Response should be 250 words with 2 references
Today we discuss what we learned from the reading lesson last week. The lesson covered the Abstract and Introduction pages of a research proposal and tonight I will write on what items should be contained within both elements. Firstly, the abstract should contain the research problem and include the reason for the study, along with any special data collection mechanisms that will be used if the research is approved (APUS, 2021). The abstract should be a summary of the larger research proposal. It should be a one-stop shop for someone wanting the learn the basics of the proposal without having to read the whole thing. It is helpful for those that may be interested in your research proposal but are not sure if it will fit their research needs. Simply reading the abstract should inform them on the potential use of your work and if it can be applied to theirs. Of note, the number and type of participants in the study and the process of data collection should be contained within the abstract as well, further adding to the summary of the proposal itself (APUS). If all the before-mentioned items are contained within the abstract, it should paint a clear picture of what the proposal is about.
Furthermore, the research proposal will contain an introduction, this will start the body of the proposal and give a reader an idea of what they should glean from the research proposal. According to the lesson, the introduction will provide a reader with a “brief overview that tells a fairly well informed – reader what the proposal is about” (2021). I like to think of the introduction as a long-form what’s in it for me statement that will capture the reader’s attention and hopefully make them want to read the rest of the proposal. As with the abstract, the introduction should also, help to inform the reader that this reader proposal will or will not aid them in whatever there are looking for, whether that be conducting further research of their own or as a student in a class much like ours that is consuming research. I am sure that like me, most of the other students in this class focused primarily on the introduction and abstract of works that contained key words we were searching for when trying to find the sources of prior research related to our topics. I also took a keen look at the conclusion of the works after reading the abstract and introduction because that is where I found the writers would include what further research they felt needed to be done in my field of interest.
One thing to avoid in the introduction is the use of rhetorical questions, the primary reason for this, according to the lesson, is that it may promote bias in the reader’s mind (2021). Research and bias do not go well together, as we have learned so far in this course. Bias is dangerous when conducting research because it can damage the quality of the proposed research. When one goes into conducting research with an idea of the outcome they want, or biased, they may miss or even ignore findings that go against their biases. Leaving the perspective of the researcher and turning to the consumer, asking a rhetorical question will likely invoke the reader to make a choice at the time of reading, which could induce bias into the way they consume a work.