What are the cyber vulnerabilities do you feel are most likely to be utilized by cybercriminals?

/in /by

Within your essay, answer and provide critical commentary on the following questions:

What are the cyber vulnerabilities do you feel are most likely to be utilized by cybercriminals?

What group or organization do you think is the biggest cyber threat?

In a world of limited financial resources, who will — and should — pay for closing the security holes in cyberspace?

Utilize outside course material and sources.

Based on what you’ve discovered about the relationship between nature and learning, how will your behaviour/approach to both learning and nature change in the future?

/in /by

Psych essay 2 Draft:

Based on what you’ve discovered about the relationship between nature and learning, how will your behaviour/approach to both learning and nature change in the future?

To address this question you will need to consider and reflect on:

What you have discovered about the link between nature and learning – we will look at this in spring term.

How you will change your behaviour / approach towards both nature and learning as a result of what you’ve discovered, and why you will make these specific changes relationship between nature and learning.

Nature Relieves Stress

Contact With Nature Boosts Self-Discipline

Student Motivation, Enjoyment, and Engagement Are Better in Natural Settings

Theories relating to nature :

‘Restorative’ potential of nature > aids learning

Attention Restoration Theory – key framework for framing and explaining nature-learning links

Mentally fatigued – learning impaired

Exposure to nature – mental resources recover – better able to learn

Examined relationships between cognitive function and multiple forms of nature exposure e.g.:

‘Greenness’ of environment

Green views

Images of nature

Learning and physical activities completed outdoors

Experiments and observational studies

Green views :

Related to cognitive function and academic performance

Views of a natural scene > better attention (Li and Sullivan, 2016; Tennessen and Cimprich, 1995)

More green views > higher test scores, graduation rates, college attendance (Matsuoka, 2010)

Green views > better performance, greater satisfaction with course (Benfield et al., 2015)

Green micro breaks – computer images – improves cognitive function (Lee et al., 2015)

Cognitive function improved after viewing images of nature, not after viewing images of urban environments (Berman et al., 2008)

Schools in greener neighbourhoods > higher test scores (Wu et al., 2014)

Schools in greener neighbourhoods > no relationship to maths scores, better English scores (Hodson & Sander, 2017)

More trees around home and school > better reading scores,  to a lesser extent maths scores (Donovan et al., 2018)

Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in the UK.

/in , /by

“Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in the UK. You should present evidence of your findings in the style of an academic report.”
Please note an academic report is in a different style to an expert witness report.

(1)What format should I present my report in?

Your report should be presented as an academic report.
You must include:
• Abstract
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Main body sections
• Conclusion
• Reference List
• Appendix

(2)What information should be included in my report?
Your report must discuss the impacts of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in the UK. You should introduce your chosen issue, and provide evidence demonstrating why it is significant and how it affects the forensic sector in the UK. You can present your report as either a general report on the state of affairs, using evidence from appropriate academic sources such as journal articles, case reports, government reports, etc, OR as a case report in which you focus on specific cases which demonstrate the impact of your chosen issue.

(3)How many sections should my report include?
You should use as many sections as you feel necessary to give your report a proper structure and fully discuss your chosen issue.

(4)choose one of the following topics for your topic.
(1) Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue that will face forensic sector in the UK after the Brexit.
(2) Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in uk when it comes to crime scenes in uk.
(3) Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in uk when it comes to DNA.
(4) Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in the uk when it comes to Biometric Data
(5) Research the impact of a significant contemporary issue facing the forensic sector in the uk when it comes to physical evidence from crime scenes.

Critically appreciate the nature of change that is re-shaping the role of being a manager in global contexts.

