Major Approaches to Research Design

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Major Approaches to Research Design

Officer Lightly has a colleague—Officer Brightly—who also has a background and experience with social science research. She joins the effort to develop a plan to involve citizens in protecting their own communities. She believes, however, that beginning the study by focusing on what motivates citizens to participate actively in providing for their own safe community is the wrong place to start. Officer Brightly proposes another direction; she is interested in examining what prevents or de-motivates people from taking action so clearly in their own best interest. She believes learning about these phenomena will aid the team in overcoming challenges through designing a comprehensive and thoughtful plan. Officer Brightly has a few guesses about the “why” here, but wants to examine the reality—systematically, thoroughly, and accurately.

Assignment Guidelines

  • Address the following in 1,000–1,250 words:
    • Develop two (2) research questions drawn from the above scenario.
    • For each research question, develop two (2) hypotheses.
      • Operationalize completely each variable for each hypothesis.
      • Name and fully describe what types of data or observations will be collected and how they will be handled.
      • Describe the specific methods employed for collecting and processing all of the various sets of data.
    • Now you will take the role of another officer with Social Research experience. You are assigned to the team and told to look at the work the other two officers have accomplished so far. In a memorandum to the team chief, consider Officers Lightly’s and Brightly’s research questions and hypotheses.
      • How will Brightly and Lightly’s studies complement (or conflict with) each other as currently constructed? Explain.
      • What gaps and seams exist in their research even after their methods and data are pooled? Explain.
      • What recommendations can you offer to the team chief that explain and support the methods you would add to their approaches? Explain.
      • What could you do to create a more comprehensive and coherent study? Explain.
      • What tactics and tools would you use to gather the data and observations? Why?
  • Compile your research questions, hypotheses, and responses into your final paper, and submit the file to your instructor.
  • All sources must be referenced using APA style.