Assignment Task:
Imagine that you are a researcher in the public sector. You received a grant to fund a research project that will be used to inform a major policy decision.
To begin your project this week, identify a problem in contemporary society related to your field of experience or interest that potentially can be solved through the research process in applying the facts toward policy decisions.
The project requirements for each week are as follows:
Week 1: Develop research questions around an issue that interests you as a public policy concern.
Week 2: Develop a research design to determine how you will attempt to answer the questions.
Week 3: Collect data to support your hypothesis.
Week 5: Analyze the data gathered to produce usable information toward your research.
Week 6: Detail your research process, findings, and conclusions in a written paper. Incorporate any feedback received in previous submissions.
As with all research, begin this week by identifying the questions you want to answer.
1. Describe an issue in public policy that is relevant to society today. Ensure that the issue and its questions are within a scope you can attempt to answer by Week 6 by carrying out the full research process.
2. Conduct research of literature and other credible sources to help define and articulate your questions. List the literature you reviewed that contributed to your hypothesis.
3. Develop and state your theory or hypothesis for the policy issue.