/in /by

This assessment task addresses the following learning outcomes from the module specification:

  1. Understand the complexity surrounding the notion of responsible global management and being a global manager.
  2. Critically appreciate the nature of change that is re-shaping the role of being a manager in global contexts.
  3. Understand the possibilities and new opportunities that a widening global perspective affords the manager, both for their organization and their own capabilities.
  4. NA
  5. Critically evaluate a wide range of organizational management practices that might require adaptation in the face of global change, both conceptually and practically.
  6. Offer practical and higher level creative suggestions that develop management practice for organizational managers facing global pressure for change

Assessment brief;

1.You will need to thoroughly read the case study carefully, and address the questions at the end of the document. In addition, as final year students, you are expected to compare, contrast, and critique different authors’ views on the concepts and theories under discussion, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of those concepts and theories you discuss. You will be expected to include material covered in the module and go beyond the module textbook and include material such as journal articles.

You are advised to:

Avoid description of the content of material referred to – critical evaluation is required where specified.

Work should be referenced in APA 6th style. The link below is to the library guidance on referencing and it is recommended you use these resources to ensure your references are in the correct format.

http://www.hud.ac.uk/library/finding-info/informationskills/evaluation/referencing/

Read widely from textbooks, journals and authoritative commentaries in forming your views.

Refer back to your tutorial work and notes where you have covered key issues and developed critical argument that is relevant to the requirement of this assessment.

Pay close attention to the Assessment Criteria at the end of this document – this lists general assessment criteria and specific criteria to the requirements of this assignment. These criteria will be used to inform your electronic feedback on your marked assignment.

Use the University Referencing guide which is APA 6th. Note that poorly referenced material will lose you marks (make sure you consult the Learning Development Group Tutors on level 1 of the Business School for any additional help needed). You can access APA 6th via Brightspace by clicking on the Library button to access the easy to use online guide.

Do not exceed the word limit. A 5% mark penalty applies for work exceeding the word limit.

Marking criteria

  1. Refer to the assessment task-specific criteria in Appendix 1. These show you the issues that will guide your tutors in marking your work. You are encouraged to use these at all stages of preparing your work. Please remember that the marking process involves academic judgement and interpretation within the marking criteria.
  2. The Learning Development Group are available to help you to understand and use the assessment criteria. To book an appointment, either visit them on The Street in the Charles Sikes Building or email them on busstudenthub@hud.ac.uk
  3. The University has regulations relating to academic misconduct, including The Learning Development Group can also advise and help you about academic conventions and avoiding ‘poor scholarship’ which can result in potential academic misconduct.

Identify existing security vulnerabilities that may be exploited during cyber-attacks on network systems.

/in /by

Final Project Proposal Form.

Aim: The main objective of the study is to investigate various systems of monitoring networks that can be implemented in business enterprises to mitigate security threats from cyber-attacks. The study will provide recommendations on the most viable network framework proposal suitable for monitoring network systems.

Objectives:

  1. Identify existing security vulnerabilities that may be exploited during cyber-attacks on network systems.
  2. Evaluate the recommended solution effective to offer protection to enterprise network security using a developed prototype for monitoring networks. The flexibility of the system is key to incorporating other elements like systems of database storage.
  • Develop a customised network security protocol to mitigate and monitor threats posed to the network system of the enterprise to control any existing risks.
  1. Establish well-documented policies outlining the authorized personnel with the mandate of operating the network resources to avoid unnecessary breaches of the enterprise network security protocols.

Rationale:

Currently, the technological world is experiencing rapid changes due to innovative processes. Therefore, cybersecurity is increasingly becoming a key area of concern due to the constant cyber-attacks on network systems. This study seeks to investigate enterprise network systems to identify effective ways of monitoring these systems. The project is aimed at establishing solutions to improving the performance of network systems against failure posed by security threats.

