HOW TO WRITE A RESEARCH DESIGN PROPOSAL PAPER
IMPORTANT:
• You must use peer-reviewed research studies, which are scholarly scientific studies
in which data are collected, analyzed and the findings/results are reported.
What is a Research Design Proposal Paper?
1) It is written after reading and evaluating the research studies that have been previously
conducted by other researchers and published in journals and ……
2) It includes a research study that you design and propose be carried out in the future. A
research proposal is original and scientific, and has the potential to expand conceptual
understanding of the topic.
There are two main components of your paper:
1. Introduction Section: Reporting Past Research. Read and report on scientific
research studies that have already been conducted on your general topic.
2. Statement of Purpose & Methods Sections: Designing Your Own Research Study.
You must design a research study that you propose to carry out (if required) on a specific subtopic (e.g., gender differences in coping and recovery in adulthood).
Your Goal in Writing the Introduction Section (AKA: Literature Review):
Your main goal is to give a comprehensive overview of the research findings (on your topic) that
have already been documented through published accounts of past scholarly research studies.
You want to make sure that you help the reader to understand key information about the topic
and what past research has found out about the subject.
• The majority of your written Research Design Proposal Paper (the Introduction section) will
describe and summarize the research that has already been conducted by other researchers and
reported in peer-reviewed scientific journals. This review of past research studies is often called
conducting a “literature review”.
• The whole idea behind writing the Introduction (Literature Review) is so that you can tell a
story about past research conducted on your general topic and then, based on that information,
design your own research study.
Details about the Basic Structure of this Paper
PAPER LENGTH & CONTENT:
• Introduction & Statement of Purpose sections together: should be between 6 to 8 full pages of
in-depth, concise reporting of past research study results/findings.
• Methods section will be approximately ½ to 1 page long, depending on your design.
• Whole paper should be a maximum of 11 pages including the Title Page, Introduction,
Statement of Purpose/Methods & Reference pages.
• Read and cite a minimum of TEN peer-reviewed journal research study articles on your topic
(no more than 12). You will probably end up having to read more than 10 articles in order to
find the best ones to use in your paper. You will use the 10 articles to write the Introduction
section of your paper which tells the reader about results other research studies.
• You must cite the 10 peer-reviewed research study articles on your references page and cite
them in-text (in the Introduction Section of your paper).
• May use up to THREE BOOKS for definition of terms or concepts, in addition to the 10
research study articles.
The only sections of this Research Proposal paper that you will have are:
• Title Page
• Introduction
• Statement of Purpose
• Methods
• References
This paper will NOT have an Abstract, Results section or Discussion/Conclusion sections.
I. TITLE PAGE:
1. This is the first page of your paper and shows the title of the paper, your name,
your college, the running head and page number. Refer to APA style manual for formatting.
2. An appropriate title is one that indicates the variables being studied and implies the
expected or observed relationship between them.
3. The title page has a running head of fifty characters or less (SHORT TITLE IN
ALL CAPS), in addition to the title.
4. Lists the name and affiliation (university) of the author (you).
5. Do not include an abstract. Research proposals do not have an abstract.
II. INTRODUCTION SECTION (the Literature Review)
• The Introduction section is where you write your review/report of existing research previously
conducted on your general topic. This section is often called the “literature review.”
You are to
describe what other authors or researchers have published on your general topic.
• It provides the rationale for your planned research study and prepares the reader for the
research variables and methods you have chosen to use. Your goal is to help the reader learn
about the topic including the definitions of terms used in the research articles. The writing in this
section uses an appropriate level of detail, presenting important, relevant methodological details
and results of previous studies. The points that are discussed are those that are relevant to the
research study you are proposing to do (“the present research”).
ORGANIZATION OF YOUR INTRODUCTION:
As you read your research articles for writing this section, organize them based on the similarity
of what is being researched. Think about the Introduction as an inverted triangle that is broad at
the top and narrows to a specific point. It begins at a general level and becomes more specific.
• Don't just report each study as a separate summary of findings; you will need to
discuss the commonalities of the various research studies. That is why it is helpful to organize
the research articles first and create an outline before writing.
• Put the full title of your research proposal, centered at the beginning of this section (not the
words "Introduction").
