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, 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 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.
• 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.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Topic: Research Proposal

Order Description
My final paper is about the positive effects of the Opium War on China. For example, China is forced to open up to trade with foreign countries. It marks the end of seclusion policy of Qing government and contributed to the economic boost of China. Also, Chinese people started to learn from the west of their language, technology, history, machine, legal system and etc after the Opium War. Additionally, the Opium War helped to break feudal society of Old China and stimulated the generation of capitalism. It would be better if you could think of more positive effects other than these three.

Here are requirements for this research proposal:

A research proposal is an attempt to set out a viable plan for a research project. It requires you to think about the topic, primary sources, and secondary sources, and determine whether or not they are likely to be adequate for completing the project in the time available. Your topic for the final paper can be anything related to the
history of Shanghai from 1800-1949, but it must draw substantially from primary sources.

Your proposal will consist of the following:

Title: Give your project a “working title.” This forces you to think about how to frame your
project, but it may change as you go deeper into the project.

Introduction: Explain the topic and historical questions that you plan to investigate. Discuss the
time, place, and any important figures involved.

Primary sources: Identify and describe four or more primary sources that can be used in your project. If you are using a case file from the Shanghai Municipal Police File, individual items in the file may be counted separately, but you should have at least one primary source from outside the SMP files.

Secondary sources: Identify and describe three or more secondary sources, such as scholarly books and articles, to consult while developing your ideas. For each source list full bibliographic information and explain how the source might inform or provide context for your research. This means that, at the very least, you must skim through the sources before including them in your proposal.

******FOUR primary sources and THREE secondary sources is needed.

A Basic Proposal Outline:

Introduction:

Topic area
Research question
Significance to knowledge

Literature review:

Preview research:others & yours
Interlocking finding and Unanswered questions
Your preliminary work and topic
The remaining questions and inter-locking logic
Reprise of your research question in this context

Methodology:

Approach
Data needs
Analytic techniques
Plans for interpreting results

Conclusion

Bibliography

Possible secondary sources you could use:
The Inner Opium War by James M. Polachek
The Opium War through Chinese eyes by Arthur Waley