For this research proposal assignment, you will be working on writing the method section of your proposal. As you learned in Unit 5, developing a research design involves making several decisions about what data you want to collect, who you want to collect it from, and what tools you will use to do so. A high-quality method section should include a description of what construct(s) you are measuring, how you plan to measure them, how you plan to sample your population of interest what variable(s) you will be measuring, how you plan to collect your data, and your plan for data management.
The Research Design is one of the most important components of your research proposal.
The goal is that someone reading your proposal could read your method section and replicate your study exactly.
Draft your research proposal method section. Your method section will be evaluated along the following dimensions:
Your method draft should be 3 to 4 pages double-spaced (or 750 – 1,000 words) in length.
Identify and define which methodological approach(es) you plan to use. The Unit 5 slideshow includes examples of common methodological approaches. You may find examples of others in your own references.
Explain how your choice of methodology supports your research question. In your explanation, cite 3 or more peer-reviewed primary sources which use the same or similar methodology as you propose.
Describe participants you plan to recruit (i.e. population, site, sample, and sample size) and how you plan to recruit them (what kind of advertising? In-person or online study?) and how you plan to get informed consent.
Include the instrument you plan to use for data collection. If you’re planning a survey, include the survey questions. If you’re planning interviews, include your interview questions. If you’re planning on ethnography or observations, include a description of your plans for observation and note-taking. *Remember that you can use an existing scale or other measurement if you cite it.
For your construct(s) of interest, you must cite at least 2 peer-reviewed primary sources which also measured the variables you are planning to measure.
Identify and describe any potential challenges/limitations (i.e. sample availability; sites; research design; and data collection instrument).