• Start the first paragraph with a broad history or background of your topic: In broad terms,
present the topic of the research and define important terms and conceptual variables.
• Then, move into describing more specific information about the research studies that have been
conducted on your topic.
Your overall purpose is to make a case for the practical and/or
theoretical importance of the research.
• The information from all the research studies you report must be integrated and
concise. This means you need to combine your report of the research studies in a
cohesive manner.
• Paraphrase the research findings/results you read in the journal article.
• Do not write a paper that contains quote after quote. Use short quotes sparingly,
and only when you are unable to paraphrase a specific quote well.
• The Introduction section should be easy to follow (use appropriate transitions for
subsequent paragraphs).
• The use of PAST TENSE is maintained throughout the Introduction and the 3
person is used (not 1st person). This is APA style.
III. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE SECTION:
At the end of the Introduction section you will write a statement of purpose paragraph that
explains and talks about your “planned” research design. Use future tense in the Statement of
Purpose & Methods sections.
• Use a heading flush with the left margin called Statement of Purpose.
• You can start this paragraph by stating something like: “The present study will
investigate……..” or "The purpose of the proposed study is to.............. ".
• Include information about your proposed research study:
a. Briefly describe/summarize what your research study will be about.
Remember, you laid the foundation for your study by reporting past research in
your Introduction.
b. Describe the variables you would include (gender, age, self-esteem, etc.).
c. Be sure to operationally define any variables that need it.
d. State your research hypothesis (" It is hypothesized that.......").
IV. METHODS SECTION:
This section gives a description of the method (process) you would use to conduct your proposed
study and tells how it is designed.
• Describe information about the potential participants for your study
• Indicate how many you would include in the study, and how they would be selected
(sampling technique used).
• If you are using materials such as a survey or interview form or other measurement
tools, describe them here.
• Provide a detailed description of how the variables would be manipulated or measured
in your research study (if you were to carry it out).
• Give enough detail that would allow someone to replicate your research.
What NOT to do:
• Don’t procrastinate. This paper requires you to read a lot of research studies
(not just 10 to include in your paper) and then you use that information to create a concise and
cohesive Introduction section (also known as the Literature Review).
• Don’t write individual, separate summaries of each article. The research findings are
to be integrated and organized by commonalities or differences in findings.
• Don’t use quote after quote …….. You are expected to paraphrase and summarize
information; do not use frequent quotes.
• Don’t write a “term paper”. You have to report past research study results and design
your research study……….not just write an informative paper about a topic.
• Don’t use any part of past papers or references from other classes, nor anyone else’s
paper.
• Do NOT include your own opinions. This paper is a report of the scientific studies and
does not include anything about what you think about the topic or the research.
• Don’t refer to the articles by title nor state “in the article…” Cite only the last
names of the authors and refer to “the study” or the “researchers” instead of “the article”.
• Don’t forget to design your own research study in the Statement of Purpose and
Methods section. The whole idea behind writing the Introduction (Literature Review) is so that
you can tell a story about past research conducted on your general topic and then, based on that
information, design your own research study (this includes writing a statement of purpose,
research hypothesis, list variables and method for collecting data).
• Don’t write a bibliography instead of References… you are to do a Reference page at
the end of the paper which only includes those studies that you cited in the text of your
Introduction section.
• The use of information on government websites requires prior approval from your
instructor.
NOTE: these are not counted as part of the minimum 10 peer-
reviewed research study references for the paper.
• You will NOT collect data or carry out the study you propose in a Research Proposal.
