Research Prospectus Assignment | Online Assignment

Research Prospectus

Purpose: The research prospectus is both a synopsis and a plan. It gives the audience a glimpse of a problem and its significance, as well as describes the objectives, approaches, and methods of a proposed investigation of the problem. It explains the background of the problem to the audience, describing present understandings and knowledge, as well as identifies your proposed solution(s). It also contains the vital elements of a research investigation, and is often both persuasive and informative in its purpose. The goal of the prospectus writer is not only to persuade the audience to believe in the credibility of the proposed investigation then, but also to make them believe that the solutions and methodologies presented are practical and appropriate.

Audience: Faculty in your school or college who would be acting as a jury reviewing undergraduate research proposals to select one that would receive funding. Because you are writing for not only faculty then, but also to try to obtain funding to complete your proposed research project, you should be particularly mindful of your audience.

Learning Objectives:
Propose a large-scale research project that would contribute new knowledge to your discipline;
Conduct a small-scale primary research project to begin exploring your research question with your own data;
Report on research findings and explain them to your audience in a clear manner;
Persuade your audience that your proposed research project should be pursued; and
Use APA documentation style and formatting.

Process: Refer to the handout “Blueprint for Your Research Prospectus” below, for more detailed information about what each section should include.

Format: The research prospectus should be typed, double-spaced, and around 2,750 words (around 9 pages) in length. The title page, references page, and appendices do not count toward this requirement. The assignment must conform to formatting guidelines (12 pt., Times New Roman, 1” margins, proper headers, etc.) and use APA style and citation.

Assessment: 30% of final course grade.

Blueprint for Your Research Prospectus

As the assignment description indicates, your research prospectus should consist of the following sections in addition to the title, bibliography, and appendices pages and the process note.: 1) Abstract; 2) Introduction with Literature Review; 3) Primary Research Project Methods, Findings, and Discussion; 4) Proposed Research Methods; and 5) Conclusion.

This handout is designed to provide you with further information about what each of the aforementioned sections should include, so please make sure to review it carefully when preparing your research prospectus and before submitting your final draft.

Abstract:
The abstract, which will be no longer than ¾ of a page (around 200-300 words max), should summarize and preview your small-scale research project without giving too much away about the results. Further, the abstract should address the anticipated results of your larger research project based on an analysis of your initial research findings. Look at the example provided by the model. Remember to write the abstract LAST, after you have completed the entire paper; you cannot summarize and contextualize a document that you haven’t written yet. In addition, remember to add a list of keywords below the abstract, indication what search terms could be used to search for your paper.

Introduction with Literature Review:
The introduction with literature review, which should be approximately 3 pages (750 words max), should accomplish multiple goals. Like any other introduction, it should be engaging so that it grasps the audience’s attention. This context typically leads you directly into your thesis, which should be your particular and unique position, the one that you have developed from a semester’s worth of research. Do not feel the need to ‘parrot’ a particular source’s position; rather, take the parts of it with which you agree and cobble them together into a cohesive, positive thesis. Then you will begin to review the literature If you are completing a ‘best practices’ prospectus, you will likely have a number of positions and methods from which you are drawing and will discuss their efficacy in accomplishing the goals and objectives they are supposed to accomplish, citing sources and paraphrasing all the while. This section must make clear the topic and purpose of your prospectus and provide a synthesis of relevant and important research in the field regarding your topic/proposed research question. You should cite at least 6 of your 8 peer-reviewed sources in this section.

Primary Research Project Methods, Findings, and Discussion:
The primary research project methods and findings section, which should be approximately 3 pages (750 words minimum) long, should explain how you conducted your small-scale research project (survey), including how you collected and analyzed your data as well as any successes and failures that occurred. *Please note then that this section is different from the proposed research methods section, which is described below. The primary research project methods, findings, and discussion section addresses what you actually did whereas the proposed research methods section outlines what you would do and why for the larger proposed study. You should include at least one clearly labeled chart, one that demonstrates a significant finding from your survey, if indeed you conducted a survey, and explain these at length. You should also include the most relevant and significant quotes from the last item in your survey, the essay (text box) question. Make sure that you set up and/or preview the quotes, and, once they have been presented, make sure that you comment on their significance in terms of your research. You should also, in this section, whenever possible, connect back to the secondary research in your literature review and compare and contrast its findings with your own.

Proposed Research Methods:
The proposed research methods section, which should be approximately 3 pages (750 words), should identify your proposed research question(s) for the large-scale project as well as the methods you would use to collect and analyze data to respond to that question/those questions. For example, in the methods section you may describe how you would solicit participation and conduct interviews with at least 500 undergraduate students at 4 universities in Mississippi, identifying sample questions that you would ask in those interviews and the method(s) you would use for analyzing that data. Provide thorough descriptions of your proposed methods and justifications for their use, which will likely reference and/or cite prior studies that have used similar methods. The methods section should be as detailed as possible so that the reader clearly understands how you would intend to pursue your large-scale project and why you would take the approach you are proposing. Be realistic! Use the descriptions of studies from your secondary research as a guide. Researchers rarely ask for or receive tens of millions of dollars, or go on for decades. Remember your IRB training regarding the treatment of vulnerable populations such as prisoners, those who do not speak English fluently, minorities, and children.

Conclusion:
The conclusion, which should be approximately 1 page (at least 250 words), should restate the significance of your proposed project in terms of what it will contribute to your academic discipline’s knowledge and/or practices, note any changes that you made to your large-scale research project, based on the results of your small scale primary research project. Further, you should propose possibilities for future research that could be done based on the potential results of your proposed larger project.

References:
You should, of course, include a list of the six references you used.

Appendix A:
You must attach, after the references page, an appendix that provides all of the questions/statements from your survey. It should not, however, include the results. It should include only the content of the survey.