Critical Elements

PSY 790 Milestone Three Guidelines and Rubric: Methodology, Design, and Data In the discussion for Module Five, you stated your proposed method, design, and data-collection instruments along with the reason behind each. For this milestone, you will take this information, revise it, and develop a fleshed-out paper that discusses all aspects of the method, design, and data for your proposal. In your capstone research proposal, you will develop a well-organized research concept paper that lays the foundation for a solid plan to implement research. You will address a relevant problem that aligns with your focus within the field of psychology. You may choose a problem that reveals a gap in our understanding and requires you to provide an explanation of psychological phenomena and variables. Or it may be an applied problem that directly involves the psychological well- being of individuals, communities, or organizations. One major section of this proposal is the research design. If you refer to the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document, you will see that this is one of the required sections of your proposal. Completing this milestone will provide you with a solid foundation for your capstone project. Prompt: Include a detailed plan to collect and analyze data, and highlight the types of sources you would use. You may choose a qualitative or quantitative approach. However, your choice of method, design, sampling, data collection, analysis, and overall process should be justified and should logically fit with your research question(s). Proposals that involve implementation of interventions will have a program evaluation component that must include research design. In this paper, you will paint a picture of the entire process to show how you will conduct the study. In your submission, be sure to include the following critical elements:

• State the chosen research method or methods used; are they qualitative, quantitative, or both? • Discuss why the chosen method or methods are best for the research topic or evaluation of the intervention. • Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the research design and why it is the best design for the proposed study or evaluation of the intervention. • Select valid and reliable data-collection tools for the research questions (and research design) or develop data-collection tools and explain how validity

and reliability will be determined. • Support the selection of the population and sampling procedures. • Describe the process used to collect data from recruitment to consent to data collection; this should include ethical considerations and mitigation. • Explain the proposed data-analysis process, including any transcription and transformation of data for analysis, as well as the use of tools, including

software, for analysis. • Select and justify statistical analysis and/or processes for qualitative analysis; be sure to discuss methods for ensuring reliability of qualitative analysis if

applicable. • Explain the limitations and assumptions connected to the research. • Propose how the findings will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, users, and interested parties. • Ensure the submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, or syntax.

Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your paper must be submitted as a five- to seven-page Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one- inch margins, and at least three sources cited in APA format.

Critical Elements Meets Expectations (100%)

In Progress (80%)

Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)

Value

Research Method(s) States chosen research method or methods used and whether they are qualitative, quantitative, or both

States chosen research method or methods used but errs in determination of type

Does not state chosen research method or methods used and whether they are qualitative, quantitative, or both

8

Support of Method(s) Discusses why the chosen method or methods are best for the research topic or evaluation of the intervention

Discusses why the chosen method or methods are best for the research topic or evaluation of the intervention but discussion is unconvincing or there are gaps in logic

Does not discuss why the chosen method or methods are best for the research topic or evaluation of the intervention

9

Strengths and Weaknesses Assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the research design and why it is the best design for the proposed study or evaluation of the intervention

Assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the research design and why it is the best design for the proposed study or evaluation of the intervention but assessment is cursory or there are gaps in logic

Does not assess the strengths and weaknesses of the research design and why it is the best design for the proposed study or evaluation of the intervention

10

Data-Collection Tools Selects valid and reliable data-collection tools for the research questions (and research design) or develops data- collection tools and explains how validity and reliability will be determined

Selects or develops data-collection tools for the research questions (and research design) but not all tools are valid or reliable or explanation for how validity and reliability will be determined has gaps in logic

Does not select valid and reliable data- collection tools for the research questions (and research design) or develop data-collection tools and explain how validity and reliability will be determined

10

Population and Sampling Procedures

Supports the selection of the population and sampling procedures

Makes an attempt to support the selection of the population and sampling procedures, but additional support would prove beneficial

Does not support the selection of the population and sampling procedures

10

Data Collection Describes the process used to collect data from recruitment to consent to data collection and includes ethical considerations and mitigation

Describes the process used to collect data from recruitment to consent to data collection and but does not include ethical considerations and mitigation or description of process is cursory

Does not describe the process used to collect data from recruitment to consent to data collection or include ethical considerations and mitigation

10

Data-Analysis Process Explains the proposed data-analysis process, including any transcription and transformation of data for analysis, as well as the use of tools, including software, for analysis

Explains the proposed data-analysis process for analysis, but not all required elements are included

Does not explain the proposed data- analysis process, including any transcription and transformation of data for analysis, or the use of tools, including software, for analysis

10

Justification of Statistical Analysis and/or Qualitative

Analysis

Selects and justifies statistical analysis and/or process for qualitative analysis and discusses the methods for ensuring reliability of qualitative analysis if applicable

Selects and justifies statistical analysis and/or process for qualitative analysis but does not discuss the methods for ensuring reliability of qualitative analysis if applicable or justification has gaps in logic

Does not select and justify statistical analysis and/or process for qualitative analysis or discuss the methods for ensuring reliability of qualitative analysis if applicable

10

Limitations and Assumptions

Explains the limitations and assumptions connected to the research

Explains the limitations and assumptions connected to the research, but explanation is cursory or contains inaccuracies

Does not explain the limitations and assumptions connected to the research

10

Dissemination of Findings Proposes how the findings will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, users, and interested parties

Proposes how the findings will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, users, and interested parties, but approach will not be effective for all stakeholders and parties

Does not propose how the findings will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders, users, and interested parties

8

Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has minor errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization with room for improvement

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

5

Total 100%