Proposing Empirical Research A Step-by-Step Guide to the Fundamentals

Part A: Getting Started  Topic 1. What Is Empirical Research?  Topic 2. Identifying Broad Problem Areas  Topic 3. Evaluating Broad Problem Areas  Topic 4. Identifying and Combining Variables  Topic 5. Identifying Treatment Variables  Topic 6. Considering Demographic Variables  Topic 7. Writing Purposes and Hypotheses  Part B: A Closer Look at Problem Selection  Topic 8. Finding Ideas in the Literature  Topic 9. Considering a Body of Literature  Topic 10. Considering Theories and Frameworks  Topic 11. Determining Feasibility  Part C: Selecting a Research Approach  Topic 12. Qualitative Research  Topic 13. Survey Research  Topic 14. Correlational Research  Topic 15. Test Development Research  Topic 16. Experimental Research  Topic 17. Causal-Comparative Research  Topic 18. Program Evaluation;  Part D: Organizing and Evaluating Literature  Topic 19. Organizing Literature by Topics  Topic 20. Evaluating Research Literature  Topic 21. Considering the History of a Topic;  Part E: Application and Writing  Topic 22. A Separate Introduction  Topic 23. An Integrated Introduction and Literature Review  Topic 24. Writing the First Paragraph(s)  Topic 25. Using a Topic Outline  Topic 26. Being Selective and Critical;  Part F: Proposing a Sample  Topic 27. Sampling in Qualitative Research  Topic 28. Random Sampling  Topic 29. Other Methods of Sampling: I  Topic 30. Other Methods of Sampling: II  Topic 31. Sample Size;  Part G: Proposing Instrumentation  Topic 32. Qualitative Instrumentation  Topic 33. Proposing Published Instruments  Topic 34. Proposing New Instruments  Topic 35. Proposing to Measure Demographics  Topic 36. Ethical Issues in Measurement Methods;  Part H: Proposing Procedures  Topic 37. Nonexperimental Procedures  Topic 38. Procedures in Experiments  Topic 39. Ethical Issues and Procedures;  Part I: Proposing Methods of Analysis  Topic 40. Qualitative Analysis  Topic 41. Analysis of Demographics  Topic 42. Relationships: Nominal  Topic 43. Relationships: Equal Interval  Topic 44. Group Differences;  Part J: Writing the Discussion and Other Concluding Tasks  Topic 45. Writing a Discussion Section  Topic 46. Giving the Proposal a Title  Topic 47. Preparing an Abstract  Topic 48. Developing a Timeline  Topic 49. Preparing a Reference List;  Part K: Model Research Proposals for Discussion  Model Proposal 1: Maternal-antenatal Attachment in Young Pregnant Women: Social Support, Mentors, and Fear of Childbirth  Model Proposal 2: Nutrition and Glycemic Control in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Attending Diabetes Camps  Model Proposal 3: Finding Positives in the Pandemic: The Role of Relationship Status, Self-esteem, Mental Health, and Personality  Model Proposal 4: AutInsight: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) of a Consumer-informed Parent Support Program for Parents of Autistic Children  Model Proposal 5: Financial Objectives and Satisfaction with Life: A Mixed-method Study in Surf Lifestyle Entrepreneurs  Model Proposal 6: A Randomized Trial of Online Single-session Interventions for Adolescent Depression During COVID-19  Model Proposal 7: The Impact of Social Media in Learning and Teaching: A Bibliometric-based Citation Analysis  Model Proposal 8: Social Media Influence on Students’ Knowledge Sharing and Learning: An Empirical Study  Model Proposal 9: Measuring Vogue in American Sociology: A Computational Analysis of Disciplinary Fashion From 2011 to 2020 Model Proposal 10: Digital Crisis Management: How Proactive Online Engagements on Patient Complaints Influence Social Media Users’ Perceptions

Biography

Melisa C. Galvan is Professor at California State University, Northridge, USA. She is the co-author of Writing Literature Reviews: A Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Routledge, 2025) and Writing Empirical Research Reports: A Basic Guide for Students of the Social and Behavioral Sciences (Routledge, 2023).