Survey Research Project

This is the second of the two research papers you will be writing in this course. You may not work in groups on this paper; you must each do your own work. The paper must contain all the parts of a research paper:

Title Page

This must be in APA style. Don’t use the words “A Study of” or “An Observation of” in the title.

Abstract

A very brief summary of the contents of your article. This should be no more than 150 words (the APA style guide recommends 120).

Introduction

The introduction gives the background of the problem you are investigating. This is where you summarize previous research in the area. You must have at least two references in your paper. Don’t go into excessive detail about the references; as the APA guide says, “Assume that the reader is knowledgeable about the field for which you are writing and does not require a complete digest.” (American Psychological Association, 2001, p. 16)

After the historical review, explain the purpose of your survey, and give your main hypothesis.

Method

This paper: http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/414.asp gives an excellent model for what your methods section should look like. Do not just copy it straight out; modify it for your particular survey.

Results

Your results will be mostly in the form of graphs and tables. If a significance test is appropriate, you may do one. In class we will discuss various methods of doing significance tests on ordinal data, or I will provide references for you.

Discussion

Evaluate your results in light of your hypothesis or hypotheses. Begin with a clear statement of the support or rejetion of your original hypothesis. You may wish to compare your results to previous results in the field.

References

These must be in APA style.

Process

Creating the Survey

Before the Peer Review, you must write the survey introduction, exit page, and questions. The survey introduction gives information about the mechanics of the survey (what will be asked, what the survey-taker is expected to do). It does not tell the participant what you are attempting to study. The introduction also gives privacy and contact information, and any risks and benefits of the study.

The exit page is the place to tell the participant the purpose of the survey. You may give references to related studies, or to the field in general. Again, put contact information on this page. Make sure you thank the participants for their time. Here is an example of what a survey introduction and exit page might look like.

Make sure your questions cover the topic you are assessing, and avoid the pitfalls discussed in the book and in class. You may find the survey peer review form useful in this regard. You will look at the other person’s questionnaire on 2 December 2008.

Peer Review

Another student will assess your paper using this review form, and return the assessment to me on the day of the review, which is 11 December 2008.

Presentations / Final Version

Presentations will start on 18 December 2008. Presentations must a minimum of three minutes and a maximum of five minutes. Each presentation will be followed by a maximum of ten minutes of discussion. We will use lab time during those class sessions if necessary. Your presentation will be graded according to this scale.

Final Version of Paper

The final version of the paper is due on 20 December 2008 18 December 2008, and will be graded according to this form.

Reference

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.) Washington, DC: Author.