Please respond completely to numbers 1-4. Answers should be carefully constructed and typed. The whole paper should be approximately five pages in length (double-spaced).
1. Consider your topic and construct a plausible hypothesis. Choose a topic that is sociological in nature. The hypothesis should attempt to explain human behavior (not animal behavior or physiological processes.). Identify the independent and dependent variables. Provide an explanation for your hypothesis.
Example: Students who come to class every day and read the readings before class will make good grades in the class.
Dependent Variable: Making good grades
Independent Variables: Coming to class every day and reading the readings before class
Explanation: If a student comes to class every day, he/she will hear the material and retain some of the material that’s presented by the instructor. If the student reads the readings before class, he/she will better understand the material presented in class. In addition, the student is getting the information at least twice, making it more likely that he/she will retain it.
2. Do a literature review on your topic. Find at least four sources and complete the following information on each source. It may be presented in the following format:
- Title:
- Author:
- Source:
- Date:
- Summary of Contents:
- How does it relate to your subject?
3. Imagine that you have unlimited resources in terms of finances and time. How might you best engage in sociological research? Would you take a sample population of the entire United States and survey them? If you choose survey research, please provide a sample of your survey questionnaire. Would you do a controlled experiment? Participant Observation? Put some thought into how your research problem might be best addressed.
- What is your Research Design (Specify the details of the research design, i.e., the sample population and the questionnaire if a survey, the control group and treatment group if an experiment, etc.?
- Why is this an appropriate research design for your research problem?
4. If you were able to follow through with this research, what would you hope to find?