Required Pre-work on separate document
Follow the steps
below:
First, you will choose a study topic for your research from
the list of possible research paper topics (this can be found on the
“Approved Paper Topics” attached.
Next, you will need to locate a minimum of THREE scholarly,
peer-reviewed research articles published in the last 10 years related to your
topic (excluding the article from the approved paper topics list). Note that
dissertations are not peer-reviewed sources and will not count. You are
required to provide an annotated bibliography for each of these sources.
Answer the questions to explain your proposed research topic
and your steps for completing it. You will include your annotations and
citations for your selected articles as well.
Question 1: Write down which article you selected
from the approved paper topics list as the basis of your own project.
Question 2: What
is your research question? *Remember, a
research question clearly states both the independent and dependent variables* Your
research question must also be measurable.
Question 3: What is your dependent variable? *Remember:
A dependent variable is the variable that you are trying to predict. It is
sometimes called an outcome variable. It is not the variable you manipulate in
a study. *
Question 4: What is your independent variable? *Remember,
an independent variable is the variable that you manipulate. This is the
variable by which you organize groups. For example, it is your group assignment
or the way that you classify your participants. This is the variable you
believe will influence the dependent variable. *
Question 5: What is your prediction? *Remember, a prediction should explain how
your variables are related or exactly how you anticipate the independent and
dependent variables to perform in your study. There is a great in-text example
on p. 21 of your textbook (the one about the Beck Depression Inventory).
Question 6: Annotated Bibliography – Source #1. Write
a brief annotation of your FIRST source. Remember this cannot be the article
that was included in the research paper topics document. It needs to be a new
article that was published within the last 10 years and comes from a
peer-reviewed journal. Dissertations, books, magazines, blogs, and websites do
not count. An annotation is a paragraph (4-8 sentences) and should explain in
your own words WHAT was studied, WHAT was done, WHO was included, WHAT was
found, HOW this relates to your research study, and WHAT is missing that gives
you a clue that your study is a good one and/or is a limitation of their study
that your study can resolve. This is intended to help you begin to organize
your thoughts so that you can prepare your introduction paper (due later this
term). Please do not include any direct quotes. Instead, write this entirely in
your own words.
Question 7: APA Reference Citation – Source #1 Please
provide the APA formatted citation for the first source in your annotated
bibliography.
Question 8: Annotated Bibliography – Source #2.
Write a brief annotation of your SECOND source. Remember
this cannot be the article that was included in the research paper topics
document. It needs to be a new article that was published within the last 10
years and comes from a peer-reviewed journal. Dissertations, books, magazines,
blogs, and websites do not count. An
annotation is a paragraph (4-8 sentences) and should explain in your own words
WHAT was studied, WHAT was done, WHO was included, WHAT was found, HOW this
relates to your research study, and WHAT is missing that gives you a clue that
your study is a good one and/or is a limitation of their study that your study
can resolve. This is intended to help you begin to organize your thoughts so
that you can prepare your introduction paper (due later this term). Please do
not include any direct quotes. Instead, write this entirely in your own words.
Question 9: APA Reference Citation – Source #2 Please
provide the APA formatted citation for the second source in your annotated
bibliography.
Question 10: Annotated
Bibliography – Source #3. Write a brief
annotation of your THIRD source. Remember this cannot be the article that was
included in the research paper topics document. It needs to be a new article
that was published within the last 10 years and comes from a peer-reviewed
journal. Dissertations, books, magazines, blogs, and websites do not count. An annotation is a paragraph (4-8 sentences)
and should explain in your own words WHAT was studied, WHAT was done, WHO was
included, WHAT was found, HOW this relates to your research study, and WHAT is
missing that gives you a clue that your study is a good one and/or is a
limitation of their study that your study can resolve. This is intended to help
you begin to organize your thoughts so that you can prepare your introduction
paper (due later this term). Please do not include any direct quotes. Instead,
write this entirely in your own words.
Question 11: APA
Reference Citation – Source #3 Please provide the APA formatted citation for
the second source in your annotated bibliography.
Official Essay (Separate document)
or this assignment, you will conduct a review of the
existing literature and summarize the findings. You will evaluate a minimum of
six scholarly, peer-reviewed (English language) research articles and identify
for all six what has already been done in this area, what gaps exist in the
current literature, any ethical considerations for conducting research in this
area, and any issues of validity or reliability. This assignment should
synthesize the current literature and then build a foundation for your own,
quantitative, research proposal. You will describe your research question,
independent and dependent variables, hypothesis and prediction, and provide a
rationale for your proposal idea.
Note: each paragraph must be 5-8 sentences long. The first
sentence of each paragraph will be an opening sentence (i.e., topic sentence).
This sentence lets the reader know the main purpose of the paragraph. The main
and supporting points of your paragraph will be made in the next several
sentences (i.e., supporting sentences). Your concluding sentence will tie
together all the paragraph’s points.
The following areas should be included:
The following areas are required. It is also required that
you use these very headings in your paper (i.e., “Problem Statement”,
“Literature Review”, et cetera): (please see the rubric below these
instructions for more details on the required elements):
Problem Statement: Describe your general topic, specific
problem, and its relevance to real-world issues. This section provides general
background for your topic and highlights the need for further experimentation.
Minimum of 2 Paragraphs
Literature Review: Summarize the existing literature and its
findings. It provides the background and context for the proposed research
study and alerts the reader to the key concepts in the research area. The primary goal of a critical literature
review is to establish the groundwork necessary to justify pursuing a research
question. Think of it as telling the reader a story about your topic,
highlighting what has come previously in the research literature in a logical
fashion, and smoothly connecting to your research proposal. Remember, there
must be a logical connection between the critical literature review and your
proposed research question. The literature review is also used to point out
methodological and conceptual issues. You are to concisely describe the type of
research designs, the advantages and disadvantages of these approaches, and the
appropriateness of the statistical analyses used to address the reviewed
articles’ research questions. Your review should also discuss: (a) study
design, (b) purpose, (c) sample size and characteristics, (d) key
findings/arguments and important interpretations, and (e) any noted
methodological strengths or weaknesses. 5-6 paragraphs
Gaps in the Literature: Next, identify what remains unknown
in your topic that provides the justification/rationale for your own study.
This section includes a detailed discussion of the purpose for your proposed
study. Begin this section with the strengths of the research you have reviewed.
Then, discuss the weaknesses and the gap in the research that you are going to
address via your proposed study. This gap should clearly follow from the
research reviewed and should be related to the methodological weaknesses you
have identified. Minimum of 1 Paragraph
Research Question, Variables, and Hypotheses: In the
previous sections you built a strong foundation for what has previously been
studied and what gaps exist. In this section, you will present the research
question you are proposing to be studied. The research question must
incorporate the Independent Variable and Dependent Variable (it may also
indicate the target population, if unique). Next, state your null hypothesis,
research/alternative hypothesis, and your specific prediction. Clearly state
whether you would employ a correlational, quasi-experimental, or experimental
design. Lastly, describe the IV and DV you are proposing to be used. 1-2
Paragraphs
Your paper is to be formatted using APA 7th edition
guidelines and include a title page. It is to be a minimum of five and a
maximum of nine pages (not including the title page and references) in length.
Note that if it is not double-spaced, and/or its font and/or margins are not in
accordance with APA requirements, your CA/Instructor will ‘convert’ it so that
it is, and then assess your paper’s length and points will be deducted for
APA).
You are encouraged to start early and reach out to the
Psychology Online Writing Center (POW-C) for additional support with writing,
paper organization, and APA formatting.