Facilities required:

  1. Anti-virus software: Any potential viruses can be identified and eliminated by the software when network administrators scan enterprise network systems in a bid to keep systems free from security attacks.
  2. Server: The server acts as the storage unit for network resources such as files, software applications of security configuration, as well as databases. Serve is used as a primary tool to maintain confidentiality by restricting personnel to protect the network and improve its performance.
  • Firewall: This tool is useful in monitoring and identifying any potential network threats. Therefore, it should be installed with proper configurations to maintain its functionality against possible network attacks.
  1. Ethernet cables: This equipment is used in the network connection between computers and servers. The cables ensure the workability of networks and information transfer.
  2. Operating system: Network monitoring systems are incorporated in various operating systems such as Linux and Windows. The operating system is configured to work effectively by enabling the proposed solution to function and protect the network systems efficiently.
  3. Intrusion detection system: The system works in conjunction with the network monitoring system to maintain a threat-free environment within networks.

How do the virtual environments map memory, interrupts, process, assign CPU Resources, etc to those on the host OS?

/in /by

Complete a short paper (9-10 pages, with appropriate references) on Virtual Machine Environments. Some operating systems can run other operating systems as guests or as “virtual machines”. Examples include Solaris Zones and IBM mainframe LPARs on large systems and VMWare, Hyper-V, WINE and Lindows on smaller systems. How is this accomplished? How do the virtual environments map memory, interrupts, process, assign CPU Resources, etc to those on the host OS? How do guest instructions get translated from the guest to the host? How do Raw Device Mappings, virtual memory (paging) work from host to guest?

Please focus the paper on VMWare ESX / ESXi, VMWare Workstation and Hyper-V.

. What might have been done differently? Was the research method adequate? How could the project have been more successful?

/in /by

Requirements for Report

Report Structure There is no such thing as a typical report structure. It will vary depending on the project. However, the following structure is provided as a general guide. If it does not seem relevant to your particular project then adapt the suggested chapter headings.

Page 1: Title Page – including the title of the project, the name of the author, the date, the word count and the statement specified below under report details.

Page 2: Abstract – One page that summarises the report and the main findings or results.

Page 3: Table of Contents – including page numbers of each chapter heading and each appendix. Chapter 1: Introduction – the topic, the background, why the topic is relevant or of interest to you, what you hoped to achieve, the aims and objectives of the project.

Chapter 2: Literature Review and Context – the setting of the project in the context of other relevant work or theories or results. How this setting influenced the project.

Chapter 3: Research/Development Method – the overall approach and rationale. Why the project was tackled in the chosen way, and why other ways were ruled out.

Chapter 4: Data/Findings/Designs – the project outcome. This might be data collected and tabulated or the design of a program, or whatever outcome was obtained.

Chapter 5: Analysis/Evaluation/Testing – assessing or testing the project outcome. If the project is of type 2 are the results plausible? If the project is of type 3 or 4 then any computer code should be tested using a range of inputs.

Chapter 6: Conclusions/Recommendations – as a result of the project. The project does not need to have a positive conclusion. For example, it might prove that some system was not effective or successful. You should indicate to what extent your objectives have been achieved.

Chapter 7: Review/Reflections – this is often missed out by students but is very important. It is an opportunity to, firstly, review on a personal level what you have achieved, how you achieved it, what took the most time, the problems faced, the way in which they were overcome, etc. Secondly, it is an opportunity to reflect on the project with the benefit of hindsight. What might have been done differently? Was the research method adequate? How could the project have been more successful? Examiners like to see evidence of learning and mature reflection

Chapter 8: References – all references should be cited in the body of the report. A typical reference in the report might take the form, “Donar and Kebab (1996) suggest that high cholesterol levels do not lead to heart disease….” or “empirical eating studies show that…. (Donar and Kebab, 1996)”. The full title of the article or book or web page in which Donar and Kebab make these assertions is then given in the list of references. Where possible, use an article or a book rather than a web page. The idea of references is not just to substantiate statements and arguments but also to make it possible for other people to find the references. Normally, for a book, you should list author(s), title, publisher, date of publication, relevant page number(s). It can be difficult to locate the relevant part of a book if the page numbers are omitted. For an article list author(s), title of article, name of journal, volume and issue number, date, and page numbers of the article. For a web page give the URL and the date on which the page was consulted. In the academic world references are regarded as very important and poor referencing will certainly detract from the project report. Do not under any circumstances quote from a source without making it clear that you are quoting. Any quote must be accompanied by an appropriate reference.

