research proposal

Recreation Research Proposal Guidelines

Below is an outline for a typical recreation research proposal. You will develop the first FOUR (4) sections of a research proposal, pro forma budget and a complete reference list. Specific information for each section is given in the proposal outline. Always use a title page, but do not number or count it. Remember SPELLING COUNTS.

	Abstract (10 points);
	Introduction (20 points);
	Literature Review (25 points);
	Methodology (25 points);
	Pro Forma Budget 10 points); and
	Complete reference list (American Psychological Association format) (10 points)

IMPORTANT: The model study must have been published in a park and recreation journal between 2005 and present (see List of Park and Recreation journals below). The project must follow the American Psychological Association (APA) format. This format includes the information on the following table. Papers will be graded on spelling, punctuation, structure, and content.

For ALL PRM majors, this assignment should be saved and placed in your PRM Professional Portfolio.

Title Page:	Include the name of the assignment, the class prefix and number, your name and the date.
Font:	Times New Roman or CG Times
Font Size:	12 points
Margins:	1inch, top and bottom - left and right. (Hint. In MS Word, select "File"; select "Page Setup"; select 1 inch (1") in the Top; Bottom; Left; Right; boxes; then ok).
Justification	All text is Left justified
Print Color:	Black
Line Spacing:	Double space
Page Numbers	Number pages at the top right, do not number the first (title) page (Hint. In MS Word; select Insert; select "page numbers"; deselect the box "show number on first page"; select "format"; select "start at;" select zero in the box; then ok; ok).
Pictures:	Do not include any pictures in the assignment.

Submit this project to the course facilitator using a Microsoft Word format (.doc; .docx; or .rtf), as an email attachment.

HOW TO CREATE AN E-MAIL ATTACHMENT

Create your paper in MicrosoftWord as you would normally do.

Save the paper (file) to your hard drive ( drive "C" usually in "my documents") or to a disk (usually your A drive, 3 1/2 floppy).

Open your e-mail program.

Create a new message to your Instructor (charles.hammersley@nau.edu

Somewhere in your e-mail program is "Attach file to new message" or something like it. Different e-mail programs use different wording.

Click on the attach command.

A box will appear and ask for the file name. You can select it from drive "C" , my documents, or the "A" drive if you saved your paper to that drive, or where ever you saved the file.

That's all there is to it. The paper is now attached to the e-mail so just hit the Send button.

Please contact me if you are having any trouble with your email.

List of Park and Recreation Journals

Sample research studies:

	Job Competency Analyses of Entry-Level Resort and Commercial Recreation Professionals
	Therapeutic Recreation Specialists Vocational Profile Based on the 16 PF

Web Reference: Owl On-line Writing Lab

ASSIGNMENT FORMAT

Include the citation for the model study (the research study that you are using as a model for your study. Remember to change the location and population for your research). See sample below.

Dunger, D. R. & Roft, G. E. (2005). Trailhead Satisfaction Study in Wilderness Waterway, Retrieved May 6, 2008 from http://www.nps.gove/evr/study30

I. Abstract

This is a brief overview of the research study and identified need. It should include the purpose; methodology; and summary of results. Since you will not have any results, you would not address results in your abstract. The abstract has a maximum of 150 words.

II. Introduction

The introduction will include the following information:

	Identify the specific research problem
	Review research objectives and statement of hypothesis
	Discuss methodology and how objectives will be achieved

III. Literature Review - A minimum of five articles is required.

The literature review is a critical evaluation of existing research that relates to your research topic. It is NOT merely a summary of these articles and manuscripts. A good literature review should summarize and evaluate relevant research. It will also identify relationships between different work and your topic. It should NOT only provide a description of the article or manuscript. It will discuss different aspects of the research, including methodology, and describe how it relates to other current research. A minimum of FIVE references, dated between 1998 to present, is required in the Literature Review.

Literature Sources

	books
	conference proceedings
	corporate reports
	government reports
	journal articles (published and Internet)
	magazines
	newspapers
	College/University theses and dissertations

The literature review creates the context for your research by reviewing related work in your research area. A good literature review should address the following questions.

What do we already know about this topic/issue?
What are the key concepts?
Describe the relationships between these key concepts?
Identify any existing theories?
What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or too limited in the current studies?
What contribution can the present study be expected to make?

Do not answer these specific questions in the Literature Review, but this is the type of information covered in any Literature Review.

IV. Methodology

	Identify the category of research design used (ie. pre-experimental, quasi-experimental or true experimental) AND the specific type of design.
	Identify if this is applied or basic research and why.
	Describe where the study would take place (exact location)
	Describe how data would be collected/generated.
	A sample of your questionnaire (if one is used in the study) MUST be included in this section.
	Describe the population, sample selection method, sample size.
	Describe your margin of error. This is a projection, since once your data is collected it may change.
	Describe how data would be analyzed (describe the statistics used ie. ANOVA, correlation, t-test, etc.).
	Explanation of any methodological problems and proposed solutions.

V. Pro Forma Budget: This would be included as an Appendix to the research proposal.

VI. Results/Discussion

This section includes the presentation and interpretation of results. It will also offer a discussion/comparison of your results with previous research.

VII. Conclusion

This section will discuss whether the research problem has been “solved”? If, or to what extent the research objectives were achieved? What has been learned from the study? How this knowledge may be applied to the profession? What are the limitations of the research or the methodology?

NOTE: Remember that Sections VI & VII are not required.

[Class] [Syllabus]

	Create your paper in MicrosoftWord as you would normally do.
	Save the paper (file) to your hard drive ( drive "C" usually in "my documents") or to a disk (usually your A drive, 3 1/2 floppy).
	Open your e-mail program.
	Create a new message to your Instructor (charles.hammersley@nau.edu
	Somewhere in your e-mail program is "Attach file to new message" or something like it. Different e-mail programs use different wording.
	Click on the attach command.
	A box will appear and ask for the file name. You can select it from drive "C" , my documents, or the "A" drive if you saved your paper to that drive, or where ever you saved the file.
	That's all there is to it. The paper is now attached to the e-mail so just hit the Send button.