THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL
Section 1
This section should be about 3 typed pages including the title page.
Save all of your work in a file or Flash Drive because you will be adding sections to it.
USE THESE EXACT HEADINGS
● Title (Your Paper Title on the first page with your name, my name and the course number SOC 443 Social Research)
● Proposal (On the second page)
● Introduction (Use these Headings)
● Background of the Problem (In this section you will tell me what your topic will be and why this was of interest to you.
● Purpose of Study (What do you believe the purpose of your study will be?)
● Significance of the Problem (Is the purpose of the paper – theoretical (your grand theory of something), empirical (you will produce data on the topic that will be helpful), policy (the results of your study will help pass legislation) or practical (it will give the reader useful information to make their lives better).
● Specific Study Objectives [3-5 objectives]
Objective 1.I would like to find out …..
Objective 2.I would like to find out …..
Objective 3.I would like to find out …..
Objective 4.I would like to find out …..
Objective 5.I would like to find out …..
Social Research
Topic Selection
Select a general Topic (Divorce in America, Child Abuse, or Rape)
What is your specific interest in this topic? List these.
Sociologists usually ask the question “WHY” something happens or “WHY” is it that way.
Ask the question: Why (who, what when where and why) does (your topic) happen?
Ask the question: What specific aspect of my general topic interest me?
Ask the questions: “Who, what, when, where and why?”
Next, you will develop a relationship between two concepts (A-B). (Is there a relationship between stress and child abuse; (between university social life and married university students; suggestive clothes women wear and rape; alcohol use and divorce)
Concept A___________________________
Concept B___________________________
Once you have the relationship, you will determine a direction. “As stress increases men are more likely to beat their children.”
A increases – B increases
A increases – B decreases
A decreases – B increases
A decreases – B decreases
The research hypothesis is the relationship between VARIABLES.
What Variables will we use to represent “A”?
Variable A1______________
Variable A2______________
What Variables will we use to represent “B”?
Variable B1______________
Variable B2______________
The NULL Hypothesis is there is NO relationship between A and B
Begin to work on your final paper.
This section should be about 5 typed pages or more with the same title page as Section 1. (There is no magic page limit number). It must be long enough to layout your research topic and discuss each section.
Save all of your work in a computer file or Flash drive because you will be adding sections to it.
● Title (your Title on the first page with your name, my name and the course number)
USE THE HEADINGS IN BOLD IN YOUR PAPER
● Conceptual Framework (is used in research to outline possible courses of action or to present a preferred approach to an idea or thought.) Conceptual frameworks can be
Working hypothesis (There is a relationship between communication and divorce)
Descriptive categories (Ex. Sexual abusers/Non-sexual Abusers)
Practical ideal types (Happy Marriages or Good Citizens)
Formal hypotheses (see notes and book)
● Theoretical perspectives (I believe that XXX is related to XXX because of XXX because of XXX.)
●Definitions of concepts—define how you will use all of your major terms and concepts. This can be a glossary LIST. (EX. Child Sexual Abuse, Human Trafficking, Divorce, Infidelity, etc.
●Literature Review—builds case for hypotheses. See list below:
It is literally that: a “re” view or “look again” at what has already been written about your topic.
A compilation of the research that has been published on a topic by recognized scholars and researchers.
Defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective.)
Provides background and support for the issue that you are studying.
Puts the problem into historical perspective (start with the oldest/earliest research and move toward today –Ex. 1960s to 2011)
If necessary show how others handled similar problems in the past.
● Hypotheses—expected relationships between independent and dependent variable. (You may have several hypothesis in your paper)
● X is related to Y
Review your articles and keep notes for use in the Review of Literature section and for use in the discussion of your conclusions at the end of the paper.
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL Paper 3 Methods
Begin to work on your final paper.
This section should be about 2 typed pages or more with the same title page. (There is no magic page limit number). It must be long enough to layout your research topic and discuss each section.
Save all of your work in a computer file or Flash drive because you will be adding sections to it.
● Title (your Title on the first page with your name, my name and the course number)
USE THE HEADINGS IN BOLD IN YOUR PAPER
● Research Methods
Which of the five types of research on Page 10 in Textbook are you going to use. (Non-experimental – Descriptive, Historical, Correlational, Qualitative; Experimental – True Experimental or Quasi-experimental) (About one paragraph)
If you choose Historical, Qualitative explain your research techniques
If you choose Experimental explain how you selected your Control and experiment test groups
If you choose Descriptive, Correlational or Quasi-experimental explain your technique below
● Population/Sample
● Target population (will you be able to research all? Usually not.
● Sampling (If you cannot research all of the Population, then you must sample)
●Sampling Procedures (how will you choose your sample?)
●Random
● Representative
● Data Collection
●Procedures for obtaining data (will you use a questionnaire, observation, experimental design?)
● Variables
● Dependent
●Specific measures linked to defined concepts
● Questions, categories, and codes—how data will be treated
● Independent
● Control
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL Paper 4 Methods
Begin to work on your final paper.
This section should be about 2 typed pages or more with the same title page. (There is no magic page limit number). It must be long enough to layout your research topic and discuss each section.
Save all of your work in a computer file or Flash drive because you will be adding sections to it.
● Title (your Title on the first page with your name, my name and the course number)
USE THE HEADINGS IN BOLD IN YOUR PAPER
Research Instrument-Create 10 questions that the respondents will answer. Behind each question tell me the Level of Measurement (Nominal, Ordinal, Interval or Ratio Textbook page 101)
● Ethical considerations
● Risks of harm (Will there be any potential physical, mental or emotional harm to respondents)
● Privacy and confidentiality (How will you ensure the privacy of the data?)
● Debrief the respondents – How will you let the respondents know what the research was about?
● Cost-Benefit Ratio – Will the cost of the study (including the mental or physical discomfort be worth the gain in scientific knowledge)
THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL Paper 5 Findings
Begin to work on your final paper. This section will be due on Friday April 12
This section should be about 2-4+typed pages or more with the same title page. (There is no magic page limit number). It must be long enough to layout your research topic and discuss each section.
Save all of your work in a computer file or Flash drive because you will be adding sections to it.
● Title (your Title on the first page with your name, my name and the course number)
USE THE HEADINGS IN BOLD IN YOUR PAPER
Findings
● Provide dummy tables that will test hypotheses is necessary in your topic
Use at least two “dummy” or Blank tables that show your data
Create a Table with headings but no numbers inside.
Textbook Purchase
Grades/
Yes
No
A
B
C
D
F
Total Number of Students
10
10
● Summary and Implications
● References—Use one of the established and consistent format (ASR, APA, MLA, etc.) (Cite all references in your paper).
