paper

RESEARCH PROPOSAL SSCI 306

Key features: • Talk about the subject as best as possible (concise) • Clear statement of the intended focus • Rationale for choosing the subject • Mention of resources

Statement of intent to examine a topic

GOALS

• To provide a justifiable reason for your research intention. • Allows me the opportunity to guide your research should you have

difficulty with broadening or narrowing your research topic.

Beginning the Process

Research proposals are generally organized the same way throughout most social science disciplines as your regular academic paper.

• Read the assignment carefully • Ask if you are not clear about any specific requirements

for organizing and writing the proposal

•What doI want tostudy? •Whyisthetopicimportant? •Howisit significant withinthesubject areascoveredinmyclass? •What problemswill it helpsolve? •Howdoesit buildupon[andhopefullygobeyond] researchalreadyconductedonthetopic? •What exactlyshouldI plantodo, andcanI get it doneinthetimeavailable?

Ask yourself:

CONTENT OF PROPOSAL

Topic (1 sentence) Abstract/summary of topic (~1 paragraph)

Annotated Bibliography (2-3 sources you will likely use in paper)

For each source, ~1 paragraph describing what the article is about and how it will help your research Outline

Provide 2-3 ideas for your main points

TOPIC SENTENCE Progression of an argument for your proposed paper.

Decreasing poverty will increase access to healthcare.

Increased access to healthcare reduces chronic diseases such as diabetes.

Economic improvement decreases poverty.

Decreased chronic diseases improve economy by allowing money from emergency room to classroom for betterment of education.

Improved education leads to more economic opportunities.

Economic opportunity leads to economic development and improvement.

ABSTRACT/SUMMARY Provide a brief but detailed explanation of your topic.

What are you trying to do?

Why?

What do you want your reader to know?

What is the main point?

Who is the effected why and how?

Why does this matter?

How can you solve the problem?

What are some of the limits (either the study or the problem)?

What are the opportunities (either the study or the problem)?

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Provide an annotated bibliography style description of 2-3 sources.

Provide

• Evaluative annotations: offer opinions on each source as well as describe it. • Concise description of work: give accurate and

objective information • Relevant commentary: provide opinion related to

your topic and purpose.

Offer

• Complete bibliographic information

Complete

• A concise description of the work • Describe objectively and summarize the work

• Relevant commentary • Commentary relevant to the scope and purpose of

the writing assignment • Consistent presentation

• Effectively evaluate all sources, not just some

Provide:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. http://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy Goodhart, D. E. (1985). Some psychological effects associated with positive and negative thinking about stressful event outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48(1), 216-232. www.doi.com/jpsp/65429874

This study attempted to determine whether positive thoughts after stress would help an individual cope. Overall, the study found that positive thinking has little long-term effects on the person’s psyche, and instead, it is the dwelling on negative that adversely affects a person. The study concluded that searching for the silver-lining is not likely to aid an individual, but rather to not focus on dark and gloomy thoughts about the situation. This study will aid in the argument of this paper by demonstrating…

TO DECIDE ON SOURCES CONSIDER: • Appropriateness: is the source relevant to your topic? Is it a primary or

secondary source? Is it general or specialized? • Credibility: Are the author and the publisher or sponsor reputable? Do

their ideas agree with those in other similar sources? • Balance: Does the source present enough evidence? Does it show

any particular bias? Does it present counterarguments? • Timelessness: Does the source reflect current thinking or research?

