Assignment Instructions

This assignment requires you to write a proposal that states your research question and your research strategy for addressing it. Research Proposal:   The research proposal must be between 8-10 pages in length not including title page or references. Your title page should include the working title of your research project, your name, date, and course title.  You should also have an abstract on your title page. Your proposal should have the following sections: Introduction: The introduction is where you identify your specific research question and where you set the general context for the study. In this section you need to include:

• a statement of the problem or general research question and context leading to a clear statement of the specific research question; 
• background and contextual material justifying why this case or topic should be studied; and 
• a purpose statement. 

Literature Review: This short preliminary literature review section reviews the literature important to your specific research question. The literature review focuses on discussing how other researchers have addressed the same or similar research questions. It introduces the study and places it in larger context that includes a discussion of why it is important to study this case. It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to your specific research question. In this section you should:

• Summarize the general state of the literature (cumulative knowledge base) on the specific research question. For example if you discuss other studies that have been conducted you would summarize the researcher’s findings, how those findings were obtained, and conduct an evaluation of biases in the findings. 
• This section should provide a broad overview of the primary arguments related to the topic and organizes the general views on the main aspects of the topic by theme, which could be the prevailing arguments or schools of thought, or commonly held beliefs that your particular topic may challenge. 
• Include a short conclusion and transition to the next section. 

In your literature review you should also discuss the theoretical framework to be used in the study.  You should ensure you cover the following in your discussion:  

• a summary of the theory or model to be used in the study, including a diagram of the model if appropriate; 
• comment on the kinds of questions this theory has been used to answer in the past and why it is appropriate to use in this proposed study
• To really drive this home you want to end your literature review with a discussion of the current knowledge gaps. This is an opportunity to once again promote the importance of your own research. How will your research fit within this larger body of knowledge? What are you doing differently?  What gaps will your research fill?
• For some additional information on how to organize your theoretical framework into your paper, check out this USC Library guide on Theoretical Frameworks.

From here you would then include a transition into your methodology section. NOTE: Literature reviews can be a bit tricky to write.  Think back to how you wrote your short theory lit review in week 4.  Chances are you already started to write in a style similar to what one does when completing a literature review.  Check out this video (the same one you were guided to in week 4) to help you further prepare to write this section of your proposal.  This will not be the last time that you are asked to write a literature review in your academic career so its important to master this skill. Research Design and Methods: Describes how you will answer your research question or test the hypothesis. This section describes your overall research design and how you plan to collect, synthesize, and interpret your data. It should include: 

• identification and operationalization (measurement) of variables; 
• a sampling plan (i.e., study population and sampling procedures, if appropriate); 
• justification of case studies used; 
• data collection/sources (secondary literature, archives, interviews, surveys, etc.); 
• a summary of analysis procedures (pattern-matching, etc.); and 
• the limitations of study and bias discussion. 

Conclusion: Reemphasizes the importance of your study and ties the proposal together. Reference List: As with all academic papers you need to references the works that you have cited (direct quotes or paraphrases) in the text of your document and incorporate a complete reference list or bibliography at the end. This list needs to be in the style used within your field. APA= Criminal Justice, Turabian for all others in this course.Remember that the references you use demonstrate your knowledge of the topic area.  This research proposal is meant to convince your professor that you not only have identified a worthy question in need of investigation, but that you are also capable of carrying out the research involved to successfully answer that question.  At the very least you should have referenced 12-15 peer-reviewed sources in this proposal.Since multiple writing styles are in use within this course, on your title page, please note which style you are using within your assignment.  This will help me cater my comments to the style you are using.  The style you use need to be the one that is used within your program of study. Format:Standard academic format will suffice: 1-inch borders on all four sides, double spaced, with times new roman 12-point font.As you proof read your assignment I encourage you to work with Belcher, Wendy Laura. 2009. “Editing Your Sentences” In Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success. Sage. This resource has a nice step by step process for enhancing your writing.

