COUC 515 Benchmark Research Proposal Assignment Instructions
Overview
Throughout the course you have learned about the importance of research in counseling and how empirically based interventions help inform how counselors practice. The Benchmark Research Proposal Assignment will expound upon your Topic Selection: Final Topic Selection Assignment in hopes to formulate a research study that can be used in counseling.
Instructions
You will answer the questions located in the Benchmark Research Proposal Template, in a narrative, illuminating the current literature and how the literature informs your proposed study. Then you will conclude your paper with the implications that this study could have upon the counseling field and integrate a biblical perspective considering these implications.
Please follow the steps below, answering all the questions in each section.
- Your paper must only be 3-4 pages in length.
- This length does not include the title page, abstract, and reference page
- Your section headings will include: Literature, Method (with other subheadings as needed), and Integration (subheadings as needed).
- Your paper must be formatted in current APA formatting.
- At least five sources must be included in the literature review. Acceptable sources include peer-reviewed literature such as journal articles and books.
Please keep in mind that the Online Writing Center is a wonderful resource for you. The center can give you feedback on assignments before they are submitted for grading.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
COUC 515 Research Proposal Paper Template
Please review this template and the sample paper for the expected structure of your Research Proposal Paper Assignment:
Title
Literature Review
(No more than 2 pages)
The purpose of the literature review is to make a compelling case for the study (i.e. the research topic/question that you are proposing). Each assertion must be supported by a citation. The literature review must be no more than 2 pages and must include at least five citations and references from peer-reviewed literature in current APA format. Conclusions from peer-reviewed articles must be provided to make a compelling case for the significance of the problem.
In addition, relevance to the counseling field must be established, and the literature review must include an articulation of how the proposed study fills a gap in the
peer-reviewed literature. You will need to demonstrate scholarly writing skills, paraphrasing the literature with
no quotations. Along with a narrative of the previous literature surrounding the topic, the literature review portion of your research proposal must also explain the following:
- What is the problem statement (gap identified in the literature) this research addresses? This must be stated clearly, using citations to tell the narrative.
- What is the purpose of the research proposal (how this study fills the gap)? This must be stated clearly.
Method
(No more than 1 page)
- What is (are) the research question(s)?
- Why is this research question important?
- What research design will help answer your questions and why? (See Heppner et al., Chapter 6: Descriptive lab, Descriptive field design? Experimental lab design? Experimental field design?)
- Will your research produce qualitative or quantitative data?
- If quantitative:
- What is the researcher’s hypothesis? What is the null hypothesis?
- What variables are you planning to explore?
- How will you measure these variables? (in other words, what formal scale could you use to specifically measure this variable?)
- If qualitative:
- What strategy of inquiry fits best with this research?
- Considering the chosen strategy of inquiry, what is one way you can enhance trustworthiness of the data?
- How will this research investigation contribute to the field of counseling?
Integration
(No more than 1 page)
Conclude your paper with a one paragraph section discussing the implications that this study could have upon the counseling field and integrate a biblical perspective considering these implications.
- Identify one biblical principle/scripture that can be seen in the development of this proposal
- Using at least one scholarly source, discuss how the implications of this research study furthers that biblical principle (for example, a proposal that discusses Hope Focused Marriage Counseling provides a framework for the biblical principle of forgiveness and therefore brings healing to the relationship; or a proposal that discusses cost-effective treatment for lower-income Latino families furthers the biblical principle of Proverbs 19:17, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”)
**There is no right or wrong answer in this section, but rather, reflect on how your proposal integrates Christian principles and briefly expound on them**
RELATED: COUC 515 Building a Research Design Assignment Instructions
Order This Paper
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.