime faculty member of the graduate school of the University of the
Immaculate Conception
b) an MA/MS/PhD degree holder
c) extensive experience in the field under study

Duties and Responsibilities

a) Prepares the syllabus of the subject
b) Designs a program for individual consultation
c) Assists students in formulating their research concept in preparation for public
forum
d) Guides the students to understand their responsibility as researchers
e) Monitors students’ output
f) Assigns research advisers with the approval of the Program Coordinator upon
careful consideration of their roles and functions.
g) Writes the letter to the identified advisers, duly approved by Dean, asking for their
acceptance of the said task
h) Formulates performance rubrics as basis for the computation of grades
i) Provides dates of deadlines to the adviser for further notice
j) Prepares the forms needed for proposal and final defense
k) Coordinates with the researcher in charge for research forum, symposium,
congress and conferences.
l) May sit as a panel member if and when such expertise is needed.
m) Assigns Adviser/s to the student researcher/s
n) Coordinates with the Adviser on the students’ outputs

RESEARCH/DISSERTATION ADVISER

Qualifications. The research adviser who has equally important role with the research
teacher should have the following qualifications
a) a fulltime or part time member of the graduate school University of Immaculate
Conception. In case of unavailability, external adviser is possible provided that the
qualifications are met.
b) a full fledge holder of an MA/MS/PhD Degree
c) a productive Researcher with Publication (institutional/collaborative)

Duties and Responsibilities

a) Meets advisee/s for consultation
b) Keeps a clean record of consultation meeting as basis for recommendation for
proposal prefinal and final defense
c) Helps advisee meet the deadline set by the thesis/dissertation teacher
d) Guides advisee/s in the access of linkages in the course of their writing
e) Scrutinizes the output of his/her advisee/s in accordance to the content of the
research
 f) Guides the students in gathering data in the course of the research
g) Ensures the validity of the content of the research
h) Endorses his/her advisee/s for the proposal and prefinal and final defense. Forms
of the said endorsement are available at the Graduate school office. The forms
should be filled up by the adviser and duly signed by the person involved before
filing.
i) Ensures the originality of the work of the students.
j) Regularly meets Advisee/s for consultation
k) Keeps a record for every consultation in a logbook
l) Clearly states expected output of the students in the log book and ensure that
researchers are aware and agree on the expected output
PANEL MEMBERS
All the technical panel members must be present during the proposal, prefinal and
final oral presentation of the thesis/dissertation paper. Should a panel be not be available
during the scheduled paper presentation, a substitute will be provided by the
Thesis/Dissertation Teacher in coordination with the Program Head, approved by the
Graduate School Dean.

Qualifications of an External Panel member

a) MA/MS/MBA/PhD degree holder
b) Extensive experience in the field under study
c) Faculty Member of any HEI’s in Davao City or any Industry Expert
d) Productive Researcher with Publication (institutional/collaborative)

Duties and Responsibilities of an External Panel Member

a) Suggests improvements for a quality research output.
b) Critiques the research output’s reliability and validity
c) Ensures acceptability of the paper for publication, institutionally and internationally.
d) Critiques the marketability and acceptability of the business idea (for business
plans).
e) Ensures business viability and profitability (for business plans)

Qualifications for an Internal Panel member

a) an MA/MS/MBA/PhD degree holder or has extensive experience in the field under
study
b) a member of the UIC Graduate School/College Faculty
c) a productive Researcher with Publication (institutional/collaborative)

Duties and Responsibilities of an Internal Panel member

a) Suggests improvements for a quality research output.
b) Critiques the research output’s reliability and validity
c) Ensures acceptability of the paper for publication, institutionally and internationally.
 d) Critiques the marketability and acceptability of the business idea (for business
plans.
e) Ensures business viability and profitability (for business plans)

Qualifications for a Chairman

a) an MA/MS/MBA/PhD degree holder
b) has extensive experience in the field under study
c) a member of UIC College Faculty (fulltime or parttime?
d) a productive Researcher with Publication (institutional/collaborative)

Duties and Responsibilities of a Chairperson

a) Acts as the Chairperson of the Panel members
b) Deliberates with the rest of the panel members the approval of the concept and/or
final research output.
c) Examines the validity and content of the research output.
d) Deliberates with the rest of the member of the panel for the approval of the
concepts and or the final output of the research
e) Inspects thoroughly research output in terms of originality and content.
f) Recommends suggestions and recommendation to improve the quality of the
research output.
g) Critiques the work in terms of the substance and ensures acceptability of the paper
for possible international publication.

VALIDATOR (EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL)

Qualifications. In the course of writing the research some aspects of the study like the
content of the questionnaire has to be validated. Thus, the following qualification of the
internal and external validators should be observed.
a) a holder of MA/MS/PhD degree program, thus an expert in the field. In case there is
unavailability of the said validators, ongoing study can be considered.

