Please note: The research topic you choose in this assignment will be the same that you use for the rest of your assignments
Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
- Textbook: Chapter 1, 2
- Link (video): Research Tutorial: Building Your Knowledge Base
- Minimum of 3 outside resources
Introduction
Throughout this course you will be creating a research project. Most of your weekly assignments will take you step by step through the process of creating a final research paper. This paper will be due in week 7. To begin this process you will be choosing a topic for your project and will be doing a preliminary literature review.
Please note: The research topic you choose in this assignment will be the same that you use for the rest of your assignments
Activity Instructions
For the first part of this assignment you need to choose an appropriate topic to research. In your textbook it describes four key qualities of a study topic; generalizable, social pattern, aggregated, and empirically observable. Please keep these qualities in mind as you choose your topic. You should also try to choose a topic that you could do a survey on.
For example, you could look at tattoos and income level. You could ask people how many tattoos they have on their body, and their current monthly income. You may find that some individuals may be reluctant to share information about their income. Also, any topic involving sexual behavior is often very hard to get accurate data unless you use very sophisticated surveying.
The second portion of this assignment is to do a preliminary literature review of the topic you choose. Later in the class you will be doing a much more extensive annotated bibliography but for now you’re trying to get an understanding of the basics of your topic. To get started you want to find three references that are general over views of the topic you have chosen. Also, take a look at the steps for conducting a literature review in your textbook which starts on page 30.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
- 2-3 pages (approx. 300 words per page), not including title page or references page
- 1-inch margins
- Double spaced
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Title page with topic and name of student (
- References page (textbook and a minimum of 2 scholarly sources)
- No abstract needed
Grading and Assessment
This assignment will be graded based upon how well the topic follows the four key factors of a good research topics. Also, grades will be based on how well the references in the literature review fit the topic.
Course Learning Outcome(s): 1, 3, 4, 5
1. Understand the language of research.
3. Understand and apply the scientific method to answering research questions.
4. Design, conduct, analyze, synthesize, prepare a well written APA style research paper and communicate results from a scientifically valid, original empirical research
5. Develop verbal and written communication skills
