Research Proposal Guidelines (Fall 2017) Title Page All research proposals have a title page. Put “Research Proposal” in the top center and the title of the proposal below that. The class identification (POLS: 497: Research Methods), your name, and the date should also appear on this title page. The title should include critical key words such as your dependent and independent variables. Avoid unnecessary words like “A Study of …” It is often a good idea to have a subtitle that explains or supplements the main title. Abstract Page Provide an abstract of the proposal, which is a brief summary of the content of the full proposal. It should include the purpose, scope, and methodology of the study or project. The length should be 100 words. This is a descriptive abstract. The abstract is usually included on a separate page, although it is often acceptable to have it on top of the first page of the proposal. It should be single-spaced (all other sections of the proposal should be double spaced). It is a good idea to re-write an abstract after all other sections of the proposal are completed. Chapter I: Introduction As you begin the research process, you will need to communicate to your reader what you are doing by way of an introduction. The introduction is where you place your thesis statement and write briefly about the topic at hand. You will develop and cultivate an understanding and context for the study and what is to follow. Two most important things in the introduction section are the purpose and significance of the study. Therefore, these two sections should demonstrate clearly that you know what you are proposing and why. The rest is also important, but does not set the stage as significantly as these two sections do. The First part of this chapter will begin with an introduction section. This will include a few paragraphs that introduce your reader to your topic and issue area before you go on to describe in greater detail the remaining elements of this section (A-I). A. Statement of the problem (need). What is the (social, administrative, moral, or political) problem that will be studied? If no specific problem will be addressed, you will need to provide information about the topic/issue in this section. Provide context around the problem, topic or issue of the study you propose. B. Purpose of the study. This section begins with “The purpose of this study is ….” The purpose should be clearly articulated in a grammatically correct sentence. This sentence should say exactly what the ultimate goal of your research is, and nothing more. C. Research questions. Research questions are expressed in the question format and hypotheses are expressed in the statement format. Research questions are broader than hypotheses. Otherwise, research questions and hypotheses are very similar. Your research question(s) should be measurable and cannot be answered by yes or no. D. Hypotheses. Express the hypothesis in the research hypothesis format (not in the null hypothesis format). Directional or causal hypotheses are preferred. Each hypothesis should indicate the dependent and independent variables. Also, identify one or two control variables that may affect the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Limit your hypotheses to no more than four. E. Significance or Importance of the study. Why should we care about the topic? Why is the study important? (Does it address some real world problem? Does it add new pieces of information to the existing literature?) What is the cultural, moral, or political significance of this work? Explain. F. Uniqueness of the study. How is the study different from other studies? What’s new? There are many studies on the topic, but how does your study addresses different aspects of the topic? Does it study different populations? For example, most studies were done with old people, but your study will be done with young people. Most studies were done at the national level, but your study will be done in a smaller geographical area or with only one organization. Your study may propose to use different research methods. For example, most studies were done with secondary data, but yours will be done with in-depth interviews. G. Definitions of terms. Defines unusual terms and phrases and the concepts you are measuring (This section may go to an appendix). H. Delimitations of the Study. This section defines or narrows the scope of the study by explaining what will be studied and what will NOT be studied. In most cases, we cannot study all aspects of a topic because we do not have enough time, energy, or technical skills. So, we delimit the scope of the study by focusing on only one or more aspects of a topic. For example, assume that we plan to study the issue of quality of life. We may state that we will study the issue of quality of life only in terms of social relationships (excluding the financial, health, and other aspects of quality of life). Then, we are delimiting the scope of the study. We may also delimit the scope of the study by defining or narrowing the study population. For example, we may state that the study will deal with the issue of quality of life only among the senior citizens in one city. This way, we are delimiting the scope of the study to the population of senior citizens in that city. I. Limitations of the study. This section discusses various weaknesses of the study. For example, if the sample is not representative of the population (because it is a nonrandom sample), its findings may not be generalized to the study population (the study has a weakness or a limitation). If the study deals with perceptions, but not facts, its findings may have limited applications. If the study deals with only young people’s behavior, its findings may not be generalized to the general public. Chapter II: Review of the Literature This section presents an organized review of the relevant literature. What have other scholars or researchers written about the research questions (hypotheses)? In other words, what is known and what is not known about them? The review should be organized, relevant (particularly to the research questions and hypotheses), and critical, to some extent. The literature you review should also be current, meaning, it should have been published within the last five years, unless it is a classic publication. The last part of this section should clearly explain why/how your study is different from the existing studies. It is best to organize the literature review around the research questions/hypotheses (or around the dependent and independent variables). Usually it is NOT a good idea to organize it in chronological order or from the most import to the least important. When writing your literature review, you are required to review five scholarly articles from leading journals. You must cite all material and information that did not originate in your own head or thinking. Furthermore, you cannot use anonymous referrals, such as “senior administration officials cite that the current deficit does not matter.” If you make such a statement you must identify and cite who these individuals are. Chapter III: Theoretical Framework This section explains the theory or theories you will use to better explain and frame the research and guide your methodological approach. Theories explain the paradigm under which your concepts are framed. You should use other peoples’ theories from the literature. Theories tell us which questions to ask and which methodologies will guide our analysis. Keep in mind that hypotheses that are supported by a growing body of data evolve into theories. Your theory or theories much come from those found in the social sciences and will be specific to the study you undertake. Chapter IV: Methodology A. Research design. A design is the complete strategy for your research agenda. This should include the components of the entire research process. It should talk about the data you plan to collect, the analysis you plan to use, and basically your overall