Early Methods Section

LASA 1: Final Project: Early Methods Section

(Early Methods Section)

In your final paper for this course, you will need to write a Methods section that is about 4 pages long where you will assess and evaluate the methods of research.

In preparation for this particular section, answer the following questions thoroughly and provide justification/support. The more complete and detailed your answers for these questions, the better prepared you are to successfully write your final paper.

Please submit your answers as a single 4- to 6-page document as a numbered list; this will ensure you do not inadvertently miss a question.

Additionally, please submit a title page and a reference page in proper APA format.

1. What is your research question?
2. What is your hypothesis or hypotheses? What is the null hypothesis?
3. How many participants would you like to use and why? What are the inclusion characteristics, i.e., what must they have in order to be included in your study (for example, gender, diagnosis, age, personality traits, etc.)? Are there any exclusion characteristics, i.e. are there certain characteristics that would exclude them from being in your study? Does the sample need to be diverse? Why or why not?
4. What sampling technique will be used to collect your sample? What population does your sample generalize to?
5. What are the variables in your study? HINT: Refer back to your hypothesis or hypotheses.
6. Provide operational definitions for each variable.
7. How will you measure each variable? Discuss the reliability and validity of these measures in general terms.
8. What technique will be used for data collection (e.g., observation, survey, interview, archival, etc.)?
9. What type of research design is being used?
10. Briefly discuss the procedure that would be followed when conducting the research.
11. What are some POTENTIAL ethical issues? How might they be addressed?

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria

Maximum Points

Explanation and justification of research question.

12

Presentation of hypothesis and null hypothesis.

16

Analysis of participants exclusion/inclusion factors.

16

Explanation of sampling technique and characterization of population that sample generalized.

12

Identification of study’s variables.

12

Operational definitions for each variable are defined.

16

Development of methods to measure each variable, and the reliability and validity of these measures are evaluated.

16

Description of technique(s) used for data collection.

12

Description of the research design being used.

12

Identification of the research procedure.

12

Prediction of POTENTIAL ethical issues; POTENTIAL ethical issues are evaluated in terms of how they would be addressed.(Early Methods Section)

20

Organization:

* Introduction

* Thesis

* Transitions

* Conclusion

12

Usage and Mechanics:

* Grammar

* Spelling

* Sentence Structure

12

APA Elements:

* Attribution

* Paraphrasing

* Quotations

16

Style:

* Audience

* Word Choice

4

Total:

200

• Plagiarism and Copyright violations are a serious issue and must be avoided.

Folks, make sure to submit this as a *numbered list*, so you’re certain to address each item.  Operational definitions sometimes present somewhat of a stumbling block for some folks—Here

https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/quantresearch/variables_def

is one ‘user friendly’ resource you might find helpful…