Research+project

Psychology: Research Project

You are going to be designing a basic research proposal. The outline provided to you will help guide you through this procedure (in fact you can simply add your information to this outline!). There is no minimum “length” to this project, only what it takes to do it correctly. Specific guidelines are as follows.

1. Will include title page (no plastic covers are needed, only stapled in the top left corner)

2. Typed and double-spaced paper or Power Point presentation

3. All relevant data is provided

4. The project is “finished” to the best of your abilities

The project will be completed over the next 9 lessons and will be due no later than lesson 19.

Lessons 10-14: Complete an almost final draft of your project outline I-V (introduction, methodology, validity and reliability and ethics)

Lessons 15-17: Conduct your research

Lesson 18-19: Complete section VI (analysis) of your project outline.

Project is due lesson 19 and no later than the last day of the quarter. Make sure that you proofread your final draft.

RESEARCH PROJECT OUTLINE

I. Introductory Section

A. Title Page

B. Table of Contents

II. Introduction (specific problem to be investigated)

1. Problem of the research (your question)

2. Hypotheses

3. Dependent Variables (DV) & Independent Variables (IV) & Extraneous and Confounding Variables (EV)

4. Significance of the research (why is this research important?)

III. Methodology (Procedure – be as specific as possible!)

1. Sample and Population (who and where)

2. Instruments and materials needed

3. Research design (how will you set up the research)

4. Procedures (when, where, and how the data will be collected) • Needs to be very specific and step-by-step

IV. Validity and Reliability Issues

1. Validity (how do you know it will give you a good answer to your question?)

2. Reliability (how do you know you will get the same results every time?)

V. Ethics Issues

1. Planning: What safeguards are incorporated into the design of the study to protect the rights of human subjects?

2. Subject Risk: What are the risks to the subjects? What steps are taken to minimize or eliminate risk to the subjects?

3. Researcher Responsibility: How will the subjects be notified that the study is for research purposes and that they have the choice of not participating?

4. Notification: How will the subject give consent to the research?

5. Deception: If deception or concealment is necessary to the methods of this study, how has the researcher determined that such methods are necessary, that alternate methods are not available that do not use concealment or deception, or insure that subjects are provided with sufficient explanation as soon as possible?

6. Individual freedom: How will the subjects’ right to withdraw be protected?

7. Subject discomfort: How will the subjects be informed of any risk and invited to participate voluntarily?

8. Results dissemination: How will the results of the survey be provided to any participant who wishes to see it?

9. Undesirable consequences: How will all due care be used to assure subjects that the results are for research purposes only and that they will not be penalized in any way for participating?

10. Confidentiality: How will you keep the subjects’ information private and protected if necessary?

11.Data Protection: Where and for how long will the collected data be stored? What will happen to it after that?

VI. Conduct your research

VII. Analysis

A. Results

1. State specific findings

2. Include visual aids if necessary and discuss how the results relate to your hypothesis

B. Conclusion/Discussion

1. How are the results different or the same from your hypothesis? Why?

2. What future study needs to be done to answer any new questions you may have about your topic?

Name___________________________ Class__________ Date___________

Research Project Grading

Description of Research problem: ________ (includes hypothesis & variables) 15

Methodology: Research design ________ 5

Procedures ________ 10

Validity and Reliability: ________ 5

Ethical issues addressed: ________ 5

Analysis (conclusion) ________ 10

Overall quality (grammar/spelling/etc.) ________ 10