Duties and Responsibilities

a) Corrects the content and construct of a questionnaire
b) Suggests the possible correction in the questionnaire
c) Checks that questionnaire answers the statement of the problem
DEBRIEFER FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCH (EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL)

Qualifications. For most of the qualitative research, debriefer is a necessity to ensure

correctness of the desired results. Thus, the following qualifications have to be observed.
a) A holder of MA/MS/PhD degree program, no non-MA/MS degree holder are
allowed to do debriefing
b) Has the same field of study and or interest with the study to be debriefed or at
least inclined to the same or allied topics covered in the study
Duties and Responsibilities
a) Checks the result and validate obtained by the researcher/s vis-à-vis the statement
of the problems
b) Ensures the authenticity of the result based from the theory utilized in the study
 c) Provides a certification stating the correctness of the result

GRAMMARIAN

Qualifications. Sound language in a research is important because it facilitates smooth

understanding of the thought implied in the research. Simple sentence is encouraged
though, but simple as it is, it should abide rules of subject and verb. For such purpose to
be employed, the following qualifications for a grammarian should be strictly observed:
a) has completed MA/MAED/PhD in English

Duties and Responsibilities

a) Makes sure that the agreement between subject and the verb as well as the noun-
antecedent agreement is highly observed
b) Looks after the consistency of the verb tenses used
c) Provides the certificate duly signed stating that the manuscript has undergone
grammar check

STATISTICIAN

Qualifications. For a quantitative research, a statistician is a necessity to do the statistical

analysis of data. The statistician may also sit as a panel member. Thus, the following
qualifications have to be observed,
a) A holder of MA/MS degree in Mathematics or Statistics
b) Has an extensive experience in teaching statistics and doing statistical analysis of
undergraduate research using software such as SPSS, MINITAB and other
software deemed appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities. The statistician has to ensures that the

a) questionnaires can be used to answer the statement of the problem
b) statistical tool/s is/are used in analyzing data collected through the research
questionnaire.
c) data gathered are analyzed thoroughly

FORMATS

General Format

Spacing : between sentences : two single spaces

: between paragraphs : two single spaces
Double spacing must be observed all throughout the manuscript.
However, single spacing can be applied in table headings and title
or caption of figures.

Margins Top : 1”
Bottom : 1”
 Left : 1.5”
Right : 1”
Font Style : Arial
Size : 12
Paper Layout 8.5 x 11
Paragraph Layout Justified
Pagination Placed on the upper right corner of the manuscript except for chapter
pages
Title Titles must have a maximum number of words of 21 including the
articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and the like.
Must be written in all capital and in bold letters following the inverted
pyramid shape

All degree programs should follow the format indicated below for uniformity

Title Page
Table of Contents
Approval Sheet
List of Tables
List of Figures
References
Curriculum Vitae
Appendices
TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE single space, bold, all
TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE in capital letter,
TITLE TITLE inverted pyramid
shape

____________________ 20 underscores

A Thesis/Dissertation

presented to

The faculty of the Graduate School double space, not in

bold letters
University of the Immaculate Conception

Davao City

____________________ 20 underscores

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

double space, not in
bold letters
Doctor of Philosophy in Education

major in Applied Linguistics

____________________ 20 underscores

NAME NAME NAME NAME all in capital letters,

bold

Month, year not in capital letters,

Table of Contents not in bold letters
 Page
Title Page

Approval Sheet

Acknowledgement

Dedication

Abstract

Table of Contents

List of Tables
chapter number should be placed under “p” of the word chapter,
Chapter bold, not all in capital letters, true to all chapter numbers. Page

1 Introduction bold, not all capital letters, true to all parts

Purpose of the study 3
page
Research Questions 3 numbers
parts of the are
introduction placed
should be Theoretical Lens 4
center
indented from under
the word Importance of the Study 6
the word
“Introduction”, “page),
use one tab Delimitation and Limitation of the Study 8
true to all
space. This is page
true to all parts Definition of Terms 9
numbers
Review of Related Literatures 10

Organization of the Study 11

2 Methodology

Research Design 13

Participants 14

Data Sources 16

Data Collection 19

Data Analysis 21
 Role of the Researcher 34

Trustworthiness of the Study 37

Ethical Consideration 40

3 Case 1 41

4 Case 2 This part coincides with the type of the research 44

method; therefore this is replaced with Results
5 Case 3 following the order reflected in the research 56
questions or statement of the problems. See the
6 Case 4 following sample. 65

7 Case 5 68

8 Cross-Case Analysis 90

9 Discussion

Implication for Educational Practice 121

Recommendation for Future Research 134

Concluding Remarks 136

For Mixed-methods

2 Methods
Research Design
Place of Study
Participants
Instruments
Data Collection
Data Analysis
Sequence, Emphasis, and Mixing Procedures
Figure of Procedures
Anticipated Methodological Issues
Trustworthiness of the Study
Ethical Considerations
3 Results ( reflect headings based from SOP )
4 Discussion ( reflect headings based from SOP )
5 Conclusion and Recommendations
Implications for Educational/Business Practice
Recommendations for Future Research
 Concluding Remarks

For Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Format

Title Page
Approval Sheet Acknowledgment Abstract
Table of Contents List of Tables
List of Figures
Chapter
1 INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Review Question
Review of Related Literature
Theoretical Framework
Conceptual Framework
2 METHODS
Research Design
Place of Study
Data Sources and Selection
Inclusion and exclusion criteria
Data Extraction
Quality Assessment
Data Synthesis and Analysis
Narrative Synthesis
Meta-Analysis
Ethical Consideration
3 RESULTS
Study selection
Features of the study
Quality Assessment
Narrative Synthesis
Participants
Intervention
Comparator
Outcome (PICO)
Meta-Analysis
4 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
Recommendations

References

Appendices

A Permission Letter 137

B Ethical Clearance 138

 C Endorsement for Pre-final Defense 139

D Informed Consent 140

E Profile of the Participants 141

F Interview Guide Questions 142

G Validation Form for Qualitative Research 143

H Certificate of Language Editing 144

I Certificate of Originality 145

Curriculum Vitae

List of Table

Table Page

1 Profile of the Participants 74

2 Experiences of Parents 77

3 Navigating the Challenges of their

Experiences 79

4 Similarities and Differences of the

Experiences and Navigating Skills
of Parents 83

Note: Formats on spacing, capitalization, indention, layout should be followed

strictly for uniformity.

The first three sequence of appended document should be followed. The following
documents can be interchanged. However, the last two in the sequence should
appear as it is in given sample.

The following page illustrates the format for an Approval Sheet for all course programs in
the Graduate School. All the formats: spacing, font style, font size, layout should be strictly
followed for all courses.
 UNIVERSITY OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
Bonifacio Street, Davao City

GRADUATE SCHOOL
________________________________________________________________

APPROVAL SHEET

This dissertation titled, “TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE TITLE
TITLE,” of the University of the Immaculate Conception prepared and submitted by NAME
NAME NAME NAME NAME in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in Education Major in Applied Linguistics has been examined and is
recommended for approval and acceptance.

NAME OF THE ADVISER

Adviser
______________________________________________________________________

APPROVED by the dissertation committee on oral examination with a grade of PASSED.

NAME OF THE CHAIRPERSON

Chairperson

NAME OF A PANEL MEMBER NAME OF A PANEL MEMBER

Member Member

NAME OF A PANEL MEMBER NAME OF A PANEL MEMBER

Member Member
______________________________________________________________________

ACCEPTED and APPROVED in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy of Education Major in Applied Linguistics.

Comprehensive Examination: PASSED

NAME OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL DEAN

Dean, Graduate School

May 2022
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
- In Quantitative is written in Upper case
- In Qualitative is written in Sentence Case
- In mixed methods is written in sentence case
Order of Acknowledgment:
-Adviser (person who works closely with the researcher)
-Panel members ( help the researcher in improving the research
Study through comments and suggestions)
-Significant others ( Assistants in gathering data, and other Assistance)
-Head of the Department
-The Supreme Guide
After the last acknowledgment- Initials of researcher in upper Case

Length: Utmost 2 pages

DEDICATION: for qualitative – sentence case, length- utmost is one-half

page. Last part is researcher’s initials;
: for quantitative- uppercase, length- utmost is one-half page. Last part
is researcher’s initials.

CONTENTS

ABSTRACT (Bold) : Single paragraph- (Source APA 6th and 7th)

In Quantitative is written in upper case- 150-200 words
In Qualitative is written in sentence case-150-200 words
In mixed-methods/multi-method/SRMA is written in sentence case- not more than
250 words

ABSTRACT
(QUALITATIVE-MULTIPLE CASE STUDY)
This part of the manuscript contains the following
• Introductory statement
• Design of the study
• purpose of the study
• participants
• the problems being pursued
• what is the manner of data gathering
• how was the date analyzed
• results of the analysis

ABSTRACT
(QUANTITATIVE/MIXED-METHODS/MULTI-METHOD/SRMA)
This part of the manuscript contains the following
• One or two introductory statements
• The main objective or the problem
 • The research design
• Research instruments used
• Respondents or materials
• Sampling technique
• Statistical tools
• Major findings
• One or two concluding sentences

Keywords : Applied linguistics, facebook, social media, magazine, appearance related

social comparison, body image concerns, mood, Philippines

Note: The word “keywords” should be italicized and the second line should be indented
aligned with the first word found in the keyword which always begins with a capital letter
and reflect the program where the student is enrolled. The words to be included should
not be a repetition of the words found in the title. The last word should be always the
country.

Sample:

This qualitative multiple case study aimed to portray the quality of work-life and

challenges of five home-based virtual industry managers coming from various industries:.

property management, real estate, e-commerce, human resource, and telemarketing. They

were chosen through maximum variation sampling. The experiences and coping strategies

of the five cases were examined using in-depth Interviews. Triangulation of the gathered

data was done in each case by interviewing their family members and friends. It was

analyzed using thematic analysis resulting to four emergent themes on the quality work-

life: equitable pay, flexible work arrangement, comfortable work environment, and career

satisfaction. The emergent themes for coping mechanism included the use of modern

equipment or gadgets, application of skills on human behavior in organization, recognition

of employees' social concerns, and application of leadership skills. The five cases were

generally similar in their declaration of satisfaction on the quality of their work-life. As

regards their coping strategies on the challenges of their experiences, three of the five

cases adopted some approaches different from the rest of the cases.