Chapter 9: Bibliography – list any relevant literature that has not been cited in the report. (It is not a very well-kept secret that examiners tend to think that anything in a bibliography has not in fact been read by the student. Of course this is a monstrous slur but nevertheless do not waste too much time on the bibliography. Concentrate on the references!)

Chapter 10: Appendices – these are not obligatory. Only put in relevant items not already in the body of the report. These might include a questionnaire used to gather information, a list of the people interviewed and their companies, transcripts of interviews, detailed data, program listings, test results, etc. Any appendix should be referred to in the main part of the report and not just stuck at the end of the report without explanation. It is very important that an examiner can find evidence for the claims you make in your report. The appendices are the place to put such evidence without cluttering up the main part of the report. Sample projects, completed by previous students are available in the library, short- term loans section and on the departmental intranet.

Report Details Reports should be between about 7,000 and 10,000 words (excluding appendices), with an absolute maximum of 12,000 words. There is no stipulated minimum length. Reports must be word processed and printed on A4 paper. The pages (other than the title page) should be numbered. Italics may be used for emphasis. All quotations must be in quotation marks and fully referenced. Figures and tables should be inserted close to the part of the text where they are discussed.

The first page should be a title page, the second an abstract of the project (maximum one page) and the third a contents page. The title page should contain the title of the project, the name of the author, the date and a count of the number of words (excluding the Appendices). At the bottom of the title page place either

Include files and images

I have included in zip file images that you should include in the report.

My GitHub account to the project is here: https://github.com/marcellio4/Portfolio

Under test folder you will find ValidationTest.php file that includes PHPUnit testing. Please include the line of codes to prove that I have used one of the methods for test the application. The whole set up is following MVC design (Model view Controller) but not explicit MVC framework that are up there such Laravel or Symphony.

Project you will find here: https://mzacharias.co.uk

Under skills page you will find data visualization that is created dynamically and is using framework D3.js The inspiration I get from this page https://bl.ocks.org/dahis39/f28369f0b17b456ac2f1fa9b937c5002

I’m using Bootstrap 4 for templates design website.

Database that I’m using is innoDB MySQL.

I have not created any UML diagrams but I will need them to be include as well.

In my github/portfolio under classes you will find which classes are related to each other. Some hands up Validation is super classes of Login.

I have include another file where you will find problems that occurs during development and my project proposal file that you can find out a bit more about the project.

The basic idea was create login and administrative page where I can manage different fields such About me, skills and project page to be display. You will find in zip file lots of useful screenshot that I have took. It is representation of my own portfolio.

Describe the relationships between the variables. More specifically, do any of the variables appear strongly correlated? If there are correlations, is the relationship positive or negative?

/in , /by

PSY 510 SPSS Assignment 3

Before you begin the assignment:

  • Review the video tutorial in the Module Seven resources for an overview of conducting correlational analyses in SPSS.
  • Download and open the Album Sales SPSS data set (this is the same data set that was used in SPSS Assignment 2). Data adapted from Field, A. (2013). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

 

An overview of the data set:

This data set contains data for 200 different rock albums (i.e., each row in the data set represents the data for one album). Specifically, the following variables are included:

  • AlbumNumber: This is the ID number of the album. There are 200 albums, so this variable ranges from 1 to 200.
  • RecordCompany: This is the record company that promoted the album. Values of “1” stand for Next Generation Records, and values of “2” stand for Worldwide Entertainment.
  • Adverts: This is the advertising budget of the album. The values are in thousands of dollars.
  • Sales: These are the sales of the album. The values are in thousands of sales.
  • Airplay: This is the number of times that the album was played on the radio in the last year.
  • Attract: This is the overall physical attractiveness of the band as rated by independent raters. The values for this variable range from 1 to 10.

