This assignment is listed on the syllabus as “Final research paper” and is worth 35% of your grade. Your final paper will be a detailed paper the includes details on the items below. (Remember your final paper must be built on your concept map and paper – attached the paper). 

In this assignment, you need to do the following:

1. Narrative: Prepare a narrative (limited to 7 single-spaced pages) to include the following:
   • Statement of how this research advances the current state of knowledge in the field, substantively and/or methodologically
   • Theoretical or conceptual framework for your research
   • Brief review of relevant research/policy literature
   • Research questions, hypotheses to be tested
   • Description of methodology including the data set(s) and justification for selecting data file to address research question; any additional or supplemental data sample (e.g., groups used, exclusions to sample, and estimated sample sizes); rationale for variables used; and specification and clarification of variables and analytic techniques
   • Data analysis plan and/or statistical model or formulas, appropriately defined
   • Brief dissemination plan for this research including proposed conferences to present the findings and potential scholarly journals to publish the research!
      

2. Variables list: Provide a categorized list of the variables from the CDC, NCES, NSF, or other data set(s) that will be used in this research project. (2 single-spaced pages maximum)
 

3. References cited (not part of page limit)

4. Annotated Bibliography (Not part of page limit): your annotations should do of the following:

• Summarize: Some annotations merely summarize the source. What are the main arguments? What is the point of this book or article? What topics are covered? If someone asked what this article/book is about, what would you say? The length of your annotations will determine how detailed your summary is.

• Assess: After summarizing a source, it may be helpful to evaluate it. Is it a useful source? How does it compare with other sources in your bibliography? Is the information reliable? Is this source biased or objective? What is the goal of this source? How is this source useful to the paper that I am creating?

• Reflect: Once you’ve summarized and assessed a source, you need to ask how it fits into your research. Was this source helpful to you? How does it help you shape your argument? How can you use this source in your research project? Has it changed how you think about your topic?

• Relevance: For the annotated Bibliography , you are not being asked to include ALL the articles you will use in your final paper. Rather, you asked to select KEY literature that is central and essential to your position, literature review or theoretical paper. 

Budget. If you are Awarded a grant to complete this project up to $25,000 for 1­year, or up to $35,000 for 2­years. Prepare a budget for that. 

There is no specific template for the budget, It may be a spreadsheet. (no page limit)

5. Analysis section : 1 page without references