This research proposal will explore the relationship between drinking behaviors and criminal history.
The purpose of this assignment is to write out your theoretical argument or framework and
transform your research question into a testable hypothesis(s). First, you will explain what your
theoretical framework is, discuss the arguments of the theory that you are using, and relate the
theory to your research question. Make sure your theory matches your research questions level
(macro vs. micro). Furthermore, make sure to cite when appropriate. This would include both
in-text citations and a reference page. Then, you will state your hypothesis. Formulating a
hypothesis is a critical step in the scientific method. This assignment is worth 25 points.
Step 1: List your dependent and independent variable. Remember, you chose these in
Assignment #1.
Step 2: Pick a theoretical argument and briefly discuss it. You can pick any theoretical argument
that relates to your research topic. You can either pick a theory that shows up in the literature on
your topic or you can pick one that you believes relates to your topic. This may be one that we
have talked over, is discussed in a book, or that you have learned in another class. After you
explain your theory, discuss why you think it would be related to your research topic.
Step 3: Formulate your hypothesis. Formulating your hypothesis helps define an explanation to
be tested in the research process. A hypothesis is a tentative statement involving the relationship
between your variables and is testable (e.g., the more friends someone has that smoke the more
likely they too will smoke). However, a hypothesis doesn’t just state that there is a connection
between variables. It suggests that one variable (the independent) influences another (the
dependent). What do you predict your relationship to be? Why? Your hypothesis should relate to
your theoretical argument.
