The College of New Rochelle

Research project

Outline for Final Research Project � Field II

Students will conduct a field practice-based research based on the research issue identified last semester. The research and findings will be briefly presented during the End-of-Year Senior Presentations scheduled for May 9th

In addition to the six sources from peer reviewed literature included in the literature review section of the proposal from last semester, students will incorporate three additional peer reviewed sources and three Web-based sources will be incorporated into this 10-15-page, double-space, keyboarded research paper with a separate revised reference page. Students will also submit an appendix section which should contain the following:

1. Proposal outlined submitted in the Fall 2005.
2. Research Proposal submitted in the Fall 2005.
3. Consent forms, questionnaires, survey, checklists, etc.
4. Raw data actually retrieved (e.g. completed questionnaire, survey, etc.)

The following categories should be used to organize your research paper (please note that based on feedback on your proposal some of the following areas will need to be revised):

1. Restatement of purpose and rationale for research.
2. Re-statement of research question and/or hypothesis.
3. Revised Literature review (rationale and significance of research)
4. Detailed description of how study was carried out:
a. type of research design selected
b. variables and how they are operationally defined
c. sampling design and how sample was selected
d. description of data collection methods (interviews, secondary data analysis, mailed survey, etc.) sand instruments used to collect data (interview questions, questionnaires, surveys, checklist, etc.)
e. characteristics of sample
f. data analysis procedures (frequency distribution, description of objects of study, measures of central tendency, etc.)
5. Results:
a. Findings derived from research
b. Summary and interpretation of data analysis
c. Tables, graphs, pie charts, case vignettes, exact quotations, etc.
6. Discussion and Conclusions:
a. Implications of findings in relation to research question and/or hypothesis, do findings support or not support hypothesis; do findings answer research question, are new theories and/or hypothesis generated.
b. Implications of findings in relation to the literature � identify whether findings corroborate findings from other researchers or theorists, what contradictions exist, can differences be reconciled.
c. Implications of findings for social work profession, practice effectiveness, program evaluation, social policy, etc.
d. Implications of findings for agency as it relates to programs, services, staffing, client needs, relevant and appropriate interventions, etc.
7. Feasibility � issues that created obstacles or facilitated the research process
8. Limitations of the study � this includes research design constraints, inability to generalize findings to population, inadequate data collection instruments, etc.
9. Conclusions � has the study advanced knowledge in the identified area, is there need for further research, should a different type of design be used, how can the findings be used to improve interventions and services, etc.