Handout for Class Project

You will be preparing a research proposal to study an issue of social relevance. For this purpose you need to:

1. Select a topic of social importance. (You may use the same topic for which you conducted the literature review in the last take-home assignment, so that you have that part of the proposal completed. However, this is NOT necessary.)

2. Follow the guidelines provided in Chapter 4 of the Babbie book (pages 113-114) to design your own study. The guidelines include several components plus questions within them. Use these components as your outline and the questions as a guideline to write the proposal. Make sure that in your proposal your subheadings reflect this outline.

Each of the components that Babbie outlines is important, so please include all of those that apply (depending on the method you are using) in your design (in the same order that they appear in the textbook). A paper that does not cover those that are relevant for the particular design will be considered only partly done, and will be treated as such for grading purposes.

Your proposal should be at least five pages long, but most likely it will be longer. Therefore, if you feel that you need more space to write a good research proposal, please do not feel confined by this page limit. However, you should not write more than ten pages. Please include a references/bibliography section at the end where you list all the articles (or books) you used for the literature review of the proposal.

You will not conduct the research. However, in order to come up with a sound research design, you must be aware of the implications that each step in the design process will have on the results.

The project, together with its oral presentation in class, is worth 20 percent of the overall grade and the final written product is due on December 6^th. The oral presentations will take place during the last three class meetings. Remember, you may work alone or in groups of up to five people. Completing the assignment alone or in groups will not reflect on your grade; everyone in the group will receive the same grade. However, remember to allocate work fairly and to contribute to the group effort in the same fashion. The instructor is not responsible for overseeing how work is allocated and will treat the final product as if everyone has contributed equally.

Importantly, make sure that you check spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc., as poor writing will affect your grade. For this reason, you are strongly encouraged to use the Writing Mentorship Program in the School of Justice and Social Inquiry.

Also remember, the proposal must be typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins, and in font 12 Times New Roman. Do not use any other font or format.