Step 1: Introduction (3-4 paragraphs)

Once you've chosen your variable of interest, you should begin your paper by identifying your independent variable and dependent variable. You should also provide a conceptual definition and an operational definition for each. This should be based on indicators that you examine in your research design (as outlined in Step 2). When thinking through your operational definition, be sure to identify what level of measurement you will gather from your variables (nominal, ordinal, interval, or ratio). When outlining your IV and DV, you need to articulate at least one hypothesis regarding the relationship you would expect to see between your variables. Be sure to outline the direction of the correlation you would expect to see.

In addition to identifying your variables and at least one hypothesis, you should also outline a justification for why your topic is relevant and interesting for research (remember-this justification should be rooted in course concepts). You should also provide a rationale for your proposed hypothesis. That is, explain to me why you predict the relationship as outlined in your hypothesis.

Step 2: Methods (4-5 paragraphs)

Discuss your proposed survey. Identify your participants-how many you think you need, how you will gather your sample, and whether you need to consider any inclusion or exclusion criteria for your participants. Be sure to clearly identify a sampling method and outline how you plan to use that method to gather your sample. You should justify your choice of sampling method and discuss at least one benefit and one drawback inherent with your sampling method choice.

You should also outline which types of indexes/scales you would include in your study. Identify the format of your survey and whether it would be a self-report or other-report study. Be sure to discuss at least one benefit and one drawback of your choice to use a self-report or other-report design. In addition, you should outline at least three of criteria discussed in class for creating a successful survey, and how you accomplished these criteria. In an appendix included at the end of your paper, you should create a 10 question survey to measure your variables. Make sure that these questions adhere to the criteria for good survey designs (as discussed in class) and include questions designed to measure all of your necessary variables.

Finally, outline how you as a researcher will treat your participants ethically in your survey design. Choose at least three of the five ethical principles and outline their relevance to your research and how you would address these issues in your design.

Step 3: Critique (4-5 paragraphs)

Identify at least one potential threat to validity and one threat to reliability in your design. Also discuss at least one potential confounding variable that could introduce spuriousness into your results, and how you would attempt to address this confounding variable in your research.

What are the overall weaknesses in your design? What are its strengths? Discuss the merits of your study based in concepts from class (such as validity, reliability, generalizeability, representativeness, etc.). Outline at least one reason why this design is superior to an experimental research design. Though you will not have any statistics to analyze, you should also discuss one potential instrumental and symbolic value of your hypothetical findings (assuming that your hypothesis is supported).

Using the criteria and format suggested above, write your paper.

Your paper should be 4-5 pages long, double-spaced with an additional one page appendix at the end (this is where you will outline your 10 example survey questions). Your paper should address all of the questions raised above. When writing your paper, it is essential that you connect your answers to the questions detailed above to concepts discussed in class. For example, when asked about the justification for the study, you should base your justification in the criteria we discussed in class (novelty, contribution to ongoing discussions, and impact). Be sure to proof and correct your work.

Step 4: Upload your paper under the correct assignment by the due date. Double-check to make sure that your assignment was successfully submitted through Sakai.