Research Methods
RESEARCH PROPOSAL (50 pts.)
DUE: Tuesday, 6/22
NOTE: MUST BE SUBMITTED AS A MICROSOFT WORD FILE ON THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL DISCUSSION TOPIC!

Grading Policies

The goal of this term paper is to develop an original research proposal (written in APA format) based on the literature reviewed in Assignments 1, 2 and 3. The following procedures will be followed:

Procedures

Each student will work together in consultation with the instructor to develop an original research proposal typed in proper APA format (See Chapter 14 in the text for guidelines) based on a review of the available psychological literature on a topic of professional interest. Students will conduct literature searches for scientific research on the chosen topic, will apply course concepts in critically evaluating this research, and in consultation with the instructor, will develop a testable hypothesis derived from and supported by this research. Students will propose a research methodology (including measurement instruments, operational definitions of variables, and appropriate statistical analyses) to test this hypothesis. Students will generate "hypothetical results" (not the actual raw data, but the output of statistical analyses if such analyses were conducted). Students will interpret these results in light of the hypotheses and literature review. Thus, students will submit a research proposal in the form of a research manuscript written in APA format (due Tuesday, June 24).

This final written proposal is worth 50 points, but students will complete three assignments leading up to this proposal, worth a total of 50 additional points. Assignment 1 (worth 10 points) will get students started on finding articles on a topic which will summarized and related to their potential topic. Assignment 2 (worth 20 points) will involve obtaining and summarizing several more articles and developing a testable hypothesis based on the literature review, along with a tentative methodology and analyses to be employed. Assignment 3 (worth 20 points) will further develop the hypothesis and methodology, and students will generate the hypothetical results and submit a "rough draft" of the final research proposal. The instructor will provide feedback on each assignment and will meet with students to assist them in completing this project, and students will be expected to incorporate this feedback in the final Research Proposal paper to be submitted.

A Word of Encouragement

Learning to conduct good research can be an exciting and rewarding process that results in extremely valuable skills. I sincerely hope that you will "catch the fever" and even have fun in the process! I hope that you will develop a "sense of project" as this proposal evolves. Many previous students in this course have gone on after this course to complete the proposed study as an Independent Research project, and some have even coauthored professional papers with supervising instructors that have emerged from the original proposal. At the beginning, developing an original research proposal can seem like a rather daunting challenge, but I assure you that I will do all that I can to assist you in this process, and I want to reassure you that this is certainly within your abilities. Finally, I can guarantee you that you will learn a great deal, and will develop skills that will serve you extremely well in either the job market or in getting admitted to graduate school. I am confident that you can do it, and I will work hard to help you accomplish these goals.

On the other hand, these outcomes can only be achieved via a commitment to do a lot of work and a willingness to endure some measure of frustration. This will not be an easy course, but if you are willing to contribute the time and effort, I believe that you will find this to be one of the most valuable experiences of your academic career. Do not hesitate to talk to me if you feel overwhelmed, confused, anxious, or just curious--I can't help if you don't ask!