Questions:

1a) Use a scatterplot to examine the relationship between Adverts and Airplay.

Paste your scatterplot below:

1b) From the scatterplot, does there appear to be a strong correlation between Adverts and Airplay? If so, is the relationship positive or negative?

Type your answer below:

There is a strong relationship between Adverts and Airplay and it appears to be negative.  It sits on the low end of the plot.

2a) Use a matrix scatterplot to examine all of the relationships between Sales, Adverts, and Airplay.

Paste your relevant output below:

2b) Describe the relationships between the variables. More specifically, do any of the variables appear strongly correlated? If there are correlations, is the relationship positive or negative?

Type your answer below:

Adverts and number of plays seem to have a negative correlation while album sales and adverts have a positive correlation.

3a) Examine the correlation between Adverts and Airplay.

Paste your relevant output below:

Correlations
Advertising Budget (Thousands of Dollars) No. of plays on Radio
Advertising Budget (Thousands of Dollars) Pearson Correlation 1 .102
Sig. (2-tailed) .151
N 200 200
No. of plays on Radio Pearson Correlation .102 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .151
N 200 200

 

3b) Describe this correlation. What is the r-value? Does the r-value suggest a positive or negative correlation? Is the correlation weak or strong? Looking at the significance value, is the correlation significant?

Type your answer in complete sentences below:

The r-value is .102 and it is a positive correlation. The correlation is strong because the p value is .151 which is greater than .05 which makes it significant.

4a) Create a correlation matrix that depicts the correlations between Sales, Adverts, and Airplay.

Paste your relevant output below:

Correlations
Advertising Budget (Thousands of Dollars) No. of plays on Radio Album Sales (Thousands)
Advertising Budget (Thousands of Dollars) Pearson Correlation 1 .102 .578**
Sig. (2-tailed) .151 .000
N 200 200 200
No. of plays on Radio Pearson Correlation .102 1 .599**
Sig. (2-tailed) .151 .000
N 200 200 200
Album Sales (Thousands) Pearson Correlation .578** .599** 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000
N 200 200 200
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

 

4b) Are there any significant correlations between the variables? If so, explain which variables are correlated, and describe the nature of the correlation (i.e., positive or negative).

Type your answer below:

Album sales and Number of plays on have a significant correlation that are positive.  They are greater than .05.

5a) Create an example of two variables (unrelated to the Album Sales data set) that you think would be negatively correlated. Describe the variables below.

Type your answer below:

Two variables that I think would be negatively correlated are gender and age.  The gender of a person and their age varies.  It would be negatively correlated in dataset.

5b) Create a new SPSS dataset that includes the two variables described in 5a. Enter hypothetical data for at least 10 participants. Run a scatterplot and then calculate the correlation using SPSS.

Paste your relevant output below:

5c) Describe the correlation that exists in your hypothetical data. Is it positive or negative? Is it significant?

Type your answer below:

There is no correlation that exists in the hypothetical data.  The data is a more negative than positive it does not show that it is significant.

 Specifically, what positive behavior are you anticipating to achieve that is currently an EI Interference?

/in /by

*ASJ SUPPORT FOR LOGINS*
My Ebooks

 

M3. Discussion-Thinking About Emotions

M3 Leadership Adapting Styles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkadAhDnPYk

 

Listen and take notes on the following video.  Thinking about your personal EI leadership style, how have you learned new ways to think about the integration of emotional and thinking (EI) that leads to higher leader performance.  Give examples. 150 words I length

M4.2 Conditions of Worth Results

Please complete the “Conditions of Worth” assessment located on (page 107) of your course book. Then total your results (page 108); and read about the Releasers from the condition (page 108-110). Conditions of Worth Template .