Keywords: Business management, quality of work-life, home-based jobs, virtual industry

managers, multiple case study, Philippines

Chapter 1 Introduction (for each chapter title all throughout the manuscript, the following
are to be ensured: bold face, sentential case, 3 single spaces before beginning the
introductory paragraph, only non-quali researches are in all caps)

Note: The following parts of this chapter for qualitative study (multiple case) are common
to other types of study except for those notation indicated in the following.

Background of the study

The background of the study may be three or four pages. The first line of every
paragraph is indented 5 spaces. Double spacing is maintained throughout the
manuscript.

The following are expected in the background of the study

• 1st paragraph – contains the problematic situation
• 2nd paragraph – international RRL that supports the problematic situation
• 3rd paragraph – national RRL that support the problematic situation
• 4th paragraph – local RRL that supports the problematic situation
• 5th paragraph – urgency and gap of the study
• 6th paragraph – dissemination plan

Note: For studies which are quantitative and mixed-methods, a paragraph after the local
RRL that supports the problematic situation, should discuss the importance of the
dependent variable and relate it to the independent variable/s.

Worldview and Theoretical Lens (mixed-methods)

The section on worldviews describes a researcher's general philosophical
perspective on the world and the approach they take to their research. Based on
their disciplinary orientations, research communities, advisors and mentors, and
prior research experiences, people form worldviews. Based on the kinds of
beliefs that each researcher has, they will frequently adopt a strong qualitative,
quantitative, or mixed methodologies approach to their research.

In mixed methods, the theory used in quantitative part can be discussed

deductively for theory testing and validity. While in qualitative, the researcher can
discuss the theory inductively as in an emerging qualitative theory. There are
several unique ways that theory is incorporated into a mixed methods study in
which researchers collect, analyze, and integrate both quantitative and
qualitative data using diverse mixed methods designs
 A theory is a broad explanation for behavior and attitudes, and it may be
complete with variables, constructs, and hypotheses. It provides an overall
orienting lens for the study questions. This lens becomes a transformative
perspective that shapes the types of questions asked, informs how data the
research collects the data, analyze, and provide a call for action or change

The researcher can write the theory by mentioning first the name of the theory,
followed by a description of how it informs the quantitative and qualitative
components of a mixed method study. It should at least explain the major
relationship of variables in the study. It can continue discussing the studies that
have used the theory, especially studies that relate to the topic being examined
in the present study.

Framework and Research Methods (Multi-method)

This discusses the multi-method research framework, which includes Theory
Building, Observation, Experimentation and System’s Development.

Audience (mixed-methods)
This section describes to whom this paper in intended. It may identify certain
groups of people that will be able to read, and benefit from the study. The
proponent of the paper must elaborate in what sense certain group of people
benefit from the study

Specifically, the People who will benefit from the study, today and in the future, will
be discussed in this section (Stakeholders, Future researchers, Technical
Committee (will vouch for scientific soundness), Research Ethics Committee (those
who will vouch for ethical dimension), Scholars (who will disseminate the info), and
Journal editors, peer reviewers, research and conference organizers

Purpose of the Study

The statement of the purpose of the study align to the research design as
stipulated in Creswell’s book.

Note: For mixed-methods studies, the following are expected to be included: the central
phenomenon, design, the locale, the participants, and ___________.

Research Questions
The preliminary questions should deal on what is the focus of the study and the
last question should culminate with cross-case analysis expressed in the
similarities and differences of each case.

Review Questions (SRMA)

The research question should be presented in a way that will help the reader
identify the key components of the study. The most widely used process to identify
 important and appropriate components in a research question is the mnemonic
PICO. A question that is clear, structured, and objective will also allow the reviewer
to build a search strategy with reduced bias and helps to avoid missing potentially
relevant studies. PICO framework should be presented.

Note: for mixed-methods, it follows the respective design as directed by the panel
members during the defense.

Theoretical Lens
This contains the main theory to be used in the study. It should be justified and
contextualized in the current study. This part may also contain another theory to
address other issues presented in the research question. It may also contain
proposition which supports also the issues in the study.

Note: For mixed-methods studies, the theory/theories should reflect the connection or the
relationship between variables. In the absence of a theory, a proposition may be used. In
the writing of the theoretical framework, the title, the proponent, and year of publication
have to be introduced first. This is followed by a deeper contextual discussion of the theory/
theories or propositions.

Conceptual Framework (mixed-methods studies)

In the conceptual framework, the variables and the indicators are defined or
discussed conceptually and operationally. Immediately after the introduction of the
conceptual framework, the schematic diagram should be placed on the next one-
whole page. Any unfinished discussion should be continued on the next page after
the figure.

Conceptual Framework (SRMA)

This contains the conceptual paradigm of the study. It explanation of the
relationship between variables. The following framework is placed in a whole
page.
Importance of the study
This provides who would benefit from the results of the study and in what way they
could benefit from the results. The narrative is in paragraph form.

