TODAY’S GOALS

• Take a closer look at interviews as a research method, including what their requirements are and how to draft interview questions

• Discuss the requirements of and strategies for drafting a statement of purpose and statement of qualification

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)

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Goals:

• State research question (focused, determinate, realistically answerable)

• State hypothesis: what do you anticipate the results of your research will show?

• Convince readers why your research is necessary

Suggestions:

• often the second longest section of your essay (after the literature review)

• Should utilize an attention grabbing strategy to explain why the research is important and necessary (logos is most commonly used here but ethos or pathos will work for certain topics)

• Economy of information is not as important here as in the abstract. Feel free to explain yourself in detail and defend your position or the purpose of your research

• Citations and secondary source information can be used here (especially helpful for logos)

EXAMPLE PURPOSE STATEMENT

“The primary purpose of this research is to explore the effects of video games on the minds of minors. With the United States’ technology improving quite rapidly throughout the years, violent video games are at a closer reach to children now than ever. In fact, over 183 million Americans report playing one or more hours of video games a day (TED, 2012). That is more than half the population of the country. The concern is, are violent video games actually capable of causing behavioral issues in these young gamers?

According to Kaplan (2012), “high exposure to […] video games can lead to changes in brain function” (p. 11) which includes showing aggression towards others. By viewing these graphic images and partaking in virtual killing, desensitization occurs and kids are no longer phased by violence. Although this research primarily focuses on violent video games found in the United States, it is noteworthy to know that this is a problem that goes far outside of this country, and that violent video games also seem to be affected minors across the world; Kaplan (2012) states that these places include “Japan, Singapore, Germany, [and] Portugal” (p.8). This has clearly become a global issue. By not allowing kids to play violent video games until they reach a certain level of maturity, or by reducing the time spent playing will diminish the risk of them developing behavioral problems.

This research needs to be conducted for the well-being of young people, to help parents choose games that are appropriate for their children instead of thwarting their mental development with video games. It is anticipated that results will show and fortify the connection between violent behavior and playing video games.

JOURNAL ENTRY 17

• Focus: Draft Statement of Purpose

• Take a few minutes to begin drafting the statement of purpose for your research proposal (or at least the ideas that you will use for it). You may wish to consider? • What is your research question? (remember to keep this focused and

determinate, as we discussed last class)• What do you expect to find as a result of your research? This will become

your hypothesis and should be stated in the Purpose Statement• Why is your research so important? Who will benefit from it?

• This is likely the question you should spend the most time on as it will take up the most content of the Purpose Statement

• You may also wish to consider what types of background information you can use to support this

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)

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.”

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.”

INTERVIEWS

Advantages Disadvantages

• Strongest ethos of all the research methods

• Allows for a variety of quotes that can be incorporated into your essay

• Best research method for showing expert opinion or view

• Excellent practice for social science/media majors

• Arguably the most time consuming of the research methods

• Interviewing unqualified subjects or asking poorly formed questions will be extremely counterproductive (more so than other research methods)

• Produces so much material that deciding which quotes to use can often be difficult

• Forming questions for interviews can often be more difficult than surveys

INTERVIEW METHOD REQUIREMENTS

• Interview at least three subjects, who should be appropriate to your inquiry and requirements, in separate interviews

• Ask each interviewee at least 15 questions• You may have some questions that you ask all interviewees, but some

questions will have to be tailored to each specific subject

• Must use at least three quotes from each person interviewed (in the informative media project)

• Interviewees should usually be experts in the field or subjects who can speak with personal experience

• Provide a detailed transcript and recording of your interviews

• Use proper interview citation

INTERVIEWS-PROCEDURE

• Before the interview• Consider your purpose• Learn about your subject• Formulate your questions• Gather your supplies

• During the interview• Manage your time• Be courteous• Take notes• Be flexible

• After the interview• Review notes/results soon after

Note: the more professional and prepared you are for your interview, the more seriously your subjects will respond

(A&B p.282-284)

INTERVIEW CITATIONS

• MLA• In-text citation:

• (Anderson)• Works Cited citation

• Anderson, Nicholas. Personal Interview. 20 Oct. 2014.

• APA• In-text citation:

• (N. Anderson, personal communication, October 20, 2014)• References:

• APA does not include interviews in the reference section, only in its in-text citations

CREATING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• You may want a few (2-3 at most) background questions to find out about your subject and to get them comfortable speaking before proceeding into your main questions

• Your main questions should be open ended enough to allow your subjects sufficient freedom to answer as they see fit

• Should be focused enough to keep your subjects on topic

• If your subject gets off topic, that is ok! Sometimes the best information will come from this. Do not rush your subject or force them back on topic before they are ready

• Do not ask leading or determinate questions. You do not want yes/no answers, and you do not want to color your subjects’ perceptions of your expectations

• Do not discuss your hypothesis or goal with the subject ahead of time. You should only tell them your general topic

• Interviews are the only research method where it can be ok to directly ask your thesis question to subjects. However, you should not make it obvious that this is the focus of your research or what you expect to find

CREATING INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• You should include at least one “Danger of death” question

• These questions do not have to literally ask someone about a time they died, but they should ask the subject something they feel a deep, personal connection to

• Danger of death questions are the best way to get your subjects comfortable, speaking openly, and sometimes providing the best information

GROUP ACTIVITY-INTERVIEW BRAINSTORM

• In your unit 2 groups

• Create 5 sample interview questions that you could use to learn more about a specific topic (you may use one of the topics of your group members or select a research question below). Additionally, be prepared to tell the class:

1. Who will you interview with these questions? Why does this person/group of people constitute good interview subjects?

2. What do you expect to find? 3. What kind of background research on the subjects can you do before this interview?

• Sample topics: • What is the main cause of students failing courses in college?• How do politicians use rhetorical appeals and persuasive strategies during political debates?• What are the main stressors that college students have to deal with? • Does fraternity enrollment have an effect on academic success?• Is it more academically advantageous for students to live on or off campus? • How might the college/education system in the US differ from the system in other countries? • How do environmental conditions affect students’ study habits?

HOMEWORK

• Journal Entry 18

• 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?

• Journal Entry 19• Focus: RP Source Evaluation 1• Find the first source you will be using for your research proposal (a peer reviewed article)• Read and analyze the first 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