Design a research strategy for testing your hypotheses/answering your research questions.
– You can put the answers in bullet point form instead of paper type.
Include:
1. Introduction: specify the research topic & give rationale for choosing the topic. State how your study will benefit your agency, social work profession, clients, and you as a developing scholar.
2. Research Questions & Hypotheses:
Research Question 1: How does the implementation of rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities impact reoffending rates?
Research Question 2: What is the relationship between mental health support services in correctional facilities and inmate behavior?
Hypothesis 1: There is a negative correlation between the implementation of rehabilitation programs in correctional facilities and reoffending rates.
Hypothesis 2: Increased availability of mental health services in correctional facilities leads to a decrease in negative inmate behavior.
3. Literature review: write a literature review of 5-10 professional sources relevant to the research topic. (Examine existing knowledge about what you intend to study and how that knowledge can be used to develop your research questions)
4. Research Design: evaluate the design in terms of the (five) research dimensions covered in the course. For each dimension, give your selection and a one or two sentence rationale, based on your research design.
5. Sampling method: define population and procedures for selecting the sample & give reasons for choice of a particular sampling design. Specify data collection procedure & timeline
6. Measurements: identify variables (independent variables and dependent variables) & provide their operational definitions. State level of measurement for each variable. If you would use any existing scales of measurement, which ones and reasons for their use. Provide information on their validity & reliability.
7. Limitation: discuss the internal validity of your design. Which threats to internal validity are controlled or not controlled (maturation, history, statistical regression, instability, instrumentation, testing, nonspecific effects, reactive effects, selection, mortality). What about the design controls them or does not? If a threat is not controlled, what if anything can you do to minimize its effect on the results?
8. How well does your design establishes causality, i.e., how well it addresses each of the four steps in establishing causality (association, time priority, ruling out alternative explanations, and theoretical explanations
