FERRIS STATE UNIVERSITY

College of Education and Human Services

School of Education

EDUC512

Research Field Study

Course Description: Special investigation of an approved problem in the major field of study resulting in a formal research paper. A prospectus is required. May be repeated for maximum of 6 semester hours. Prerequisite: EDUC 511, graduate status.

Course Objectives: At the completion of the independent study, the student will submit the section of the research report dealing with presentation and analysis of the data.

Evaluation Criteria: The criteria for the proposal are attached.

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

The format of this guide is designed to assist researchers in preparing a proposal in an acceptable form. The suggestions presented in this paper are not hard and fast rules—rather, they are merely suggestions of what a "good" proposal should include and how it should be presented.

The procedure will be to consider each major part of the proposal individually and in the probable order of presentation.

I. Title

    A.     Should indicate the type of study, the field, and population concerned

    B.     Should be brief

    C.     The following words are recommended for use as the initial phrase of a research report title or in
               this case a research proposal title:

                    1. "An Analysis of ..."

                    2. "An Investigation on ..."

                    3. "A Comparison of ..."

                    4. "An Investigation into ..."

The entire paper will be five chapters in length. Chapter I defines the problem; Chapter II summarizes the review of the literature; and Chapter III defines the methodology or procedures used to conduct the research. Chapter IV is the research findings and Chapter V is the summary and analysis

The following is a checklist of items which are typically included in a research study. Not all of the suggested areas are necessary or appropriate for all studies. Rather these items are intended to serve as a guide, particularly in the preparation of the research proposal.

Chapter I: THE PROBLEM

l. Introduction and Background of the Problem (e.g., educational trends related to the problem, unresolved issues)

            A. The introduction sets the stage for the statement of the problem.

            B. Deals with the general status of the problem area.

            C. Usually one or two paragraphs in length.

            D. Do not mention your specific problem (study), but relate to the broad problem area.

            E. Be careful about value judgments

            F. Give credit for others’ ideas and statements that you use.

2. Statement of the Problem Situation (basic difficulty-area of concern) or Statement of Need

            A. Should answer: "What is the researcher trying to accomplish by doing the study?"

            B. Should be closely related to the title

            C. Should be stated in one sentence or as precisely and succinctly as possible

            D. Should be established on the basis of need by

                    l. Recognized researchers

                    2. Society

                    3. Recognized authorities

        E. The need or problem situation of a proposal indicates how conscientious and thorough the research has    been if needs are based on the recommendations of other investigators and on documentation through the literature.

            F. This section requires much preparation and work.

3. Purpose of the Study

        A. Answers the following questions:

            l. How can the researcher use the results of the study?

            2. How can the profession use the results of the study?

4. Rationale and Theoretical Framework (when appropriate)

5. Delineation of the Research Problem (explication of relationship among variables and comparisons to be considered)

6. Statement of Hypotheses or Questions to be Answered

        A. If the study is an experimental study, it is recommended that the hypothesis be stated as the null since statistical treatment is easier to handle.

        B. The hypothesis implicitly states the problem and identifies the kind of solution that is needed.

        C. If the study is a descriptive type student, research questions should identify the problem in question form. Typically these question ask "what was" or "what is". Relationship questions ask "what is the relationship between two or more variables?"

7. Definition of Terms

        A. A term should be defined when it is pertinent to the study.

        B. A term should be defined when it can be interpreted in more than one way.

        C. A term should be defined as it will be used in the study.

        D. Example of a good lead-in phrase: "The following terms are defined to clarify their use in the context of the study:

8. Scope and Delimitations of the Study (narrowing of focus)

        A. Describes conditions under which the researcher is working.

        B. Limitations could start with these words, "This study was conducted in view of the following limitations..." or "The following limitation:..." or "The following are inherent in the study:"

9. Assumptions

        A. Presents the "legal loopholes" of the study.

        B. Answers the following questions:

                l. What does the researcher believe (assume) to be true pertaining to the study?

                2. What is generally assumed to be true?

        C. State all the pertinent items that are assumed (by the writer) prior to undertaking the study?

        D. Assumptions could start with these words: "The following assumptions were made with respect to this study?"

                l. —————————

                2. —————————-

10. Outline of the Remainder of the Report

Chapter II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

l. Organization of the Present Chapter

2. Historical Background (if necessary)

3. General Integrative Reviews Related to the Problem Situation

4. Literature Related to the Research Problem (such as specific research articles)

            A. Select materials which most directly bear on the problem. Include recent literature in both content and method.

            B. Summarize the literature so that the reviewer need not know the article to sense its significance.

            C. If no literature is available on the topic or in the occupational speciality, the researcher should indicate the studies closest to the problem and indicate why they fall short or if they relate to another occupational speciality.

5. Summary of Literature Reviewed (very brief)

Chapter III: METHODOLOGY OR PROCEDURES

l. Description of Research Methodology or Approach (eg., experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, etc)

2. Research Design (spell out independent, dependent variables)

            A. If the independent variables are to be manipulated in experimental fashion, has it been indicated how this will be done?

            B. Are all hypotheses or research questions accounted for in the design plans?

3. Pilot Studies (as they apply to the research design, development of instruments, data collection techniques and characteristics of the sample)

4. Selection of Subjects

            A. Who was selected to participate—where they randomly selected?

            B. Is the sample size consistent with the method to be employed (e.g., so that follow-up of drop-outs and non-returns is practical?)

