BresciaUniversityCollege SOC3307a

Research Assignment (30% of final mark)

As part of the requirements for this course you will complete a qualitative research paper of your research and findings, and submit a qualitative research report according to the guidelines below. This project will also include an oral research presentation to be held during the last class.

Requirements:

Your research assignment makes up 30% of your final mark and consists of the following:

A. Completed research report (due Dec. 5)90%

B. A 10-minute research presentation (Dec. 5)10%

Total100%

Due Date:finished report due in class Dec. 5, 2013

A. Research Report:

The report of your research should be written in a scholarly manner following the guidelines given in class and in the Hoogenaard text and Berg Ch. 12 (on reserve). Before you start writing the final report, have a look at some of the qualitative studies linked to the course reading list to see how others have presented their work. It is not a bad idea to use one of the previously published reports as a model for your paper.

The finished report should be typed, double spaced and be approximately 12-15 pages long. In the preparation and writing of this report, please note that plagiarism (the appropriation of the ideas, words, or passages of another author and passing them off as your own) is a serious scholastic offense. The U.W.O. policy regarding scholastic offenses such as plagiarism can be found in the 2013 University Academic Calendar.

Finally, pay careful attention to your writing. Avoid unnecessary or irrelevant detail. Write clearly and concisely, and proof-read carefully. A poorly written and disorganized report lacks credibility. In qualitative research, it is especially important that you present your work in a detailed, logical and convincing manner!

Total Length of Finished Paper: 12-15 pages (includes title page, abstract, etc.)

The finished research report will be a traditional research paper andmust include the following sections:

1) Title Page, Abstract and Table of Contents

a.Title Page: The title page should include the title of the study; your name and student ID number, course section number and the date of submission. The title of the study should clearly reflect the goal of the research.

b.Abstract: The abstract should briefly state the goals of your research, methodology, briefly outline your most important findings and the significance of your research. It should be no more than 200-300 words (about half a page, single spaced). Much of the abstract can be drawn from the text of the report. You should probably write the abstract last.

c.Table of Contents: The table of contents should list all of the major subheadings of the report and note the page numbers on which they first appear. See Berg Ch. 12 (reserve) for how to do this.

2) Introduction (1-2 paragraphs):

Brief introduction to the area and to your own research problem. This section integrates a revision of your research problem statement submitted on Oct. 3rd.

3) Literature review (3-4 pages)

The literature review should discuss previous research done on the topic you have chosen and should rely mostly on recent academic journal articles. The utility of the literature review is that it situates your current research within the broader context of previous research. Summarize and discuss the research and findings described in the articles you have chosen following the guidelines in your readings and given in class.

You will need at least 5-7 relevant articles from sociological journals and/or book chapters that are directly related to sorts of themes that you are studying. Although previous studies may not have used YouTube videos as their source of data, there will be papers that focus on very similar themes to the ones you are examining. The goal here is to relate your topic to what has been previously published, show what is known and not known about the topic, and state how your study will further advance knowledge in that particular area. In putting together the literature review, end it by stating the primary research question you examined and situate this research question within the context of the previous research discussed in your review.The literature review provides both the background and the rationale for your study and should focus on studies that have direct relevance to your study.

A literature review should:

  • Concentrate on the research/theory in your particular area
  • Summarize and, more importantly, evaluate the literature
  • Create a context for your research and,
  • Justify the utility of your study

A literature review should explore what is already known about your research question and be written in terms of research themes and the relationships between them. It should not just summarize studies that you have found (i.e. it is NOT an annotated bibliography.) Write clearly and concisely and avoid unnecessary repetition. Make sure that you cite all of your sources and be sure to include them in the bibliography at the end of your paper.

Citations should be done according to the ASA/ASR guidelines, both within the text of the paper and in the bibliography. Do not use footnotes or endnotes. In citing material from the internet, including the videos that you viewed, the ASA style should include the date that documents/videos were retrieved also.

The guidelines can be found at:

4) Methodology (2-3 pages)

This should be a full description of procedures and strategies used in your research. It should include a brief description of the setting where research took place (i.e. describe what YouTube is and how it works) and a description of your sample: the type of sample, your selection strategy, and the number of videos chosen. Discuss in detail how the observational data for this study were collected, organized and analyzed.How did you select the appropriate videos for your study? What types of information did you look for and gather from the chosen videos? How did you organize and document your observations? How was your coding done? What analytic strategies were used?

5) Results (2-3 pages)

This section will present your relevant findings and the results of your qualitative analysis. Include specific examples where necessary and make sure you include citations for the examples. In essence, your results section is a revision of your rough coding notes submitted on Nov. 14.

6) Discussion and conclusion (3-4 pages)

Discuss your findings. How do your findings relate to previous research in the area? How has your research contributed to existing research? What are the implications related to your research? What could you have done differently? What directions could future research take?

B. Presentation (Dec. 5):

You will give a brief oral report of your most important discoveries (your findings) in class on Thursday, Dec. 5th (presentation schedule forthcoming.) Your talk should be no more than 10 minutes long and may include one or two powerpoint slides or handouts. Please make sure your talk is concise and to-the-point, and watch your time!

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