Pick a topic soon! Please visit the Vassar Stats web page noted below
It was good to meet you all last evening.
I have listed a good number of research topics below information about APA
references. It is imperative that you pick a topic soon. I have also included
selected answers to questions in your book on this page.
Announcements for College of Education graduate
students are found at this site:
http://coe.winthrop.edu/graduate/announce.htm
Vassar Stats:
http://faculty.vassar.edu/lowry/VassarStats.html
Answers to Text questions:
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Research Proposal HINTS:
Summary
At the least, your summary of each article
should include the following:
Where the research took place
Subjects – number and ethnicity
Key question of interest
Critical components of the methods used in the research
(how data was collected)
Results
Critique
You must critique the research methods. You should not
comment on on how the writing style of the author. A critique should include
both positive and negative points about the research. Some questions to
think about:
Was the sample large enough?
Was the research conducted in a real school or health center?
Did the sample include people from a variety of backgrounds?
Did the research use valid and reliable instruments to
measure the independent and dependent variables?
Sample APA references
Dewalt, M., & Rodwell,
F. (1987). Effects of increased learning time in remedial math and science.
ERS Spectrum, 6(1), 33-36.
Dewalt, M., & Troxell, B. (1989). Old Order Mennonite one-room
school: A case study.
Anthropology and Educational
Quarterly,
20(4), 308-325.
Dewalt, M., Vare, J. & Dockery, E. (2001). Retaining teacher candidates in the new
American college. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service ED455197)
Hostetler, J. (Ed.). (1989). Amish
roots: A treasury of history, wisdom,
and lore.
Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press.
Topic Ideas
What is the relationship
between pet therapy and depression in people over 65?
What is the relationship between self-esteem score and reading achievement for
elementary age students?
What is the relationship between walking 3 times per week and self-esteem?
What is the relationship between group therapy and self-esteem of COA’s
What is the relationship between participation in after school programs and
delinquent behavior?
What is the relationship between age of first tobacco use and marijuana use as
an adult?
What is the relationship between anxiety and SAT scores?
What is the relationship between birth order and SAT scores?
What is the relationship between SAT scores and GPA for college freshman?
What is the relationship between type of therapy (group vs. individual) and
self-esteem?
What is the relationship between the amount of alcohol consumed per week and
weight?
What is the relationship between eating half a cup of oatmeal each day and
cholesterol score?
What is the relationship between weight training and bone density for people
over 65 years of age?
What is the relationship between a school uniform policy and student behavior?
What is the effect of homework on academic achievement in mathematics?
What is the relationship between time spent watching TV and writing ability?
What is the relationship between the number of hours of after school employment
and high school report card grades in academic subjects?
What is the relationship between birth order and SAT scores?
What is the relationship between IQ and PACT scores in mathematics?
What is the relationship between school attendance and report card grades in
math?
Research Proposal
Each summary should include the following information:
Key question of interest
Sample selection, size and ethnicity
Location of the project
Method (how was the research
conducted)
also include
key instruments used to measure independent and dependent variables
Results - what were the key findings
Each critique should include the positive and negative
aspects of the research method
Answers to selected questions in the text.
Understanding Research Methods: An
Overview of the Essential
Selected Textbook Answers
Topic 1: Introduction to Empirical Research
1. Observation
2. Yes
3. The need for study
4. A Statement indicating what
results are expected
5. Yes
6. Select among available
instruments or develop new ones
7. Qualitative
8.Experimental Research
9. Nonexperimental Research
Topic 2: Experimental Vs.
Nonexperimental Studies
1. No
2. Group B
3. No
4. To describe participants as they
naturally exist without experimental intervention
5. No
6. No
7. To explore cause and effect
relationships
8. Nonexperimental study
9. Experimental study
Topic 3: Experimental Vs.
Causal-Comparative Studies
1. Causal-comparative
2. Causal-comparative
3. No
4. No
5. Experimental
6. Background characteristics
such as socioeconomic status
7. Causal-comparative
8. Experimental
9. Ex post facto study
APA INFO:
If you quote material from an article, APA style requires you to list the page
number where the quote can be found in the article. If you have an online
article with no page numbers then you would list the paragraph number.
Example of APA citation for a quote:
Dewalt (2006, p. 2) stated, "In Pennsylvania, Amish parochial schools are
generally one-teacher schools."
OR
"Students in the study completed the written
survey during a free period" (Conley, et al., 2006, p. 14).
Other citations in text:
APA manual page 208 & 209 - if a work has 6 or more authors you only cite the first author in the paragraph
Wonderlich et al. (2001) conducted a study
APA manual page 240 - In the reference section you will list the first six authors and then et al.
APA Info: Personal Communications
Personal communications may be letters, memos, some electronic communications (e.g., e-mail or messages from nonarchived discussion groups or electronic bulletin boards), personal interviews, telephone conversations, and the like. Because they do not provide recoverable data, personal communications are not included in the reference list. Cite personal communications in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible:
B. Smith (personal communication, April 18, 2007)
(V. White, personal communication, September 28, 2006)
APA info:
When an article has one or two authors you will state both names every time you
cite that article in your writing.
If an article has 3 - 5 authors you will only state all authors the first time
you cite the article. In subsequent citations of the article you will state the
first author's name and et al.
If an article has 6 or more authors you will only state the name of the first
author and et al. when citing the article.
Check this link for more
information relative to graduate students in the COE:
http://coe.winthrop.edu/graduate/announce.htm
The Statistics Homepage: http://www.statsoft.com/textbook/stathome.html
The Learning Toolbox - Learning strategies for students, teachers and parents:
http://cep.jmu.edu/LearningToolbox/strategies.html
Research Proposal: The critique section should focus on the strengths and
weaknesses of the research methods. Did the project have a good
sample? Was the sample large enough? Did they use reliable or valid
tests?
Citation
of a work discussed in a secondary source
Text
citation:
Fisher and
Stahl’s study (as cited in Dewalt and Troxell, 1989) found that Amish children
spend two hours per day on individual study.
Reference
Page:
Reference
page will include Dewalt and Troxell but not Fisher and Stahl.
Suggested web page: http://faculty.vassar.edu/lowry/VassarStats.html