Statistics for Behavioral and Social Science, Ashford

For the Final Paper, you will identify three to five research studies from peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last ten years, which investigate a particular social science problem or topic. The Final Paper will focus on critiquing the varying statistical approaches used in each of these studies.

Your assignment this week is to identify the topic that you intend to focus on for your Final Paper. You may identify any social science problem or topic; however, it must be something that has been studied using quantitative research methods. Some examples of possible topics include: Effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for a psychological disorder Causes or treatment strategies for violence and aggression

Strategies for reducing prejudice
Factors impacting domestic violence
Causes and treatment of addiction
If you cannot identify quantitative research studies to critique, you will be unable to complete the Final Paper and therefore may need to select a different topic. Consequently, you are encouraged to search the Ashford University Library for quantitative research studies on your chosen topic to ensure there are enough available for use. For this assignment, include at least one quantitative research study from a peer-reviewed source that was published within the last ten years, cited according to APA guidelines and that supports your chosen topic.

In order to identify which studies are quantitative, skim the results section of the database you are searching. If the results section contains a summary of statistical tests, then it would be considered quantitative. Often the article’s abstract will also make it clear that the study is quantitative by including comments about the comparisons made in the study.

Your assignment must include your research topic and why you have decided to focus on this particular topic for your Final Paper, the research hypothesis that you will be focusing on for the topic you choose, as well as an introduction and conclusion. The paper should be one to two pages in length (excluding title and reference pages), and adhere to proper APA formatting as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Week 2, Article Summary

For your Final Paper you will identify three to five quantitative research studies from peer-reviewed sources which were published within the last ten years and that investigate a particular social science problem or topic. The Final Paper will focus on critiquing the varying statistical approaches used in each of these studies and assess the strengths and weaknesses of each as it relates to the study of the problem or topic identified.

This week, utilize the Ashford University Library to select the three to five research studies which investigate the particular social science problem or topic you have chosen. Write a short summary of each of the studies. To be sure that each study meets the requirements for the Final Paper, address each question below as you summarize the article: What topic is being investigated in this study?

What is the research question or questions being proposed in this study? What or who is the sample being investigated?
What is the research or experimental design being used?
What statistical tests are being used in this study?
The paper should be two to three pages in length, excluding title and reference pages. Include a reference page that lists the three to five quantitative research studies from peer-reviewed sources published within the last ten years and that adheres to proper APA formatting, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Week 3, Final Paper Outline

This week, your assignment is to prepare an outline for the Final Paper that is due next week. Review the Final Paper requirements, which are located in Week Five of this course.

For each of the three to five quantitative research studies selected (from peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last five years), the outline should include a heading for the study and the sub-headings for Introduction, Methods, and Results. For example: I. First Study

A. Introduction
B. Methods
C. Results
II. Second Study
A. Introduction
B. Methods
C. Results, etc….
Every outline heading and subheading must include a two to three sentence description. Additionally, for each study, indicate how it will support the overall concept of your Final Paper and which areas of the Final Paper it will apply to. Your assignment must include a reference page listing the three to five quantitative research studies from peer-reviewed sources that were published within the last five years (these will also be used for your Final Paper). It must be formatted according to APA guidelines as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

If you need more guidance, you can find a sample outline in the Ashford Writing Center, located under Learning Resources in the left-hand navigation panel of your classroom. Your assignment should be four to five pages as follows: Title Page (one page)

Outline (two to three pages)
Reference Page (one page)
Week 5, Final Paper

For your Final Paper you will conduct a research study critique. Utilize the instructor-approved topic that you selected in Week One of the course. Identify three to five quantitative research studies from peer-reviewed sources which were published within the last ten years that investigate this topic. Describe the statistical approaches (i.e., identify the variables and their type) used in each study and the interpretation of the results. Finally, present other statistical approaches that could have been used and, when appropriate, suggest alternative interpretations of the results. This process will allow you to apply the concepts learned in the course in the interpretation of actual scientific research.

The three to five quantitative research studies that have been conducted on your chosen topic must:
1. Have a clearly stated research hypothesis.
2. Utilize inferential statistical tests as part of the research study.
3. Present the results of the statistical analysis.
4. Interpret the results of the statistical analysis.
5. Discuss the implications of the results of the study.

The Final Paper must contain the following sections:
1. Introduction
2. Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
Introduction
This section will provide a general introduction and review relevant literature to the topic being studied. The research studies being critiqued will also be introduced in this section. In the Introduction, the research hypothesis associated with each study should also be clearly defined.

Methods
In this section, the research method and statistical approaches for each of the studies being critiqued will be presented. This section should include a discussion of all statistical tests conducted and other relevant information, such as the sample size, and any assumptions noted on the part of the researcher. In this section, the student should describe of all of these factors, and suggest alternatives when they are appropriate.

Results
In this section, the results of the statistical tests performed in each of these studies should be presented and critiqued. It is appropriate in this section, to discuss limitations or to critique the interpretation of the results provided in each study. Discussion

This section will compare the efficacy of the research studies that are presented on the topic chosen by the student. The strengths and weaknesses of each study should be mentioned in this section. Based on these studies, suggest future research directions. Additional forms of statistical analysis should be included as part of the suggested future research. Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:
1. Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, excluding title and reference pages, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 2. Must include a title page with the following:

a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
3. Must begin with an introductory paragraph that has a succinct thesis statement. 4. Must address the topic of the paper with critical thought. 5. Must end with a conclusion that reaffirms your thesis.

6. Must use a minimum of three to five quantitative research studies from peer-reviewed sources, all published within the last ten years. 7. Must document all sources in APA style, as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. 8. Must include a separate reference page, formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.