Writing: Designing a Research Study

Date: _________________________

Name: __________________________________________ ID# _______________________

Course: __________________________________ Course/Section # __________________

For one of the following research scenarios you will choose the best methodology and write a simple budget and time-table for this research. Your instructor will assigned your research scenario.

1. Research what helps and what hinders people who have finished an alcohol-abuse rehabilitation program when they make the transition back into the community.
2. Research the ways family members who also serve as care-givers of a loved one with Alzheimer's disease cope with the continuous stress.
3. Research gender typing in the types of toys marketed to boys and girls and the types of toys boys and girls prefer.

Write a Research Proposal:

You will turn in a paper with the following parts:

1. Introduction: Give a brief introduction to your topic. You can use your text book or another source for this.
2. Participants: Tell who will participate in your study. How many people? How many males and/or females? What age range? Will they be screened for any special characteristics? How will you recruit your participants?
3. Methodology: Here you need to describe your study. You must decide what combination of the following you will use: self-reports (diaries, interviews, or questionnaires), behavioral measures, observations (naturalistic or laboratory), a case study method, a correlational method, an experiment, a longitudinal study, a cross-sectional study, and a cross-sequential study.
4. Timetable: How long will your study take? How often will you contact your participants?
5. Budget: What do you need to buy for your study? How much equipment? Will you pay your participants? Do you need to use the mail or make phone calls? Will you need a computer? Supplies? You do not need to get specific here, but put together an approximate budget showing the cost of your study.

• 6 - 8 pages long

• Should be typed, double spaced, 1 inch margins

• Cover sheet should include your name, the title of your paper, your ID#, course name and section number, and the date

• Reference all your sources using APA format