Research Prospectus Paper

Instructions:

Students will complete a research prospectus paper that includes at least one topic in the area of close relationships.  A research prospectus (3-4 pages of text) is a research plan that includes a title page in APA format, a brief review of the literature (2-3 articles), a hypothesis, an explanation of the research design, an explanation of the proposed method, a discussion of possible limitations, and a reference page.  See the Rubric.

Topic:

Communication Patterns within Close Relationships

Discussion Post to start:

The topic is the area of close relationships that I would be interested in studying is communication patterns within close relationships. This would take a close look at how effective or ineffective communication impacts relationship satisfaction and conflict resolution.

The research method that would be most appropriate for studying this topic would be the qualitative method using interviews as the way of evaluating communication styles within relationships and the satisfaction level. Here are the steps for this:

1. Pre-study
   1. Define focus- which aspects of communication (verbal vs. nonverbal, conflict resolution, etc.) and which type of relationship to study (romantic, familial, friendships, etc.)
   2. Research- study previous research
2. Research Method defined
   1. Qualitative Method of interviews- in depth conversations to access communication style, satisfaction level, and conflict resolution style
3. Develop Resources
   1. Interview guidelines
   2. Interview guides
4. Participants- recruit
5. Collect Data-
   1. Conduct interviews with detailed notes

                                                    i.     Ethical Awareness- informed consent and confidentiality

6. Analysis
   1. Identify patterns within data
   2. Interpret Results