Primary Research Proposal

We have just completed our “secondary” research, which involves reading articles that report on studies that other researchers have done.

Now, we are moving into “primary” research, or “fieldwork,” which means that you will develop your own original study, based on what you have learned from your secondary research, to find out something new about the topic.

To help you develop your study, please complete the following (you can type and print all of the following in a single document and bring it to class).

Part 1: Please first read “Introduction to Fieldwork,” written by NCSU writing instructor Jake Clayton. Then, answer the following questions:

  1. How does Clayton say that a field report (another term for “Primary Research Report,” which you’ll be writing for Project 3) is similar to a narrative?
  2. The field report is a genre that is used in what disciplines?
  3. According to Clayton, “An ideal field study includes a level of detail that __________.”
  4. What does the acronym “IMRAD” stand for?
  5. In what sections of the IMRAD report are “secondary” sources used, and how are they used?
  6. Why would a writer in the natural sciences say, “The experiment was performed,” while a writer in the social sciences would say, “We performed an experiment”?

Part 2: Please now watch the short video from Elon University, “7 Tips for Good Survey Questions,” and answer the following questions:

  1. Why do you think it is important to write questions that “all respondents will interpret in a consistent manner”?
  2. If you do need to ask personal questions, what can you do to help encourage respondents to answer the question?
  3. How might “social desirability” affect how truthfully people answer a survey question?
  4. Give an example of a “double-barreled” question (from the video, or one you personally think of).
  5. Think about your own research topic. What terms, if any, might be biased?
  6. The goal is to “create questions that elicit __________.”

Part 3: Now that you have a better framework for research/fieldwork studies and specifically how to write survey questions, think ahead to your own primary research study in Project 3 by answering the following questions:

  1. Having read sources on your topic, you may have “tweaked,” narrowed, or changed your topic slightly. What is your specific research topic now?
  2. What specific Research Question (RQ) are you trying to answer about your topic? (Look at your blue sticky note from class. You may want to revise this question!)
  3. Using what you learned in Project 2, what have other scholars discovered or said about your topic? What are some common opinions or perspectives on the topic? What do we still not know that you would like to find out more about?
  4. How could you use a survey to help further answer/explore your RQ?
    1. Specifically, who could you ask to take your survey (e.g. students, friends, family)? Why would these people’s opinions and experiences be helpful/relevant for learning more about the topic?
    2. Write 2 examples of survey questions you might ask these people.