Methodology (2-3 pages)
Research Questions and Hypotheses (or Propositions) – In this section, clearly specify your research question(s) using what you learned in class. You may have one overarching research question, or you may pose two to five questions. In some cases, you may have one overarching research question with a series of sub-questions. Be sure to articulate whether your questions are exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory in nature. For each of your research questions, clearly state the hypotheses or propositions you intend to test or explore. Also, for each hypothesis, clearly identify the dependent variable(s) and independent variable(s). Propositions are exploratory in nature and do not require identification of independent and dependent variables. This section should be written in narrative form. It is fine to outline your questions, hypotheses, and variables in list form, but you need to include at least a one to two sentence introduction.
Note: Your research questions and hypotheses should be neutral statements, meaning they should be void of any language that implies a value judgment or bias. Hypotheses should be stated in such a way that they are ‘testable’ using the evidence that you would generate from your findings.
Research Proposal Guidelines
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Note: Your research questions and hypotheses should be neutral statements, meaning they should be void of any language that implies a value judgment or bias. Hypotheses should be stated in such a way that they are ‘testable’ using the evidence that you would generate from your findings.
Research Proposal Guidelines
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Measurement and Data Collection – This is the heart of your proposal. First, describe your plan for data collection by addressing the following in detail, and explaining your choices:
• Identify the approach you plan to take (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
• Describe how you propose to collect data (e.g., survey tool, interviews, focus groups, content analysis, secondary data source, etc.).
• Consider time – will you collect data at a single point in time, or multiple points?
• Discuss how you will operationalize your variables.
• For quantitative research, include a measurement table that:
o Clearly states each hypothesis
o Specifies the variables related to each hypothesis and identifies each as a dependent or independent variable as applicable
o Identifies at least one measure for each variable
o Identifies the level of measurement for each measure
o Specifies the data source for each measure (e.g., survey question, interview question, secondary data source, etc.)
• Identify the approach you plan to take (e.g., quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods).
• Describe how you propose to collect data (e.g., survey tool, interviews, focus groups, content analysis, secondary data source, etc.).
• Consider time – will you collect data at a single point in time, or multiple points?
• Discuss how you will operationalize your variables.
• For quantitative research, include a measurement table that:
o Clearly states each hypothesis
o Specifies the variables related to each hypothesis and identifies each as a dependent or independent variable as applicable
o Identifies at least one measure for each variable
o Identifies the level of measurement for each measure
o Specifies the data source for each measure (e.g., survey question, interview question, secondary data source, etc.)
Sampling Plan – Describe how you will sample your population of interest by addressing the following issues, and clearly explaining you choices:
• Identify your unit of analysis (e.g., individuals, organizations, geographic areas, etc.).
• Identify the population from which you will draw the sample.
• If primary data collection is proposed, clearly describe how you will go about sampling from the population by:
o Clearly identifying the specific sampling method you will use (e.g., stratified random sampling, snowball sampling, etc.); and,
o Discuss how you will identify and contact your sample.
o Include inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• If secondary data is proposed:
o Clearly identify the data source.
o Describe attributes of the secondary data source including advantages/limitations of the sampling methods employed by the original researchers.
o Include inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Specify your sample size (n= ) and how you determined it. (Hint: if you’re proposing quantitative research, use a sample size calculator, and cite which one you use.)
Research Proposal Guidelines
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• Identify your unit of analysis (e.g., individuals, organizations, geographic areas, etc.).
• Identify the population from which you will draw the sample.
• If primary data collection is proposed, clearly describe how you will go about sampling from the population by:
o Clearly identifying the specific sampling method you will use (e.g., stratified random sampling, snowball sampling, etc.); and,
o Discuss how you will identify and contact your sample.
o Include inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• If secondary data is proposed:
o Clearly identify the data source.
o Describe attributes of the secondary data source including advantages/limitations of the sampling methods employed by the original researchers.
o Include inclusion and exclusion criteria.
• Specify your sample size (n= ) and how you determined it. (Hint: if you’re proposing quantitative research, use a sample size calculator, and cite which one you use.)
Research Proposal Guidelines
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Validity and Reliability – No research design is perfect. Thus, it is important to disclose the limitations of your proposal with respect to the expected validity and reliability of your findings by addressing the following:
• Discuss the internal validity (accuracy of your measures) of your research design – possible threats to it, how you will test for it, and how you will maximize it.
• Discuss the reliability (replicability) of your research design – possible threats to it, how you will test for it, and how you will maximize it.
• Clearly state the population to which you will be able to generalize your findings given the structure of your research design, and describe how you have maximized generalizability through your design.
Data Analysis – Discuss how you plan to analyze the data you would collect (e.g., descriptive, correlational, inferential statistics; content analysis; grounded theory; multiple regression; etc.), recognizing that you may use different techniques to answer different research questions. Explicitly state how the analysis will answer the research question(s). Clearly describe the steps that will be taken during data analysis and discuss how you will know if the relationships you have posited in your hypotheses/propositions exist or not (this is particularly important if you are using qualitative methods). For example, this may include the confidence interval, or the threshold of data required (qualitative) to know whether or not the hypothesis/proposition is supported. Keep in mind that you are not being asked to complete the analysis.
• Discuss the internal validity (accuracy of your measures) of your research design – possible threats to it, how you will test for it, and how you will maximize it.
• Discuss the reliability (replicability) of your research design – possible threats to it, how you will test for it, and how you will maximize it.
• Clearly state the population to which you will be able to generalize your findings given the structure of your research design, and describe how you have maximized generalizability through your design.
Data Analysis – Discuss how you plan to analyze the data you would collect (e.g., descriptive, correlational, inferential statistics; content analysis; grounded theory; multiple regression; etc.), recognizing that you may use different techniques to answer different research questions. Explicitly state how the analysis will answer the research question(s). Clearly describe the steps that will be taken during data analysis and discuss how you will know if the relationships you have posited in your hypotheses/propositions exist or not (this is particularly important if you are using qualitative methods). For example, this may include the confidence interval, or the threshold of data required (qualitative) to know whether or not the hypothesis/proposition is supported. Keep in mind that you are not being asked to complete the analysis.
Communication of Results – Identify your intended audience and briefly state how you plan to disseminate your results (e.g., publication in academic journals, policy briefs, etc.). Understanding your audience is key.
Conclusion (<1 page)
Briefly summarize your proposal and outline your anticipated findings and the contributions you expect them to make to practice and the research literature.
Briefly summarize your proposal and outline your anticipated findings and the contributions you expect them to make to practice and the research literature.