1-2 page proposal
SOC391/FAS361: Research Methods Visconti
PROPOSAL PROJECT: ASSIGNMENT 1 ASSIGNMENT 1 OVERVIEW
The first step in writing a successful proposal is to introduce your topic and research question in a compelling way that conveys its importance! In line with this, your first assignment will be to create a proposal introduction that clearly outlines the purpose of your proposal, describes the specific variables that your proposed research study will examine, clarifies why the variables you have selected are important, and makes clear connections between your proposed study and the stakeholder’s goals (as described in the Call for Proposals).
Please be sure to refer back to the “Call for Proposals” in the Assignment Overview document to review the criteria for your proposal topic. The topic that you propose in your introduction should clearly fall into the goals of the general call for proposals.
ASSIGNMENT 1 INSTRUCTIONS In this first assignment, you will be writing the introduction portion of your proposal. Your introduction must contain the following information:
• A description of the general topic and why it is important o Your goal should be to convey to the stakeholder that you are on board
with their aims!
• A description of the specific topic that you are proposing to examine in order to meet the overall goal of the Call for Proposals. This should describe the specific variables that you will examine. Provide a justification for why these variables are the best way to address the topic.
o Your study must incorporate at least three variables: § Two variables that predict academic success § One variable to measure academic success
o Your goal should be to convey why the specific variables that you are proposing are the best way to address the aims of the stakeholder!
• A clear statement of what you expect to find (i.e., your hypotheses).
o Your goal should be to make it clear to the stakeholder that you have thought through your variables enough to have a strong idea of what you expect.
• A brief statement of how data will be collected. Keep this very brief, as you will
be going into it in more detail later! The research study that you propose must be able to utilize data collection from multiple sources, including two of the following:
o Surveys (asking participants to provide information on paper) o Interviews (asking participants to provide information verbally)
SOC391/FAS361: Research Methods Visconti
o Observation (viewing the behavior of participants in a natural or lab setting)
o Note: You will learn more about each of these methods throughout the course. If the methods that you choose change as you learn more, that is ok! Just make sure that your research question is flexible enough to utilize more than one method.
• A brief overall summary of what will be learned from your study and why it is
important and relevant.
• You must integrate at least three empirical sources in your introduction to support your ideas. These MUST be research articles from peer-reviewed journals. If you are not sure if an article is peer-reviewed, ask!
o These must be cited in-text using APA format. Please include an APA- format reference page at the end of your assignment (this does not count toward the page limit).
The introduction should be 1-2 pages in length, double-spaced.
IMPORTANT NOTES
• Your introduction must be formatted using paragraphs and full sentences. The quality of your writing matters in conveying your ideas! Your introduction should be clearly written, using academic language, with a logical flow of information. DO NOT use a bulleted list.
• NO DIRECT QUOTES! PARAPHRASE INFORMATION IN YOUR OWN WORDS! • Your proposal introduction should strike a balance between a persuasive essay
(remember, you are trying to get the reader to fund your research study!) and presenting empirical information by integrating relevant research. You are not just summarizing existing research, you are using it to support your point and sell your ideas!
• Keep in mind that this is a short page limit. You will be unable to do a truly comprehensive literature review, but you can do your best to present the most relevant information (in a synthesized form) within the page limit. The references should show that you have looked into the specific topic that you are proposing and that past literature suggests that your study will yield meaningful results. This means that every reference counts! Be picky, find the best references to fit your topic!
• See the grading rubric on the following pages for more information about how your assignment will be graded.
SOC391/FAS361: Research Methods Visconti
ASSIGNMENT 1 GRADING RUBRIC Description of the general topic (2 points)
o 2 points – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: Author conveys a clear understanding of the general topic stated in the call for proposals, emphasizes the importance of the topic, and conveys that the author is aligned with the goals of the stakeholder
o 1 point – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: The general topic is discussed with some emphasis on
importance, but needs more elaboration or detail
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable improvement for the final paper.
o Example criteria: The general topic is not clearly stated or is not stated in a way that conveys the author’s alignment with the goals of the stakeholder
Description of the specific topic (2 points)
o 2 points – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: Author clearly states the specific topic that will be researched, including stated the individual variables to be included in the study; topic clearly aligns with the goals of the call for proposals; a strong justification is provided for the importance of the specific variables, clarifying the author’s choices
o 1 point – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: The specific topic is stated, but variables are vague
and/or not differentiated from one another; further discussion is needed to clarify how the topic aligns with the goals stated in the call for proposals; justification is weak or unclear
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable
improvement for the final paper. o Example criteria: No specific topic is stated OR a specific topic is stated
but the individual variables are not clear OR no justification for the choice of specific variables is provided OR the link between the specific topic and the goals stated in the call for proposals are not directly stated
SOC391/FAS361: Research Methods Visconti
Statement of hypotheses (2 points)
o 2 points – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: Author clearly states the study hypotheses, indicating the specific variables involved in each hypothesis and the direction of any effects/relationships that are expected. Hypotheses are appropriate for the topic.
o 1 point – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: Hypotheses are stated, but fail to incorporate one of the
study variables or do not clearly stated the direction of any effects/relationships that are expected.
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable
improvement for the final paper. o Example criteria: No hypotheses are stated. Hypotheses fail to
incorporate two or more study variables. Hypotheses are not appropriate for the topic.
Brief overview of data collection (2 points)
o 2 points – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: Author clearly (but briefly) describes two distinct methods of data collection that will be used to address the research question. Data collection methods are justified and are appropriate to the specific research question. All research variables are addressed in the proposed methods.
o 1 point – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: The author describes two methods of data collection,
but description is overly vague about the methods and/or which variables they will incorporate. Justification of data collection methods is weak.
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable
improvement for the final paper. o Example criteria: One or both data collection methods are missing;
description is unclear regarding which variables will be measured through each data collection method; justification of data collection methods is missing for one or both methods.
SOC391/FAS361: Research Methods Visconti
Scholarly support (1 point)
o 1 point – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: The author incorporates three different research articles; articles are appropriate for the topic and come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals.
o .5 points – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: One research article is missing or is from an inappropriate
source (e.g., a book or website); articles are all used to support the same point rather than being incorporated throughout the introduction.
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable
improvement for the final paper. o Example criteria: Two or more articles are from inappropriate sources (e.g.,
books or websites); the author incorporates less than three sources; sources are listed in the reference page but are not incorporated in the introduction; sources are directly quoted rather than paraphrasing information
Writing mechanics (1 point)
o 1 point – The content is in good shape and needs only minor editing for the final paper.
o Example criteria: Writing is almost entirely free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors; paragraphs are used appropriately; APA formatting of references is used accurately and consistently
o .5 points – This is a good start but the content needs improvement for the final
paper. o Example criteria: Writing contains errors in grammar, spelling, and/or
punctuation; errors are noticeable or consistent enough to distract the reader; APA formatting is used but with some errors
o 0 points – The content is missing (in whole or in part) and/or needs considerable
improvement for the final paper. o Example criteria: Writing contains numerous mechanical errors; APA
formatting is not used or is used with considerable errors; writing is formatted as a bulleted list rather than paragraphs