Research Proposal

For this assignment, you will choose one (1) social problem related to health, healthcare, and/or aging: physical or mental health disparities of race, class, or gender; inequities in access to quality healthcare or insurance; or ageism (discrimination against the elderly) or elder abuse. Think about which theoretical perspective best applies to the problem (functionalism, conflict, symbolic interaction, or feminist theory). Consider the different research methods that are used to investigate social problems (quantitative – survey, experiment, existing data or qualitative – interviews, observations, focus groups, and archival research) and determine which would be best for researching your topic. Assignment Instructions: Pretend you are applying for a grant to fund your research. Write a letter with an overview of your research proposal. Include the following components: Follow letter writing format, with the date at the top and Dear Grant-Funding Institution or To Whom It May Concern. Write in paragraph form, left-aligned with no indentations and a space between paragraphs with single or 1.5-spacing and 12-point readable font. Discuss the problem you are researching and why it is important, including how prevalent or widespread it is (using recent stats within five years). Explain your theoretical approach. (In other words, apply one of the sociological perspectives to the problem.) Describe which research method you will use and the rationale for the choice (i.e., why it is applicable). Also, describe two (2) other research methods and why you chose not to use them. Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the three research methods. Explain how you plan to utilize the research method. For example, if you chose survey research, who would you survey and what would you ask? Discuss any ethical issues in researching the problem. How would you avoid harming your research participants physically and/or psychologically? If using existing data, how would you determine whether the data was collected in an ethical manner? Conclude by thanking the institution for their consideration and close with a farewell greeting and your name.