Upload Revised Signature Assignments Research Pro
Research Proposal
The written research proposal will be created based on a narrowly
defined aspect of the topic selected in Week One. A research proposal is
a detailed plan for a specific study to be conducted at a future time.
It is the document which potential researchers typically submit to an
institutional review board (IRB) for ethical review and approval, and/or
to funding agencies to secure financial support for a research effort.
Because it is a plan for research which has not yet been conducted, the
Methods section should be written in the future tense and should not
contain any hypothetical results. The paper must address all of the
components required in the Methods section of a research proposal. The
following actions must be completed.
- State the research question and/or hypothesis.
- Briefly compare the characteristics of the major research paradigms
used in previous studies on the chosen topic. Introduce the specific
approach (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods), research design,
sampling strategy, data collection procedures, and data analysis
techniques to be used in this study. Provide a short explanation as to
why the selected procedures are more feasible than other alternatives
for the research topic. - Describe any relevant variables, measures, and statistical tests.
- Apply ethical principles and professional standards to the proposed
psychological research. Provide an analysis of any ethical issues that
may arise and explain how these issues will be resolved.
The following headings for the required sections and subsections must
appear in the paper. In accordance with APA style, all references
listed must be cited in the text of the paper.
- Introduction
- Introduce the research topic, explain why it is important, and
present an appropriately and narrowly defined research question and/or
hypothesis.
- Literature Review
- Evaluate the published research on the chosen topic including a
minimum of three peer-reviewed articles. Summarize the current state of
knowledge on the topic, making reference to the findings of previous
research studies. Briefly mention the research methods that have
previously been used to study the topic. State whether the proposed
study is a replication of a previous study or a new approach employing
methods that have not been used before. Be sure to properly cite all
sources in APA style.
- Methods
-
Design – Create a feasible research design that
incorporates appropriate methods to address the topic. Indicate whether
the approach of the proposed study is qualitative, quantitative, or
mixed methods. Identify the specific research design, and indicate
whether it is experimental or non-experimental. Evaluate the chosen
design and explain why this design is feasible and appropriate for the
topic and how it will provide the information needed to answer the
research question. Cite sources on research methodology to support these
choices. Include a minimum of two peer-reviewed sources. -
Participants – Identify and describe the sampling
strategy to be used to recruit participants for the study. Estimate the
number of participants needed, and explain why this sampling method is
appropriate for the research design and approach.
-
Procedure/Measures – Apply the scientific method by
describing the steps to be taken in carrying out the study. Identify any
test, questionnaire, or measurement instrument to be utilized. If an
existing published instrument will be employed, briefly describe it and
cite the source. If an original questionnaire, survey, or test will be
created for the project, describe the types of information that will be
collected with it and explain how the validity and reliability of the
instrument will be established. If such an instrument will not be used,
describe how the data will be collected for the study.
-
Data Analysis – Describe the statistical techniques (if
quantitative) or the analysis procedure (if qualitative) to be used to
analyze the data. Cite at least one peer-reviewed source on the chosen
analysis technique. -
Ethical Issues – Analyze the impact of ethical concerns
on the proposed study, such as confidentiality, deception, informed
consent, potential harm to participants, conflict of interest, IRB
approval, etc. After analyzing the ethical issues that apply to the
project, indicate what will be done to handle these concerns.
- Conclusion
- Briefly summarize the major points of the paper and reiterate why the proposed study is needed.
Attention Students: The Masters of Arts in
Psychology program is utilizing the Pathbrite portfolio tool as a
repository for student scholarly work in the form of signature
assignments completed within the program. After receiving feedback for
this Research Proposal, please implement any changes recommended by the
instructor, go to Pathbrite, (Links to an external site.) and upload the revised Research Proposal to the portfolio. Use the Pathbrite Quick-Start Guide
to create an account if you do not already have one. The upload of
signature assignments will take place after completing each course. Be
certain to upload revised signature assignments throughout the program
as the portfolio and its contents will be used in other courses and may
be used by individual students as a professional resource tool. See the Pathbrite (Links to an external site.) website for information and further instructions on using this portfolio tool.
The Research Proposal
- Must be five to seven double-spaced pages (excluding title page and
references page) in length and formatted according to APA style as
outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.). - Must include a title page with the following:
- Title of paper
- Student’s name
- Course name and number
- Instructor’s name
- Date submitted
- Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought and provide a thorough explanation of all required issues.
- Must utilize a minimum of six peer-reviewed sources from the Ashford University Library.
- Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
- Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.