A Strong Coach-Athlete Relationship Is Associated With Achievement Goals and Intrinsic
Motivation
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=6&sid=a105114d-d426-4d5d-8fcc3c7b9db07d8f%40sessionmgr4007
Perceived Coaching Behaviors and College Athletes’ Intrinsic Motivation: A Test of SelfDetermination Theory
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=a105114d-d426-4d5d-8fcc3c7b9db07d8f%40sessionmgr4007
Relationship Between Collegiate Athletes’ Psychological Characteristics and Their Preferences
for Different Types of Coaching Behavior
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=8&sid=274d5152-b976-4842-be60b1cee402c395%40sessionmgr4010
Gender Differences Regarding Motivation for Physical Activity Among College Students: A SelfDetermination Approach
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=17&sid=274d5152-b976-4842-be60b1cee402c395%40sessionmgr4010
EFFECTS OF COACHING STYLE ON PROSOCIAL AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AMONG
CHINESE ATHLETES
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=a1e184e4-1bd8-4cf1-977ca2040ef17fad%40sessionmgr4008
Sex Differences in Sports Interest and Motivation: An Evolutionary Perspective
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=a1e184e4-1bd8-4cf1-977ca2040ef17fad%40sessionmgr4008
Sports Motivation among Sports Players: A Gender Comparison Perspective
http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=9&sid=ff432bd1-1321-42ee-a8ab7f45b0fdedf0%40sessionmgr4007
Self-esteem is a large part of every individual’s life, whether they realize it or not. Selfesteem can affect more than someone might think, at first thought. When someone has low self
esteem it can cause depression, anxiety, less social interactions, academic difficulty, less physical
activity, a dissatisfied body image and so much more. Students with low self-esteem have a
more difficult time because they have so much on their plate at one time. Students that score
higher in academic performance, have more social interactions, and are involved in more
physical exercise have higher self-esteem than those who don’t. When individuals set goals it has
been shown they have higher self-esteem after accomplishing them (Hewitt & Parrott, 1978).
The first group in the study by Hewitt and Parrott was instructed to visit with the campus
counselor for 50 minutes and the second group was given ten objectives to accomplish each day
(1978). The group who was given objectives scored higher on the self-esteem test that the group
who visited with the counselor (Hewitt & Parrott, 1978). Setting goals can be a large part of
someone’s life if they are determined enough to accomplish it. Whether the goal is losing
weight, getting all As, meeting new people, or something as simple as making the bed everyday.
Academic Performance
College is a hard time for most young adults due to all of the changes they endure in a
short amount of time. They usually move away from home to an unfamiliar place and they are
now responsible for all of their decisions, academically, socially, physically, and mentally.
A longitudinal study was conducted on college students, male and female, to examine the
development of self-esteem of young adults emerging into adulthood. The participants were
given a survey annually throughout their college career. It was discovered that self-esteem
changes over time and peaks at different points in life (Chung, et al., 2014; Kyprianou et al.,
2004).
There are also many studies showing how academic performance and self-esteem are
directly correlated. A study was conducted with 86 college students out of a psychology 101
course, who each received emails for six weeks. The participants were students who scored a C,
D, or F on the first exam of the course. One group were all of the students who received a C on
the first exam and the second group was made up of the students who received a D or F. There
were three different messages that could be attached to the email and review questions for the
course, self-esteem bolstering messages, no-message, or exhortations. The last email had four
statements about self-esteem and self control and the participants were to rate themselves on a
five point scale depending on how they felt about the statements. After the six weeks another
exam was given and the scores of the participants were compared with the first exam scores
(Baumeister, Burnette, Forsyth, & Lawrence, 2007). Baumeister et al. discovered that their
original hypothesis was proven false. The students who scored a D or F on the exam and
received review questions plus self-esteem bolstering messages showed a substantial drop in
grades (2007). Students must also want to succeed. This study shows that if someone doesn’t
truly care about the consequences they will not improve or do their best.
Students with lower self-esteem score lower on exams than students with higher selfesteem (Morrison, Thomas, & Weaver, 1973). Students with higher self-esteem believe they are
capable, therefore, they do better.
Social Interactions
Another large aspect of self-esteem is social interactions. Aken et al. discovered in their
study that daily interaction was directly linked to self-esteem and the closer the relationships
were the higher the self-esteem was (2008). They also found that the strongest was when it came
to the participant’s interactions with his or her romantic partner. Relationships are very
important for interactions between people and it is also relevant in the attachment theory (Aken
et al., 2008).
