Research Proposal (300 points) 8 full pages minimum, 12-point font, double-spaced The minimum is 8 full pages, but you can write more if you want. The goal is to write clearly and concisely. Avoid wordiness. Write efficient and concise sentences and paragraphs. Cite sources correctly. Choose one style (APA or ASA) and be consistent throughout. The format of the paper: 1. Cover page. Use the specific instructions for the writing style of your choice – APA or ASA. Review the style/writing guide posted on Canvas. 2. Introduce your topic, clearly articulating your thesis statement and research question/s. (1 to 2 pages) Provide a clear thesis statement. What do you plan to accomplish? Clearly define the social issue you want to address. This is a detailed explanation of your research question/s and thesis statement. Why is this topic and research relevant and important? 3. Literature review (minimum 4 pages) This is your literature review section. You will provide a thematic synthesis of the literature, providing insights on why this topic is relevant, and what research has been conducted on this topic. Review the readings and other course material on Literature Reviews. It will also be helpful to review the material on writing a Compare and Contrast paper. Avoid the split essay and aim for a synthesis of thematic elements. I have attatched the 10 articles I am using. Use 10 academic, peer reviewed scholarly articles from the articles that you have been collecting throughout the semester. If the scholarly articles you are using for this paper are the same articles from the “Identifying Parts of the Research Article” assignment, the information in the worksheets you completed will provide you with a lot of good material to develop your literature review section. Identify and present the different arguments and points of view on the topic/social issue. Examine the specific social issue and the arguments, considering social, cultural, political, or economic forces that create, contribute, or influence this issue. Remember to review the material on “Literature Reviews”. 4. How are you going to conduct the research? (1 to 2 pages) In this section, you will be proposing what you plan to do if you were to actually conduct this research. What theories do you envision using for this research? What methods do you envision using for this research? (e.g. Qualitative, Quantiative, Mixed methods?) Briefly describe your proposed method. This class does not assume that you have taken a Research Methods course. Thus, this section is a brief paragraph stating what method seems to be a good fit to answer your research question/s. You can look at the Methods section in the different scholarly articles you are using for your literature review to look at what methods they used. 5. Discussion, Analysis, and Conclusion (2 pages) In this section, write about any of the following: What are some of the gaps in the literature that needs more research to provide sufficient data for knowledge or to facilitate social change. For example, if you are researching the topic on women and education, what are the main arguments posed in the literature? What progressive changes in society address the gender gap in education, or what are ongoing prevalent issues regarding the gender gap, or what additional research is needed to provide an informed basis to advocate for social change. How and in what ways will your research refine, revise, or extend existing knowledge in the subject area of your topic. Depending on the aims and objectives of your research, describe the anticipated results (your hypothesis) and how it could impact scholarly research, practical application to specific contexts, forms of interventions, or policymaking. Substantive contribution – e.g. a potential new policy, reform, etc. Theoretical contribution – a potential new way of understanding the topic Methodological contribution – a potential new way of analyzing the topic You do not have to address all the items listed for the Discussion and Analysis section. These are just ideas. You can choose a few that are relevant to your paper. 6. Reference page I also attached a sample paper that my teacher posted for us to look over. Also is attached my references and articles that I am using.