Delimitation and Limitation of the Study

Delimitation contains the scope of your study, what is only included in your study.
Limitation contains the perceived weakness of your study, this may be centered on
methods issue, locale issues, or participants issues.

Definition of Term
The terms to be defined are based from the title of the study and some words that
are deemed important

Review of the Related Literature

There should be an introductory paragraph prior to the presentation of the related
literature. The sequence of the cited literature in written under side heads based
from the research questions.

All the cited literature should be 10 years old from its publication date. Include only
the significant results as regards the focus of the study. Avoid conceptual literature
(definition of terms, discussion of the terms).
 The last side head in this part of the manuscript are studies related to the theories
and propositions used in the study. In this part, no strict requirement as to the
recency of the year of publication.

Note: For mixed-methods studies, the following are expected:

a. For variables and Indicators: the researcher is expected to include the
following:
a.1 concept-driven RRL – this refers to definition, concepts about the variables
and indicators of the study
a.2 questionnaire-driven RRL – this refers to the articles and studies that has
something to do with the items in the questionnaires
a.3 study findings-driven RRL – this refers to the results of the study related to
the variables and indicators
b. For measures of correlation (IV and DV): the researcher is expected to include
the following:
b.1 study findings-driven RRL - this refers to the results of the study related to
the variables
b.2 statistical measures-driven RRL – this refers to the RRL that includes the
established relationship of the variables being studied.
c. For issues on DV: the researcher is expected to include the following:
c.1 problematic scenario-driven RRL – this refers to the RRL that talks about
the pressing issues about the DV that are not mentioned on the background
of the study.
c.2 research grey area-driven RRL – this refers to those that possible areas
that were not explored that may have caused pressing issues on the DV
c.3 unimplemented study recommendations-driven – this refers to the
identified recommendations that may not have been carried out in a study
which shows possible issues related to the DV

The last paragraph is devoted to the synthesis of the RRL. There is no citation in
this part.

Note: The side heads are indented five spacebar from the left indention. Each of
the side heads are not embedded in the paragraph, unlike the indicators in a
quantitative study.

Organization of the Study

This part of the manuscript describes the content of each chapter in a multiple
case study.

Chapter 2 Methodology

This chapter starts with a short introduction that mentions the different sections like
research design, research locale, research respondents/participants, sampling
 design, research instruments, data gathering procedure / data collection, statistical
tools, data analysis and ethical consideration.

Note: This part of the manuscript is expected to have a very few citation because
this part is considered to be researcher’s work. Therefore it should begin with the
account from the researcher.

Research Design
The research design includes the appropriate design to be used in the study. This
includes the justification of the design to be used.

In the beginning paragraph the researcher should already mention what design is
going to be used before providing relevant discussion of its appropriateness.

Note: The research design in a quantitative study must comprise two pages discussion
while for a qualitative and mixed methods study, it comprises three pages discussion. For
Multi method design, the figure be shown in this part of the manuscript.

Place of Study (mixed-methods and multi-method)

This includes a thorough discussion of where the study will be conducted,
justification for the place of study, and one page for the map. The map of the
Philippines should be on the upper left (half of the page) and the Region’s map will
be on the right side (half of the page).

Participants (mixed-methods and multi-method)

This part of the manuscript details the participants, and the inclusion and exclusion
criteria. The researcher discusses the sampling method used in selecting the
participants. The discussion of the quantitative and qualitative phases must be
separate with labels at the center

Instruments (mixed-methods and multi-method)

An introduction will be provided on this part, and the quantitative and qualitative
strands will be explicated thoroughly. The label should be situated at the center,
will be italicized and should not be written in bold letters
The researcher must provide a clear complete, and relevant descriptions of
the Instruments and observation protocols for gathering data. There should be
a separate discussion of the research for quantitative phase and qualitative
phase.

In the quantitative phase, guide on how to describe the instrument may be the
following; the title of the research instruments, the author, what study that uses
this particular instrument, the validity and reliability of the instruments and the
direction on how to use the research instrument.

In the qualitative phase a description of what the research will use to gather
information to answer the research question.
Research Participants
This part of the manuscript details the participating cases. The researcher
discusses maximum variety sampling as the methodology used in selecting the
cases. Moreover, the criterion considered for a maximum variety sampling are to
be presented here too.

Data Sources
This part of the manuscript describes what are the sources of data to be analyzed.
In a multiple case study, the verbal transcripts of the interview is the main source
of data. The translation method of the transcript are also explained in this part.

Data Collection
As standard protocol, the narrative in this part of the manuscript begins with the
following:
- securing ethics certificate from REC
- seeking for the approval from the Dean of the Graduate School to
conduct the study
- asking an approval to conduct the study from the institution where the
study will be conducted
- securing the consent from each case unit/participants

Note: All narratives are written in a paragraph form.

Data Analysis
This part of the manuscript provides detailed discussion of the thematic analysis
used in the said study. The researcher specifies the approach to be used in
analyzing the data per phase.