Topic: Homelessness in America

Research Interest
I am interested in route cause of homelessness particularly in developed counties such as the United States, England, and Canada compares to the underdeveloped counties and what are some essential means of homeless prevention. I am also interested to know what accountability method emergency management response uses account for those people whom lack home and stability.  
 

Research Topic
Exploiting of social science research and database that are centered on the forces and effect of homelessness and its complex interactive in nature.
 

Research Question
How much work and commitment has society employs to mitigate homelessness and reoccurrence prevention. What role public health, Housing and Urban Development, and Emergency Management agencies plays in intervention prior homelessness becomes a reality.
 

Purpose Statement

Homeless people experience a unique set of challenges leading to pervasive health and social problems. An increasing number of researchers have harnessed photographic data to gain a unique perspective of marginalized groups. The aim of the study is to explore the feasibility of using photographs in research to understand the complex environment experienced by homeless people, with a special interest in mental health. Individuals who frequently attend homeless facilities in London were sensitively approached and asked if they would be interested in taking part in the ‘Views From the Street’ pilot study. Once agreement was confirmed through a formal consenting procedure, participants were asked to visually capture and upload their own digital photos, along with a brief description. The collection of data highlighted a number of barriers to engagement and acceptability, including issues around the level of familiarity with the recruiter, practicalities of participation, public perception of phone use, poor technical literacy, anonymity, and disassociation with the ‘homeless’ label. Recommendations are made for future research utilizing photographic participatory designs with the homeless population.

Social forces such as addictions, family breakdown, and mental illness are compounded by structural forces such as lack of available low-cost housing, poor economic conditions, and insufficient mental health services. economic and social factors contribute to homelessness 

Research Cycle Difficulties:
Finding subject element that are centered on homelessness and the percentage or levels of people that homeless or data that give consistencies among researchers. 

Relevance:
The international evidence reveals that homelessness prevention makes sense from social and economic perspectives. Australia explores early intervention and prevention scrutinizing issues surrounding youth homelessness in the context of relevant social and educational policies. (Chamberlain. 1998). While homelessness in England is stems from monetary matters directly and indirectly. (Pleace. 2016).

Current practices in disaster housing vary based on the nature and scope of a disaster and can range from providing short-term shelters to arranging temporary and, in some cases, permanent housing. Establishing emergency shelters is generally a well-choreographed effort that unfolds smoothly at the local level as emergency management officials and nongovernmental organizations execute their emergency plans. The challenges increase when disaster victims are displaced from their homes

Reference 

Chamberlain, C. (1998). Early Intervention. Retrieved from https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/prevention/early-intervention

Doukani, Asmae et al. “Views from the Street Pilot Study: Constraints and Difficulties of Using Photographs in Research of a Complex Nature Such as Homelessness.” Biomedical Informatics Insights 10 (2018): 1178222618816097. Web.

National disaster housing strategy. (2019, May 08). Retrieved from https://www.worldcat.org/title/national-disaster-housing-strategy/oclc/299606464

Pleace, N., & Culhane, D. (1970, January 01). Better than Cure?: Testing the case for Enhancing Prevention of Single Homelessness in England. Retrieved from https://core.ac.uk/display/4666523

This contains 100% correct material for UMUC Biology 103 LAB01. However, this is an Answer Key, which means, you should put it in your own words. Here is a sample for the questions answered:

Exercise 1: Data Interpretation  (2 pts each)

1. What patterns do you observe based on the information in Table 4?

No fish are present when the dissolved oxygen is zero. When there is more dissolved oxygen in the water, more fish are present. However, the number of fish tends to drop or level off when the dissolved oxygen is higher than 12 ppm.

2. Develop a hypothesis relating to the amount of dissolved oxygen measured in the water sample and the number of fish observed in the body of water.

