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As I mentioned in my first post in this series, my interdisciplinary methods course includes a research proposal assignment consisting of:
- An introduction containing a research question, hypothesis, rationale, and context.
- A one-paragraph abstract.
- Two-page discussion of the design of the proposed research project, the types of data that will be collected, how the data will be analyzed, and how this process will test the hypothesis and provide an answer to the research question.
- A bibliography of references.
The proposal is intended to prepare students for an actual research project that they will design, conduct, and report on before graduating. I’ve created three smaller practice assignments that scaffold different aspects of the final proposal. The first uses research on Bolivia; here are the instructions:
- Read the rubric.
- Read either a chapter from Jim Schultz and Melissa Crane Draper, eds, Dignity and Defiance: Stories from Bolivia’s Challenge to Globalization, UC Press, 2008, or Isabel M. Scarborough, “Two Generations of Bolivian Female Vendors,” Ethnology 49, 2 (Spring 2010): 87-104.
- Read:
“Writing a Good Research Question“
“What Makes a Good Research Question“
“Constructing Hypotheses in Quantitative Research“
“Forming a Good Hypothesis for Scientific Research“
“Annotated Bibliography Guidelines”
Write and submit the following as a single document:
- A research question about the local effect of globalization in Bolivia.
- A hypothesis derived from your research question.
- A one-paragraph annotated bibliography entry for the item you read about Bolivia. Include the source’s complete bibliographic information.
Links to all posts in this series about information literacy: