Unit 2 Research Proposal Tentative Schedule Week 6 2/19-Intro to research proposals & primary research Week 7 2/24-Interviews & Observations 2/26-Surveys & Short Research Proposal Peer review Minor Essay 2- Short Research Proposal Due Week 8 3/3-Research proposal subsections 3/5-Peer review & debates Research Proposal Final Draft- Due 3/6 by midnight

Today’s Goals Form debate groups Brainstorm debate strategies Begin understanding research proposals as a genre Brainstorm questions for research proposals

Debate Topics for Revision Global warming Are cell phones safe Death penalty Capital punishment Freedom of speech Technology in education

Proposed Debate Topics Nuclear weapons cloning Universal healthcare Stem cell research Militarization of police Standardized testing Catcalling Student athlete pay Athlete (professional) salaries Technology in education Organ sale Torture GMOs Minimum wage Maximum driving age Workplace attire/appearance restrictions Racism in America Police Brutality Animal testing

Research Proposal Why do we need this type of writing? Who would read it? How might research proposals compare to exploratory narratives? How might the research questions we use in our primary research differ from those in our secondary research?

Research Proposal APA format Divided into subsections: Title page Abstract Purpose statement Statement of qualification Literature review Research methods References Appendix

Group Activity: Research Proposal Evaluation In your unit 2 groups Read through one of the sample research proposals (on the class website) and answer the following questions below. What is the research question or issue that the writer wishes to investigate? How is voice/person used in the essay? Is it written predominately in 1st or 3rd person? Are there any sections that are exceptions to this? Who is the (theoretical) intended audience of the essay (aside from the professor)? How might this have affected the writing style? In what format is the essay written (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)? Does this seem like a typical format for research proposals, or might another format be more common? How are rhetorical appeals used in the essay? Are all three used equally, or are some more important than others? Are there certain subsections that have better opportunities for certain appeals? Give a brief description of your essay’s: Abstract/Statement of Purpose: How does this essay grab reader attention? Statement of qualification: How does the writer establish ethos? Literature review: What kinds of sources are used in this review? Are they credible? Research methods section: What sort of research methods are proposed? Are these primary or secondary research methods?

Research Questions Exploratory Narrative vs. Research Proposal Broad, open ended Long, complex answers Decisive answers not necessary Qualitative Explores big , often global or countrywide issues Determinate Concise answers Objective is to find the answer to the research question Quantitative or qualitative Focus on smaller groups that you have access to for research Can still deal with global issues but from a more limited perspective

Determinate Research Question Forms Existence Questions Does X exist in domain Y? What is the best solution to problem X? Best methods: interviews, observations, and surveys are all helpful here Measurement Questions How large/small/fast/much/many is X? Best methods: Surveys and observations Comparison Questions Is X Greater/less than Y or different from Y? Best methods: surveys and observations Correlation Questions (If X varies, does Y vary?) Experimental Questions Does a variation in X cause a variation in Y? Best method: surveys For these experiments, keep in mind that FIU students and professors will be your best and easiest resources to access.

Successful past research questions What is the best solution to global warming? Method: interviews Interviewed meteorology and political science professors to get expert opinions about the issue Does violence in video games affect behavior? Method: surveys Examined college students and their experience with fights/crimes/violent behavior and compared that to their video game usage Alternate method: observations Observed people’s behavior in an arcade/game room, looking for differences in behavior between people that played violent games vs. nonviolent games Has women’s portrayal in the media improved in the past decade? Method: observations Student analyzed the 3 highest grossing films in 2003 and the three highest grossing films in 2013 while conducting the Bechdel test and taking notes on the female characters Is technology helping or hindering classroom learning? Methods: interviews & surveys Student began by interviewing professors about how they used technology in the classroom and whether they thought it was helpful Conducted follow up surveys that correlated students GPA with their number of online classes, hubrid classes, and technology assisted classrooms

Research Methods Interviews Observations Surveys Information generated Qualitative Qualitative or quantitative Quantitative Best research targets Experts in the field (often professors) Observable social situations Recorded media that can be analyzed General’s person’s perspective (students or otherwise) Best appeal Ethos Logos Advantages Quotes can be a powerful resource for writing Uses expert opinions Arguably most authentic method Allows research of real life and everyday situations & media Reach large number of subjects Great for showing general opinion/knowledge/experiences Disadvantages Arguably the most time consuming Requires social skills Finding a good observation site is difficult Requires extreme objectivity when interpreting data Requires large number of participants Interpreting data requires math skills

Group Activity- Research Proposal Brainstorm In your unit 2 groups Share your exploratory narrative research topics with the group as well as any topic you are considering for the research proposal For each group member: Formulate 2 possible research questions that fit into each person’s topic and fit the frame on 279. Keep these determinate and focus on asking questions you can realistically answer with your own research Indicate what experimental method we discussed (interviews, observations, or surveys) would be best to answer each person’s research question) For each question, generate a possible hypothesis or thesis statement

Homework: Exploratory Narrative Final Draft Due Thursday 2/19 to Turnitin.com by midnight Electronic submissions only. Paper copies not accepted. (technological problems are not an excuse for late submissions) It is highly recommended that you have a conference or at least speak with me about your essay progress

Homework Read A&B pg. 247-250 Journal Entry 16 Focus: Primary Research Brainstorm For this journal entry, brainstorm possible ideas for primary research you could conduct to answer the research question you generated in class. Which of the three methods we discussed would be best suited to your research question? Why? Which of the three research methods do you think you would be best equipped to perform? If using interviews, what experts might you decide to interview? If using observations, what situations or media could you observe for useful data? If using surveys, what kind of information from the general public would be useful to your research?