The Concept Paper

Overview
z The concept paper:
• Provides the foundation for the applied
dissertation
• Is a brief overview of the research study
• Is approximately 10 to 12 pages in length
(excluding references and title page)
• Must be approved by both committee chair
and member before beginning the proposal
Considerations in Selecting a
Topic
• Personal interest / Passion
• Importance / Contribution to the field
• Newness
N / Relevance
R l
• Feasibility
• Tradeoff between rigor and practicality
• Time constraints
• Ethical constraints
• Organizational
O i ti l supportt
• Economic factors
• Availability of Subjects
 Sources of Research Topics

• PsychInfo, ERIC
• Peer-reviewed journals in your field
• Personal experiences
• Work setting experiences
• Existing literature
• “Recommendations for future research…”
 Refining Your Topic

z Refinement needed for effective and

efficient research
• Narrow your topic
• Identify a theoretical framework
• Specifically and unambiguously define terms
• State research questions and hypotheses
 Refining Your Topic (cont’d)
(cont d)

z A literature review will help you

• See if your idea has been tried
• Include all relevant constructs
• Select instruments
• Anticipate common problems
Components of a Concept Paper

z Title page
z Introduction
z Statement of the Problem and Purpose
z Background and Significance of the Problem
z Preliminary Literature Review
z Initial Research Question(s)
z Brief Description of Methodology and Research
Design
z Anticipated Outcomes
z Timeline
z References
*Use Appropriate APA headings for Each Component listed here
 Components
z Title Page
Titl P – must follow
f ll NSU S
Style
l GGuidelines.
id li
http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/arc/online_guides/index.htm
z Nature of the Problem – this should: (a) indicate the actual
problem, (b) be concise and focused, (c) be stated in one or
“problem,”
two declarative statements, which clearly indicates the purpose
of the study.
z Background and Significance of the Problem – this should
include: (a) a clear statement that the problem exists, (b)
evidence that supports the existence of the problem, (c)
evidence that a trend exists that has lead to the problem, (d)
definitions of major concepts and terms, (e) the setting is clearly
described, ((f)) probable
p causes related to the p
problem, ((f)) the
problem is specific and can be feasibly addressed.
z References – must have a reference page, which includes full
citations based on the in-text references and must follow APA
and Nova Styley g guidelines.
 Nature of the Problem

z A problem is an actual situation that is

hindering the overall effectiveness of an
organization
z The impact of the problem on the organization
should be clearly stated
z If the problem is too broad, the student may
choose to address only certain aspects of the
problem (be concise and focused)
z The problem should be stated in the form of a
declarative sentence
 Nature of the Problem (cont’d)

z State the purpose of the proposed study,

for example:
• “The purpose of this study is to determine if
distance education is as effective as face-to-
face education.”
ed cation ”
Background and Significance of the
Problem
z Provide documented evidence that the
problem exists (no data should be
collected at this point)
z Define major
j issues related to p
problem
z Identify possible or probable causes of
the problem
p
Background and Significance of the
Problem (cont’d)
z Provide a brief description of
• The setting (if applicable) where the problem
exists and where the study will take place
• The profile of the organization and other
pertinent general backgro
backgroundnd information
• The student’s role in relation to the
organization (if applicable)
Background and Significance of the
Problem (cont’d)
z Include any other salient information
Preliminary Literature Review
z This succinct review of current literature
should:
• Provide further contextual background
• Reveal issues related to your study
• Describe similar problems in other
organizations
• P id significance
Provide i ifi tto your approach
h tto th
the
study
Guidelines on Style, Mechanics, and Language
Usage

z Does your draft follow the logic or idea

that is presented in your intro and title?
z Avoid overusing direct quotations,
especially
p y long
g ones
z Check style manual for correct use of
citations
• (Doe, 2005); Doe (2005); (Doe & Smith, 2005); Doe
and Smith (2005); (Black, 2005; Brown, 2006; Yellow,
2007)
Guidelines
G id li on St
Style,
l M Mechanics,
h i and
d
Language Usage

z Avoid using synonyms for recurring words

• This is not creative writing and stay consistent with
terminology
gy
• Group I, Phoenix Cohort, Experimental Group
z Spell out all acronyms when first using them
• Traditional
T diti l - American
A i P
Psychological
h l i lA Association
i ti
(APA)
• Non-traditional - Collective Efficacy (CE)
z Yes - Do NOT use contractions; No – Don’t
use contractions
z Coined terms should be set off by quotes
Guidelines
G id li on St
Style,
l M Mechanics,
h i and
d
Language Usage

z Avoid the following:

