Unit 2 Research Proposal
Tentative Schedule
Week 6
 2/19-Intro to research proposals & primary research
Week 7
 2/24-Interviews & Observations
 2/26-Surveys & Short Research Proposal Peer review
 Minor Essay 2- Short Research Proposal Due
Week 8
 3/3-Research proposal subsections
 3/5-Peer review & debates
Research Proposal Final Draft- Due 3/6 by midnight
Today’s Goals
 Finish up debate planning activity (from Friday)
 Discuss methods and strategies for conducting
interviews and observations
 Discuss requirements of purpose statements in
research proposal writing
Group Activity: Debate Planning
 In your unit 2 groups
 Brainstorm ideas for how to structure your group’s debate as well
as ideas for the content of your team’s speaking points
1. Generate at least 4 solid supporting reasons you could use for
your argument (utilize each rhetorical appeal at least once)
2. What kind of data will you look for to support each of these
main points? Who will be responsible for finding this data?
3. What kind of organization/order will your group use for its
presentation? Will you follow a set order or respond to the
content of your opposing team?
4. Will your group have an appointed leader or make decisions as
a group? Who will this leader or ruling body be?
Research Proposal Overview
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Title page
Abstract (100 words or less)
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Statement of Purpose (usually 100+ words. Often the second longest section of the essay)
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Name your primary research method and explain your general strategy for it (i.e. what do you hope to
find)
References
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Briefly sum up the secondary sources you are using and how they are relevant to your research
Methods (approximately 100 words)
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Explain why you are qualified to conduct this research
Mention qualifications as well related personal experiences
Literature Review (200+ words. Often the longest section of the essay)
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State research question and hypothesis
Convince readers why the research is necessary
Statement of Qualification (approximately 100 words but may be longer)
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Identify research question, research methods, & most important points of research
The APA version of a Works Cited page
Appendix
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Usually includes supplementary information
The appendix for our research proposals will include detailed information about your primary research
(such as interview, questions surveys, or observation goals)
Statement of Purpose
Goals:
 State research question (focused, determinate)
 State hypothesis: what do you anticipate the results of your research will show?
 Convince readers why your research is necessary
Suggestions:
 often the second longest section of your essay (after the literature review)
 Should utilize an attention grabbing strategy to explain why the research is
important and necessary (logos is most commonly used here but pathos will
work for certain topics)
 Economy of information is not as important here as in the abstract. Feel free to
explain yourself in detail and defend your position or the purpose of your
research
 Citations and secondary source information can be used here (especially
helpful for logos)
Example Purpose Statement
“The primary purpose of this research is to explore the effects of video games on
the minds of minors. With the United States’ technology improving quite rapidly
throughout the years, violent video games are at a closer reach to children now than ever.
In fact, over 183 million Americans report playing one or more hours of video games a day
(TED, 2012). That is more than half the population of the country. The concern is, are
violent video games actually capable of causing behavioral issues in these young gamers?
According to Kaplan (2012), “high exposure to […] video games can lead to
changes in brain function” (p. 11) which includes showing aggression towards others. By
viewing these graphic images and partaking in virtual killing, desensitization occurs and
kids are no longer phased by violence. Although this research primarily focuses on
violent video games found in the United States, it is noteworthy to know that this is a
problem that goes far outside of this country, and that violent video games also seem to
be affected minors across the world; Kaplan (2012) states that these places include “Japan,
Singapore, Germany, [and] Portugal” (p.8). This has clearly become a global issue. By not
allowing kids to play violent video games until they reach a certain level of maturity, or by
reducing the time spent playing will diminish the risk of them developing behavioral
problems.
This research needs to be conducted for the well-being of young people, to help
parents choose games that are appropriate for their children instead of thwarting their
mental development with video games. It is anticipated that results will show and fortify
the connection between violent behavior and playing video games.
Journal Entry 17
 Focus: Draft Statement of Purpose
 Take a few minutes to begin drafting the statement of
purpose for your research proposal (or at least the ideas
that you will use for it). You may wish to consider?
