Overview
The Research Proposal is a writing assignment that is designed to get students thinking about how they would approach the study of a topic pertaining to the scientific study of government and politics.
There are eight parts of a Research Proposal that students need to include in their paper to earn the full points possible. These are:
- Introduction
- Research question
- Literature Review
- Theory
- Hypotheses
- Data
- Methodology
- References
A brief description of what kind of information goes in each part follows:
Introduction
For this assignment, the introduction should provide some background information on the chosen topic, poses the research question and theory, and identifies and describes the methodologies used in the research study. Identify a debate in political study in which your study is couched. This should be 1-2 paragraphs.
Research question
The research question is actually a part of the introduction. But it is arguably the most important component because it sets the tone for the entire research project. This is where the principal investigator defines what part of a research topic a particular study seeks to address.
“Observations of the world may lead to research questions and theories about how the world works. A regular question answers, “who,” “what,” “why,” and “when”? “In the research question, the investigator poses a “why” question. “A why question suggests that there are two things, also known as variables, that interact in a way that is perplexing and intriguing to you.” (Franco et al., 2017: 15).
Examples:
- Why do some voters favor centrist political candidates, while other voters favor insurgent candidates?
- Why is the US electorate more polarized today in 2021 than it was fifty years ago?
- Why are some human rights violations formally acknowledged by the global community, while other human rights violations are ignored?
Literature review
Before a political scientist can make a meaningful contribution to the discipline, they must first understand the existing body of knowledge. A literature review is a critical discussion of relevant scholarly work on a research topic or research question of interest. By becoming familiar with the prior research, a political scientist can shape their own research agenda to “fill in the gaps” and answer questions that have yet to be addressed. It also represents an opportunity to critically assess and identify shortcomings of the prior research for the purpose of building a better research design in the present moment.
The literature review for this assignment should include a minimum of 10 journal articles, books, or book chapters containing research pertinent to your topic. Topics the literature review should address include:
In what body of research is your own research anchored?
What are the main findings of the research to date?
What theories have been used to explain the phenomenon in question?
What methodological approaches have been used to examine the research question?
Where are the strengths and weaknesses of the current research?
Theory
Based on what you know, how do you think something works? This is where you will pose your “main argument.” Identify and describe the key variables of interest in the research study, including constants. How do these variables relate to one another? Is there a causal relationship, and in what direction does that causal relationship flow?
Hypotheses
Derived from the theory, hypotheses are predictive statements that allow the principal investigator to test the theory. Compared to the theory, which states that there is a relationship between two concepts or objects of interest, a hypothesis declares the values of the two concepts and how the change in the value of one affects the change in the value of the second object (Franco et al, 2020: 65).
Data
Identify and describe the data that will be used to test the hypotheses. If you plan to use quantitative data, will you use a data set that already exists? If there is no suitable data that that already exists, will you collect your own? This section should answer the following: Sample size, when and where was the data collected, and how was the data was collected. If you plan to create your own survey or conduct interviews, include the questions you plan to ask.
Methodology
Identify and describe the methods you will use to conduct the analysis. Will you use quantitative or qualitative methods? Specifically which methods are ideal for your research study. Why?
References
At the end of a research paper, it is conventional to list each source used in the study. For guidance on how to format the reference list and in-text citations, follow the guidelines provided in the American Political Science Association’s (APSA) “Style Manual for Political Science,” revised 2018 edition.
Additional Guidelines
Page length: 4 pages single spaced
Font: Times New Roman or Calibri
Instructions on Changing Citation Style in Zotero
- From the Zotero tools menu in Word, select “Document Preferences” or “Set Doc Preferences.”
- In the “Document Preferences” window, select “American Political Science Review” from the available citation styles.
- Click “OK.”