• Slang – “cool”
• Colloquialisms – “thing” >> “item” or “feature”
• Idioms – “rise to the pinnacle” >> “to become
prominent”
z Use great care to avoid Plagiarism
What needs to be included in the
Literature review.
z Provides
P id contextuall bbackground
k d
z Reveals related issues
z Reviews similar problems elsewhere
z Provides significance to your approach to the
study
z Includes major/seminar research articles
pertaining to study
z Written in an integrated manner
z Uses peer-reviewed research
z Includes a Reference section
 Writing Your Research Question(s)
z Reflect
R fl t the
th problem
bl th
thatt the
th researcher
h
wants to investigate
z C be fformulated based on theories, past
Can
research, previous experience, or the
practical
ti l need
d tto make
k ddata-driven
t di
decisions in a work environment
 Writing Your Research Question(s)
(cont’d)
z Are vitally important because they, in large
part, dictate what type of statistical analysis
i needed,
is d d as wellll as what
h t ttype off research
h
design may be employed
z A research question should address only 1
concept
z Question must be measurable
 Types of Questions Asked

z Once you have identified the topic of study, you

will need to consider the type of question you want
answered and how it will be answered
z Two paradigms
• Quantitative Paradigm
• Generally attempt to quantify variables of
interest. Questions frequently address “how
well or how much
much.”
 Types of Questions Asked

• Qualitative Paradigm
• “there are times when we wish to know not
how many or how well, but simply how.”
(Shulman, 1988, pg. 7)
Research Questions
z From Topic to Research Question
A good research topic asks a clear, concise question.
Asking a research question helps you keep a tight focus on
your topic.

z Tweaking Your Research Question

A ggood research topic
p is broad enough
g to allow yyou to find
plenty of material, but narrow enough to fit within the size and
time constraints of your paper.
• If your topic is either too broad or too narrow, consider adding or
eliminating the following elements:

Time Period, century, decade, future, Population Type, age,

ggender,, nationality,
y, species,
p , Geographic
g p Location country, y,
state, region, Point of View economic, social, cultural,
biological
 Components Addressed in Research
Methodology

z Participants
p
z Instruments
z Procedures
z Limitations
z A ti i t d Outcomes
Anticipated O t
z References
Participants
z This section
Thi i should
h ld include
i l d theh following
f ll i elements:
l ((a))
the target population or sample to which it is hoped the
findings will be applicable should be defined, consistent
with the Statement of Problem and the Research
Question(s), (b) the population from which the sample
will actually be drawn should be specified. This should
also include demographic information such as age,
gender ethnicity etc
gender, etc., (c) procedures for selecting the
sample should be outlined, including justification for the
sampling method, (d) the implications for the
generalizability
g y of findings
g from the sample to the
accessible population and then to the target population
should be addressed.
Procedures
z Procedures
P d – the
h procedures
d section
i will
ill b
be b
based
d
directly on the research questions. That is, this is the
“how-to” section of the study and will introduce the
design of the research and how the data will be
collected based on the questions of interest. This
section should include the approach (i.e., design) to
conducting the research (e.g., experimental, quasi-
experimental survey
experimental, survey, historical
historical, or ethnographic) and
the appropriate procedures to be followed. For
example, for an experimental or quasi-experimental
study,
y the proposal should indicate how participants will
be assigned to treatments and how the research will be
conducted to ensure internal and external validity. If an
evaluation project is proposed, the model to be
followed should be specified
specified.
Instruments
z Examples of data-gathering instruments
include standardized tests, teacher-
made tests, questionnaires, interview
guides, psychological tests, or field-study
logs
z Indicate the source (literature citation) of
the instrument and cite appropriately
z Include validityy and reliability
y information
 Conceptual and Operational
Variables

¾ Concepts (or constructs) = terms that refer to

the characteristics of an event,
event situation
situation, or
group being studied

¾ We need to clearly specify how we define each

and
d every conceptt iin our research
h studies.
t di
 Two Types of Definitions

¾ C
Conceptual
t lD Definition
fi iti

...the “empirical definition” of a construct

 Examples of Conceptual Definitions
¾ Cognitive dissonance = “the unpleasant state of
psychological arousal resulting from an
inconsistency within one’s important attitudes,
beliefs or behaviors”
beliefs, behaviors
¾ Self-esteem = “a person’s overall self-
evaluation or sense of self worth”
worth
¾ Aggression = “behavior intended to injure
another”
th ”
¾ Stereotype = “a belief about the personal
attributes of a group of people”
¾ Conceptual definitions offer general, abstract
characterizations of psychological constructs.

¾ This is exactly why we need operational

definitions!

¾ Operational definition
...the precise specification of how a concept
is measured or manipulated in a particular study
Operational Definitions
How can we operationalize “aggression”?

-punching another’s face?

-hitting another’s arm?
sp ead g rumors
-spreading u o s about aanother?
ot e
-verbally insulting another?
-throwing
throwing glass at another?
-etc.
* The more specific, the better.
 Operational Definitions
Why are they necessary/important?

¾ They force us to think carefully and empirically

in precise and specific terms.

¾ They make the concept public; they allow for

replication.
p

¾ Measurable
Measurable.
Limitations
z Limitations are conditions, restrictions or
constraints that may affect the validity of the
project outcomes
z A limitation is a weakness or shortcoming in
the project that could not be avoided or
corrected and is acknowledged in the final
report
z Common limitations are the lack of reliability of
measuring instruments and the restriction of
the project to a particular organization setting
Anticipated Outcomes
z Description of expected results of the
study
z Detail the importance of conducting the
studyy as well as possible
p impact
p on
practice and theory
References
z must have a reference page, which
includes full citations based on the in-
text references and must follow APA
and Nova Style guidelines.