Physical Activity/ Body Image
Body image and body satisfaction is what most people think of when they hear, “selfesteem”. The way a person feels about his/her body is arguably the most influential aspect of
self-esteem. Regular exercise has been shown to improve one’s self-esteem as shown in the
study by Yigiter (2014; Benitez et al., 2014). The participants for this study included 80 female
college students who were randomly assigned to the experimental group and to the control
group. Yigiter was measuring the effect of physical exercise or no physical exercise on selfesteem and helplessness (2014). The participants were split into the two groups, the
experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was instructed to participate
in active exercise for one hour, three days a week, for twelve weeks. The control group was
instructed to go about their lives without extra physical activity, only to do their usual routine. It
was discovered that there was a significant difference in the levels of self-esteem and levels of
hopelessness in the experimental group and control group. The experimental group showed that
self-esteem increases with regular exercise and hopelessness increases without regular exercise
as shown in the control group (Yigiter, 2014). Regular physical activity can influence one’s self
image and in turn heighten their self-esteem. If individuals have a low self-esteem they are more
likely to become depressed than individuals with high self-esteem (Hirsch et al., 2012). Body
dissatisfaction has a direct correlation to low self-esteem and depressive moods. A study was
conducted in Minnesota and surveys were sent to 31 different schools to collect information on
high schoolers self-esteem. The researchers sent out surveys again five years later to see if their
self-esteem and body dissatisfaction has changed and they discovered the correlation still
continues with age a maturity (Eisenberg, 2006).
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how academic performance, social interactions,
and physical activity affects self-esteem. Academic performance will be measured by the
individual’s GPA and the number of hours spent studying by the participant. Social interactions
will be measured by the number of hours per week spent doing things in a social atmosphere.
For example, going to school sponsored events, sorority/fraternity events, movie nights, etc.
Physical activity will be measured by the number of minutes spent working out, playing sports,
etc. Anything less than 30 minutes will not be considered physical activity. Gender and age will
also be variables in this study.
It is hypothesized that students who score higher in academic
performance, have more social interactions, and are involved in more physical exercise have
higher self-esteem than those who do not.
Methods
The participants for this study will be randomly selected from the Missouri Valley
College campus. The sample will consist of 100 students, both male and female. The
participants will be administered surveys that they will then be asked to fill out. College students
will be given a survey to examine the relationship between academic performance, social
interactions, and physical activity on self-esteem. The survey will include several demographic
questions, academic performance questions, social interaction questions, eating habit questions,
and physical activity questions. The demographic questions will be aimed to determine age,
gender, year in school, and major in school. The academic performance questions will be
measuring the participants’ GPA and hours spent studying. The social interaction questions will
be measuring how many and what extracurricular activities the participants are involved in. The
eating habit questions will be measuring body dissatisfaction by asking how often the
participants eat fast food, how often they eat fresh (freshly cooked meal) food, and how often
they eat
healthy (fruits and vegetables) foods. The physical activity questions will be measuring how
often the participants are physically active, how long they are physically active, and what
activities they are doing to stay active (sports, weightlifting, etc.). After all of the questions
above, there will be a five point rating scale and they will be asked to rate how they feel (1 very
dissatisfied and 5 very satisfied) about themselves with academic performance, social
interactions, eating habits, and physical activity. Three months after the first survey is
administered, the same participants will be asked to complete the exact same survey to see if
anything has changed about their self-esteem. All of the information will be anonymous so there
will be no biases. In order to participate in this study the participants must willing to commit to a
follow-up survey three months following the first one. There are no restrictions to who can and
cannot take it, unless you refuse to take the follow-up survey. The participants who have agreed
to complete both of the surveys will meet in a designated room to take the survey both times.
References
Aken, M., Denissen, J., Penke, L., & Schmitt, D. (2008). Self-Esteem Reactions to Social
Interactions: Evidence for Sociometer Mechanisms Across Days, People, and Nations.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 95, No. 1, pp. 181-196.
Baumeister, R., Burnette, J., Forsyth, D., & Lawrence, N. (2007). Attempting to Improve the
Academic Performance of Struggling College Students By Bolstering Their
Self-Esteem: An Intervention that Backfired. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,
26(4), 447-459.
Benitez, T., Joseph, R, Pekmezi, D, Royse, K. (2014). Physical Activity and Quality of Life
Among University student: Exploring Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Affect as Potential
Mediators. Quality Life Research, 23, 661-669.
Chung, J., Noftle, E., Roberts, B., Robins, R., Trzesniewski, K., & Widaman, K. (2014).
Continuity and Change in Self-Esteem During Emerging Adulthood. Journal of
Personality and Psychology, 106(3), 469-483.
