Research Proposal
Complete Research Proposal
Take your approved outline, and use it to develop a full APA-style research proposal. Please keep in mind how important it is to use course terms (e.g., statistic, sample, research, and theory, variable) correctly, to demonstrate critical thinking in your selection and synthesis of relevant research articles, and to follow directions and use APA style precisely.
It is vital to your success in this assignment that you are directly and thoroughly responsive to all feedback given to date.
Format:
Follow APA style precisely. Include all required elements (listed above) in the order listed above.
Contents:
1. Cover sheet
2. Abstract (150-200 words)
3. Key words (5-7 key terms)
4. Introduction section (1-2 pages)
Introduce the topic, establishing its context
Justify the significance of studying the topic
State your research question and hypothesis
Identify and briefly describe the proposed research design
Provide a "roadmap" of the rest of the paper
5. Literature Review section (3-7 pages of text)
Start with the level-1 APA-style heading "Literature Review"
Provide an introductory paragraph for the section
Include a level-2 APA-style subheading "Existing Research"
Summarize your five research articles topic by topic rather than study by study, covering these six topics for each article
Research question(s)/hypothesis (or hypotheses)
Theoretical framework/orientation
Research design
Sampling
Independent and dependent variable measurement
Key findings
Include a level-2 APA-style subheading "Summary of the Existing Research"
Synthesize the five studies in such a way as to lead logically to your hypothesis and research design in the next section.
6. Methodology section (3-6 pages)
Start with the level-1 APA-heading "Methodology"
Drawing from your literature review, articulate the hypothesis to be tested in your research proposal
Identify and describe the research design you will use to test your hypothesis, and explain why this research design is the most appropriate. Research designs options include experiment, survey, and content analysis.
Include a level-2 APA-style subheading "Sampling"
Propose an appropriate, specific sampling design
Identify your population
Identify your unit of analysis
Specify your targeted sample size
Include a level-2 APA-style subheading "Measurements"
Provide an introductory paragraph to this subsection
Include a level-3 APA-style subheading "Dependent variable"
Specify the name of your key dependent variable
Identify its categories and codes
Include a level-3 APA-style subheading "Independent variable"
Specify the name of your key independent variable
Identify its categories and codes
Include a level-3 APA-style subheading "Control variables"
One at a time, specify the name of at least two logical control variables
In the same order, identify their categories and codes
Include a level-2 APA-style subheading "Limitations"; cover causality, validity, reliability, and ethics
Discuss the prsed study's potential strengths in at least one paragraph
Discuss the proposed study's potential weaknesses in at least one paragraph
7. References