Research Proposal: Social Networking Sites

Date: November 05, 2009

To: Shafqat Chaudhuri, Lecturer

From: Hasin Abrar, English 105, Sec 7

Subject: Proposal to do a research paper on whether social networking

sites impede or enhance friendships in real life and real time.

Introduction:

Social network sites (SNSs) such as such as Facebook, CyWorld, and

MySpace allow individuals to present themselves, articulate their social networks,
and establish or maintain connections with others. These sites can be oriented
towards work-related contexts (e.g., LinkedIn.com), romantic relationship
initiation (the original goal of Friendster.com), connecting those with shared
interests such as music or politics (e.g., MySpace.com), or the college student
population (the original incarnation of Facebook.com). Participants may use
these sites to buld the network and interact with people they already know offline
or to meet new people.

Most people now doom with the SNSs to build the relation that will help
him in the future. Many of them found their old friends on these sites, and
enhance the bond firmly. But yet there are some negative points using these
sites. There are many stories that life between two has broken due to this SNSs.
Life get trouble using this websites, and there are many stories of being abused
here. Thus, these social networking sites have both the pros and cons, but the
majority of its benefit outweighs the difficultioes that people face in their daily life.
 However these SNSs prove to be good in communication. Many people
prefer this type of communication over the offline and heavy Internet users rely
on email to maintain long distance relationships, rather than using it as a
substitute for offline interactions with those living nearby. Because online
relationships may be supported by technologies like distribution lists, photo
directories, and search capabilities (Resnick, 2001), it is possible that new forms
of social capital and relationship building will occur in online social network sites.
Bridging social capital might be augmented by such sites, which support loose
social ties, allowing users to create and maintain larger, diffuse networks of
relationships from which they could potentially draw resources.

Research Questions:

In my research plan to investigate whether social networking sites impede

or enhance friendships in real life and real time, I need the information about the
people spend their ways on the internet, and how they perspect it in their life.
These require the daily life style and nature of SNSs itself. To that end I will be
addressing the following resarch questions.

o What are the social networking sites, and why it is so popular?

o When and what purpose do people use the social networking sites?
o What kind of features and services the se SNSs is providing to the
people?
o What influences people to use a social networking website?
o What evidence is there that these social networking sites help to build
strong offline relationships?
o What proportion of people use it for gaining relationship?
o Is social networking sites safety towards its customer?
 o What is the Emerging trend in social networks?

Hypothesis:
The concept of social networking website is revolutionary. It has been
designed and created to increase connectivity among the people around the
world. With the passage of time, real motto has been changed. It has become
commercial and time consuming.

However it is true that social networking do not enhance the real life
relationship, and this prove to be wrong that these sites are beneficial. The
majority students within the university have personal viewable and they are
aware of the offline relationship but are not concerned about it. From my
judgment, social networking websites are being misused and they may be the
reason to break sweet undersatnding among people.

Research Methodology:
To make a beginning for my research, I will take survey among my friends
and classmates in my university as the representative sample. I will take their
idea, opinion and view about my topic through questionnaire.The survey may be
taking among more than 100 students and this will help me to get primary data.

For secondary data, I will use the internet and search websites, links, e-
newspapers, e-magazines, e-books etc. to get better information on the topic. I
will also check the library for some references from books, journals, newspaper
articles, publications etc. about my topic. This accumulation of data will help me
to stand my ideas about the resarch topics, and can judge whether social
networking sites impede or enhance friendships in real life and real time.
Organization:
My research paper will consist of several individual parts. It will include
Introduction, Background, Data Presentation and Analysis, and Summary of
Findings. On the basis of my research questions and methodology, organization
of my research will be done accordingly.

Timetable:
I plan to complete my primary research by the mid of November, and my
secondary research by the end of November. I shall complete writings the final
draft of my Research Paper by the second week of December, and submit it by
the specified deadline towards the end of the semester.

Request for Approval:

Therefore I request your approval for my research proposal.If you wish me
to modify or improve my proposal, I will resubmit it after incorporating the
necessary changes. I would also be grateful for your advice and help in
conducting my research and completing the project.