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Homework #3: Introduction and Methods sections 2-3 pages

(30 points; group assignment)

Level of difficulty from 1 (easy) to 10 (high degree of difficulty): 8

1. Title page with all the pertinent information & all members are cc’d when turning assignment into instructor ___/2pts.

2. Introduction & background section. Write an introduction section. You should build on the information in homework #2 to complete this assignment. Give some basic facts about the issue (what is the prevalence rate? How many people are affected by it? Etc.), and then discuss why we should pay attention to it. To do this, you must use at least 3 citations in this section to build your credibility. These citations could be the same from HW#2 but the narrative should be revised & expanded from the instructor’s feedback. If you basically found in the literature that there is already a relationship between your two variables, then write why you are still interested in pursuing this line of research. Why re-invent the wheel? Be critical. If there is no connection, then why study it now? You have to build a convincing argument as to why we should care about this topic. To start this section, consider using the following statements: ___/9pts.

· Previous research has indicated…

· The current study fills a gap in the literature because…

· The purpose of the study is to investigate whether…

· In our study we hypothesize that…

And then go on to build a strong case for why we should care about this issue. Make sure

you address all of the questions above.

1. The methodology section

· State the research design (for example, survey research, experimental design, etc.) that you will use to study this problem. Remember that each group will contribute two survey questions, I will put it together into a survey, and distribute to class(es), so make sure you say that. ___2pts.

· Indicate the independent and dependent variables and the questions you will use (remember this is revised from HW#2) ___4 pts.

· Describe your sample, how many people you will get, ages, where, etc. (similar to the research design above, now give the estimate numbers of survey participants, where from, etc.) ___/4pts.

· Describe the analysis plan for testing the hypothesis, for example, using chi-square, correlation, t-test, etc., and why you chose this particular test. (Note: You can consult the introduction section in homework #4 to decide what statistical test to use, hint: It can be correlation, T-test, ANOVA, etc.) ___/4pts.

1. On a separate paragraph, state who the leader of this assignment was and discuss the roles of the other members on this assignment. Write a couple sentences about the challenges and strengths of working together on this assignment. At the end, all of the members need to sign the assignment either electronically or by handwritten signature before turning it into the instructor. ___/2pts.

2. Include a reference page with the full citations of works you cited ___/3

This paper should be a maximum of three pages, including the references section, which can be part of a page.