Process Project Evaluation of Product Research
Scenario:
The Slender-soda company marketed its soft drink on the basis that it would help reduce weight. A lawsuit followed, claiming that Slender-soda's campaign was misleading because it was based on a single, short-term study that was funded by Slender-soda.
The study participants were relatively lean (average body mass index [BMI] of 22), while the majority of Americans are not (a body mass index [BMI] of 25 or more according to the lawsuit) and, thus, would not be likely to lose weight by drinking the product.
Slender-soda representatives believe in their product and are eager for additional research to be done that will provide strong evidence that their product will help reduce weight. To that end, Slender-soda has issued a call for proposals to continue to empirically test the weight-loss efficacy of its product.
Directions:
Assume you are submitting a proposal to test the efficacy of Slender-soda's weight-loss product. In your proposal, analyze the original
study's research design. Make sure your analysis includes a discussion of the original study's reliability, validity, vulnerability to bias, and any additional ethical concerns you might have with the original research.
Propose a new study to test the efficacy of Slender-soda's weight-loss product. Include the following information in your proposal:
Explain whether your proposed study will be qualitative or quantitative in nature. Provide a justification for your choice.
State your research question.
If appropriate, develop your hypothesis statements (null and alternative). If hypothesis statements are not appropriate for your proposed study, explain why.
Discuss your target population and sampling plan.
Explain how you will seek to establish reliability for your research project.
Explain how you will seek to establish validity for your research project.
Explain how you will seek to minimize bias in your research project.
Use the following headings to organize your proposal document:
Analysis of the original Slender-soda research project
Proposed research design
Problem statement
Proposed research question
Proposed hypothesis
Proposed target population and sample(s)
Delimitations
Definition of terms
Assumptions
Establishment of reliability and validity
Data
Data collection method
Minimization of bias.