Vague and/or general introduction that has little connection to the proposed research.

Transcription

1 Psychology 201 Research Proposal Grading Rubric Content (80%) Poor Adequate Good 10 I. Abstract Incomplete, vague, leaving out important facts and not coming to any conclusions. States hypothesis, methods and results with at least one sentence of application. Clearly states hypothesis tested, number and type of participants, research design, independent variables and dependent variables, main results and the applications from those results. 20 II. Introduction (20%) A. Statement of the Problem (5%) B. Literature Review (10%) Vague and/or general introduction that has little connection to the proposed research. Each paragraph summarizes the results of one study without evaluation, integration or synthesis Begins with the research question and includes some specific references Relevant literature that covers the empirical evidence and theory needed to support the hypothesis is described. Opening paragraphs describe previous research and theory that leads to a clear thesis statement. Prior empirical research and theory are integrated, evaluated and synthesized to show a clear path between the thesis statement and the hypotheses. No recognizable theory is included in the literature review The theory is present but not integrated well with the empirical literature The correct theory is applied to connect and extend the empirical literature to the 1. Theory proposed hypothesis 2. Empiricism Only general The relevant empirical The key facts from

2 3. Evaluation conclusions are presented that appear to come from the abstract No evaluation of previous work is presented Each article is presented separately and no connections are made between different sources. 4. Integration Missing or vague statements of the relationships between C. Hypothesis (5%) variables 15 III. Method (15%) A. Participants (5%) Too general without describing participant characteristics or incentives. results are presented in an organized way The evaluation of some of the research is present. The theory serves as a connecting and organizing mechanism for the different sources A specific research question where the cause and effect are clear Gives the number and type of participants empirical studies are presented, evaluated and compared so that the hypothesis and method section are clearly supported by the past research The evaluation of the prior research methods and results leads to improvements in terms of the hypotheses and/or methods proposed. The introduction is organized by ideas that lead from the thesis statement to the hypotheses with each source described only as it relates to each topic and the other sources related to that topic. A specific statement of the expected outcomes of the cause on the effect Describes the participant characteristics, the number of participants and any incentives for participation

3 B. Materials and Apparatus (5%) 15 IV. Results (15%) Incomplete or vague descriptions of instruments, questionnaires, etc. C. Procedure (5%) Disorganized and incomplete description of what will be done in the experiment or manipulating the dependent variable while measuring the independent variable Describes all the materials and/or apparatus and provides references where appropriate Orderly description of what will occur in the experiment, making clear what the different treatment manipulations are Describes each instrument or questionnaire used with example items, units of measurement, citing sources and including full materials in the appendix Organized presentation of the processes used to collect data, beginning with informed consent through the debriefing, referring to but not repeating the information in the materials and apparatus section. Method of assignment to treatment condition and the differences between the conditions are clearly described. A. Descriptive Statistics (8%) Incomplete information, some means presented, but no standard deviations. All the descriptive statistics relevant to each significant effect are clearly presented properly (means and standard deviations, frequencies, or tables of counts). Descriptive statistics for each significant effect are presented only once is the best format to communicate the results (tables, figures, or in text description of the means, standard

4 deviations, frequencies), B. Inferential Statistics (7%) 15 V. Discussion (15%) No inferential statistics reported. The wrong inferential statistics reported. Only say that the results weren t significant without saying which inferential statistic was used. Describes the inferential statistics computed, including the name of the statistic, the degrees of freedom, significance level and computed value for each hypothesis tested. Uses APA style to correctly report the inferential statistical results for all hypotheses tested (statistic, df, p value, magnitude of effect if possible). A. Major Findings (5%) Skips major results and doesn t remind reader of the main hypotheses. Reports findings that weren t supported in the results section. B. Implications (5%) Skimpy discussion of applications of the research without connection to previous research. C. Suggestions for Future Research (5%) No suggestions or trivial suggestions such as increasing sample size, changing the population. Restates the main findings in plain English. Describes the implications of the study for research, theory and/or practical applications. Suggest improvements in the methods of the study that are related to the methods of the other sources cited in the paper. Puts the results in plain English in the context of the hypotheses. Relates each finding to the previous research. Connects the research findings to the theory and prior empirical work, adding new sources if appropriate, and making new applications. Suggest improvements to the research methods and extends the research question to new ideas based on the interpretation of the study results.

5 5 VI. References (5%) Incomplete list, or the sources don t match the reference list Style (20%) 10 VII. Format (10%) All the sources in the paper are in the reference list in the correct order. All the references are cited and in the list correctly and they include the key sources for this proposal. A. Title Page (2%) Missing information (e.g., running header, page number, institution), poor layout on the page, Mistakes in spelling or format, title that doesn t describe project All the information is present and properly formatted. B. Margins (2%) Inconsistent margins 1 inch margins all around C. References (2%) Does not follow APA Only misses APA style style one or two times D. Pagination (2%) No page numbers Most pages numbered properly E. Headings (2%) Headings not all there, At least three levels of and formatted headings, formatted inconsistently correctly 10 VII. Writing (10%) A. Grammar More than 10 grammatical errors Fewer than 10 grammatical errors and it s clear that the paper All the information is present and properly formatted. The title is descriptive and the running header is a good summary. 1 inch margins all around Perfect APA style All pages numbered with APA style Three or more levels of headings, formatted correctly, that help the reader see the organization of the paper Almost no grammatical errors.

6 has been proofread 100 Total B. Spelling Didn t spellcheck Few spelling errors No spelling errors APA Reference Format Things to Check 1. All sources are cited; including page numbers for direct quotes. 2. All sources are cited with APA style including Author (not just the first author) Year Page number for direct quotes 3. Proper punctuation 4. Single and multiple sources are cited in the right place in the text. 5. Reference list starts on a new page. 6. Reference heading is proper as a main heading in APA style. 7. References are in alphabetical order. 8. References are double spaced. 9. References paragraphs have a hanging indent (not tabbed). 10. All the authors are listed by last name and initials. 11. Year of publication is in parentheses. 12. Reference information is in the APA order appropriate for the type of source. 13. Italics are used for titles of articles, books, and volume numbers. 14. In titles of articles, books or book chapters only first words, proper nouns and words following a colon are capitalized. 15. All major words of Journal Titles are capitalized.

7 16. Multiple articles by the same author(s) are organized by publication date. 17. Access date is given for electronic sources. 18. Check spelling, especially of author names, in both citations and reference list. Other APA Format Checklist 1. Entire paper is double-spaced. 2. Title Page has a Running Head in the upper right hand corner. 3. Title Page has a page number in the upper right hand corner. 4. The full Running Head is on the title page. 5. The title is centered. 6. The title has proper use of Capitalization. 7. The author s full name is centered below the title. 8. The author s affiliation is centered below his or her name. 9. The title is centered at the top of the Introduction and acts as the heading for that section. 10. All the pages include the running head and page number in the upper right hand corner. 11. Margins are one inch all around on all pages. 12. All paragraphs except the abstract are indented. 13. Continue double spacing between sections. 14. Center all Level 1 headings. 15. No fancy font for headings or elsewhere. 16. Flush left, italicize Side headings. 17. Italicize statistical terms. 18. Double-space between sections. Research Design Issues to Remember

8 1. Specify whether the design is between subjects or repeated measures. 2. If it s between subjects describe random assignment to treatment condition. 3. If it s repeated measures describe counterbalancing the order of the treatments. 4. Remember to describe the control condition. 5. Make sure that the design fits the hypotheses. 6. Describe all the measures (dependent variables) that you will use even if you have included them in an appendix. 7. Have someone else read the procedure to be sure you haven t left things out.