1. Unit 2 Research Proposal Tentative Schedule (Updated)
Week 6
2-18-Intro to research proposals
2-20-Intro to primary research/research questions
Week 7
2-23-Interivew strategies /SoP
2-25- Survey +Observation strategies, Methods
2-27-Short Proposal Peer Review, Statement of Qualification, APA format
Minor Essay 2- Short Research Proposal Due
Week 8
3-2- Debates
3-4- Lit Review & Abstract
3-6-Peer Review
Research Proposal Final Draft- Due 3/6 by midnight

2. U20 Debate Topics 3/2 Genetic modification War on terror 3/4
Work placement & rehabilitation for former prisoners

3. U23 Debate Topics 3/2 Police Effects of social media 3/4
Effects of video games

4. U65 Debate Topics 3/2 Mental health patient sentencing
Social media and its effects
3/4
Polygamy

5. Today’s Goals Peer review your short research proposals
Learn about how to construct a statement of qualification and brainstorm ideas for your own SoQs
Learn the basics of APA formatting

6. Research Proposal Overview
Title page
Abstract (100 words or less)
Identify research question, research methods, & most important points of research
Statement of Purpose (usually 100+ words. Often the second longest section of the essay)
State research question and hypothesis
Convince readers why the research is necessary
Statement of Qualification (approximately 100 words but may be longer)
Explain why you are qualified to conduct this research
Mention qualifications as well related personal experiences
Literature Review (200+ words. Often the longest section of the essay)
Briefly sum up the secondary sources you are using and how they are relevant to your research
Methods (approximately 100 words)
Name your primary research method and explain your general strategy for it (i.e. what do you hope to find)
References
The APA version of a Works Cited page
Appendix
Usually includes supplementary information
The appendix for our research proposals will include detailed information about your primary research (such as interview, questions surveys, or observation goals)

7. Statement of Qualification
The only part of this essay that should be written in first person
Can include information about why the topic is important to you or what personal experiences have shaped your view on it
Must include several qualifications that make you specifically a good candidate to conduct the research, such as:
Your major or field of study at FIU (if related to the topic)
Classes you may have taken at FIU (and possibly high school) that helped prepare you to do this research
Scholastic achievements or awards you might have received in the past (such as high GPA, citizenship awards, or academic contests)
Service work, jobs, or even club activities in related fields
Events in your past that gave your firsthand experiences with the problem and can be used to establish ethos
(Keep in mind that although we wish to avoid hyperbole, you should present yourself in the most favorable way possible here)

8. Example Statement of Qualification
“I am qualified to pursue this research for several reasons. I am academically qualified to pursue this research based on my performance and excellence in biology and chemistry in high school. Not only did I receive in A in both AP Biology and AP Chemistry, I received a 5 on their respective AP exams. I am qualified because I am also very interested in studying stem cells in the future. I am currently majoring biomedical engineering which is one of the major professions involved in stem cell research. This topic also has connections to me on a personal level. All of my grandparents have been diagnosed with diabetes, so I will most likely get diabetes. I have also been very close to getting skin cancer. It would benefit my family and me greatly if stem cell research were able to find a way to cure many diseases.”

9. Example Statement of Qualification
“First and foremost, my identity as a woman not only brings first-hand experience into the study, but it also drives my ambition to create change in our current cultural climate and to examine constitutional alternatives outside of censorship approaches that feminists have traditionally tried. As a Women’s Studies major, I also possess the background knowledge on misogynistic culture and actions, as well as critical thinking skills. This means that I not only have the skills to identify harmful depictions within media and the implications that they hold for women, but I also mentally possess the tools needed to brainstorm viable tactics that will eradicate misogyny within American culture, which will, in turn, cut down on violent media depictions and the rape supportive attitudes that they cultivate.”

10. Journal Entry 20 Focus: Research Qualifications/SoQ Brainstorm
Take a few minutes to brainstorm about your relationship to the topic you have chosen for your research proposal. Specifically, consider how it relates to your major, education, and personal experiences. Which of these make you uniquely qualified to conduct this research?
In what areas of your life have you excelled (academics, sports, community work, hobbies, etc)? How might one of these areas aid your credibility or be related to your research topic?
What first interested you in this topic? How have your personal experiences shaped your understanding/view on the topic?
Have you received any awards or acknowledgements either academically or related to the field of your topic?
Most importantly, why are you more qualified than someone else to research this topic?

11. APA Introduction What does APA stand for?
What are APA style research papers used for?
How might these differences affect the type of information included in APA citations?

12. APA Overview Cover page
Running Header of shortened research title (this will be different on the first page)
Abstract on separate page from everything else
All subsequent sections put together
Section titles bolded and centered
First paragraph of each section not indented (but subsequent paragraphs indented normally)
References page with all secondary sources used
Appendix detailing your research method (questions for interviews or surveys. Nothing needed for observations)
Check Purdue OWL’s APA style guide for specific formatting:
Purdue OWL APA Style Guide

13. APA In-Text Citations Basic format:
(Author’s last name, year of publication, p. page number)
Ex: (Anderson, 2013, p. 258)
Page number can be omitted for online sources and for summaries or paraphrase (you are still encouraged to put the page number whenever possible)
As with MLA, if the author is unavailable, you may use the first word or two of the title instead
Unlike the title of your own essay, every word that is more than four letters long should be capitalized

14. APA Reference Page
Begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay; label this page "References" centered at the top of the page (do NOT bold, underline, or use quotation marks for the title).
Use a hanging indent like MLA format
Example academic article:
Hyun Lim, J., Christianson, K. (2013). Second language sentence processing in reading for comprehension and translation. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 16.(3), Retrieved from doi: /S
Example book:
Delfitto, D. (2005). Adverb classes and adverb placement. In Blackwell Companion to Syntax (83-120). Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Example website:
Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web. A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 149. Retrieved from

15. Group Activity: Short Proposal Peer Review
In groups of 2-3 students (preferably 3)
Share short research proposals. Answer the following questions for your partner’s draft:
What are the student’s research question and hypothesis? Take these directly from the text.
What research method is proposed for the student’s research?
Does the student’s research question fit well with this method? How might the student slightly revise their research question to be easily answerable by their proposed research method? Alternatively, what research method might answer the proposed question better?
Offer two suggestion (that the student has not already thought of) for conducting the primary research for the experiment.

16. Group Activity: Final Debate Planning
In your unit 2 groups
Answer the questions below to make sure you are fully prepared for the debates (starting Monday). It may also be helpful to share the contact information of everyone in the groups.
What are three speaking points that you will share with your opposing groups? ? (Answer this first on a separate sheet of paper and submit it as soon as possible)
What speaking point will each person utilize (there should be one for each group member, possibly two if you know your opponents have more group members)? What rhetorical appeal(s) will be involved in each?
Who will be the backup speaker for each speaking point? (Have one other student familiar with the basic argument in case someone is absent during the actual debate)
What will your opening strategy (for pro groups) or closing strategy (for con groups) be? Who will be making the opening or closing remarks?
How will you attempt to counter your opponents shared speaking points?

17. Homework Journal Entry 21
Focus: RP Source Evaluation 3
Find the third source you will be using for your research proposal (a peer reviewed article)
Read and analyze the third source you will be using for your Research Proposal. Sum up the argument it makes in the journal entry as well as the most important or convincing facts in the article. Then reflect on how that article has changed your perspective.
General suggestion: focus on logos for all RP source evaluations
Research Proposal Rough Draft (Due Friday 3/6)
Bring a printed copy to class
Should include all sections of your research proposal with the possible exception of your Literature Review