Students will identify the research problem that they want to study for the literature review and
single subject. Students will articulate the purpose of their research, formulate a research
question, and conceptualize and operationalize their study variables. Please note, this
assignment is not theoretical. It should focus on a concrete research question that you will be
pursuing and executing during this course as part of your single-subject design and intervention.
Guidelines for Problem Statement & Research Question(s)
Format: APA style
double-spaced, 12-point font size (Times or Times New Roman)
approximately 1-2-page (exclusive of cover page & reference page)
upload your paper as a Word document in the Canvas assignments link
Students are required to discuss the following items, in this order, and use the subheadings:
1. Research Problem (Refer to Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 7 Problem Formulation)
SWRK 535 – Syllabus Instructor: Ioana Schmidt, MA, MSW, PhD
Spring 2024 7
a. What is your research topic (research problem)? Why is it a problem?
i. Provide background information clearly outlining the problem using relevant
citations or statistics properly cited using APA style.
2. Purpose of The Study (refer to Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 7 Problem Formulation)
a. What is the purpose of your study? Your problem statement should lead logically into
the reason you’re studying this particular topic.
3. Research Question(s) (Refer to Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 7 Problem Formulation)
a. Formulate your research question(s). Your research questions present specific
research activities that you involve using selected variables.
4. Significance of The Study ( Refer to Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 7 Problem Formulation)
a. Why is your research important? How will it help the field of social work? In other
words, what are the possible implications of your study findings to social work practice?
5. Variables and Conceptualization and Operationalization of the Variables
-Identify your variables, conceptualize (define) them, and state how you intend to
operationalize (measure) them (Refer to Rubin & Babbie, Ch. 8 Conceptualization in
Quantitative and Qualitative Inquiry)
a. List the variables; provide a conceptual definition; state how you operationalize
(measure) them; and identify standardized measure(s) with citations or create your
own. Include measure(s) as an appendix.
For my research question, I will be seeing how caffeine affects the person’s sleep patterns.