plan. You should specify whether your research will be qualitative or quantitative. B. Measurement of variables. How will the concepts (variables) in the hypotheses be measured or observed? More specifically, what are the indicators and artifacts of the variables? If the variables are measured with survey questions, your instrument and the specific survey questions should be attached in your appendix. In this section, you need to take great care explaining how you will measure those things you define in the purpose. All conceptual definitions must be in place. C. Sampling. Define the study population and sample. What is the specific sample, phenomena to be studied, or cases to be observed? How will the sample elements or artifacts be selected? You need to explain your sampling framework. How will you gather the artifacts for analysis? Do you need IRB approval? Explain. D. Research Methods. What is the method by which the necessary information will be collected? Is it a survey, field study, a meta-analysis of existing data (secondary data), focus group, content analysis, case study, in-depth interview, etc? E. Plan of Analysis Depending upon whether your study is qualitative or quantitative you will need to describe (specific to your methodology) how you will gather your data or artifacts, manage and or code cases, and what statistical applications you will use. Provide a schedule of your action plan – a week-by-week plan for senior seminar. Endnotes (If there are any and if footnotes are not used in the text) Appendixes Survey questions, model diagrams, preliminary data, statistical formulas, and/or other relevant information may be included. References (APSA) Style At least five scholarly articles need to be referenced in addition to any other sources cited in your work. Other references such as books, policy manuals, company annual reports, budgets, newspaper, and magazine articles may be included as well, but DO NOT count toward the five scholarly sources. Keep in mind, you need to cite any material that provided new information to you during this research process, this means, anything new or that you learned while preparing to write your introduction and literature review needs to be cited. When writing, you must cite the sources of each idea or item of information you use, whether you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or merely refer to it. Follow the format for the APSA Author-Date style. Be very careful not to plagiarize. POLITICAL SCIENCE Research Proposal Grading Rubric Review Score CATEGORY Title Page and ABSTRACT Best Practice (95% and above) Page includes: title, student’s name, professor’s name, course name, and date. Is neat, no errors. Meets Standards (80-94%) Evidence of four. Developing and Failed most meets some Under developed standards standards standards (under 60%) (70-79%) (60-69%) Evidence of three. Evidence of two. Missing Abstract is Informative, may exceed words, is missing two or more elements, or is not clearly communicated. Abstract does not follow the Informative format. Information clearly relates to the main topic/issue, but does not introduce the topic well. Evidence of four to five sections fairly well written. Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic/issue, or is missing. Evidence of three or fewer sections poorly written. Missing Introductory narrative, evidence of some sections. Abstract is Informative, Abstract is may exceed words or Informative, may missing one element. exceed words, is missing one element, Abstract is 100 words or is not clearly and includes all aspects: communicated. Purpose, scope and method. Introduction Information clearly relates to the main topic or issue – clearly introduces topic. Includes problem, purpose, question(s), hypotheses, significance, uniqueness, delimitations, and limitations. Information clearly relates to the main topic/issue; introduces topic. Evidence of six sections, well written. Literature Review Selected literature Paper meets most of meets the specified the guidelines but guidelines related to misses on one. currency, proximity to topic, and is primary scholarly sources (5). No anonymous referrals. Paper meets most of the guidelines but misses on two. Paper meets most of the guidelines but misses on two or more. Fails to meet guidelines. Theoretical Frame Selected theory meets the specified guidelines related to currency, primacy to the topic and discipline, and is well developed. Describes the importance of the theoretical framework, summarizes the origins and original author of the theory and other research that supports the theory. Selected theory meets the specified guidelines related to currency, is somewhat core to the topic, but is well developed. Misses two of the following: Describes the importance of the theoretical framework, summarizes the origins, original author and other research that supports the theory. Selected theory meets the specified guidelines related to currency, is not central to the topic, and poorly developed. Misses three or more of the following: Describes the importance of the theoretical framework, summarizes the origins, original author and other research that supports the theory Selected theory is not related to the topic, issue, or discipline and the description of importance or other supporting research is not synthesized or incorporated to support the selected theory. Fails to meet guidelines, is missing, or holistically inappropriate. Integration and Synthesis of Literature All Cited work is well chained together and integrated. Patterns, trends, and gaps are disclosed. There is a synthesis at the end of the review where existing work is concluded and related through a summarization. Cited work is somewhat chained together and integrated. Some patterns, trends, and gaps are disclosed. There is an attempt at synthesis whereby existing work is somewhat concluded and summarized. Cited work is not chained together or integrated. Patterns, trends, and gaps are not disclosed or integrated into a synthesis or summary. Cited work reads like Fails to meet an annotation and fails standards. to unpack patterns, trends and or gaps. The writing lacks integration and synthesis. Methods Narrative accurately and Misses on one clearly describes design, standard. measurement, sample, method, and plan of analysis. Misses on two standards. Misses on three standards. Misses on more than three standards. Citation APSA Author-date In-Text style All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented in the desired (APSA –in text author-date) format. All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented,1-2 are not in the desired APSA format. All sources (information and graphics) are accurately documented 3-4 are not in the desired APSA format, some errors. Sources are not accurately documented. Citations are missing and/or are in error, using wrong style. 5 or more errors. APSA format not used, citations missing or critically flawed. Mechanics, Paragraph Construction And General writing Paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations, or details, concluding sentence, and transitions. No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. No awkward or run-on sentences. Most paragraphs include introductory sentence, explanations, or details, concluding sentence, and transitions. Contains two - four grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. Paragraphs include related information but were typically not constructed well, and or contains five to seven grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. Paragraphing structure was not clear and sentences were not typically related within the paragraphs. Contains eight to ten grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors. Sentences and paragraphs fail to meet elementary English standards. Document appears to have not been spell /grammar checked. Document contains more than ten errors. Writing is in "academic voice".
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