 What is your research question? (remember to keep this
focused and determinate, as we discussed last class)
 What do you expect to find as a result of your research? This
will become your hypothesis and should be stated in the
Purpose Statement
 Why is your research so important? Who will benefit from it?
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This is likely the question you should spend the most time on as it
will take up the most content of the Purpose Statement
You may also wish to consider what types of background information
you can use to support this
Interviews
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Strongest ethos of all the
 Arguably the most time
research methods
 Allows for a variety of quotes
that can be incorporated into
your essay
 Best research method for
showing expert opinion or
view
 Excellent practice for social
science/media majors
consuming of the research
methods
 Interviewing unqualified
subjects or asking poorly formed
questions will be extremely
counterproductive (more so
than other research methods)
 Produces so much material that
deciding which quotes to use
can often be difficult
 Forming questions for
interviews can often be more
difficult than surveys
Interview Method Requirements
 Interview at least five subjects, who should be appropriate
to your inquiry and requirements, in separate interviews
 Ask each interviewee at least 10 questions
 You may have some questions that you ask all interviewees,
but some questions will have to be tailored to each specific
subject
 Must use at least one quote from each person interviewed
(in the informative article)
 Interviewees should usually be experts in the field or
subjects who can speak with personal experience
 Provide a transcript or recording of your interviews
 Use proper interview citation:
Interviews-Procedure
 Before the interview
 Consider your purpose
 Learn about your subject
 Formulate your questions
 Gather your supplies
 During the interview
 Manage your time
 Be courteous
 Take notes
 Be flexible
 After the interview
 Review notes/results soon after
Note: the more professional and prepared you are for your interview, the more
seriously your subjects will respond
(A&B p.282-284)
Interview Citations
 MLA
 In-text citation:
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(Anderson)
 Works Cited citation
 Anderson, Nicholas. Personal Interview. 20 Oct. 2014.
 APA
 In-text citation:
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(N. Anderson, personal communication, October 20, 2014)
 References:
 APA does not include interviews in the reference section, only
in its in-text citations
Creating Interview Questions
 You may want a few (2-3 at most) background questions to find
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out about your subject and to get them comfortable speaking
before proceeding into your main questions
Your main questions should be open ended enough to allow your
subjects sufficient freedom to answer as they see fit
Should be focused enough to keep your subjects on topic
If your subject gets off topic, that is ok! Sometimes the best
information will come from this. Do not rush your subject or
force them back on topic before they are ready
Do not ask leading or determinate questions. You do not want
yes/no answers, and you do not want to color your subjects’
perceptions of your expectations
Do not discuss your hypothesis or goal with the subject ahead of
time. You should only tell them your general topic
Creating Interview Questions
 You should include at least one “Danger of death”
question
 These questions do not have to literally ask someone
about a time they died, but they should ask the subject
something they feel a deep, personal connection to
 Danger of death questions are the best way to get your
subjects comfortable, speaking openly, and sometimes
providing the best information
Group Activity-Interview
Brainstorm
 In your unit 2 groups
 Create 5 sample interview questions that you could use to learn more about a specific
topic (you may use one of the topics of your group members or select a research question
below). Additionally, be prepared to tell the class:
1.
Who will you interview with these questions? Why does this person/group of people
constitute good interview subjects?
2.
What do you expect to find?
3.
What kind of background research on the subjects can you do before this interview?
 Sample topics:
 What is the main cause of students failing courses in college?
 How do politicians use rhetorical appeals and persuasive strategies during political
debates?
 What are the main stressors that college students have to deal with?
 Does fraternity enrollment have an effect on academic success?
 Is it more academically advantageous for students to live on or off campus?
 How might the college/education system in the US differ from the system in other
countries?
 How do environmental conditions affect students’ study habits?
