26 Jan o Title page (with meaningful title)

FINAL RESEARCH PROPOSAL

As 100 points of your final grade in this course, you are asked to design a research project of your own choosing. The final research paper will be due through Blackboard on or before Friday, December 7th at 11:59 PM

I. Title Page: Your title page should include the title of your paper, the date, your name, University of Houston-Victoria, and the course number and name.

II. Abstract: Your abstract is a brief summary of what your paper is going to discuss. It should be between 100 and 150 words.

III. Introduction (1-2 pages): The introduction section should be designed to interest your reader in your topic and proposal and provide some context for your project. The introduction should include a clear and unambiguous statement of the research problem or question. The importance and significance of this question should also be discussed. At the end of your introduction you should state what the gap in the literature is that you are trying to address (e.g., “The proposed research project attempts to fill _____ gap in the literature by examining _____”).

IV. Literature Review (3-5 pages): The literature review should include a review of existing research on this topic area that is relevant to your particular question and hypothesis. You must include at least five (5) scholarly journal articles in this literature review (not books, newspapers, magazines, or internet sites). The literature should be condensed in an intelligent fashion with only the relevant information included (you do not need to provide a detailed summary for each article), and citations must be in APA format. You should include a summary of the existing literature which leads to a clear statement of your hypothesis and research questions. Be specific about what is predicted (e.g., “It is hypothesized that…”).

V. Research Design and Methods (2-3 pages): First, describe each of the constructs you included and how they were measured (e.g., dependent variables, independent variables, control variables, unit of analysis). Discuss how you will measure these variables. Discuss how you will ensure the validity and reliability of your measures. Discuss how you will (if necessary) protect human subjects. Second, describe how the sample was selected (random, convenience, etc.) and why that particular method was chosen. Third, describe the research design (i.e., experimental, quasi-experimental, etc.) in detail and discuss why that design is appropriate for your hypothesis. Include a description of the procedures you used in conducting the study. For example, discuss the research site and how your data was collected (e.g., survey of UHV students). BE SPECIFIC. Describe your sample, population, and subjects.

VI. Conclusions (.5-1 Page): Discuss the potential implications of your study. State any limitations of your project (internal or external validity, etc.).

VII. References: All citations in the body of the paper should be included in the reference section in APA format.

VIII. Appendices: Your measurement instrument (interview schedule, observation instrument, questionnaire, etc.) should be included in full as Appendix A to your paper.

Other Notes

· Your paper must be between 6.5 and 11 pages long.

· It must be typed and double-spaced in 12 point, Times New Roman font.

· 1 inch margins

· Your title page, abstract, references, and Appendix DO NOT count toward your page length.

· Please do not put any extra spaces between paragraphs.

· Your paper MUST be free from spelling or grammatical errors (Contact the UHV Writing Center for assistance, including a review of your paper)

· Your paper MUST contain all of the components above in their entirety

Grading

· Substantive Expectations (75 points; Literature Review=30 Points & Research Design & Methods=45 Points)

o Literature review is a well-written summary of existing research on the topic

o Literature review includes at least 10 scholarly sources

o Specific hypotheses are included at the end of the literature review

o Research design and method section is well-written and clearly laid out

o Research design and method section includes all parts as discussed under Section V.

· Structure and Organization (5 points)

o Does the paper include an abstract that summarizes the paper in 100-150 words?

o Does the paper have an introductory paragraph with a clearly laid out plan?

o Is the purpose of the paper clearly stated?

o Is there a conclusion?

o Is the substantive content of this paper separated by headings?

o If applicable, is the measurement instrument included in an Appendix?

· Proper Citation (5 points)

o Do in-text citations follow the APA guidelines?

o Is there a correctly formatted reference page that includes ALL sources cited in the text?

o Are ALL authoritative statements and generalizations backed with citations?

· Grammar (10 points)

o Is this paper written in a clear, concise, and coherent fashion?

o Are there grammatical/spelling errors?

o Is the paper written in a formal (and non-conversational) fashion?

o This paper is not written in the first person (e.g., I, we, our, us, my, me)

o Are there contractions or slang in the body of this paper?

o There are no more than 3 direct quotes in this paper.

· General Requirements (5 points)

o Title page (with meaningful title)

o 6.5-11 pages of typed text (excluding title page, abstract, references, and appendices)