Written Project 1
Learning Objectives: After completing this exercise, you will:
• Construct Title page using APA guidelines.
• Construct an introduction section for your research paper.
• Construct the first draft and partial submission of your Methods section.
Practical Work: Let’s get started working with the variables of interest to you.
Step 1: Construct your Title Page. Choose a title for your research paper. Construct your title page using APA formatting. This title may be revised as your research progresses.
Step 2: Construct your Introduction Paragraph. Construct an introduction that explains to the reader what the research topic is and why it is important to study.
The final paragraph or sentences of your introduction should forecast your main arguments and conclusions and provide a brief description of the rest of the paper [a “roadmap”] that lets the reader know where you are going.
Step 3: Start to Construct your Methods Section. You will start to construct you first draft of the Methods section.
Using the General Social Survey (GSS) website https://gssdataexplorer.norc.org/. You will need to set up your individual account first before search for your variables.
The variables required for this research paper are:
AGE
XMARSEX
1. Using the variables generated for you (AGE and XMARSEX), identify the actual variable name from the GSS website.
2. Take note of the specific GSS 2004 survey question as shown on the GSS website. The exact question is known as the measurement tool for that variable. Identify the measurement for the variable.
3. Create a “label” for your variables in a few words.”
4. The response choices to the survey questions are known as the attributes or values of the variable. Identify the attributes of the variables. Do not include “Don’t Know,” “No answer” and “Not applicable.” Also, include how the attributes are coded, that is, the number that is assigned to each attribute.
5. Identify which of the two variables is the independent variable (IV) and which is the dependent variable (DV).
6. Create your causal model. Hint: your causal model should use your variable label, not variable attributes.
7. Create the null hypothesis (H0) from your variables.
8. Construct the alternative or research hypothesis (H1) for your variables. Specify the nature of relationship between the two variables (i.e., how is the DV affected by the IV) in the form of a hypothesis. Hint: your alternative hypotheses must use the specific variable attributes shown on GSS.
Written Assignments: As part of the “writing intensive” portion of this course, we are building mini research paper. The final submission for the course will contain all of the elements listed below:
• Title page (1 page)
• Abstract (1 paragraph)
• Introduction (1/2 – 1 page)
• Literature Review (about 2 pages)
• Theory Section (about 1 page)
• Methods Section (about 1 page) (partial)
• Analysis Section (including tables, charts, etc.) (about 2 pages)
• Summary and Conclusions (about 1 page)
• References (1 page)
Submission Protocols:
• Correct use of APA format.
• Correct description of variables (survey question and attributes) as detailed above.
• Correct causal diagram, IV and DV.
• Correct construction of hypotheses statements.
• Definitions, use, and understanding of concepts from the course.