Understanding Research Design and Approaches: The Social Science Research Proposal

SOC333 Research Methods Understanding Research Design and Approaches: The Social Science Research Proposal [WLOs: 3, 4, 5, 6] [CLOs: 1, 2, 4] Prior to beginning work on this assignment, please review the following: • Constructivism as a Philosophy of ResearchLinks to an external site. • Positivism as a Philosophy of ResearchLinks to an external site. • Pragmatism as a Philosophy of ResearchLinks to an external site. • The Participatory Inquiry ParadigmLinks to an external site. • The Research Process from Start to End | First Steps Beginner GuideLinks to an external site. • Identifying and Finding Quantitative and Qualitative ResearchLinks to an external site. • Qualitative and Quantitative Research MethodsLinks to an external site. • Q. How do I Find Articles that Discuss Qualitative or Quantitative Research Methods?Links to an external site. In weeks 1, 3, and 5, you will work on a research proposal. This assignment progresses in stages so that at the end of the course, you will have a completed proposal and understand the components of the research process. Overall, the assignment will help you think about research approaches and how they can be applied based on your chosen worldview or the nature of the groups you wish to research. By selecting the best approach from the start, researchers are more likely to get good results to answer research questions. This week you will select a proposal topic that interests you and you would like to learn more about. This can be something you do for work, academic studies, or a personal interest. You will use the four combinations of worldviews, designs, and research methods you learned this week to discuss a project involving your research topic. You will determine whether your proposed study should apply a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods approach. The importance of a good research question cannot be overstated. It is integral to a research study and ensures the researcher is focused on a measurable target for successful research results. It also ensures that the research objective is clearly defined, and the target is measurable. For example, if you wanted to study whether or not membership in afterschool clubs increases the likelihood of developing friendships, it is important to apply operationalizationLinks to an external site., or precisely define your variables and measures. It would be essential to clearly define what constitutes after-school clubs, and a precise definition of what is to be counted as success. At this stage, you are transforming your question into a hypothesisLinks to an external site.—a prediction or proposal of an explanation that can be measured and validated, or rejected, through testing. After choosing your research proposal topic and formulating your hypothesis, the next step is to learn what is already known. By reviewing the existing literature, you may learn that your area of interest has been asked and answered in various ways or that gaps in the literature need to be addressed. You may want to replicate and retest prior research or develop an investigation of your own. As you think about your proposal, consider whether your approach will be inductive, deductive, or mixed. In the research strategyLinks to an external site. chart provided next, you can review how different types of inquiry lend themselves to three different types of research methods: qualitative (inductive), quantitative (deductive), and mixed methods, combining both types of data collection. Long description • • • Chart by Priya ChettyLinks to an external site. from Project Guru. In your paper, please use the following as a template for this assignment. Select each tab and respond to all parts of the assignment. • Introduction • Worldview • Conclusion • Format Instructions Introduction (1- 2 paragraphs) Write an introductory paragraph that includes the following: • Explain the significance of your selected research proposal topic, including why it is important to you. • Describe the target population or demographic for your proposal. • Justify your selection and why the chosen group is appropriate. o Describe any important, unique, or relevant information about your proposal that your readers should know.