This assignment will give you real hands-on experience writing a real research proposal! This
will help prepare you for possible roles as a Creator of research or a Contributing Partner in
research!
Now that you are trained in research ethics, research design and have ideas about the next steps
for research in your area of interested based on your literature review, you are ready for the next
step: The research proposal! You will define a specific research question that emerged from
your literature review, and develop a research study to address that question.
Note: The CPHS Research Proposal will only be turned-in to Instructor as an assignment for
this course, not to the Institutional Review Board! The research study you design for your
proposal will not involve actual data collection!
Go to Blackboard to the CPHS Research Proposal tab, and download the proposal form. Follow
the instructions to complete the proposal carefully. Download the form to your computer and
type-in the required information for each section directly onto the form next to/below each item
(you SHOULD use single spacing in order to save paper). Do NOT type answers on a separate
Microsoft word document).
(Note: Remember to save this to your computer as you work on it, since it is a Microsoft word
document). On the due date, you must submit your completed proposal and additional required
documents (Informed Consent, Instrument[s], References page, etc) as attachments via the
assignment link through Blackboard by 5:00 p.m. The attachments can be uploaded in either
Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx), or .pdf format. No other formats will be
accepted/graded!
After I have graded your proposal, I will post your grade, and will also insert the grading rubric with
feedback and comments, which can be accessed in your MyGrades tab next to the score. The rubric
used to grade this assignment can be found under the Rubrics tab on Blackboard. Please review the
grading rubric for this assignment prior to beginning and uploading your work.
Fill out ALL required information (note: some items on proposal ask multiple questions)! Read
the CPHS proposal carefully!
Details you need to know to complete this proposal successfully:
Instructor is listed as the Faculty Sponsor; Your name (first and last name) as the
Researcher.
Page #1:
For part A and B, fill out the info according to your hypothetical research study. Although
you wont really be collecting data, fill this out with specific info as if you would really carry it
out. Remember to fill out part C (this section should be almost like an abstract, with a few
sentences about your study. Do NOT make-up false findings here).
Under Background and Significance, you will include a brief literature review, which should
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come from your previous Literature Review assignment. Remember to CITE your sources in the
text (at least 3 peer-reviewed journal articles from your Literature Review assignment, and use
correct APA format); this section should be approximately 12 page to 1 page, single-spaced.
You must also attach a References page to the proposal (this References page should include
ALL sources cited in the Background and Significance section).
Page #2:
Under Research Method, Design and Procedures, be SPECIFIC when you discuss your
research design! Stating only exploratory, descriptive/quasi-experimental or experimental will
NOT be sufficient. You must describe the specific design after stating which of the three main
type your study is (for example, one-group pre-test/post-test design, longitudinal case study
design, etc). Describe your IVs and DVs. Describe the specific statistical test you will use to
analyze the data.
Under Instruments for Research with Human Subject, you must type-in information about the
scale/instrument/measure you are going to use to measure your DVs. Describe the validity,
reliability, how many items, what construct it operationalizes, as well as how to score it. Also
remember you MUST attach a copy of your scale/instrument/measure to the CPHS proposal.
You MUST also attach any flyers (if applicable) you would use to recruit participants for your
study. If you are using an instrument/scale that had been previously published, you must
describe who the author is, and their contact information (in real life practice, you would have to
get permission to use from the original author of that scale/instrument).
Under Informed Consent, type-in the box how you will obtain informed consent (and Assent, if
dealing with children). Remember to ATTACH your informed consent/assent to your CPHS
proposal! Rememberthis form should contain all information for a person to decide if it is in
his/her best interest to participate in your study. It should include specific information as
required as outlined in Belmont Report (respect for persons, beneficence and justice).
Page #3:
Under Confidentiality, describe how your data will be collected to maintain the anonymity of
participants OR confidentiality of participants. Your study must take ONE of these
approachesNOT both! There is a difference between confidentiality and anonymity (see class
notes and textbook). Describe which approach you will use, and how you will achieve that.
Under Research Benefits, discuss the benefits that participants will experience AS A DIRECT
RESULT OF YOUR STUDY. If there are incentives, describe those as well. Remember there is
a difference between benefits and incentives. If there is no direct benefit to participants,
remember the wording we discussed in class (i.e., Although there are no direct benefits to
participants…)
Under Risks, put a lot of thought as to what types of physical, cognitive, or emotional
discomfort might be experienced by participants as a direct result of participating in your study.
DO NOT WRITE There are NO risks. There is ALWAYS some type of real or emotional risk.
Make sure you are specific here. Describe in this section what type of contact info/resource will
be provided to participants in the event they feel discomfort (this info should also go into the
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Informed Consent). Do NOT put your phone # as a resource (this would make a dual
relationship, and you dont want to be both researcher role and practitioner role during your
study). For example, you can provide participants with the phone # to Crisis Hotline in the case
they feel emotional discomfort, or whatever agency referral is appropriate based on your
participant sample/issue.
Under Other sites or Agencies involved in Research Project, you do NOT have to create a fake
letter to an agency from which you are going to get access to participants (i.e., health clinic,
public school, etc). Instead, type in information about WHICH agency you would like to access
participants from (if your study calls for that). Who would you contact for permission at that
location?
