This assignment is the next step toward completing your research proposal. It is a first draft of your description of the methods you plan to use to produce and analyze original data that will answer your research question and build on the literature that you reviewed in your literature review. This is a first draft of the Research Methodology section of your proposal.
Begin this assignment with a brief paragraph introducing your topic. This paragraph should include your tentative research question and hypothesis.
Then, go on to describe your plan for gathering and analyzing data to answer your research question. The more detailed and plausible your description, the better. Show me that you understand the concepts we’ve been learning all semester, and can apply them to your topic.
Below are some guiding questions. Not every question applies to every type of research design. But you should be able to answer some or most of these questions in paragraph form in the context of your research methodology to show that you have fully thought through how you will conduct this research.
Identify the research design you will use for examining your research question/hypotheses, and provide a rationale for your selection.
Identify the research method to be used in your study and provide a rationale for your selection. For this assignment, you should pick only one method and describe it clearly and thoroughly!
Pick one of the following research method options we cover: Survey research, experimental research, ethnography, in-depth interviews, focus group study, or materials-based analysis (content analysis of media, analysis of existing data, or comparative-historical)
You can describe your work as evaluation research if that is accurate, but remember that this is an approach so you still have to specify a method from the list above.
Identify the variables to be used in your study.
How do you conceptualize and operationalize your variables?
Consider the factors (in addition to your independent variable) which might influence change in your dependent variable.
How will you minimize the potential impact of these outside factors?
Which survey or interview questions will you ask in order to measure these variables? For survey or interview studies, include a sample of a few questions you might use. Your best bet is to copy the questions used by the researchers you cite!
Identify the population of interest and the sampling method used, and provide a description of what you think the sample will be like. For interview researchers, you will need to discuss how youre going to find appropriate people youll be interviewing.
How large is your sample?
What are the general characteristics of the people who will be in your sample? Will they be college-age? What is that? What about gender? Race/ethnicity? Any other characteristics you think will be relevant to report?
Will your sample allow you to generalize your findings to the “target population” whose characteristics you are trying to describe?
Quality of data. How will you ensure that the data you gather adequately measure what the variables outlined in your research question.
What can you say about the validity and reliability of your data?
Data analysis. How will you analyze your data?
Are your methods primarily qualitative or quantitative?
Will you look for statistical correlation or will you be coding and looking for patterns in your data? If coding, how will you code?
Ethics. Describe any possible threats to human subjects.
Which will you be able to maintain, anonymity or confidentiality?
What other ethical rules will you follow?
Does your research involve a vulnerable population. If so, what can you do to protect your participants and what is your rationale for conducting the research?
