Social Work Research Proposal

*Every source in reference list needs to be in-text cited in the body of the research proposal* [Very Important]*

In the final assignment you will design a research proposal.

The proposal must include one of the following research designs:
experimental/quasi-experimental
quantitative, qualitative or mixed method design
program evaluation
secondary data analysis (survey design)
The following HEADINGS will be included in the proposal: (12-point Times Roman font, no justification of the text, 1-inch margins) APA 7th edition formatting.

Statement of the Problem (2 pages): State a societal problem and its significance. How does it affect society or particular individuals? Convince the reader of the importance of the proposed study and its broad utility for the social work profession.

Literature Review (3 – 5 pages): What does the literature say about your chosen area of focus? What previous research has been conducted related to this area? Provide opposing views (for and against). Students should include a minimum of 8 different peer reviewed articles to discuss the problem. The literature review should provide the reader with an overview of the area you have explored and demonstrate how your research would fit into the larger field of social work study.

Framework/Hypothesis(ses) Briefly describe a potential conceptual/theoretical framework that you might employ in your proposed study (1-2 paragraphs). Write the research question(s) to be investigated in the proposed study. The research question is more general and the hypothesis is more specific. Write the hypothesis or hypotheses if you have more than one for the study. What are the experiential, empirical, or theoretical bases for these hypotheses? Provide operational definitions of variables. (1-2 pages)

Measurement (1-2 pages): The measurement section of this assignment should flow smoothly from the operational definitions and should not be repetitive of them. Go into detail about the nature of any scales to be employed, how these would be scored. **What types of measures are used in your study (scales, questionnaires, interview questions?)** Discuss the reliability/validity of your measures. Are your measures culturally sensitive? You will need to refer back to your literature review.

Describe the research design (2-3 pages): What is the general strategy that you will employ in your proposed research, describe? If the research design is experimental, how will experimental/control groups be determined and describe? If it is a survey design, how will the data be collected? If using a mixed-methods design, describe your plan for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data. Be sure to explicitly discuss how your research plan is capable of answering your research questions.

Sampling (1 – 2 pages): What is your sampling plan? Describe your sample population. What will you do to maximize participation/response rate? How will the sample affect external validity? Discuss the generalizability of your study.

Protection of Research Participants (1-2 pages): What are the risks, if any, to study participants? ** if none explain**What are the benefits, if any, to study participants, if not explain? How will informed consent be obtained? How will you protect participant confidentiality?

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