Data Analysis (mixed-methods and multi-method)

The researcher specifies the approach to be used in analyzing the data per strand.
The qualitative part of the manuscript provides detailed discussion of the six step
structure in analyzing the data, and thematic analysis used in the study.

Sequence, Emphasis, and Mixing Procedures

This describes independently the quantitative and qualitative phases of the study.
This highlights the order each method is used, what data is the most important,
and how the data is merged.
Sequence- This section should mention how the data will be collected. In
convergent design both data types are collected simultaneously. The
explanatory sequential design, quantitative data is collected first then
followed by qualitative data collection. It should be noted that quantitative
data is used as a scaffold to collect the qualitative data. The sequence of
exploratory sequential design is opposite to explanatory.
 Emphasis- This section describes which design is given more priority; this is
expressed by using some notations. Capital letters are used to emphasize
greater emphasis.

In the convergent design both quantitative and qualitative design is given

equal emphasis hence written as QUAN + QUAL a convergent or merging
integration of data collection—with both quantitative and qualitative data
collected at same time

The lower-case letters are for less emphasis on the data collected. In
explanatory sequential design it is written as QUAN →qual to give emphasis
on the quantitative data. Likewise, QUAL → quan is written for exploratory
sequential design.

Mixing Procedures- This section describes the details in conducting the

mixed method. The researcher must be about to make the readers clearly
understand the design, the variables under investigation, the outcome, and
the timeline of the activities. A separate section for quantitative strand and
qualitative stand must be presented.

Anticipated/Methodological Issues (mixed-methods)

This section presents the challenges of using mixed method research design in
terms of design, time, participants selection and resources.

Trustworthiness of the Study (all designs except quantitative research)

An introductory paragraph is provided that shows the basis of examining the
trustworthiness of the study. This is followed by the discussion on how the criteria
on trustworthiness is achieved.

Note: The discussion per criteria should always start with the personal account of
the researcher on how he/she achieved such criteria. An author that could support
to what he/she has done should come last.

Role of the Researcher

In this part, the researcher should enumerate in the beginning paragraph what roles
did/will he/she perform from the onset of the study until the completion. No authors
are needed in this part.

Ethical Consideration
This part follows strictly directives from the Office of Research Ethics Committee.

Chapter 3 (Multiple Case Study)

Case 1 Results
In a multiple case study, this chapter is allotted to the first case. An introductory
paragraph is provided describing the first case.
 In this part of the manuscript, there should be detailed discussion as to what
transpired in the interview based from the order of the research questions. Verbal
transcripts are included here and verbally placed in the center in a block format
layout. Only the English utterances are in normal font, the rest of the non-English
utterances are italicized. Therefore, if there are English words within the actual
utterance of the participants, they should be written in a normal font layout. This
process is repeated through each case inasmuch as it addressed the issues being
pursued in the study. Triangulation also is embedded in this part. It appears in the
part where confirmation is needed from another individual. The code of the utterance
of the participants should also be reflected for audit trail purposes. See sample
below:

Tulo ra mi sa balay. Kanang unahon nako ang paglaba,

magluto. Masuko siya. Gusto niya unahon ang module
ug answer.
(C1_17)

We are 3 members at home. I would wash clothes first

and then do the cooking. But Baby Girl would want that
we do the module first.

Chapter 4 (Multiple Case Study)

Case 2 Results (Follow the same pattern specified in Case 1)

Chapter 5 (Multiple Case Study)

Case 3 Results (Same pattern)

Chapter 6 (Multiple Case Study)

Case 4 Results (Same pattern)

Chapter 7 (Multiple Case Study)

Case 5 Results (Same pattern)
Chapter 8 (Multiple Case Study)
Cross-Case Analysis
The presentation of the cross-case analysis are as follow:
-Introductory paragraph of what is going to be presented in this chapter
-Table 1 on the profile of the participants
-Table 2 on the essential themes generated to address RQ1
-Table 3 on the essential themes generated to address RQ2
(if there are other RQ’s the table could go on)
-Table 4 on the similarities and differences of each cases

Format for Tables on Essential Themes

Table 1 Profile of the Respondents

Note: For the nomenclature of the columns in this table, it depends on the essential
profile needed for the study.

for essential themes…

Essential Themes Core Ideas

for cross-case analysis…

Themes on the Experiences Case Unit

and navigating the Similar Different Remarks
challenges
Experiences

Navigating the challenges

Chapter 3 Results (multi-method)

This chapter discusses the quantitative and qualitative results of the study aligned
with the research questions.

Triangulation also is embedded in this part.

Chapter 3 Results (mixed-methods)

The results section contains the findings of the study based on the research
questions. Side headings and title of the tables should mention be align to the
research questions. Quantitative results will be discussed separately from the
qualitative results.

A section will be allotted to discuss the data integration of the salient quantitative
and qualitative findings. The results section also presents the figures of the
quantitative results and the utterances of the core ideas.

Data Integration - Data integration is the section where the researcher must
describe the details of how the data was analyzed and interpreted. In mixed
methods, each design has its distinct procedure.

