Formatting requirements: • 3 double-spaced pages, excluding bibliography (you ca

Formatting requirements:
• 3 double-spaced pages, excluding bibliography (you cannot exceed the page limit)
• Times New Roman, 12 point, 1 inch margins
Submission requirements:
• Submit any time during the exam period Dec 11-Dec 23, 11:59pm EST on Brightspace
• No extensions will be offered, given the wide timeline available
SECTIONS
Title
• Short and to the point: encapsulates the essence of your research (max. 15-18 words)
• Tip: include key terms that one may look for when looking for the kind of research you are proposing
Introduction = 1/3 page (10%)
1. Narrow topic: What specifically do you want to research?
• Tip:
o No more than 1 brief general sentence introducing the topic
o Followed by the narrow topic, which needs to be clear and specific
 E.g. “This research explores …..”
2. Rationale for the specific narrow topic: Why do you want to explore that topic?
• This is where you briefly highlight the “so what” question and your professional interest / passion
• Tip:
o think of geography / environmental studies as your area of knowledge
o no more than 2 sentences
 There may be a quotation or a statistic, properly documented and referenced in-text, which gives specific info about the researcher’s initial curiosity about the topic.
 Rationale as to why the topic was chosen, or why it is important to understand the issue
3. Objectives / Purpose of proposed research: What do you propose to accomplish with this research?
• One main aim, maybe two or three subsidiary aims resulting from the main one
• Tips:
o think who the audiences of your research are and who benefits from it
o be precise & avoid vague objectives, which indicate muddled thinking
o objectives need to underscore the contributions that your proposed research is expected to bring (e.g. fill the knowledge gap on ….; improve service delivery for …; document such and such for such and such purpose; raise awareness of … on …. etc.)
o sometimes it’s helpful to add these objectives after you have done your lit review and put together your research problem
Literature Review = 1 page (30%)
• this section presents research findings related to your narrow topic from a variety of sources, including at least 3 peer-reviewed sources: What research is out there related to what you proposed to do? What were the findings / gaps?
• write to provide both background info to the topic AND to shape where your own proposed research is going
• the info in this section should logically, naturally lead the reader to the research problem and research questions that follow in next section
• Tips:
o You have already browsed sources of info for your Assignment #1. The sources here may or may not be exactly the same, depending on how relevant they were in your Assignment #1
o You are assumed to have learnt to determine which sources will provide the best possible types of info for your proposed research
 sources need to be directly relevant to your narrow topic
 your writing here needs to show how those sources:
 are useful to your narrow topic
 lead towards a particular problem that your research will address
o Do not write the lit review as annotated bibliography
 There should be a flow to how you do your lit review, with connections between sources that make the reader understand:
 what research is already there related to what you want to do
 what the issues related to your narrow topic are
 what the gaps are
Research Problematic = 1 paragraph (25%)
•
1. Research Problem = 2-3 concise sentences
• What is the problem related to your narrow topic that you have identified in your lit review and you propose to address in your research?
• Tip:
o Think of the gaps in the literature, such as:
 a particular analytical angle missing (e.g. from the perspective of a specific demographic or professional group, or a comparative perspective)
 a particular location (e.g. a certain city, a certain neighbourhood)
 a particular correlation etc.
o Be as specific as you can be
o Think how researchable that research problem is
 set the boundaries of your proposed research, in order to provide a clear focus. Where appropriate, state not only what you will research, but also what will be excluded from your research
o Provide clear definitions of 1-2 key concepts and terms you will be using
•
2. Research Questions = 2-3 short sentences
• 1 main research question + max. 2 subsidiary/secondary research questions, which point to the specific directions of investigation in order to address the research problem
• A research question is like a thesis statement, but in a question form
• Research questions provide the reader with:
o a clear direction of where you want your research to go
o what it is that you are trying to find out
• Tips:
o Make sure your research questions relate directly to your research problem and that they are doable
o Write clear and concise questions
o Qualitative research is concerned with in-depth study ― so, appropriate research questions rather start with “How…” or “Why….” instead of “What…”
o Do not include assumptions or answers in the way you word your research questions, keep them open (i.e. you want your research to find answers to those questions)
Methodology = 1 page (30%)
1. Positionality = 2-3 clear sentences
• How do you position yourself as a researcher vis-à-vis the focus of your proposed research?
o How do your identity markers (e.g. type of knowledge you hold, gender, class, geographic location, ethnicity, racialized identity etc.) influence your perspective in relation to your research?
o How do you expect that position to play out in your fieldwork (e.g. how you engage with communities) and interpretation of data?
• Tip:
o Think of the power (or lack thereof) that comes with certain identity markers and types of knowledge
2. Investigation methods = 1-2 paragraphs
• This part outlines:
o what research methods or instruments you will use to conduct the fieldwork, and why (e.g. semi-structured interview, focus group, participant observation, storytelling etc.)
o the sample population and recruitment methods, and why
• It also gives a brief idea about:
o the location of your research
o content areas targeted by your investigation methods and how they relate to your research questions
• Tips:
o Research methods need to be appropriate for the population segments you engage with
3. Ethical & responsible research considerations = 1 paragraph
• This is where you briefly reflect on:
o How you plan on getting informed consent and keeping the anonymity of your participants
o What will happen to the data collected (i.e. storing it, who owns it, who has access to it)
o Potential ethical dilemmas
o Responsible research (e.g. how the research will be used, who will benefit from it etc.)
References (5%)
• Make sure you use proper bibliographic format (any style, as long as you keep it consistent)
• At least 3 peer-reviewed sources listed
• Tip:
o Cite only sources that you have actually used in your paper (i.e. that you referenced in-text)