Factors Contributing to Download Activity for Applied Research Projects Completed at Texas State University in the Master of Public Administration Program

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to address the question: What factors contribute to the downloading of applied research projects (ARPs) completed by students in the master of public administration program at Texas State University? Building on previous work, the many characteristics associated with any ARP were first sorted into categories to add focus to the analyzing process. Employing content analysis as a research method, 290 ARPs available online through eCommons, Texas State's institutional repository, were reviewed and categorized for the calculation of average document download rates associated with each characteristic. Working hypotheses were then developed and tested through multiple regression analysis. The findings suggest that reference in Wikipedia, the number of citations in Google Scholar, and a focus on state government issues have a significant positive influence on the likelihood that an ARP will be downloaded.