Addressing a Research Problem
Introduction (5-7 pages):
Introduce your topic in a general sense, situate it within the larger context of education
Identify the research problem you want to address
Include relevant research concerning your topic (brief literature review)
Discuss studies that asked similar questions to you
Discuss studies that identified a similar research problem/research questions.
Discuss how these studies indicated a need for your research
After discussing relevant research and building a case for your study, clearly identify the purpose of your study
State your research question(s)
Include a potential hypothesis, if you deem this necessary
Use subheadings, such as Introduction, Review of Literature, and Research Questions
Method (3-5 pages) use subheadings for each component:
Research design: qualitative or quantitative. Explain why you selected this design. Within each design indicate your method—such as ethnography or grounded theory for qualitative research or preposterous experimental/ quasi experimental design for quantitative research. Why did you select this method to address your research questions?
Participants: Who will they be? How many? How did you sample these participants? (ie: purposeful, random etc…) What is the setting in which your data will be collected?
Data collection: What methods will you use to collect data? Why did you select these methods? How will you try to ensure validity and reliability of the data. Cite Creswell for specific validity strategies.
Data analysis: How do you plan on analyzing your data? Will you use qualitative methods—such as content analysis or grounded theory coding? Will you use statistical methods, such as t-tests, mean comparison?
Because you do not have extensive background in data analysis procedures, you may hypothesize your methods and/or ask me for help.
References
You must cite any and all research that you will be writing about. If the idea did not come directly from you, then cite. Most of your citations will be in the introduction (ie: citing education legislation to create a need for your research, citing relevant studies that address your research topic). However, you will also need citations in the methods section, concerning your research design, data collection, and data analysis. These citations can come from your Creswell text.
I cannot stress this enough- when in doubt, add a citation. Educational researchers work hard and deserve to be awarded credit for their ideas. I take plagiarism very seriously. Don’t do it.
APA style writing
Please observe APA style for your proposal
Use APA style citations and include APA style references
Refer to your APA manual (6th edition, second printing) or https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Please proofread your proposal for typos and errors. Excessive errors will result in point deduction. For more information on Addressing a Research Problem visit this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_statement
