Sociology Research Paper

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Research Proposal Project Part 3: Draft of Data & Methods Due: Sunday, November 11 by 11:59pm

Overview: For this portion of the project, you will start with a statement of your hypotheses. Then, you will complete the “Methods” section. This section will have two subsections labeled “Data and Sample” and “Measures.” The purpose of this section is to describe the data set (YRBS) and the measures you have chosen to represent your dependent and independent variables.

Requirements: I reserve the right to refuse an assignment for not following these requirements.

• 12 point font, Times New Roman • One inch margins on all sides • Paragraph format • Double-spaced pages • Proofread for typos, spelling and grammatical errors • The use of headings is encouraged to specify different sections of the proposal,

especially as you begin to put each piece together into a full paper • Include page numbers at the bottom center or right corner of the page • No bullet points, weird spacing, or fancy formatting • No graphics, tables, or charts • Use ASA-style formatting:

http://www.asanet.org/sites/default/files/quick_tips_for_asa_style.pdf • Save your work as “Last Name First Name Part 1” or something else very

specific to this assignment • Do not use any special characters in the saved file name (# % & $, etc) • Save as a .DOC or .PDF only. No other file formats will be accepted.

It is your responsibility that the correct file is uploaded. I will only grade the file you upload to the dropbox. Double-check that you upload the correct file. Save your work often. Save the dropbox receipt eCourseware sends via email as proof of your submission.

Plagiarism and inappropriate group work: Please review the “Academic Integrity” section on the syllabus. Each assignment in this class should be your own original work and will be submitted through the university’s plagiarism software. Papers written for other classes may not be submitted for credit. Assignments found to be in violation of these policies will receive a zero.

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Inappropriate collaboration includes, but is not limited to: copying someone else’s work to pass off as your own; changing just a few words to make it seem like your own; allowing someone else to complete your assignments for you. Take ownership of YOUR work! Directions: 1. Revise your proposal based on any feedback I gave you in Part 1 & 2. This ensures that you are using variables found in the YRBS. You should include your (revised) research questions at the beginning of this assignment so I know what your topic is. 2. Create a heading called “PRESENT STUDY.” (This will end up after your intro and literature review in the final paper). You should begin this section with a statement of your hypotheses. How do you expect each independent variable to relate to the dependent variable? Write these as statements, not questions. (For example, “I predict that…. will increase/decrease because of…). 3. Create a heading called “METHODS.” This will include two sub headings: “Data and Sample” and “Measures,” described below. Review the YRBS Codebook (on eCourseware  Content  Research Proposal Project). You will be pulling some key info from the first few pages of the codebook about how the survey is designed. Specifically, look at the sections called “Components of the YRBS” and “Methods” on the second and third pages. This section provides the sampling strategy, who the survey targets, how often the survey is given, and who conducts the survey. The following page contains the “Sample Description.” You should include the sample size (student response rate). You should paraphrase this information (write it in your own words) at the beginning of the Methods section of your paper under the subheading “Data and Sample.” Write this in paragraph form. To reiterate:

• Paraphrase the essential information from the YRBS User Guide: o Name and year of data set o Who conducts the survey o How often it is conducted o What kinds of schools are included o Sample design o Student response rate o Sample size (N = )

4. The next subheading will be “Measures.” Using the YRBS codebook, find the 4 variables you proposed to use in this study (one dependent and three independent variables).

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• Starting with the dependent variable, give the exact question asked from the YRBS. Give the answer choice categories.

• Repeat this for the independent variables, exactly as they are found in the YRBS. • You should not include any other variables that are not found in the YRBS. Stick

to this format (one DV, 3 IVs). This is a work in progress! I will give you feedback on each portion of the Research Proposal Assignment that you should incorporate, building to your final paper. That said, please be sure to follow the formatting requirements and directions listed above. Below is a sample of what this assignment might look like.

Grading Rubric: 50 Possible Points

Criteria Possible Points

Revised research questions from the proposal assignment are included. 5

Statement of hypotheses 5

“Data and Sample” section contains info about the YRBS 5

“Measures” section contains information about all 4 variables, including answer choice categories from the survey. 5

Well-written, followed directions, formatted and organized, seems to understand the purpose of this section. 5

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Example Structure for Part 3

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Restate your research questions here so I will be reminded about what you are proposing

to study. Be sure to examine the feedback I gave you from the proposal statement.

PRESENT STUDY

This section will follow the literature review in the final paper. Think about how the

literature review examines the prior knowledge on this subject, including any unanswered

questions about this topic. This is the section where you restate what you propose to study, why,

and how. State at least one, but up to three hypotheses. You should relate each independent

variable to the dependent variable you chose. An example hypotheses statement is below. “Hours

studying” is the independent variable and “GPA” is the dependent variable. This hypothesis

statement also predicts how studying will impact GPA (i.e., more hours, higher GPA).

Hypothesis 1: Students who spend more hours studying will have higher GPAs.

Hypotheses 2: Repeat for second IV.

Hypotheses 3: Repeat for third IV.

METHODS

Data & Sample

This is the section where you will paraphrase the information about the 2013 National

Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) from the codebook. Be sure to include the information

from Step #3, above.

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Measures

This is the section where you will describe your variables. Start with the dependent

variable you chose. Provide the question exactly as it is asked in the YRBS. Provide each answer

choice from the survey.

In the next paragraph, do the same for each of your independent variables. Look at the

methods sections in journal articles you have read for this assignment for tips on how to write

and frame this section. Use one that you like as a model.