Instructions
The goal of this assignment is to set you up for success in designi
Instructions
The goal of this assignment is to set you up for success in designing research inquiries moving forward. Part of a solid research idea and proposal is having a workable research question that is narrow enough that it can be addressed in the space provided (for example a 15-20 page research paper versus a 50-page thesis), and written in a way that is open-ended and free from bias.
1. Start your assignment with an introductory paragraph about your research topic and why it is of interest and a research “puzzle.” I always recommend a hook of statistics to get the reader to keep reading. You want to guide your reader from your research area to your research topic, then on to your specific research question.
While there are many ways to frame a research question, at the graduate level, your research questions should start with When or Why. If you ask a yes/no question, you need to add a second question: Why or why not? You want to make sure that your question has an appropriate amount of complexity so that it requires a significant amount of research and analysis. A simple Google search should not be able to answer your research question. Moreover, you want to make sure that you’re not writing a script for a 60 minutes episode or a lengthy encyclopedia entry. The question needs to be more than descriptive.
Too broad: How can personal ambition in politics be harmful?
Too narrow: What is Vladimir Putin’s position on ballistic missile defense?
Too vague: What is Vladimir Putin’s “operational code?”
Appropriately Complex and Focused: When are authoritarian governments more or less likely to end in violence?
It should take about 1.5 pages or so of introduction and background before you ask the question.
2. Next, provide a purpose statement that conveys your intentions about what you hope to produce. See the references in your Lessons for additional insight. Often within the literature, this discussion is usually called out by a phrase like the following: “This paper examines . . .,” “The aim of this paper is to . . .,” or “The purpose of this essay is to . . .”. Remember that a purpose statement makes a promise to the reader about the development of the argument but does not preview the particular conclusions that the writer has drawn. Your purpose statement should demonstrate what you are hoping to find out, and also explain what you want your readers to understand (motivation or argument of the research). Later on, when you go to write a paper, a trick to help keep your paper focused around your purpose or argument is to paste it into the header or footer while you write.
Keep in mind, of course, that the point of a research paper is actually to answer the question.
3. Pull out the preliminary variables that you are interested in looking at. This needs to be specific and you need to discuss ideas for how you might go about measuring them and their impact. Explain why these are the important variables to look at within this research project. Why focus on these variables and not other variables?
4. Write a preliminary hypothesis. Not all studies or research papers require the use of a hypothesis. However, in this class you WILL have one. Remember, the hypothesis is one potential answer to your question. You will want to be able to test it in data.
5. Find at least 4 peer reviewed sources to help you answer the question.
REMEMBER, YOU NEED SOURCES TO WRITE THIS ASSIGNMENT. YOU SHOULD USE AT LEAST FOUR PEER REVIEWED SOURCES IN THE TEXT.
By the time you are done, you should have at least 3-4 pages of content (double spaced in times-new roman font 12), not including the title page, and a “references list or bibliography” page. Your writing should be consistent with the professional/academic writing style. For a refresher on the conventions of academic writing please refer to the latest Turabian writing guide or APA writing manual. Since multiple writing styles are in use within this course, on your title page, please note which style you are using within your assignment. This will help me cater my comments to the style you are using. The style you use needs to be the one that is used within your program of study.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
You can also consult:
The College Student’s Guide to Writing A Great Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=4740473
Use the filename (no spaces) yourlastnameWeek2.doc for uploading this file to the Assignment.
As you proofread your assignment I encourage you to work with Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2009. “Editing Your Sentences” In Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Sage. This resource has a nice step by step process for enhancing your writing and you can find it in the course content section.
Note: This assignment will be something that you draw upon to help you complete your final assignment, which is a research proposal. For that assignment you may use the same research question you developed here or create another one.
TOPIC IS: Does economic hardship among children encourage increased diseases as an adult? Why or why not?