Next place your totaled results in the attached slide template and place your top 3 (highest scored totals) to the right of your results in the slide.  Be sure to place the releaser words that you read in this assignment for your given 3 categories.

please include analysis of findings/ interference and provide improvement actions

M5. Personal EI Reflectiveness

Looking for the roots of where your primary ‘interferences’ where they were shaped and then reinforced up to today.

There are 4 activities in this assignment You will use words and pictures to describe the shaping events and your responses.  At the conclusion, you will have greater insight into tapping the roots of your interferences and rethinking the events in new contextual meaning that will ‘unravel’ the binding forces of your interferences.

My Timeline:

My Lost History:

My Interference Roots:

Rewriting My Story:

  1. Refer to your EI Sparrow and Knight (2009) book (pages 171-172) “Your Timeline and Lost History”.
  2. Create 4 slides; labeled 1) “My Timeline”; 2) My Lost History”; 3) “My Interference Roots”; and 4) “Rewriting My Story”
  3. Slide 1:   Create Your Time Line (refer to page 171) for more details.
  4. Slide 2:   Identify Your Lost History (refer to page 172) for more details.
  5. Slide 3:   From slide 1&2 activity, do you see themes in your shaping of your interferences throughout your lifetime?  Describe them; can you identify the root (where it began; and the sub-roots of where the interference was reinforced?)  Capture these thoughts on slide 3
  6. Slide 4:   Now think about what you have identified as ‘interference roots’ from slide 3.  Create words and pictures of how you can rewrite your story themes from the past that build you up; versus create those conditions of worth shaping messages.  Now place that content in the slide 4.
  7. Submit these slides with a cover page

M6. Discussion 6: 21 Days EI Commitment

  1. Prior to start your 21-Days EI Change Activity, it is important from an EI perspective to set your “EI Commitment Goals”.  Specifically, what positive behavior are you anticipating to achieve that is currently an EI Interference?
  2. Refer to your Conditions of Worth Assessment findings (top 3 EI Interferences) that you identified; you will be picking one to work on improving for 21 days.  Therefore, you will write your commitment statement toward ONE of your top 3 EI Interference.
  3. Download the 21-days Change Plan Template attachment.  Complete the first portion of the 21-days plan by “Writing Your Commitment Statement” for higher EI; and then evaluate your current and anticipated behavior you wish to achieve.
  4. Submit ONLY all of the paper (even though there are 21-days of other activities listed in tables below your section).  This will form the basis of your next 3-weeks work for improving your EI competencies.

M6. WK 1 EI Change Activity

Submit EI 21-Days Template; with Commit Statement Added and current and goal behavior you desire.

This week you will submit the SAME document; except you have added the Wk1 EI Change Activities (Complete each Day’s Block and Answer ALL Questions for Each Day).

M7. WK 2 EI Change Activity

Please be sure you are submitting your accumulated content (e.g., commitment statement, current behavior/goal behavior, Wk1, Wk2).

Continue Wk2 daily journaling of EI activities, answering all questions for each day.

 

M8. WK 3 EI Change Activity + Summary

Please be sure you are submitting your accumulated content (e.g., commitment statement, current behavior/goal behavior, Wk1, Wk2, Wk3 AND SUMMARY ANALYSIS PAGE.

Be sure to submit your final paper with EI experience analysis (after Wk3) in the SAME document

M6 Colin Powell and Leadership

Please access and review Colin Powell’s 13 Leadership Qualities (Links to an external site.)

Then thinking about what EI scales you have studied in this course content, write your own 13 EI Leadership Qualities (drawing upon the Sparrow and Knight scales for higher EI performance).  Put in your own words!

 

Evidence (What source material will you use to test your hypothesis?)

