As a counselor, you will regularly use professional literature to inform your work. Many of the important questions that you will have as your career evolves will be answered by researchers conducting quantitative studies. The quantitative designs help generate the knowledge base that becomes the evidence behind our best practices.
For this assignment, you will create a mini research proposal for a quantitative study. As you work through the activities relevant to quantitative research concepts, think through a possible quantitative study. Your work on this assignment will demonstrate that you understand the importance of the alignment of the elements of a study and how they work together.
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Quantitative Mini-Proposal
Learner’s Name
Capella University
COUN5007: Research Methods for the Counseling Professions
Instructor’s Name
Date
Quantitative Mini-Proposal
This is your paper’s introduction (one paragraph). An effective introduction prepares the reader by identifying the purpose of the paper and providing the organization of the paper. Note, however, that this paragraph does not have a heading; its position at the beginning of the body of the paper indicates that it is the introduction. Instead, keep the title of your paper centered at the top of the page. In the body of your paper, indent the first line of each paragraph. Double space throughout (with no extra spaces between paragraphs) and use 12-point Times New Roman. For the purposes of this assignment, simply replace this text with a brief paragraph in your own words stating what this paper will cover, thus introducing the reader to what will follow.
Mini Literature Review
In this section, create a brief review of the scholarly information you found concerning your topic. Your review should describe any important concepts involved with your topic, as well as describe the results other studies have reported on your topic. Per the assignment instructions, you should review at least three empirical articles (required) and one non-empirical article (optional). This section should be at least 2–3 paragraphs.
Quantitative Research Question
In this section, identify a quantitative research question to guide the proposal. You are only required to identify one research question, but you may include more than one if you choose. When drafting your research question, please ensure that the language aligns with the intended methodology. (Quantitative methodology should include assessing for differences or relationships, while qualitative should include an experience of a phenomenon). For quantitative research questions, be sure to identify any independent and dependent variables. Keep in mind that the rest of your proposal should outline how you will conduct your research to answer the identified research question noted here. This section should be approximately one paragraph.
Quantitative Research Design
In this section, identify and describe the specific design you have chosen to conduct your research study. You may choose from the following quantitative design options: correlational, experimental, quasi-experimental, time-series, or survey. After identifying the design you intend to use, provide a rationale as to why this design is the best fit for your topic. This section should be approximately one paragraph.
Quantitative Sampling Strategy
In this section, describe your intended sampling strategy. Specifically, be sure to identify and describe the population for your study, including characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, position/status, or any other defining attributes. You will also need to provide details as to how you will select your sample from this population and how many participants you plan to include in your sample. This section should be approximately one paragraph.
Quantitative Data Collection
In this section, identify the date collection strategies you would use to collect data for your study. Specifically, you will need to identify any measurement instruments you would use and how you would use them. For example, will you use a depression inventory to measure levels of depression and collect it using an online survey? Remember, the type of data you collect should be directly related to the research question you identified above for your study. This section should be approximately one paragraph.
Quantitative Data Analysis
For this section, explain how you will analyze the data once it is collected. Specifically, identify the statistical analysis you will use to answer your research question based upon the intent of the research question and the type of data you collected. Remember, there are group differences analyses (like t-test or ANOVA) and relationship analyses (like correlation or regression) to choose from. This section will be approximately one paragraph.
Ethical and Cultural Concerns
Mixed-Methods Alternative
In this final section, describe how your topic might have been studied using a mixed-methods approach. Specifically, note what would look different about the study if you incorporated the components of a mixed-methods design. Also, be sure to explain if you believe a mixed-methods design would be a stronger approach and why or why not. This section will be approximately one paragraph.
References
(Include the sources that you cited, using hanging indentation. The references below provide example citations for an article and a book. Consult your APA manual for proper examples on citing and referencing APA style. Academic Writer also has helpful tutorials.)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume # (issue #), xx–xx.
Fitzpatrick, J. L., Sanders, J .R., & Worthen, B. R. (2011). Program evaluation: Alternative approaches and practical guidelines (4th ed.). Pearson.