Final Proposal check in
POLI 100F

Final Project Proposal Check-In Memo

For this assignment, please complete and submit the following components. We would prefer for you to provide these components in their own sections (e.g., have a section for Research Question, and a section for Thesis Statement). Please format your responses in 12 point font, double spaced, with 1 inch margins. This assignment is due on Canvas at 11:59 PM PST on Monday, December 1st.

1. Research Question: What is the variation that your project proposes that we explain? (1-3 sentences)

2. Preliminary Thesis: What is the preliminary summary of your answer, in brief? (1-3 sentences)

3. Literature Review: Provide us with a short summary of what the literature has to say about what you are explaining, and the concept you are explaining it with. (1-4 paragraphs)

4. Preliminary Theory: What is your hunch for how your answer works? Explain, preferably using social networks, how your argument addresses your research question (this can be pretty rough right now; it doesn’t need to be your final explanation). (2-5 paragraphs)

5. Hypotheses: If your explanation is true, what are some trends in the real world that we should observe? As [thing you think explains the variation in the world] increases or decreases, how does [variation you care about in the world] increase or decrease? (1-4 hypotheses – which can be one sentence each)

6. Research Design: What methods would you use to test these hypotheses? How would you set that up? This is preliminary – it can change, and it doesn’t have to be extremely well thought out at this point. We want to make sure we can give you feedback going into the end of the course. also remember: the final project for this course is a proposal, so we don’t expect that you will carry these out at all. We just want you to think through how you might carry out a project like this. (1-3 paragraphs)

? What is your dependent variable (the variation you are explaining)? What is your indepen- dent variable (the main thing you focus on that helps us explain it)? Both of these need to be measurable.

? If you would opt for an experimental design, would you design a survey experiment? a lab experiment? Analyze data from an existing source? Collect new data and analyze it in a regression framework?

? How would you measure an individual’s social network? Would you survey them in person and ask questions about their connections? Would you use a social media platform to measure their connections?

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