Qualitative Research Proposal

The Capstone project for our course is a Qualitative Research Proposal on any topic in Psychology.  It is recommended that you choose a topic for this assignment related to the topic you would like to pursue for your dissertation.  You will complete 3 Research Project assignments throughout Modules 1-6 that will help you prepare different elements of the final Qualitative Research Proposal that is due in Module 7.  This Qualitative Research Proposal will clearly discuss a research topic in psychology and propose a new qualitative study related to that topic. This Research Proposal is expected to be at least 25 pages and will be submitted in Module 7. 

Sections to Include:

1. A title page.
2. An Abstract
3. An Introduction section that introduces the concept/constructs being studied and provides an introduction to the proposal.
4. A Literature Review section that includes a 10-12 page review of research on your topic.  This will be an integrative review of the relevant research on your topic that sets the foundation for your project.  The purpose of this section to tell the reader what we already know on your topic. You should review both theoretical and empirical journal articles as you describe the background of your topic. This should be similar to the Background/Introduction section of an empirical journal article.
5. A Problem Statement that clearly outlines the gap in the research that your research proposal is addressing, as well as a need to fill that gap.  The Problem Statement should be approximately 300-400 words and clearly & succinctly state what we know on your topic and what still needs to be known. This section builds upon the review of the research and will make a strong argument for the need for your qualitative study based on the gap that is identified. 
6. A Purpose section that discusses the purpose of the study and clearly lists the research questions being asked.  This should follow from the gap identified in the Problem Statement and align with the gap that is identified in the Problem Statement.
7. A Research Methodology section that describes the full qualitative methodology of the study being proposed.  This should resemble the Methods section of an empirical journal article and include the subsections that describe the sample, method chosen, procedures, measurement tools/interviews proposed, as well as a brief discussion of how data will be analyzed to answer the research questions.
8. A Conclusion that summarizes and concludes the proposal. 
9. A References section with at least 25 journal articles on the topic.

All components should be presented in current APA format (including Running head, page numbers, and correct heading styles).  The title page, Abstract, and reference pages are not included in the 25-page requirement. And, please keep in mind that the purpose of a research proposal is to convince the reader that your study is theoretically necessary to your research topic area and to outline what will be conducted in the proposed study to add knowledge to the research topic of interest.  You are encouraged to write in such a way that your proposal is convincing and persuasive.

Be sure to review the criteria on the Qualitative Research Proposal Rubric before beginning this assignment.