/in /by

Fall 2019
1
Guide for Proseminar Research Proposal
***First and foremost, please read the The Guide to ALM Thesis, pp. 32-43, for fuller explanations and examples of each part of the research proposal. Also, look at the sample proposals that we read earlier in the semester for potential models for your own research proposals. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST ONLY DO SELECTED PARTS OF THE PROPOSAL LISTED HERE FOR OUR PROSEMINAR. DO NOT INCLUDE PARTS NOT REQUIRED IN THIS GUIDE***
Drafts of Proposals are due by 3:30 pm EST on November 30 on Canvas. NO EXCEPTIONS OR EXCUSES. I will assign your peer review groups on that day so that you can send your draft to your peer group. Thus, turning in the draft research proposal on time is IMPERATIVE.
Your research proposal should be between 10 (min) and 15 (max) pages in length, double spaced (Do not go under the min or over max limits). Please follow the formatting requirements detailed in the syllabus for assignments. Please include a title page in the format of a thesis proposal (but do not include your address). For your research proposal for this seminar, please include the following required sections organized in the following order:
I. Tentative Title
The first section, the tentative title, probably should be written last. A successful title will emerge only after it has been determined, often by trial and error, just what the investigator hopes to accomplish. The title should be specific and clear; you may want to accompany it with a subtitle. Ideally, it should summarize the research problem with efficiency and style. Avoid titles that are pretentious, vague, or wordy, or that repeat the hypothesis statement or the main question of the study. Expressions such as “An Investigation of” are redundant and should be omitted. Titles of just one or two words, on the other hand, are too brief to indicate the scope of the research problem. An overall rule is that the title should be explanatory but concise when standing by itself. Your big topic will serve as the basis for your tentative title.
II. Research Problem
This portion should be 2-4 pages in length and sub-divided into the following subheadings:
1. Question (What is the question you seek to answer? HINT: Big question)
2. Hypothesis (What is the tentative answer or claim that your study will test?)
3. Evidence (What source material will you use to test your hypothesis?)
4. Conclusions and Broader Implications (What are the implications of your research for further study?)
The statement of the research problem must include a clear question, a suggested hypothesis, supporting evidence (that is types of sources with which to test and/or validate the hypothesis),
Fall 2019
2
and the conclusions and broader implications of your research. It cannot simply present a description, like a book report. It should begin by asking a significant question, such as “Why did John F. Kennedy win the 1960 presidential election?” It should then present an answer to that question—an answer referred to as the “hypothesis,” from the Greek word meaning “to suppose”—such as “John F. Kennedy won the election because of his superior performance in television debates.” Next, it includes the evidence in favor of the hypothesis and shows logical flaws in alternative hypotheses. Finally, the conclusion of the study shows that you have considered the further ramifications of your hypothesis, in light of the evidence: “Kennedy won the election principally because of his television performance but also because of superior campaign polling—a dual emphasis that would reshape the nature of all subsequent US presidential campaigns.”
III. Definition of Terms
In this section, all important terms and acronyms should be explained, especially those that may be ambiguous, not readily understood, or used in a special way. Examples include such terms as “romantic revolutionary,” “embargo trope,” “aggression,” or “negative reinforcement.” Often when you have worked closely with a topic for a while, it becomes difficult to believe that any terms could be ambiguous, since you think you have a clear idea in your own mind about what they should mean. If you are unsure which terms need definition, show your proposal to a friend unfamiliar with the topic or to your research advisor. In the social, biological, and behavioral sciences it is especially important to establish operational definitions. “Crime,” for example, might be defined by police reports, victim reports, vital statistics, arrest reports, self-reports, or direct observation, or it might be defined as some composite measure of these instances. “Old age” would be defined as twelve years for dogs, but twelve days for the mayfly. How you define such operational terms will considerably affect the conclusions you reach in your thesis
IV. Background of the Problem (Historiography or Scholarly Literature Review)
