Research Proposal

The survey that was created for the research proposal is attached. (MASS MEDIA SURVEY)

Research Proposal – RP (collaborative) The main objective of this entire course is to learn the stages of the research process and how to design a research project. In this class you will NOT complete the actual research project. You will only write a research proposal (RP). That is how you propose to conduct a study in the future. Completing the actual research project would involve full data collection, data analysis and presentation of findings. You may get a chance to do this when you take Senior Seminar (SOCI 4499). The term paper for this class includes presentation of the existing literature related to your proposed topic and explanations on how you plan to conduct your research project in the future. Rules governing this assignment:

1. You will collaborate with your assigned DBL team. Although you may divide the work amongst yourselves into sections, all students in the team are responsible for checking and providing approval/input for all sections of the paper, to ensure an adequate final co-authored product.

2. The ability to collaborate to produce a quality proposal – as opposed to individual grade-chasing – will be considered when calculating the grade on this assignment. Please avoid being the student who leaves your colleague(s) no other option but to report you for lack of willingness or interest to collaborate or answer e-mails within a reasonable turnaround time. If I receive such reports, your grade is very likely to be significantly affected! At the same time, please avoid reporting your colleague for frivolous reasons.

3. Your research proposal will be an approximately 8-10 pages paper and will include:• An introduction • Problem statement and why the topic is worth studying.

• A brief theoretical perspective
• A literature review (must include at least ten scholarly references from academic, peer-reviewed journals and/or scholarly books).

• An articulation of what specific new aspect, niche, angle or original contribution your project will bring to the existing literature in the field. Proposing a replication study is also acceptable (replicating what others have done in the past to see if findings hold).
• Clear research questions and a hypothesis (or several). This is what you expect to find.
• Methodology (variables, variable measurement, sampling strategy, data collection procedures, data analysis plan).

• Your research instrument o the survey you designed earlier during the semester – if you choose a quantitative methodology for your project. o an interview guide, if you choose a qualitative methodology for your project. You can always adapt the survey (respondents checks an option on close-ended questions) to turn it into an interview guide (responded is allowed to respond freely to open-ended questions).