Purpose
The main purpose of a proposal is to outline the overall goal of a research project and organize a plan to conduct the research. More specifically, it is a formal report which highlights: the major focus of your study and why it is important (i.e., what is the problem, issue, or critical focus to be researched?); what previous research says about the topic (i.e., a literature review); your research questions; and, of course, your methodological plan for addressing your research questions (i.e., how will the data be analyzed? what variables will be used and how are they operationalized? what statistical techniques will be used to address the proposed research question(s)?). Your main objective for this assignment is to draft a research proposal (covering the main elements of a proposal, as shown in Module 1) explaining in detail your plan for conducting a quantitative research project.
The proposal is part one of a four-stage project for this course. The major purpose of the proposal is to explain your study and, most importantly, your methodological plan for conducting the study. Feedback on the proposal will be used to identify adjustments that might be necessary prior to proceeding with Assignment 2 to ensure the research project is heading “on the right track.” Therefore, it is compulsory to submit Assignment 1 in order to proceed to Assignment 2.
This assignment draws mainly from content covered in Modules 1 and 2.
**Reminder**
This is an individual project and you should in no way collaborate with fellow classmates on this assignment, nor should you attempt to submit work by previous students. The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Grammarly and similar tools is not permitted in this course. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will result in a failing grade. For more information, see academic integrity and plagiarism.
Your Study
Students are free to explore any research area of interest, provided the data are available in the assigned dataset.
VICTIMIZATION (2019 GSS):
The dataset from the 2019 GSS on Victimization can be downloaded here: 2019_GSS_Victimization.sav
The codebook for the 2019 GSS on Victimization can be downloaded here: 2019_GSS_Codebook.pdf
You should pose at least three research questions in your proposal:
One question about group differences in means (a categorical variable and a continuous variable)
Do men and women report different levels of work-family stress?
One question about the relationship between two categorical variables
Are there gender differences in work status (full-time, part-time, not working)?
One question about the relationship between two continuous variables
Is the level of work-family stress related to the number of hours worked?
Assignment 4 will ask you to pose additional research questions, but these are sufficient for now.
How to Structure Your Proposal
The proposal will follow the structure outlined below (which can also be found in Module One):
The proposal MUST include each of the listed elements and address the questions in bold under each of the listed elements. The supplementary questions (i.e., those questions not bolded) may help with writing and to provide more detail on your study.
Organizing a Quantitative Research Study
ELEMENT
CONTENT
STUDY MOTIVATION
3 marks
Motivate the need to study your topic. The motivation can be derived from academic literature, popular media, current political issues, or even a well-argued personal curiosity in the topic.
What has been done before, what do we know about it, and how can we improve knowledge on it?
What theory is used to inform the investigation and statistical analyses?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
6 marks
Pose at least three research questions:
1) a question about group differences in means
2) a question about the relationship between two categorical variables
3) a question about the relationship between two continuous variables
SAMPLE
5 marks
What survey data will you use for your study? Describe this survey (draw from the survey’s codebook)
What sampling technique was used by the survey?
Will you analyze the entire sample, or select specific cases to analyze? (i.e., who are the participants for the research)? Why?
Are there strengths/limitations to the sample used as it relates to your topic of study (e.g., identify the areas where the sample is strong in investigating the topic of interest, as well as the issues one must think about in terms of the sample used and the topic you’re interested in examining)?
METHOD
15 marks
What are the variables you intend to use, how are they operationalized, and how will they be coded?
Identify the levels of measurement of each variable
How will the data be analyzed (i.e., what statistical methods/techniques will be used to analyze the data and address the research questions/hypotheses)? (Refer to “Selecting the Appropriate Statistical Technique to Use” in Module 2)
What are the procedures for applying the statistical techniques?
Are there strengths/limitations to the variables and statistical techniques proposed (e.g., perhaps the variables provide a good representation of the constructs of a theory; perhaps the variables are not exactly perfect in how they measure a construct)?
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
1 mark
Spelling, grammar, formatting, and organization
NOTE: The proposal MUST include each of the listed elements and address the questions in bold under each of the listed elements. The supplementary questions (i.e., those questions not bolded) may help with writing and to provide more detail on your study.
Formatting:
Use the citation guidelines for the American Psychological Association (APA) 6th edition, or the American Sociological Association (ASA)
Include a title page (should include the title of your study, your name, course, instructor, date) and references page.
The proposal should be 4 to 6 pages double-spaced (this does not include the title page or references page), Times New Roman 12 pt. font with margins set at 2.54cm, and where appropriate headings should be used to organize the different elements of the proposal.