Chapter 16
Developing the Research
Proposal
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Steps in the Research Process
Narrow to
specific problem
Develop
approach
Identify question
State hypotheses
Identify sample
Design data collection plan
Select collection procedures
Choose
analysis
Chapter 16
Implement plan
Prepare report
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Review
literature
Selecting the Problem - Tips
1. While reading, attending lectures,
write down ideas immediately.
2. Research a subject for a paper.
3. What questions seem unresolved?
4. Challenge commonly accepted
beliefs.
5. Look at master’s & doctoral studies.
6. Discuss ideas, topics with
professors or other researchers.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Defining the Problem
• Literature search
– conceptual literature
– related research
• Consider your interest in the problem
• Consider the “importance” of the
problem
• Consider whether researching the
problem is a feasible task
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Developing the Research Proposal
•
•
•
•
Title
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Chapter 3: Procedures
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Chapter 1: Introduction
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Statement of problem
Significance of study
Delimitations
Limitations
Assumptions
Hypotheses
Definition of Terms
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Statement of problem
• problem statement: declarative
statement indicting question
addressed in research project
• Example: The focus of the study was
to determine whether particular
variations within the CHRNA4 gene
are associated with smoking
behaviors.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Purpose of the study
• purpose statement: indicates why the
study was done
• Example: The purpose of the study
was to facilitate identification of
individuals at risk for becoming
addicted to nicotine.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Significance of the study
•
Possible reasons:
1. Gaps exist between theoretical and
practical aspects of the problem.
2. More & better knowledge is needed.
3. Current knowledge needs to be
validated.
4. Current practices need to be
clarified/improved.
5. There is no known solution to the
problem.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Example
• Identifying a gene that is associated
with smoking may help:
– Target prevention programs toward atrisk adolescents
– Assist in understanding the biological
basis of addiction to nicotine
– Lead to the development of
pharmaceutical treatments for smokers
who wish to quit
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Delimitations – scope of study
• Description of subjects
• Description of variables
• Description of tests, instruments,
procedures
• Description of special equipment
• Type of training
• Time and duration of study
• Analytical procedures
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Limitations (weaknesses)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Approach, design, method, techniques
Sampling problems
Uncontrolled variables
Errors in test administration or data
handling
Generalizability of data
Representativeness of subjects
Compromises to internal and external
validity
Reliability and validity of research
instruments
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Assumptions
• Usually drawn from literature or
previous experiments
• Example: We assume the same genes
are important in different populations
for mediating smoking behavior. We
assume the genes contribute enough
of an effect to the behavior to be
able to be observed.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Hypotheses
• Statement of what you predict the
results of the study will reveal.
• Example: There is an association
between a variant in the CHRNA4
gene and the number of cigarettes
smoked each day.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Definition of terms
• Important for terms that may have
multiple meanings
• Example tobacco use: ever tried,
tried at least 5 times, used on a daily
basis, used only in bars, used five
years ago…
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Working bibliography
• Listing of all sources pertinent to the
problem
• notecards, notepads, computerized
reference databases
• Include author, title, year, journal or
book, volume, issue, publisher, page
numbers, etc.
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Chapter 2: Literature Review
• Needs to present broad background
of the research related to the
problem
• Not a simple listing of other works
• Should bring together results from
multiple studies to draw conclusions,
relationships
• Should facilitate identification of
problems, gaps that need to be
addressed
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Chapter 3: Procedures
• Aka Methodology, Experimental
Procedures, Survey Procedures
• Data collection plan
• Step-by-step instructions
• Extremely detailed, so someone else
could replicate the study
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Procedures: General Guidelines
•
•
•
•
Restatement of problem
Overview of organization of chapter
Description of subjects, sampling methods
Description of tests, instruments,
measures
• Description of study design
• Description of administrative procedures
• Description of analysis of data
Chapter 16
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Steps in the Research Process
Narrow to
specific problem
Develop
approach
Identify question
State hypotheses
Identify sample
Design data collection plan
Select collection procedures
Choose
analysis
Chapter 16
Implement plan
Prepare report
Conducting & Reading Research
Baumgartner et al
Review
literature