Assignment Content:
In this assignment, you'll develop and refine the research question, and find two peer-reviewed research articles that will help you answer your question. (Research question and peer-reviewed articles are provided below)
Research question: How do social media affect the development of self-esteem in teenagers?
- First, do a few quick searches in current periodicals and journals on your topic to see what's already been done and to help you narrow your focus. What issues are scholars and researchers discussing, when it comes to your topic? What questions occur to you as you read these articles?
- Second, start asking questions. Considering what you found, start asking yourself open-ended "how" and "why" questions about your general topic. For example, "Why does conflict between parents and children increase when kids become adolescents?" or "How are cohabitating couples different from married ones?"
- Finally, evaluate your question. After you've put a question (or even a couple of questions) down on paper, evaluate them to determine whether they would be effective research questions or need more revising and refining. Consider:
Is your research question clear? With so much research available on any given topic, research questions must be as clear as possible to be effective in helping you direct your research.
Is your research question focused? Research questions must be specific enough to be well covered in the space available. If your question is too broad, it won't be manageable.
Is your research question complex? Research questions should not be answerable with a simple "yes" or "no" or by easily found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis on the part of the writer. They often begin with "How" or "Why."
The research proposal you submit must include the following:
The research question you will be exploring and why you are interested in it.
At least two scholarly sources (i.e., peer-reviewed research articles - see assignment overview for clarification) you could use to help explore the question you are interested in.
A brief explanation of how the sources you've gathered will be useful in explaining the issue and providing evidence to explore your question. (three paragraphs)