Research Proposal Requirements
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Sample Table of Contents
The heart of the course is preparation of a formal written research proposal. This proposal will be formatted in two chapters. The first chapter will be a 10 to 15 page background paper on your topic and will include a problem statement, a review of the current literature related to your topic leading logically to your statement of a testable research hypothesis (or hypotheses). The second chapter will be your detailed plan to collect and analyze data to test your hypothesis(es). The overall document will be formatted in accordance with the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association as modified by the Embry-Riddle Guide to the Graduate Research Project.
Suggested Elements: See attached sample Table of Contents.
Line Spacing: Double space throughout (including reference page, and quotes).
Margins: Leave a 1 inch top, bottom and right margin and a 1 1/2 inch left margin.
Citations (e.g., footnotes): Citations are required for all sources/references used. Use the parenthetical format (see APA style guide).
Headings & Subheadings: Headings/subheadings on the sample table of contents are required. However, liberal use of further subheadings are encouraged to help organized your paper.
Page Numbers: Place the page number for all introductory pages and appendixes plus the first page of each chapter at the bottom of the page centered on the page. Place the page numbers in the upper right hand corner of all other pages in the body of the paper.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(Suggested Outline -- See the GRP Guide for Format)
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION
This is a one sentence statement of the purpose of your study. It can start simply, "The purpose of this study is...."
Review of Related Literature
{Body of Review}
This is where you summarize all the literature related to your topic. Related literature includes books, journal articles, research reports, interviews with experts, and other materials that provide a background on your topic. The literature review provides the logical basis for your hypothesis(es). You can think of this as a 10 to 15 page term paper on your overall topic.
Summary
Statement of Hypothesis(es)
This is a one sentence statement of the relationship(s) you plan to examine in your study. It should flow logically from your literature review, so it might start, "Therefore, it is hypothesized that...."
CHAPTER II - RESEARCH PLAN
Methodology
In this section, you describe which research method (type of research) you’re going to use to examine/test your hypothesis(es) (i.e., historical, qualitative, descriptive, correlational, causal-comparative, or experimental) and why it is an appropriate approach.
Subjects
Sample Size
Sampling Method
Subjects are "the who" or "the what" or "the when" that you’re going to examine in your research. Define both the sample and the population from which it is drawn from.
Instruments
Location or Source of Data
Measurement Instrument
Location or Source of Data
Measurement Instrument
Data are the individual bits of information you are going to collect about each of your subjects that you will use to test your hypothesis(es). Measurement instruments are the tools used to collect this data such as surveys, databases, tracking sheets, interview notes, etc.
Data Analysis
In this section, you describe what you will do with the data you collect in order to test your hypothesis(es). If you’re going to do statistical analysis, this is where you describe what statistical test you plan on using. Be sure to discuss all of the assumption and requirements of the technique you use. Refer to the chapter in Gay (1997) that corresponds to the technique and research method you've chosen to use.
Procedures
This section is a step-by-step description of how you will do your data collection and analysis. These are instructions in sufficient detail that someone else could do (or duplicate) your research.
Schedule
This section is where you plan how long each step in the "Procedures" will take. Recommend using a Gantt Chart to display this information [see pages 97-98 in Gay(1997)].
REFERENCES
List all of the written and electronic sources you cited in the body of the text. Follow the ABA guide for format. Don't include anything that you haven't cited in the body. If you have other materials that a reader might want to know about but they were not cited, include a separate bibliography as separate appendix. .
APPENDIXES