Convergent Design. In convergent design, researcher can choose which

of the approaches below in the data integration.
 Explanatory Sequential Design. In this design the data from qualitative
and quantitative are analyzed separately then combine to form an integration
called connecting the quantitative to qualitative results. The quantitative results
then will be used to plan for the qualitative data collection.
The researcher then reports the quantitative phase first that followed by
the qualitative phase. The third step is to employ a third step to respond to the
question how the qualitative data explain the quantitative results.
Exploratory Sequential Design. In this design the researcher analyzes
the two databases separately and uses the findings from the initial exploratory
database to build into a feature that can be analyzed quantitatively. The
qualitative findings now direct the design of the quantitative phase, such as
developing the instruments from the new variable that emerges from the
qualitative data.

Chapter 3 Results and Discussion (for SRMA)

This chapter presents the results, analysis, and interpretation of the research
findings based on the review question presented in the first chapter.

CHAPTER 4
(3 single spaces)
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
(2 single spaces )

(Write a very short introduction of what are expected in this chapter.)

For your Conclusions, and Recommendations, write a one sentence introduction after each
heading, in a past tense form.

Make your statements clear, direct and brief. Maintain the margin and the double spacing.

Findings include quantitative values citing the overall mean, their magnitudes, descriptions,
and interpretations or implications per statement of the problem.

Conclusions are general statements as answers per problem of the study. Duplication of
statements like that of the Findings have to be avoided.

Recommendations are statements of the future directions of the study per problem of the study.

N.B. For Qualitative Study/Mixed Methods

The discussion covers the themes in each research question and has to reflect also if it is in
congruence
with author’s statements, with literature provided about it.

For the implications for educational practices, it is responding to the findings on what could
be done having these findings. It is stating, “It is indicative of …It implies that…” These must
also be based from each theme per research question.

The concluding remarks section refers to the personal realization when undergoing the study.
BA 300- Business Plan Outline

I. Table of Contents
II. Executive Summary
III. General Company
Description Vision
Mission
Goal
Objectives
Business Philosophy
Legal Form of ownership
IV. Products and Services
Description of
Products/Services
Competitive
Advantages
Pricing Structure
V. Marketing Plan
Market
Research
Economics
Product
Feature and Benefits
Customers
Competition
Strategy
Sales Forecast
VI. Operational Plan
Production
Location
Legal
Environment
Personnel
Inventory
Suppliers
Credit Policies
Managing the Accounts
Receivables Managing the
Accounts Payable
VII. Management and
Organization
Organizational
Structure
Professional and
Advisory Support
VIII. Financial Plan
Start-up Costs
and Capitalization
Important
Assumptions
Projected Three-year Statement of Financial Position
Projected Three-year Statement of Operation
Projected Three-year Statement of Cash Flow
Liquidity Ratios
 Solvency Ratios
Profitability Ratios
Break-even Analysis Payback period
IX. Appendices
X. List of Tables

Capstone Project -MIT & MIS

1. RATIONALE

The Research and Publication Center has administrative responsibilities in assisting not only the
faculty researchers but also the undergraduate and graduate students in the preparation of their research.
As such, certain institutional policies have been created regarding the proposal, implementation, and
publication of research outputs. In addition, different programs have additional policies and guidelines in
line with specific areas of research.

The MIT Program of the University of the Immaculate Conception envisions its graduates to become
proficient in systems integration, systems administration, systems planning, systems implementation, and
other activities that ensure the integrity and proper functionality of a system and its components. The research
output of the MIT Program is in the form of Capstone Project. This document describes the policies and
guidelines for the MIT Program Capstone Project, in line with the institutional guidelines set by the Research
and Publication Center, as well as the policies set by the CHED Memorandum Order No. 07, Series of 2010.

2. THE MIT CAPSTONEPROJECT

The MIT Capstone project is a culminating activity that generates an output useful in the design and
development of IT solutions. Through the project, the student would be able to show his knowledge and
competencies in the field. The student taking the course must hold key responsibilities in the development
of the Capstone Project. Students are encouraged to implement their project to the subject organization. If
implementation is impractical or not feasible, the student must be able to show that the application have been
pilot tested or have been through rigid beta testing.
3. MECHANICS
a. Process Flow

b. Capstone Project Adviser

A student should have one capstone project adviser.

The capstone project adviser should have the following qualifications:

i. A faculty member of UIC (Part Time or Full Time) who is specializing on the
student’s chosen area of study. However, if the area of study is beyond the
expertise of the faculty members of the UIC ITE Program, the student can choose an
external adviser subject to the approval of the UIC ITE Graduate School
Coordinator.
ii. Graduate of any ITE and ITE related degrees.

c. Panel Composition
The ITE Program adheres to the policy implemented by the Research and Publication Office
in having the following panel composition:
1. 1 Area Expert
2. 1 Technical Expert
3. 1 Method Expert
4. 1 Chairperson
5. 1 Research-in-charge

At least one of the above-mentioned panel members should be from outside the
university.