Eisenberg, M., Hannah, P., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Paxton, S. (2006). Body Dissatisfaction
Prospectively Predicts Depressive Mood and Low Self-Esteem in Adolescent Girls and
Boys. Journal of Clinical and Adolescent Psychology, 35(4), 539-549.
Hewitt, J., & Parrott, R. (1978). Increasing Self-Esteem Through Participation in a Goal
Attainment Program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 34(4), 955-957.
Hirsch, C., Hulme, N., & Stopa, L. (2012). Images of the Self and Self-Esteem: Do Positive
Self-Images Improve Self-Esteem in Social Anxiety? Cognitive Behaviour Therapy,
41(2), 163-173.
Kyprianou, A., Lane, A., & Lane, J. (2004). Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, and Their Impact on
Academic Performance. Social Behavior and Personality, 32(3), 247-256.
Morrison, T., Thomas, M., & Weaver, S. (1973). Self-Esteem and Self Estimates of Academic
Performance. Journal of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, 41(3), 412-415.
Yigiter, K. (2014). The Effects of Participation in Regular Exercise on Self-Esteem and
Hopelessness of Female University Students. Social Behavior and
Personality, 42(8), 1233-1244.
HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSION
2
Common Methods of HIV/AIDS Exposure and Transmission
Americans had been fascinated by controversial topics since the beginning of time. Since
the 1980s it had been considered taboo to speak of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
and/or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Due to some high profile cases of
HIV/AIDS, those diseases were given attention though numerous media outlets. Another
common reason for the constant media attention was due to the methods of contraction of those
diseases which were seemingly controversial. The most common methods of contraction of
HIV/AIDS were through injection drug use (i.e. sharing needles) and homosexual intercourse
(Lieb et al., 2006). Other methods of transmission included blood transfusions and having been
born HIV positive through contraction during one of the pre-birth stages (Leib et al., 2006). Past
research by Lieb et al. (2006) declared injection drug use as an “important source of exposure"
during the AIDS epidemic (p. 1623). The number of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAS)
had seen a growth in the number of therapy options for patient care. One such patient care began
before transmission; the only way to absolutely be protected from the virus would be through
prevention. Possible prevention techniques included condom use and abstaining from sex or
drugs. Persons who lived a promiscuous lifestyle were at greater risk of becoming infected
(Perrino, Fernandez, Bowen & Arheart, 2006, as cited in Chung et al., 2011).
Homosexuality
According to Lieb et al. (2006), the most common method of exposure to the HIV/AIDS
viruses was through sexual intercourse; AIDS had been transmitted between males who had sex
with males, also referred to as MSM. "The HIV epidemic ha[d] increasingly impacted... MSM
who represent[ed] 2% of the U.S. population but compromise[d] 61% of all new HIV infections
in the U.S., and [were] the only population group with a rising HIV incidence” (Drabkin et al.,
HIV/AIDS TRANSMISSION
3
2013, p. 333). According to Drabkin et al. (2013) MSM were “at a high risk for contracting and
transmitting HIV" (p. 333). A study in 2013 by Drabkin et al. concluded that “HIV and other
STDs were more apparent in homosexual males compared to heterosexual men and women” (p.
333). In another study by Goodenow, Szalacha, Robin & Westheimer, K (2008) HIV infection
and risk was analyzed in relationship to adolescent females and their sexual orientation.
Goodenow et al. (2008) noted
Although a few cases of female-to-female HIV transmission have been documented
[those) appear to be rare. Nevertheless, some evidence indicates that sexual-minority
females – those who self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, or those who engage[d] in
same-sex sexual activity - [might] have [had) a risk of HIV infection as high or higher
than women who identifſied) as heterosexual who ha[d] sexual contact exclusively with
males (p. 1051).
Injection drug use
The second most common method of exposure to the viruses was through injection drug
use (IDU). Persons who admitted to injection drug use as few as one time fell into this category
if the exposure happened before the confirmed HIV/AIDS positive result. “In 2003, the
estimated number of diagnoses of AIDS in the United States was 43,171, and adult and
adolescent AIDS cases (aged 13 years and over) totaled 43,112, of whom... 21.9% had injection
drug use as their exposure category" (Leib et al., 2006, p. 1623).
(narrative continues, but information removed for
the purpose of example)
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