1. Research Proposal & Data Collection

4. Basic Elements 1 A research problem, issue or question – provides intellectual strategy for the investigation.

5. Basic Elements 2 A technique or set of techniques with which you conduct the investigation.

6. Basic Elements 3 A body of data which provides the information necessary to sustain the investigation

7. Techniques-focussed Proposal Object is to devise a research technique –seek data and a research problem to test the technique. –Example: Mapping litter and Interviewing people: a comparison of two techniques for investigating the use of parks in Toronto.

9. Data-focussed Proposal Object is to investigate some data –seek the appropriate techniques and research questions –Example: Police data on prostitution offences: what factors shape the distribution?

10. Problem-focussed Proposal Object is to investigate a research question –Need to find suitable data and appropriate techniques. –Example: The politics of homelessness in Toronto’s public space?

11. Formulating Research Questions Key to intellectual inquiry

12. Sample research question: Does population density affect the distribution of graffiti? –Suggests subsidiary questions

13. Subsidiary question: What leads us to suspect that population density might affect the distribution of graffiti? –Is there some theory in the literature to suggest that this might be so?

14. Subsidiary question: How can we find suitable population density data? –(perhaps the census)

15. Subsidiary question: How do we go about testing the data and answering/investigating the question? –(mapping? graphical analysis? statistical analysis?, which specific techniques?)

16. What the Research Question Does Provides key to research Suggests a stem of subsidiary questions Suggests types of data required Suggests types of investigative techniques Suggests objectives for literature search and review

17. Research Proposal 2 pages approx. outlining proposal “Starter” bibliography of relevant sources 4 pages approx. review of 5 relevant sources Due Oct 10

18. For Next Time: Be prepared to tell us what you are proposing to look at.