Research Paper prompt

Student’s Name

State & Local Government

Research Project & Paper

Original Title for your Paper

            Please develop a question that can be answered through a small primary research project. Quantitative research is preferred; however, some qualitative research projects will be approved where this form of inquiry is most appropriate. Your project should be designed such that the results of your research might be of use to your Community Partner. Your Community Partner contact will be invited to join us when you present your results.

            Your final paper should be 8 double-spaced pages in length with standard font and font size.  Margins no greater than 1 inch, please.  Your final paper MUST include proper in-text citations and a Bibliography. Any paper that does not include them will be returned unread.

            Include the following required sections:

1)         Introduction & Background. Provide background and context for your project. Include in this section the problem to be solved, the question you have posed, any assumptions that structure your inquiry and your initial hypothesis.

2)         Review of the Literature. What have other people already written about your topic?

3)         Method. How was your research conducted? Include a copy of your survey or questions, and describe in detail how you conduct the survey. Explain why this is the best method. If there are known weaknesses to your method, explain what they are as well as why it is necessary to proceed with known methodological weaknesses.

4)         Results. A factual summary of your results. Include a graph or chart or other visual display of your data. Also include any factual description needed to explain the data.

5)         Analysis. So what? This is where you will interpret your data. What do the results mean in the context of your initial question? Can you situate your own data within the context of the information you cited in your Literature Review? If methodological weaknesses were present in your study, indicate whether and how they limited the usefulness of your results.

6)         Conclusion & Areas for Future Research. A summary conclusion and indication of what if any additional research avenues your project has created. Did your research create more questions than it answered? What future studies might be useful in answering these new questions? In what ways do your conclusions support, expand or contradict the research of others?

7)         Bibliography and Contacts. Include all items consulted for this project and list contact information for your Community Partner and any interviewees.