Week 4 Assignment – Research
Focus, Population of Interest, Sampling Structure, Hypotheses
Weight: 25% of Final Grade
Due: Week 4 Day 3 by 11:59 PM Eastern Time
Maximum Length: 3 pages
You must run all written
assignments through the Originality Check before submitting your final
assignment to the grade center. Your assignment will not be considered
“submitted” until it has first been run through the Originality Check.
Description
For your Research Focus, Population of Interest, Sampling
Structure, and Hypotheses assignment you will (1) Develop and clearly
articulate a targeted research question that you will attempt to answer in your
study, (2) identify the population of interest in your study and provide a
thoughtful rationale for the focus on this group, (3) describe the strategy you
will employ to find 3 individuals to pilot test your interview instrument
including a thoughtful analysis as to possible strengths and limitations of
your approach, and (4) develop three related research hypotheses, correctly
identifying the independent and dependent variables for each.
Note: If you wish to pilot or pre-test your instrument with
clients or staff in your agency or in another social work setting, you must
consult with your field supervisor or relevant staff person and obtain consent
of the agency.
If you cannot interview your targeted population, colleagues
may role-play the interviewees. Do not pilot test the instrument with close
friends or family members, as this will not approximate a typical interview situation
and will limit your ability to conduct a realistic face-to-face interview and
assess the interview process.
In this assignment you will further focus your research topic
from Assignment # 1 to identify a specific area and population of interest; develop
a research question and hypotheses to guide the remainder of your work in this
course. Based on your research topic and
the literature that you reviewed. Below are some questions that can help guide
you in brainstorming and thinking about a research question.
What is my area of
interest?
What is my population of
interest?
What are some of the
problems in this area that impact my population of interest?
What are patterns or
phenomena I see in this area?
What behaviors, attitudes,
beliefs, outcomes have I seen in this area for my population of interest?
What am I curious about in
this particular area and with this population?
From the ideas generated while brainstorming answers to
these questions, come up with a research question that is broad enough to cover
your three hypotheses and targeted enough to be meaningful. Note, it may be
helpful to develop your hypotheses first and then develop a research question
that can be an umbrella to cover all three of your hypotheses.
Developing your hypotheses. Remember that a hypothesis is a
statement of relationship between two things (we call these “things”
variables—or X and Y). Each hypothesis will have ONE independent variable (X)
and ONE dependent variable (Y).
The independent variable may have an impact/influence on the
dependent variable. The dependent variable may DEPEND on the independent
variable. For each pairing of an independent variable and dependent variable
there is one hypothesis written as a relationship between X and Y.
There is a
relationship between X and Y.
Children with more X have fewer instances of Y.
Elderly
with fewer Xs are less likely to Y.
Social
workers with X report better Y.
Paper Organization
– Please organize your paper using the following headings.
Research
Question and Hypotheses: Complete the template below
Research
Question:
Hypothesis 1
Null Hypothesis (Ho)
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Hypothesis 2
Null Hypothesis (Ho)
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Hypothesis 3
Null Hypothesis (Ho)
Alternative Hypothesis (Ha)
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Population of Interest – In one or two paragraphs,
describe the population of interest for your study.
Pilot Participants – In one to two paragraphs,
describe how you will identify and recruit three members of your population of
interest to interview.
Grading Criteria
Note: Please include an introduction and conclusion to frame
your paper and orient the reader.
Research Focus, Population of Interest, Sampling Structure,
Hypotheses 25% of final grade
Your paper will be assessed using the following criteria.
Research question and
hypotheses: Develop and clearly articulate a targeted research question
(based on your literature review) that you will attempt to answer in your
study. Use the template provided.
What elements increase Social welfare workers risks for burnout and
what strategies could SWW use to decrease burnout?
Total points: 12 Your
points _______
Population of Interest
Section: Identify the population of interest in your study.
Provide a thoughtful
rationale for the focus on this group.
Discuss whether you will
be interviewing participants from your population of interest or from
another group who has information about your population of interest.
Total points: 3 Your points _______
Pilot Participant Section.:
Describe the strategy you will employ to find 3 individuals to pilot test
your interview instrument
Include a thoughtful
analysis as to the possible strengths and limitations of your approach.
Total points: 3 Your points _______
Overall Quality of Paper
and APA Format for References and Citations
Clarity of writing,
organization, logic, flow of paper
Critical thinking
APA format for any references
and in-text citations used
Total points: 7 Your points _______
Your total points for Research Focus, Population, Sampling,
and Hypotheses: _______/25 possible points
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