Proposed research study

8-10 pages total (not including reference and title pages), double-spaced, 12 pt font, Times New Roman, 1″ margins.

In the first section (first page – Introduction) of this assignment, students are responsible for identifying:
The topic you intend to study/the research question the student intends to address as a result of their proposed research study;
If applicable, provide definitions of terms or concepts specific to the purpose or topic of your study
Why the topic/research question you intend to address is important
Background information/context regarding topic that can serve as introduction to issue that needs further research
Appropriate in-text citations and a complete reference page (both in APA format) must be
This portion of the assignment can be no more than one page.

Here is an example of how the the Introduction might be structured/formatted.

1) First sentence: the extent of the problem at hand (usually one can include statistics and it is designed to grab the readers attentions. For example: Over 5 million people in the US have been diagnosed with dementia and this number is projected to triple by 2030 (reference(s)).

2). In the next sentence or two you might define the problem/condition/illness, or other relevant term, in efforts to orient your reader. For example: Dementia is an overarching term that is often characterized by memory loss, difficulty with thinking and/or problem solving, and managing everyday activities (e.g., independent/activities of daily living; reference(s)).

3). In subsequent sentences, you might consider identifying the implications of this particular problem. What are the consequences or additional problems that may arise as a result? For example: Alzheimer’s disease, which is a type of dementia, is a progressive condition results in reduced memory, thinking, and behaviors and is identified in nearly 60-80% of dementia diagnoses (reference(s)). Although, memory loss is typically associated with the disease process, behavioral symptoms (e.g., physical or verbal aggression or wandering) make living at home a challenge due to increased safety risks and additional burden placed on caregivers (reference(s)).

4). You can briefly introduce what interventions have been done: Pharmacological approaches have not been effective in reducing behavioral disturbances, rather, they are more likely to increase harm due to adverse effects (e.g., interactions across medications, hallucinations, and heart problems (reference(s)). Non-pharmacological interventions, or non-medicinal approaches, are recommended for persons with Alzheimer’s disease as they reduce the risk of harm and have shown to be more effective (reference(s)). Specifically, some community-based programs (e.g., PACE) and adult day centers offer stimulating and diversional programs that have shown to reduce behavioral symptoms. Such programs include cognitive stimulation (ref), music therapy (reference), and even animal assisted therapy (reference).

5). Then identify the gap in the literature – where your proposed study comes from: However, few studies have explored the effects of a structured day program, which provides physical and psychosocial programs, for persons in early stages of the disease process.

6). Purpose statement: As a result, the purpose of this proposed study is to examine the effectiveness of a half-day cognitive and psychosocial program on the reduction of behavioral symptoms (e.g., agitation, apathy, and mood).

(This is just an example – you may select a topic of interest to you).

Developing a Review of Literature

After the Introduction (page 1) – Students will elaborate upon ideas presented in their introduction.

Review and synthesis of at least six peer-reviewed articles on the student’s selected topic; and
Portion of synthesis must address broad research topic/background information/what is already known about the topic
Portion of synthesis must address focused research topic, as it pertains to proposed research question/purpose of study
Needs to be a transition regarding review of already existing literature, and purpose of proposed study
Identify gaps in knowledge regarding research topic and/or how proposed research question answers a call for research.
Appropriate in-text citations and a complete reference page (both in APA format) must be included.
No direct quotes can be used within the assignment. Students who utilize direct quotes (copy word-for-word phrase, sentence, or paragraph) will be deducted 50% of the total points available on the assignment.
Articles included in the literature synthesis must be peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles that are no more than 10 years old (cannot be published prior to 2010). If included, that is okay, but they will not be counted toward the required six peer-reviewed articles required for this assignment. Websites, textbooks, pdf’s, -PowerPoint presentations, thesis/dissertations, etc. are not acceptable.
When writing this aspect of the document, you are building upon the main points in your introduction.

This is an example of how you might structure a literature review.

Example (based off example intro above):

You can spend a few paragraphs describing the problem and the implications of the problem for the reader. For example as based on the example provided above, you can expand upon the following:

1). 2-3 paragraphs further defining the problem and the implications of the problem (What is dementia/Alzheimer’s disease, average age of onset/prognosis, how it progresses, causes, and/or symptoms? What are the implications on the future health or quality of life or other for the individual as a result of the diagnosis, illness, and/or problem?). Always bring it back to your outcomes of interest to segue into the subsequent paragraphs.

2). Spend time discussing pertinent research that you have found to address the problem. Summarize the study and use the study to justify your main points. After introducing the studies, you should compare and contrast the information in each, to arrive at your gap or what you want to study. For example, I might discuss low efficacy for pharmacological interventions and why they aren’t effective, and expand upon studies that use animal assisted therapy, music therapy, and cognitive stimulation. Then proceed into why these may not be the most effective – I would compare and contrast the literature on these topics to help me arrive at my gap. This may be that the programs are short in duration, do not hold attention, and resources are minimal in community settings. Therefore, I need a community based physical and psychosocial program to address the outcomes.

3). Spend time identifying how or why you feel the particular study will be effective. Use the research!

4). Close your review with your aims for a potential study

The final document should be formatted as follows:

Cover page (APA format)
1” margins; 12-point Times New Roman font; double-spaced; page numbers
APA in-text citations and reference page
APA Headers