A major portion of the course grade (25%) is based on a research proposal that students
are expected to turn in at the end of the semester. Students will implement this proposal in the
spring semester. To assist in the process of proposal development, students are expected to
produce a short (one to two pages) concept paper (5%) that gives a brief summary of the research
proposal. The concept paper and the research proposal should have the following components in
the following order, format, and wording.
The first page should be the cover page. It should follow the APA style. The cover page
should include a running head, your name, your department and university affiliation. You must
also include the course number and title. The title should be specific, concise and distinctive so
that the reader knows exactly the content of the paper.
Statement of the Problem
The second page should start with the Statement of the Problem. What is the problem or
issue that is of interest to you? State it in a clear and concise manner and be direct (such as, The
purpose of this study.. is to or this study will examine the effect of …on…, etc). Next, convince
the reader of the importance or the significance of the problem. You can do this by providing
statistics on the prevalence of the problem (what percentage of the population it impacts; what
kind of population it impacts—the elderly, the young, vulnerable groups, etc.), the consequences
of this problem, if not checked, etc. Be sure to provide facts and figures (with citations) to
impress upon the reader the importance of your problem. You can conclude the paragraph by
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saying that to address the issue, your study will be based on a particular sample, e.g., the elderly
at a local nursing home, or the welfare recipients at a local welfare agency, etc.
Literature Review
Review the literature related to your problem or issue of interest. For each study, review
its purpose, method, findings, and implications. Summarize studies that have similar findings,
and discuss studies that have different findings. An example of how to write the literature
review section will be distributed in class. Everything that is discussed in the literature review
section must be related to either the problem of this study, or the questions/hypothesis, or the
method. At the end of your review, conclude with a description of the relationship between the
literature reviewed and the hypotheses being proposed.
To find the literature related to your problem or issue, you are required to explore the
DSU Library data base and find research articles from peer-reviewed journals. A minimum of
10 peer-reviewed articles (related to the dependent variable) are required. There is no maximum.
All references must include specification of the published source in the format described in the
APA manual. Most web-based information is not peer reviewed. Therefore, use of web-based
information is not permitted unless it is a scholarly article. Federal and state websites cited by
peer reviewed articles are permitted. However, web-based information cannot be substituted for
10 peer-reviewed articles. It can only be included as supplementary information.
Hypotheses
Based on the discussion of the literature review, clearly state the hypothesis(es) that you
will test in this study. Repeat: the statement must be clear and concise.
Variables
Clearly state and define the key dependent and independent variables of the study. First
take the dependent variable and discuss its conceptual and operational definitions. In the
operational definition, briefly refer to the indicators or instruments that were used to measure the
variables (more detail can be given in the instrumentation section). Go beyond semantic
definitions to include indicators of the variables. Next, do the same to the independent variables.
Method
Subjects
First discuss the population from which you will be selecting a sample. Describe the
nature, sources, characteristics, and size of the population. After that, if you are selecting a
sample, discuss how you will draw the sample from this population. Be sensitive to the inclusion
of vulnerable groups in your population. If your sample does not include females, racial and
ethnic minority members, etc., justification must be provided for their exclusion. The sample
may be persons (children, adults, the mentally ill, the elderly, etc.). Indicate the approximate
sample size, that is, the number of subjects in your sample. If there are minority groups in your
population, discuss the culturally sensitive approaches that will be taken during the research
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process. If human subjects are to be used, describe the procedures in place to protect them. If
informed consent is being employed, provide a copy of the instructions and form to be used.
Instrumentation
Discuss the instruments (tests, published indices, etc.) that were used to measure the
variables in your study. Remind the reader here of the independent and dependent variables of
your study. Describe the instruments in detail (e.g. the instrument consists or consisted of 10
questions…etc.) Discuss the operational definition of your variables in more detail (e.g., the
(name of independent variable) was measured using four questions (Q4-Q6), such as, give one
questions and its answers as an example). If published instruments were used, discuss their
validity and reliability. If non-published instruments were used describe the reliability and
validity of the instruments. Attach a copy of the instrument(s) to your paper.
Data Collection Procedure
How will you gather the data for this study (i.e., secondary data)? Describe in detail the
steps you will take to collect the data for the study.
Data Analysis Procedure
How will you analyze the data you collect? Discuss the statistical procedure(s) you will
use to analyze the data, and the statistical test you will use to test the proposed hypotheses.
Strengths and Limitations
What are the strengths of your study (your method, etc.) that makes it particularly
appropriate to answer the questions or test the hypotheses proposed in this study? What are the
limitations which prevent you from answering the questions or testing the hypotheses proposed
in this study or why should the reader be cautious or mindful when implementing the results of
the study (low response rate, sample size too small, data lacking the precise information you
need, etc.)?
Stylistic guidelines
Points have been assigned for stylistic considerations. All papers are to be word
processed. All main headings and sub-headings given above (except for “Stylistic guidelines”)
should be used as main headings and sub-headings in the paper. Use double space. Font size
should not be smaller or larger than 12. The concept paper should not exceed 2 pages. The
margin on all four sides of the paper should be one inch wide. The final proposal should not
exceed 5 pages (excluding bibliography). Edit your paper to meet page length guidelines.
Number the pages. If the paper does not adhere to these stylistic guidelines or exceeds the page
limit, it will be returned to you without being read and without any points.
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The concept paper and the proposal must conform to APA style requirements. For
guidelines refer to the latest edition of the Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association. Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association.