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-Class Cancelled
Research Proposal Final Draft- Due 3/17 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. The first time you speak in the debate
State the following:
Your name
Your source (if using one) and what publication or institution it is from.
The organization, affiliation, publication, or university responsible for creating your source

6. On a sheet of paper Write out: Your name
Your group topic & your side on the group topic (pro or con)
The group and side that you are voting for (based on which side you think presented the most effective argument)
Save this until you have voted for both groups or until we conclude the class today

7. Abstracts
Should summarize all of your research in a very short paragraph
Provide enough info so readers can determine whether or not your topic is relevant and they should read further
Many publications and conferences will ask for your abstract before even giving you approval to send the rest of your research. You must ‘sell your idea’ in a very short paragraph
Economy of information is very important! Only include the most important information
All research proposals and many peer reviewed journals will have a max word count for abstracts
Our abstracts will be 100 words or less

8. Abstracts
The research question or intended goal of the research
Your hypothesis
The importance of the research
sometimes part of the intro/attention grabber although sometimes reserved for the purpose statement
Please note that numbers 1-3 may be located in the purpose statement as well, but a shortened, succinct version of them is necessary for the abstract
Preliminary findings (in background research for the lit review or from your exploratory narrative)
Must do all of these things in a very brief paragraph (often about 100 words)

9. Sample Abstract
As technology progresses so do video games. More than 183 million people in the United States play an hour or more of video games a day (TED, 2012), and these games seem to contain progressively more violent content every year. Are violent video games capable of causing behavioral issues in these young gamers? This proposed experiment will conduct surveys to look for correlations between video game habits and violent behavior. Preliminary research indicates that video games can cause changes in brain function (Kaplan, 2012), so it is anticipated that a correlation between violent behavior and video games will be found.

10. Understanding Literature Reviews
What is the purpose of a literature review?
How is the literature review different in its use of sources than the exploratory narrative?
What sort of content from each source should be included in the literature review?
How long should the research review be in relationship to the other sections of the paper?
What sort of voice or style should be used in the literature review?

11. Literature Review Goals
Identify how much, if any, research has been done on your selected topic
This can also help prove why additional research on the topic is necessary
For each sources, you should identify:
The main idea (thesis) or issue be investigated
The main research method used (for primary research) and results of the research
The main supporting points or pieces of data that you found influential and relevant to your own research
Do not include your own opinion or reflection on your sources in this section. Keep it entirely focused on the articles you analyze
This should be the longest section of your research proposal (more than 200 words)
Use an objective voice (3rd person) throughout
Let your own research questions and hypothesis form an academic conversation with the research already conducted on the topic
Your own questions should be slightly different than what is identified in the sources but related enough that you can draw connections

12. Example Literature Review Excerpt
Since video games are in the lives of a majority of minors today, more research is being done now that in past years to explore the effects it has on these children and adolescents. Most research focuses on the negative effect of video game violence on the behavior of these users. According to Rathee, Rathee, and Bhardwaj (2014), “playing video games may increase aggressive behavior because violent acts are continually repeated throughout the video game” (p.34). By constantly being exposed to this violence, the young players are desensitized making them less emotional, which in turn makes them see violence as a normal occurrence. Rathee, Rathee, and Bhardwaj (2014) outline that “players benefit from engaging in acts of violence” (p. 34) in the violent games they play because they are rewarded for it (i.e. leveling up); by not having any repercussions in these games makes the players think it is acceptable to use violence.
In the experiment conducted in this article, 43 adolescents were split into three groups depending on how much time they spent playing violent video games per week. The final results indicated that “Group A has been found to exhibit significantly higher levels of non-verbal aggression as compared to the other two groups” (Rathee, Rathee, and Bhardwaj, 2014, p. 38) meaning that these teens who were playing for long period of time, ended up being the most aggressive between the groups.

13. Homework Class cancelled Friday 3/6 Journal Check
Due by Friday 3/6
Entries 1-21 will be checked
Compilation of all journal entries available on class website
Submit to mailbox of English Department (4th floor of DM building) by Friday 4 pm
Research Proposal Rough Draft (Due Monday 3/16)
Bring a printed copy to class
Should include all sections of your research proposal