BA 531 Paper AssignmentSpring, 2006
Overview: A 500-word paper addressing the following assignment is due at all of the class meetings except Week 14 (Survey Data Analysis) and the 2 weeks that you are discussion leader. This paper assignment is designed to help you synthesize and analyze the readings to be discussed in class, and to enhance your skills for identifying valuable research questions. You will receive comments on your papers both from Shavitt and from the week’s discussion leaders.
Papers are due in class. Because the topics are discussed in detail in class, nolate papers can be accepted. If you cannot submit a paper on time for whatever reason, you can drop that one. Only the best 6 papers will count toward your grade.
Please write no more than 500 words. Your paper must be typed and stapled, formatted as 2 pages, double-spaced, using 12-point font. Leave at least a 2-inch left margin so that comments can be written. No right margin is needed. No cover page is needed.
Hand in 2 copies of your paper in class – one with and one without your name. The one without your name is given to that week’s discussion leader(s). The one with your name is given to Shavitt.
Assignment:
Using concepts and/or findings from most or all of this week’s readings, synthesize the implications of the readings and propose one new study that would enhance understanding of this week’s topic, as follows.
1. Start by very briefly summarizing key principles or findings of interest from the readings.
2. As part of this summary, point out at least 2 novel or counterintuitive implicationsof the findings/conclusions from these readings.
3. Then, propose a study that follows up on any of those findings in an interesting and useful way. Clearly state a hypothesis, list the independent variables to be manipulated and/or measured, and indicate the dependent measure(s) of interest. You need only do this at the conceptual level (i.e., what concepts will be manipulated/measured), not necessarily at the operational level (i.e., what exact procedures will be used/how specifically measures will be worded or designed).
For example, on Week 4, propose studies that would contribute new information to our understanding of how autobiographical memory works or how to improve autobiographical self-reports in surveys.
4. The research question you seek to answer should have conceptual value as well – that is, it should be focused on enhancing theoretical understanding of the topic rather than the understanding of highly specific applied contexts. Using the week’s readings as your point of reference, justify the importance of your proposed study. Make it clear how it would add to the literature and enhance basic knowledge about survey methodology.
Additional Suggestion: You may feel free to disagree with any conclusions of the readings/studies. If so, back up your claims with arguments about the methods or data that were presented in the readings. For instance, you could identify a finding in the readings that appears inconsistent with the authors’ arguments. In that case, your proposed study might be designed as a crucial test between your and the authors’ arguments.