GGR 271 Social Research Methods

Assignment 2: Developing a Research Proposal

Evaluation Weight: 25%

Due date: April 2, 2018. Papers are to be submitted in class at the beginning of regularly
scheduled class time (assignments submitted to the drop box on the due date will be
considered late)

Late assignment submission: Geography department assignment drop box, Geography

Department Main Office, 5th Floor Sidney Smith Hall; no
submissions will be accepted by email. The late penalty is 5%
per day, with the drop box closing at 5PM each day.
Assignments submitted more than 7 days after the deadline will
not be accepted.

Introduction

The purpose of this assignment is to develop a research proposal based on a current social or
geographic issue that you find interesting. The objective is to practice linking the research
question and hypothesis generation stage of research with the selection of an appropriate
primary research design, data collection method, sampling approach, and the consideration
of ethical issues that may arise based on the type of research proposed. Since this assignment
is meant to replicate the process of carrying out research as a student, it must be possible to
carry out the primary data collection component of your proposed research project within a
six-month period, and within a budget that does not exceed $500 (this means no research
assistants or funds for personal travel).

Your assignment should be structured in paragraph and sentence format under general
headings. You should not respond to each task in point form, but rather ensure that each is
covered in your proposal under appropriate headings so that it is logical and easy to follow.
Your assignment should be approximately 6 to 7 pages in length (12 point Times New
Roman font, double spaced, pages numbers). Please observe and do not exceed the page
limit.

Tasks

Problem Definition (Approximately 1 page)

1. Select one newspaper or magazine article from the past year which covers a social or
geographic issue you feel raises questions for future research. (This is purposely broad to
allow you to select an issue that fits your own interest). Attach a copy of the article to
your assignment (can be printed from the Internet).

2. Identify one issue of interest for future primary research that emerges from your
particular newspaper article? Write an introduction that explains why this is a topic that is
important and requires further research.
3. Based on the issue of interest that you have identified, define a research hypothesis or
research question for your perspective study?

Literature Review (approximately 2 Pages)

1. Identify and synthesize the findings from at least 5 peer reviewed academic articles
dealing with the topic that you have chosen. In this section of your proposal show that
the topic of your proposal is part of a larger academic literature. If you cannot find any
academic articles dealing with your topic, it might mean that you have to change your
topic to something that has been covered more in existing journals. The main intent with
any literature review is to justify the research question as worthwhile to pursue, and to
explain how your research fits in with the theories, findings and methods that have
already been developed. Do not simply list and summarize the articles that you find.

Research Design, Research Method and Sample Selection (Approximately 2 pages)

4. Identify and explain in detail the research design (eg. Experimental, longitudinal, cross
sectional and case studies) and research methods (eg. Interviews, focus groups,
ethnography, etc.) that you would use to test your hypothesis or answer your research
questions. Explain why the research design and methods you have selected will enable
you to delivery accurate, reliable and valid results. Also briefly describe the strengths and
limitations of your research method: can you generalize from your sample to a larger
population?

5. What is the complete population for your study, the sampling method, and the sampling
frame that you would use in order to select respondents? Does your project focus on hard-
to-reach individuals, and if so explain what creative methods you would use to reach your
target population?

6. Explain how you would administer your survey (eg. postal survey; telephone survey;
personal interviews; focus groups, random on-street interviews, etc.). How large a
sample would you target? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the way that
you will administer the survey?

7. Develop a realistic timeline of research activities and a budget for any research related
activities (eg. stamps; survey photocopies; long distance phone calls; etc).

Research Ethics (Approximately 1 page)

8. Detail any ethical issues that arise from the population that you intend to study and the
method of research that you plan to use.

9. How would you manage the ethical issues that arise based on the type of study you
propose? (eg. informed consent form, anonymity of respondents; compensation for
participation, university research ethics approval, etc).
Evaluation Criteria

1. Theoretical Understanding: Have you demonstrated that you understand the key
concepts related to carrying out research in practice, and connected them to your specific
topic of study?

2. Depth of Knowledge: Do you show a strong understanding of main concepts associated

with research methods and data sources? In particular, do you demonstrate that you
understand the connection between your chosen research question, and the selection of a
research design and methods, sampling approach and ethical considerations?

3. Logical Flow: Does your submission present the material in a logical manner, using
informative sentences rather than extensive summaries?

4. Writing Quality/Presentation: Is your assignment written with informative, interesting,

well-formulated sentences and paragraphs? Is your assignment presented in a professional
manner (easy to read layout; accurate spelling, punctuation and grammar; 12 point font,
double spaced, pages numbered)?