Social Science and research methods (Literature review)

SCS 224 Final Project One Guidelines and Rubric

Overview For this course, there are two final projects or comprehensive assessments. The first project for this course is the creation of a literature review. Research is integral in the field of social sciences, no matter which discipline is being studied. Not only may professionals conduct research, but they may also analyze and apply research to address specific problems or needs. It is therefore vital that they possess the basic skills to do so in a professional, ethical manner. You will base your research on a community problem or need of your choice, which calls for your unique experiences and research interests. Throughout the process, you will be guided in the creation of a literature review, which will include context for the creation of a research question and the selection of appropriate methodology and theoretical orientations. The project is divided into one milestone, which will be submitted to scaffold learning and ensure a final, quality submission. The milestone will be submitted in Module Three. The final product will be submitted in Module Four. In this assignment you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Assess primary and secondary source materials for their credibility and their applicability to social science research

 Differentiate between quantitative and qualitative methods for their appropriateness in addressing research questions

 Discuss the ethical impact and future implications of the research process and publication of results on the research community

Prompt For the first project, you will choose an issue or need in your local community, or a community of choice, on which to base your research and research proposal. This section establishes the groundwork for the whole of your research. To cover the appropriate range of research, you should consider using at least five scholarly or professional sources that establish context for your research question, methodology, ethical implications, proposed conclusions, or any theoretical orientations you might be using in your proposal. You may start your exploration into credible sources at the SNHU Shapiro Library. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Describe the community need in your local community or a community of your choice, and explain why you chose this issue.

II. Assess the primary and secondary sources for their credibility, justifying how the sources are or are not credible. How do you know the sources are credible? How do you know the sources are not credible?

III. Assess the primary and secondary sources for their applicability to your research, justifying how the sources are or are not applicable. How will the sources support your research question? How do the sources you’ve found appropriately cover the range of research needed for addressing your topic?

IV. Conclusions: Using the primary and secondary sources, what conclusions can you draw for informing your research proposal?

a) What types of research designs have been used with similar issues? Differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of the types of research designs.

b) What types of research methods have been used with similar issues? Differentiate the advantages and disadvantages of the types of methods. c) Discuss any ethical dilemmas stemming from others’ research and how these dilemmas may be relevant to your own research.

Milestones Milestone: Draft of Community Need, Credibility, and Applicability In Module Three, you will submit a draft of Sections I (Community Need), II (Credibility), and III (Applicability), including all critical elements as listed in the prompt. This draft should be as detailed as possible in order to allow the instructor to provide significant feedback. The draft should be two to three pages in length. This milestone is graded with the Final Project One Milestone Rubric. Final Submission: Literature Review In Module Four, you will submit your completed literature review. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission is graded with the Final Project One Rubric.

Final Project One Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your literature review should adhere to the following formatting requirements: three to four pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA citations and style. Instructor Feedback: This activity uses an integrated rubric in Blackboard. Students can view instructor feedback in the Grade Center. For more information, review these instructions.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Community Need

Meets “Proficient” criteria and makes direct connections between the community at large or group and the need

Describes the community need and the reasoning behind the selection

Describes the community need, but not the reasoning behind the selection, or description lacks detail or clarity

Does not describe the community need

10

Credibility

Meets “Proficient” criteria and assessment is well-qualified with concrete examples

Assesses the sources for their credibility, justifying how the sources are or are not credible

Assesses the sources for their credibility, but does not justify how the sources are or are not credible

Does not assess the sources for their credibility

18

Applicability

Meets “Proficient” criteria and assessment is well-qualified with concrete examples

Assesses the sources for their applicability to the research, justifying how the sources are or are not applicable, and how the range is appropriate

Assesses the sources for their applicability to the research, but does not justify how the sources are or are not applicable, or how the range is appropriate

Does not assess the sources for their applicability to the research

18

Conclusions: Types of Research Designs

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description is well-qualified with concrete examples

Describes the types of research designs used with similar issues, differentiating advantages and disadvantages of the types of designs

Describes the types of research designs used with similar issues, but does not differentiate advantages and disadvantages of the types of designs, or lacks clarity or detail

Does not describe the types of research designs used with similar issues

15.5

Conclusions: Types of Research Methods

Meets “Proficient” criteria and description is well-qualified with concrete examples

Describes the types of research methods used with similar issues, differentiating advantages and disadvantages of the types of methods

Describes the types of research methods used with similar issues, but does not differentiate advantages and disadvantages of the types of methods, or lacks clarity or detail

Does not describe the types of research methods used with similar issues

15.5

Conclusions: Ethical Dilemmas

Meets “Proficient” criteria and discussion is well-qualified with concrete examples

Discusses ethical dilemmas stemming from others’ research that may be relevant to selected research

Discusses ethical dilemmas stemming from others’ research, but does not discuss how these dilemmas may be relevant to selected research, or discussion is inaccurate

Does not discuss ethical dilemmas stemming from others’ research that may be relevant to selected research

18

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization, and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

5

Earned Total 100%