Methods Section
 Should explain any and all methodologies you intend to use in your
research
 Focus on what primary research you will conduct; it is already assumed
that you will find background secondary research information
 Your primary method should be one or more of the three previously
mentioned (interview, observation, or surveys). For each primary
method:
 Indicate whom you will be interviewing or surveying or what
setting/activity you will be observing
 Explain what, specifically, you will be attempting to find out from your
primary research. This can include questions you intend to ask or what
you will be looking for in observations
 Note: you should not list every question here, only the most important
ones for your research and what sorts of connections between
questions you will look for
Observations
Advantages
Disadvantages
 Allows you to gain firsthand
 Observer’s paradox will
experiences with the setting
or topic you are investigating
 Arguably the most
professional/scientific of the
research methods we have
covered
 May allow access to subjects’
‘natural’ behavior while many
subjects will lie on surveys
automatically bring all results
into question
 Research method that is most
sensitive to research bias; you
must work diligently to
remain objective
 Obtaining permission for
observations can be difficult;
many potential subjects will
be reluctant
Observer’s Paradox
 The observation of an event or experiment is
influenced by the presence of the
observer/investigator
 A term coined by the sociolinguist William Labov
 How might this affect your strategies for conducting
observations?
Observation Research Requirements
 Find an appropriate setting or condition for observation that
is appropriate to your topic and research question
 Conduct at least 2 observation sessions totaling 1 hour or
more each
 Use a dual column research log technique
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Use a small notebook that you bring with you
In the left column, write down observations of occurrences in a
completely objective and descriptive way
In the right column, attempt to interpret those occurrences, looking
for why a particular action may have taken place and how it relates to
your research
Keeping your physical observations and interpretations separate in
this way can help you remain objective in your observations
 Provide a copy of your observation notes (detailed and with
the dual column technique) and recordings
Observation Steps/Strategies
Determine purpose and research question
2. Make arrangements ahead of time. Do not record
people without their permission
3. Take clear, usable notes while observing; the dual
column technique with observation/interpretation is
required for our methodology
4. Go through notes soon afterwards: fill in gaps,
elaborate
1.
Observation Examples
 Topic: Violence in video games
 Ex setting 1: FIU Piano room
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Observe students’ behavior as they play video games with one another in the piano
room, keeping a look out for what games they are playing (especially if there is
violence in the game) and whether there is violence or aggressive behavior between the
participants
 Ex setting 2: Arcade (owner permission required)
 Observe arcade patrons’ behavior as they play video games with one another, keeping a
look out for aggressive behavior as well as which types of arcade games incite it
 Politician’s use of rhetorical appeals
 Ex setting 1: Recorded political debate on youtube
 Ex setting 2: City Hall meeting
 In each different venue, special attention is paid to the words and actions of the
current speaker as well as how the audience reacts to their rhetorical effects. For
any parts that seem effective, the observer will attempt to interpret how ethos,
pathos, logos, and angle of vision are used
Group Activity 2: Observation
Brainstorm
 In your unit 2 groups
 Select 3 example informative article topics. If possible, these should be topics from your
group members. However, if your group members’ topics seem incompatible with this
type of research, feel free to use one of the examples below
1.
For each topic, select one setting that could be observed in order to gain firsthand
knowledge of it
2.
For each setting, select two things you would be on the look out for in terms of actions
or occurrences
 Sample topics:
 How do politicians use rhetorical appeals and persuasive strategies during political
debates?
 What are the main stressors that college students have to deal with?
 Does fraternity enrollment have an effect on academic success?
 Is it more academically advantageous for students to live on or off campus?
 How might the college/education system in the US differ from the system in other
countries?
 How do environmental conditions affect students’ study habits?
Homework
 Read A&B p.282-286
 Journal Entry 18
 Focus: RP Source Evaluation 1
 Find the first source you will be using for your research proposal (a peer reviewed article)
 Read and analyze the first source you will be using for your Research Proposal. Sum up the
argument it makes in the journal entry as well as the most important or convincing facts in
the article. Then reflect on how that article has changed your perspective.
 General suggestion: focus on logos for all RP source evaluations
 Journal Entry 19
 Focus: RP Source Evaluation 2
 Find the first source you will be using for your research proposal (a peer reviewed article)
 Read and analyze the first source you will be using for your Research Proposal. Sum up the
argument it makes in the journal entry as well as the most important or convincing facts in
the article. Then reflect on how that article has changed your perspective.
 General suggestion: focus on logos for all RP source evaluations