Completing the Research Proposal (READ CAREFULLY)

Title

Your name here

School name here

Full course name and number

Instructor name

Date of submission

Remember the font should be 12 point, Times New Roman or Arial for everything, including the title page

Title

This is your introduction. Your introduction should introduce readers to the main focus of your proposal. Make it interesting. Try to “draw” the reader in…… Make sure you write in 3rd person (don’t use words like I, me, us, we, you, and etc). This introduction should center around your general topic and problem statement. [At the end of a section, maybe write a summarizing paragraph that also provides a transition to the next section.]

Review of Literature:

[Notice that each paragraph is indented]. This section provides a brief history of the problem statement. You should summarize what others have written/studied about the topic. Don’t just list each study. But try to provide a structure of how they relate to the topic as well as to each other….. Remember to focus on the authors (for example, don’t say… in an article, blah blah but rather say Smith (2013) argued that ……..). What did the authors conclude? Or what were the facts? Don’t list the name of the work unless it is famous – readers can get this information from the reference page.

Problem, Theory, Variables, and Hypothesis:

This section will contain a discussion of your problem in the context of theory, variables and hypothesis. You should briefly restate your problem statement and inform the reader of the general theory relating to the problem. Once the theory has been described, you are ready to introduce the specific variables, independent and dependant. [It is best to have a separate heading within this section for each aspect so that the reader can easily identify what aspect you are discussing.]

Problem Statement: This component should describe the problem in simple terms. Remember that you have already discussed this in the introduction section, thus, you are just providing a simple statement so that the reader has a reminder of the general focus.

Theory: This component should provide a general theory relating to the problem. Make the connection in general terms of the problem and the abstract concepts (which will later be your variables).

Independent Variable: In simple terms, you need to identify what the independent variable is. Just use 1 sentence and identify the independent variable.

The independent variable is ________________.

If possible, it is best to include the “indicator” of how this variable will be measured.

Dependent Variable: This component will be the same as the independent variable. In simple terms, you need to identify what the dependent variable is. Just use 1 sentence and identify the dependent variable.

The dependent variable is ________________.

If possible, it is best to include the “indicator” of how this variable will be measured.

Hypothesis: This component is the linking of the independent variable to the dependent variable. In general terms, indicated the “expected” relationship between the two variables but do so in a measurable and testable manner. The key to this statement is wording it so that it can be tested. It is best to use the following structure:

Subjects that ______ are more/less likely to ______ than subjects that do not _____.

Population / Sample:

This section provides information regarding subjects (people, places or things). Students need to identify the general population of subjects. After identify the population, students need to indicate the sampling strategy: either probability or non-probability sampling. Once a sampling strategy is provided, students need to indicate their specific sampling technique and describe the resulting sample of subjects.

Research Design:

This section provides information regarding your research design. Discuss which design you will be using: true classical experiment, quasi-experimental design, or non-experimental design (NOTE: because the instructor has dictated your approach, students will not be using a non-experimental design). After indicating which design, provide a brief justification of why this design is appropriate for this topic (if you have two groups and can use random assignment, then it is a true experiment, but if there is no random assignment and you as the researcher are “matching” one group to another, it is a quasi-experimental design. If you only have ONE group, it is a non-experimental design (regardless if the observations are only made once (cross-sectional) or over a period of time (longitudinal). Likewise, you may have more than one group in a non-experimental design, but the groups are not equivalent or matched. They are simply different groups being observed [note that the information about the non-experimental design is just for demonstrative purposes only]. It is best to include an illustration of the research design as indicated below:

Exp. Pretest on DV Intervention of IV Posttest on DV

Group

Random

Assignment

Control Pretest on DV Posttest on DV

Group

Time 1 Time 2 Time 3

Data Collection:

This section provides information regarding the proposed data collection methods. Students should indicate the primary data collection method such as asking questions, making observations, or using existing data. Students will draw upon data collection methods as discussed in chapters 7, 9, and 10. In some cases, students may use more than one data collection method technique.

References

References go on a separate page. The line spacing is called a hanging indent. The reference formats are correct including lack of capitalization in titles except for the first word, lack of quotation marks, and italics for books or journal names. Also note the author’s last name is first on the line and the list is in alphabetical order. You should have at least 5.

Akers, R. (1985). Deviant behavior: A social learning approach. 3d ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Bursik, R. J, (1988). Social disorganization and theories of crime and delinquency: Problems an prospects. Criminology 26:519-51.

Glueck, S. and Glueck, E (1950). Theory and fact in criminology. British Journal of Delinquency. 7:92-109.

Hirschi, T. (1972). Causes of delinquency. Berkley: University of California Press.

Nye, F. I. (1958). Family relationships and delinquent behavior. New York: Wiley.

Shaw, C. R. and McKay, H.D. (1972). Juvenile delinquency and urban areas: A study of rates of delinquency in relation to different characteristics of local communities in American cities, rev. ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Suttles, G. (1968). The social order of the slum: Ethnicity and territory. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Wilson, J. Q. and Kelling, G. (1982). Broken windows: The police and neighborhood safety. Atlantic Monthly, March: 29-38.