OUTLINE Can be simple bullet points List your tentative main points

a. Main Point 1 will be about… b. Main Point 2 will be about… c. Main Point 3 will be about…

a. Positive thinking as health benefit b. Positive thinking and the negative effects on daily interactions c. Pollyanna Syndrome

SUGGESTIONS

Anthropology

•Agricultural practices •Ancestors •Ancient cultures •Body modifications (piercing, tattoos, etc.) •Burial customs •Clothing/costume •Cultural appropriation •Day of the Dead •Eating utensils •Eating habits •Eating customs •Folklore •Gender roles •Gender assignment •Gift giving customs •Kissing customs •Language/linguistics •Marriage •Cultural evolution •Biological evolution

•Monogamy •Dating •Nudists •Kinship and relatives •Polyandry •Polygamy •Primate families •Religious beliefs/practices •Repatriation •Ritual masks •Roma (gypsy) culture •Social networks •Subcultural groups (i.e. hippies, Hell's Angels, Cribbs, Bloods, etc.) •Traditional medicine •Healing •Magic and Voodoo •Dance and musical tradition •Religious dance and music •Genes •CRISPR

Communication •Bias •Bot journalists •Cartoons •Comic strips •Comic books •Corporate media •Media and business •Manufactured Consent •Citizen journalism •News •Fake news •Media ethics •Memes •Superhero (Marvel, D.C, etc.)

•Press embargoes •Women in media •Women in newsrooms •Women in media boardroom •Privacy •Slanting •Cyberbullying •Social media •Social media and social justice •Social media literacy •Social networking •Technology and communication •Tabloids •Yellow journalism

Criminal Justice •Capital punishment as deterrent •Community policing •Crime statistic reporting •Cyber crime •Death penalty •Domestic violence •Fiber evidence •For profit prisons •Forensic genealogy •Forensic geology •Fraud •Hate crime •Hate groups •Identity theft •Illegal drug use •Innocence projects •International terrorism

•Legalization of marijuana •Lethal injection vs. electric chair •Mandatory minimum sentencing •Plea bargaining •Presumptive parole •Prison overcrowding •Prostitution •Racial profiling •Rehabilitation in prison •Riots •Serial killers •Sodomy laws •Undercover police •Voting rights for felons •Warren court •Witness protection program

Political Science

•2016 presidential campaign •Alt-right •Automatic voter registration •Campaign finance laws •Public financing of campaigns •Congressional Review Act •Debates •Democratization •Democracy •Effect of mass media •Environmental Protection Agency •Executive actions •Executive power, limits of •Legislative power, limits of •Judicial power, limits of •Facebook campaigning •Gerrymandering •Line item veto •Capitalism •Fascism

•Twitter bots and elections •Russian meddling in 2016 Election •Mutual defense alliances •Mutually assured destruction •National Popular Vote Bill •Open government •Freedom of Information Act •Pork barrel legislation •Populism •Regulations •Bernie Sanders •Social democracy •Super PACs •Supreme Court powers •Transparency •Donald Trump •Voter turnout •Democratic socialist •Communism •AOC

Psychology

•Adiction •Anger management •Animal assisted therapy •Asperger's Syndrome •Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) •Autism •Behaviorism •Bipolar disorder •Birth order •Borderline personality disorder •Compulsion loop •Cross-dressing •Depression •Dreams •Emotional intelligence •Family therapy •Grief •Group therapy •Guilt •Internet addiction •Jealousy •Kleptomania

•Megalomania •Memory loss •Multiple personalities •Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) •Otherkin •Panic attacks •Pedophilia •Peer pressure •Personality types •Phobias •Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) •Postnatal (postpartum) depression •Prescriptions for ADHD •Resilience •Self-esteem •Sexual assault victims •Sleeping disorders •Social anxiety disorder •Speech disorders •Transsexual •Twins

Sociology •Aging •Ambient awareness •Anti-vaccination •Black Lives Matter •Class •Cliques •Conflict theory •Consumerism •Counter-cultures •Cults •Cultural appropriation •Cultural assimilation •Ethnicity •Equal pay •Family issues •Fandom •Fashion trends •Flocking behavior •Gender Issues •Mass Media

•Nationality •Occupy movement •Online dating •Patriotism •Police brutality •Poverty gap •Protest •Race •Race relations •Racism •Social media activism •Social stratification •Spirituality and religion •Stereotypes •Sub-cultures •Superstitions •Twitter •Work place •Youth culture