This section should explain the origins of the research question or problem, drawing on your preliminary reading. All cited materials should be presented with specific references, prepared according to one of the three methods shown later in this section of the Guide. In the background section, you should review what has been done already in this area of research and the way(s) in which the proposed project will differ from earlier work. You should show that you are familiar with the major current opinions or interpretations concerning the problem you have chosen so that you do not simply duplicate existing or outdated research. The background section, usually several pages in length, must be directed specifically to the research problem and must indicate the carefully documented views of experts. The aim is not to provide simply a general overview of the topic or to present a string of references to others’ works. Rather, it is to demonstrate that a specific problem has been identified and to show its relationship to the research of other investigators. If, for instance, you were writing about George Orwell, you should mention the work of his principal biographer, Bernard Crick, and show how your views about some aspect of Orwell’s work differ
Fall 2019
3
from, corroborate, or extend Crick’s views, as well as those of several other recent critics of the Orwellian texts on which you intend to write. Longer than the statement of the research problem itself, this section must be well organized. Others’ research should be considered in a systematic fashion, according to topic, date, perspective, or some other logical means. It cannot be an unorganized mass; it must have some obvious flow, a sense of continuity, and an overall theme or point(s). In order to write the thesis itself, you will have to impose order on large amounts of material. Here is your chance to show your research advisor—and ultimately your thesis director—that you have mastered the organizational skills required for the job. Once you have established the focus of your own research in relation to this prior scholarship, one or more detailed examples should be presented that illustrate how your approach to the subject will illuminate it. These examples also demonstrate that you have begun to envision the kind of precise analysis expected in the thesis.
V. Research Method(s) and Sources
Depending upon the research problem, the two sections on methods and limitations might be combined. These parts of the proposal describe the procedures in the investigation, as well as their limitations. What kinds of materials will be used? Are they readily available? Can you read written materials if they are not in English? Are translations available? What kinds of difficulties will there be in sampling or collecting physical evidence? What standards of certainty can be expected? Is your sample size adequate? Will you need statistics? If so, which statistics? These are the issues you should address and answer here. Especially for empirical research, you might wish to treat these sections separately, describing in detail the proposed subjects, apparatus, and procedures. Your proposal will be judged not only on the basis of its hypothesis but also on the proposed methods of data collection. Will you be using questionnaires? Observation?
VI. Research Limitations
Without exception, all research is limited in several ways. There are internal or formal limitations, such as the materials and procedures used, the ways in which critical terms are defined, the scope of the problem explored and of the applicability of the results. There are external limitations as well, governed by constraints upon one’s time or pocketbook; the inability to travel to special collections, museums, or libraries, or to speak or read other languages; or to consider an evolving political situation beyond a certain date. These limitations should be acknowledged; indeed, identifying them may help you to focus your topic. However, problems such as time and money difficulties do not relieve you of the responsibility of designing a study that can adequately test your hypothesis and measure its results. Proposals that include no mention of limitations suggest that the candidate has not really gone beyond a superficial consideration of the subject. This section of the proposal, therefore, will require considerable thought. But close attention now to these and related questions will save you much time and discomfort in later stages of research and writing.
Fall 2019
4
VII. Working Bibliography
The working bibliography should be selective. It should not simply include all the materials that might conceivably be used in the finished research. Rather, it should demonstrate that you have actually read the sources you cite, know which further sources you will need to consult, and why. The bibliography, in other words, represents an interim tally of your progress.
The working bibliography should include most of the materials that will actually be used in the finished research project. It should list under separate rubrics:
-all works cited as footnotes in the proposal (Works Cited)
– all secondary works consulted in preparation of the proposal (Works Consulted) but not cited in the footnotes
– all works that the student intends to consult in further research and writing (Works to Be Consulted) but hasn’t read yet.
Sources within these various rubrics should be further divided into primary and secondary works. Sources included under Works Consulted should be in Annotated Bibliography form. In the Works Consulted section, you should have a minimum of four (4) primary sources (no annotation needed) and 8-12 secondary sources (including articles, monographs, and chapters in edited volumes). The Works Cited section should include a minimum of two primary sources and eight secondary sources. The Working Bibliography (along with the entire proposal) must be in Chicago-Style, note-bibliography format.