Overview and statement of topic question:
• What topic/social issue is to be interrogated/addressed?
• What is the research question? (Does a student’s family background such as economic status, impact their performance in school?)
• What is the purpose of the research? What do the goals of your research involve?
• Why should anyone care?
• Why are you personally interested in your topic and how you choose it?
• How will your research contribute to the existing literature?
• Are there any ethical/political/moral concerns related to you topic/project?
2. Theory and literature review
• What is the theoretical paradigm and/or theory/theories used in your proposal?
• What are the major theoretical concepts being researched in your proposal?
• Explain the patterns in the existing research literature that relates to your research question? 
What have been the general findings in previous research?
(include a minimum of five (5) peer-reviewed social science journal articles)
3. Variables and hypotheses (or casual hypotheses)
• How are the relevant phenomena conceptualized and operationalized?
• What validity, reliability, and generalizability concerns does the research involve?
• What hypotheses are involved in the study?
The hypotheses must (a) relate two or more variables, in a (b) statement of
interrelationship.
4. Design: sampling and data collection
• What is the study population, unit of analysis, and level of analysis?
• What sampling design will be used (e.g., probabilistic, non-probabilistic)?
• What does your sampling design involve? How will the study population be accessed?
• What does the data collection method to be used (i.e., surveys) require?
• How will survey questions be worded? (include these, verbatim)
• Are there any foreseeable logistical concerns the study might encounter?
o i.e., funding, time limitations, accessing sample population, etc.
5. References
• Use American Sociological Association citation styles for both in-text citations and
“References” section