5. Instrumentation (tests, measures, questionnaires)

            A. Attach copies of instruments or samples of instruments that are to be used.

            B. Identify provisions that were made for the development and validation of researcher- developed instruments (e.g., field test or panel of expert review)

6. Field, Classroom or Laboratory Procedures (instructions to subjects or distribution of materials)

            A. Defines what steps are to be taken to accomplish the research.

            B. Does not present a detailed procedure or an exhaustive review of the literature—rather is simply an outline of the steps to be followed.

            C. Should include:

                    l. Method to be used in solving the problem

                    2. Overall description of the approach

                    3. Techniques to be used

                    4. The population of events to be studied.

7. Data Collection and Recording

            A. Identify the special provisions for data collection that are likely to involve controversy of some kind because of the topic involved, questions to be asked, clients used, etc.

8. Data Processing and Analysis (statistical analysis)

            A. If special tools are to be used (computer, etc.), indicate the nature of their use, validity, and reliability if appropriate.

Chapter 4

Research Findings

1. Introduction

Repeat the purpose of the study and brief introduction to the methods used.

2. Description of the Analysis Procedures Used

In a single analytic technique such as the t test has been employed, this technique and the reasons for using it are usually discussed at the beginning of the chapter on findings. If, on the other hand, the research is such that different techniques have been employed for testing different hypotheses, the description of and reasons for using each technique are usually included with the findings obtained from the use of the technique.

3. Hypothesis 1 or Research Question 1 (repeat each hypothesis or research question)

Perhaps the best method of obtaining clarity in the discussion of the findings is to organize this section of the report around the research hypotheses or research objectives. The writer should repeat the first hypothesis or research question as it appears in Chapter 1 and then presents all findings pertinent to this hypothesis. This same technique is then repeated for each hypothesis or research question and has the advantage of focusing the reader’s attention on the hypothesis immediately before reading the pertinent results.

An approach that many investigators use in preparing the results chapter is to first put the results in table form. Then they study the tables carefully, noting the most important results. Then, using the table as a basis for organizing the chapter, they prepare the text. Tables and figures are useful in describing the research results and in showing trends that have emerged from the analysis. A table or figure can present the overall picture of the data more clearly and more economically than would be possible if each specific fact were discussed in the text. By using tables and figures, the writer is relieved of presenting a tedious recitation of all findings obtained and, instead, can emphasize those aspects of the results that seem to be most important or noteworthy. Students who are inexperienced in writing research papers often make the mistake of preparing a table and then discussing every entry in the table whether significant or not. This approach results in a boring paper and defeats the purpose of using tables and figures.

The writer should be careful to use the appropriate language in describing each result and the hypothesis that it tests. A research result (defined here as the result of a statistical significance test applied to a correlation coefficient, difference between mean scores, and so forth) does not prove or disprove a particular hypothesis. Since the test of statistical significance is based on the null hypothesis, the writer can only say that his/her research results support or do not support a particular hypothesis.

4. Summarize Major Findings

The most important task in writing the results chapter is to identify and interpret the major findings. These might be listed by hypothesis or research question followed by a very brief summary of the findings related to the hypothesis or research question.

5. Explanation of Findings

The writer should discuss possible reasons why and results occurred

6. Link to Literature Review (Chapter 2)

Fit the findings into the findings of previous research

Chapter 5

Summary and Discussion

The summary should be as brief as possible consistent with a clear presentation of all important information concerning the problem, method, and findings.

1. Brief restatement of the problem

2. Description of the main features of the method

Omit most of the details concerning subjects and measures.

3. Listing of the main findings

Findings are often listed by number with each major finding summarized in one or two sentences. This can be from the summary of the findings in Chapter 4.

4. Conclusions based on the findings (MAJOR part of Chapter 5)

Conclusions are usually presented in somewhat more detail. The student should be especially careful to draw all conclusions directly from the findings. Speculations unsupported by the findings should be avoided because they are looked upon by most research workers as a sign of naivete or a lack of scientific objectivity.

5. Methodological Limitations

This might include noted flaws and problems that occurred in sampling procedures, instrumentation, data collection, and data analysis. Some of the problems may have been inherent in the research design; others may have occurred during the execution of the study.

6. Suggest field applications

The writer can present interpretations, speculations, and ideas that would be out of place in other sections on conclusions. Possible applications of the findings and conclusions to the public schools or other field situations may also be discussed; in fact, such a discussion can be of great help to teachers and administrators in the field who may not have sufficient training to discover these applications for themselves.

7. Theoretical interpretations

Because the person doing the study has usually developed a deeper insight into this/her research problem than will be the case for most of the persons reading the study, his/her interpretations usually have greater depth than any that most readers would make for themselves. A great deal of thought and careful study is required in interpreting research results. One of the most common weaknesses found in the writing of graduate students is that their reports present important and interesting findings but fail to provide a thoughtful interpretation of these findings.

8. Recommendations for Future Study

Often the findings obtained from the analysis originally planned by the student will suggest other analytic procedures to the student that will either provide additional data concerning his/her hypothesis or will yield interesting information not related to his/her initial hypotheses. In either case the further analysis could be done.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A. A biliography of works cited in the proposal should be included.

B. Each reference should contain complete biographical information such as author, title, publisher, date, etc.

C. Follow a standard form or style book.

D. Make reference to all sources quoted or paraphrased.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

l. Absolutely at no time are personal pronouns to be used (I, we, etc)

2. Use sentences with only one idea. Avoid compound sentences. Also, make certain the elements in a

sentence are in their proper order.

3. Do not editorialize on the literature (no value judgments)

4. Provide for unifority in headings, titles, etc.

5. Proofread the entire proposal for errors.

GRADING SCALE

225-208=A

207-203=A-

202-197=B+

196-186=B

185-180=B-

179-174=C+

173-163=C

162-158=C-