Weeks 4–11 · a starting sentence for every part of your paper
Fill in the brackets, then make it sound like you. Every frame below is one piece of your final proposal.
A frame is a paragraph with blanks. The words in [brackets] are what you fill in from your own sources. Everything else is a suggestion — change any word, drop a sentence, add one. Fill every bracket with something real from your articles, give the citation, and type it straight into your First drafts tab so your revision history shows you writing it. Frames help you start; they are not a script you have to follow.
A proposal describes a study that has not happened yet, so the Method and Results frames use the future tense (“participants will complete…”).
Research on [your topic] has shown that [what most of your studies agree on] ([Author, year]; [Author, year]). However, [what is missing: a group nobody studied, a result that disagrees with the rest, or a method nobody used]. For example, [Author (year)] found [the result that shows the gap]. This matters because [why someone should care].
Write this from sections 3–5 of your outline. (It moved from Week 5 to Week 6 on October 7, when the outline was added.)
Taken together, these findings suggest that [the main pattern from your themes]. However, it remains unknown whether [the gap].
The purpose of the present study is to examine whether [variable 1] [affects / is related to] [variable 2] among [the people you would study]. Based on [Author, year] and [Author, year], who found that [finding], it is predicted that [people higher in X / the group that gets the treatment] will show [more / less] [Y] than [the comparison].
Check your hypothesis: it names both variables, it says which direction (more or less), and the study could prove it wrong.
One section per theme. This frame is one to two paragraphs; repeat it for each theme.
[Your theme, stated as a claim]. For example, [Author (year)] found that [finding, with its number] among [who was studied]. Similarly, [Author (year)] found [finding]. However, [Author (year)] found [a different result], possibly because [a difference in the sample or method]. Together, these studies suggest that [what they mean together]. [A sentence that leads into your next theme].
Useful connecting words: Similarly, Consistent with this, In contrast, However, Together, Building on this work.
[A fact, statistic, or everyday example that shows your topic matters, with a citation]. [Your main concept] refers to [definition] ([Author, year]). [Why researchers study it]. This review examines [number] lines of research: [theme 1], [theme 2], and [theme 3].
Week 7 check-in: at least half of your review (about 750 words), in order; the opening can wait until Week 8. Order for Draft 1 (due Week 8): opening paragraph → theme sections → gap paragraph (Week 4) → question and hypothesis (Week 6).
[Construct]. [Construct] will be measured with the [name of the scale] ([Author, year]), a [number]-item scale. Participants will rate items such as “[sample item]” on a scale from 1 ([label]) to [top number] ([label]). Responses will be [averaged / added up], with higher scores meaning more [construct]. In earlier research, the scale was reliable (α = [.xx]; [Author, year]).
Where to find these facts: the Method section of an article that used the scale, or the article that first published it.
Participants will be [number] [who: e.g., undergraduate students] recruited from [where and how]. To take part, participants must be [requirements, e.g., 18 or older]. Participants will receive [course credit / payment / nothing]. This sample size was chosen with a power analysis in G*Power for a [test], assuming a [small / medium] effect, α = .05, and power = .80.
After giving informed consent, participants will [first thing they do]. Next, they will [second thing]. Then, [third thing]. Finally, participants will be debriefed and thanked. The study will take about [number] minutes.
The study will be reviewed by the SJNY Institutional Review Board before any data are collected. Participants will give informed consent and may stop at any time without penalty. Responses will be [anonymous / confidential] and stored [where]. The risks are [minimal: e.g., mild discomfort answering questions about stress], and participants will receive [support resources] at the end. At debriefing, participants will learn [the purpose of the study].
| Your study | Test |
|---|---|
| Two separate groups compared on one score | Independent-samples t-test |
| Three or more separate groups compared on one score | One-way ANOVA |
| The same people measured twice (before and after) | Paired-samples t-test |
| Two scores, and you want to know if they go together | Pearson correlation |
To test the hypothesis, a [test] will be conducted with [variable 1] as the [independent variable / predictor] and [variable 2] as the [dependent variable / outcome]. This test fits the design because [reason from the table above].
If the hypothesis is supported, [group A will score higher on Y than group B / X and Y will be positively (or negatively) correlated]. Figure 1 shows the expected pattern. If instead [the other possible result], this would suggest [what it would mean].
If the results come out as predicted, they would show that [main finding, in plain words]. This would fit with [Author (year)], who found [finding], and would add to that work by [what is new: a new group, a new method].
The study would also have limitations. First, [limitation, e.g., one college, self-report only]. Second, [limitation]. Future research could [how to fix one of them].
If supported, these findings could help [who] by [how]. In short, [one-sentence takeaway].
[One sentence: the problem or gap.] [One sentence: the purpose of the proposed study.] [Who will take part, and how many.] [What they will do and what will be measured.] [The predicted result.] [Why it would matter.]
Keywords: [three to five keywords]