One panel member can be altogether an area expert, technical expert and method expert.

d. Areas of Concentration
The capstone project should be aligned with the UIC Research Agenda (Appendix A).
Furthermore, it is highly encouraged that the capstone project be specifically aligned with the
UIC ITE Program’s Research Agenda (Appendix B).
 Nature of Output
a. The capstone project can be in a form of practical applications as solution to
particular problems of an organization, applications technology, or ICT
methodology development.
b. It includes but is not limited to design and implementation of database systems like
transactions processing systems, Information Systems, Decision Support Systems,
Expert or Intelligent Systems.
c. It must at least use client-server architecture.
d. The proposed project must involve multiple users
e. The application of emerging technologies is encouraged

e. Services and Fees

Please refer to the institutional guidelines regarding professional fees for advisers,
consultants, panel members, etc.

f. Project Duration
There will be two evaluation stages: Proposal and Final. This will cover two (2) semesters.

g. Project Evaluation
The evaluation will consist of three factors: Presentation, Concept, and Manuscript. See
Appendix C for the rubrics for evaluating the capstone project during the proposal and final
presentation.

h. Manuscript (Hardbound)
The university generally follows the AIMRaD (Abstract, Introduction, Methodology, Results and
Discussion) format. The ITE Graduate School shall follow this format but with additional
sections to comply with the minimum standards for an ITE Capstone Project. The following are
the contents of the manuscript.
1. Title Page
2. Approval Sheet
3. Acknowledgement
4. Dedication (Optional)
5. Abstract
6. Table of Contents
7. List of Tables
8. List of Figures
9. List of Notations (If any)
10. Chapter I – INTRODUCTION
a. Project Context - The project context should describe the background
in terms of what factors drive the project. It can either be due to
technological advancements, organizational process improvement, or
directive.
b. Purpose, Description, and Significance - This should explain the
intended purpose of the project as well as outline the potential
advantages/benefits for having such project.
 c. Objectives - Contains a list of objectives. It can either have a general
objective, followed by specific objectives; or a list of specific
objectives.
d. Scope and Delimitations- This section should clearly outline the range
of the implementation of the project so that readers will be able to have
clear expectations.
e. Cost-Benefit Analysis (Optional)
f. Review of Related Literatures/Systems - This should contain a
comprehensive review of books, articles, studies, or technologies that
can help establish the significance of the capstone project. Reviews
should include global and regional/local perspectives.

g. Technical Background and/or Conceptual Framework - This section should

explain the intended technology to be developed. A discussion about
the tools and technologies that will be used in designing and
implementing the project should be made. A conceptual diagram can
be drawn and described.

11. Chapter II – METHODOLOGY

Unlike the research of other fields of study, the MIT capstone project generally
follows a Systems Development Life Cycle approach which is composed of the
following:
a. Requirements Specification
b. Analysis
c. Design
d. Development
e. Testing

The student can follow the above-mentioned outline to describe how the
research will be/was conducted. The outline can be modified if the student
followed a specific software engineering process model.

f. Work Plan - In addition to the process, the student should include a work
plan for doing the research. It should include a Gantt chart.

12. Chapter III – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

a. Results
b. Discussion
c. Recommendation
d. Conclusion

13. References - The references section shall follow the APA format for citation.
However, in the publishable format, the ACM format for citation should be
followed.

14. Appendices
a. Curriculum Vitae
b. Certificate of Completion
 c. Code Snippets
d. User’s Manual
e. Evaluation Tool
f. Other relevant documents

Hard-bound manuscript should observe the following specifications:

1. Font
a. Style : Times New Roman
b. Size : 12
2. Spacing
a. Between Sentences - single space
b. Between Paragraphs - single space
3. Indention : First sentence of every paragraph
4. Margins:
a. Top - 1 inch
b. Left - 1.5 inch
c. Bottom - 1 inch
d. Right - 1 inch

5. Format for displaying figures (diagrams, images, etc.) with labels.

Example.

Figure 1. Aerial view of the Laguindingan Airport

6. Format for displaying tables.

Example.

Table 1. Sample Label of the Table

7. Verb Tense
e. Chapter 1 : Introduction Past Tense
f. Chapter II: Methods and Materials Future Tense (Proposal)
Past Tense (Final)
 g. Chapter III. Results and Discussions
i. Testing and/ or Implementing Results Past Tense
ii. Discussions / Implications Present Tense
iii. Conclusions and Recommendations Present Tense

i. Publishable Format
The students are required to submit a publishable format following the guidelines at
https://www.acm.org/publications/proceedings-template. Specific sections and subsections shall follow the
institutional AIMRaD format described above. The general outline are as follows:
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Methodology
4. Results, Discussion and Conclusion
5. References

j. Public Presentation
The student is required to present the capstone project in a national public forum (p. 17 CMO 07 s. 2010).

Adapting/adopting questionnaire

The following are the guidelines in adopting/adapting questionnaire for quantitative and mixed methods research
design:
1. The questionnaires to be adopted should be as is without altering the following aspects:
1.1. Number of the indicators
1.2. Number of sentences per indicator
1.3. The Likert type scale
1.4. The descriptive interpretation
1.5. The range of means
2. The items in the questionnaire should be contextualized to align with the current study provided that no
substantial alteration will be made.