Possible Hypotheses:

1.    The amount of dissolved oxygen affects the number of fish that can live in a body of water.

2.    As dissolved oxygen concentration increases, more fish can live in the body of water.

3.    There is an ideal dissolved oxygen concentration for fish to live in.

The rest of the questions are answered in full version:

1.    What would your experimental approach be to test this hypothesis?

2.    What would be the independent and dependent variables?

3.    What would be your control?

4.    What type of graph would be appropriate for this data set?  Why?

5.    Graph the data from Table 4: Water Quality vs. Fish Population (found at the beginning of this exercise).

6.    Interpret the data from the graph made in Question 7.

Exercise 2: Experimental Variables

Determine the variables tested in the each of the following experiments. If applicable, determine and identify any positive or negative controls.

Observations

1.    A study is being done to test the effects of habitat space on the size of fish populations. Different sized aquariums are set up with six goldfish in each one. Over a period of six months, the fish are fed the same type and amount of food. The aquariums are equally maintained and cleaned throughout the experiment. The temperature of the water is kept constant. At the end of the experiment the number of surviving fish is surveyed.

A.    Independent Variable:

B.    Dependent Variable:

C.   Controlled Variables/Constants:

D.   Experimental Controls/Control Groups:

2.    To determine if the type of agar affects bacterial growth, a scientist cultures E. coli on four different types of agar. Five petri dishes are set up to collect results:

§  One with nutrient agar and E. coli

§  One with mannitol-salt agar and E. coli

§  One with MacConkey agar and E. coli

§  One with LB agar and E. coli

§  One with nutrient agar but NO E. coli

All of the petri dishes received the same volume of agar, and were the same shape and size. During the experiment, the temperature at which the petri dishes were stored, and at the air quality remained the same. After one week the amount of bacterial growth was measured.

A.    Independent Variable:

B.    Dependent Variable:

C.   Controlled Variables/Constants:

D. Experimental Controls/Control Groups:

Exercise 3: Testable Observations

Determine which of the following observations are testable. For those that are testable:

Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative

Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis

What would be your experimental approach?

What are the dependent and independent variables?

What are your controls – both positive and negative?

How will you collect your data?

How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)?

How will you analyze your data?

Observations

1.    A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a window sill than it does when placed on a on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

2.    The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers.

3.    When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she does not exercise and eats fatty foods.

4.    The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm.

5.    For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm.

6.    George did not sleep at all the night following the start of daylight savings.

Exercise 4: Conversion

For each of the following, convert each value into the designated units.

1.    46,756,790 mg = _______ kg

2.    5.6 hours = ________ seconds

3.    13.5 cm = ________ inches

4.    47 °C = _______ °F

Exercise 5: Accuracy vs. Precision

For the following, determine whether the information is accurate, precise, both or neither.

1.    During gym class, four students decided to see if they could beat the norm of 45 sit-ups in a minute. The first student did 64 sit-ups, the second did 69, the third did 65, and the fourth did 67.

2.    The average score for the 5th grade math test is 89.5. The top 5th graders took the test and scored 89, 93, 91 and 87.

3.    Yesterday the temperature was 89 °F, tomorrow it’s supposed to be 88 °F and the next day it’s supposed to be 90 °F, even though the average for September is only 75 °F degrees!

4.    Four friends decided to go out and play horseshoes. They took a picture of their results shown to the right:

5.    A local grocery store was holding a contest to see who could most closely guess the number of pennies that they had inside a large jar. The first six people guessed the numbers 735, 209, 390, 300, 1005 and 689. The grocery clerk said the jar actually contains 568 pennies. 

Exercise 6: Significant Digits and Scientific Notation

Part 1: Determine the number of significant digits in each number and write out the specific significant digits.

1.    405000

2.    0.0098

3.    39.999999

4.    13.00

5.    80,000,089

6.    55,430.00

7.    0.000033

8.    620.03080

Part 2: Write the numbers below in scientific notation, incorporating what you know about significant digits.

1.    70,000,000,000

2.    0.000000048

3.    67,890,000

4.    70,500

5.    450,900,800

6.    0.009045

7.    0.023