Research Proposal

Before writing your research proposal you should meet with your group to discuss what type of research question you would like to investigate. See the topic list for ideas.

THE WRITTEN RESEARCH PROPOSALS SHOULD BE DONE INDIVIDUALLY!!! Please do not turn in one proposal for the entire group or turn in multiple copies of the same proposal with different names on them. Even though the same idea will be stated in each, this written proposal should be in your own writing. If multiple group members turn in identical proposals the paper grade will be divided among the members who turned them in. (If the paper receives a grade of 10/10 and 3 group members turn in identical papers, each receives a 3.3.)

Your research proposal should contain the following information:

1. What is the research question you would like to investigate? Why are you interested in this topic?
2. How do you plan to investigate the question?
3. What will your IV be? (There should be only one.)
4. What will your DV be? (There should be only one.)
5. What are some possible problems that you can foresee? How could you try to eliminate them?
6. How would your study be beneficial to the scientific community or to society in general?

Your paper should be well-written - with a clear introduction and conclusion. It should be free of grammatical and spelling errors, one and a half to two pages long, typed, and double-spaced. (If you do not have a typewriter or computer, you should go to one of the public computer labs on campus to print your paper.)