1. Statement of the problem (1-2 paragraphs). The purpose of a problem statement is to:

1. Ask what is not yet understood or ask why the problem is occurring.
2. Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. (http://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/introduction/researchproblem)

Include a situation analysis (1-2 paragraphs): What is the situation and setting of this phenomenon? Who does it affect? Define potential groups/customers who may be involved and specify what benefit your study could provide. Strengths and weaknesses involve an internal evaluation of the of the situation, while opportunities and threats are derived from what could affect the situation from outside political, social, or economic factors.

2. Literature review (3+ paragraphs). Include your secondary research.

Research the causal factors behind your topic and why this phenomenon is going on. To question deeply the reasons behind the superficial issue and assumptions and uncover the root causes underlying the “need” or “pain point.”

A literature review provides the findings of what we (or science) knows about the topic thus far. What does the research say on the reasons behind why this is happening? Look into the key factors behind the topic and organize those each into paragraphs to discuss what you are finding out.

Here is a guide to writing a literature review:

https://www.lib.uoguelph.ca/get-assistance/writing/specific-types-papers/writing-literature-review

Your literature review should include at least three paragraphs each on an underlying factor or subtopic.

Include in-text citations for what you find from your sources like this (Sauers, 2019).

Determine the probable cause of the problem. List what 2-4 variables you want to focus on to measure as possible root causes or to understand better.

3. The research objectives (~1 page). Share what you are attempting to achieve. Include hypotheses (remember to have at least one relationship hypothesis), sample, constructs, and unit of measurement.

4. The research method (1-2 pages) is proposed by the researcher to accomplish the research objectives. This section details topics such as what sample you use, data collection methods, and how you analyze the data (See Ch.6 and Ch.9). You need to use XL Data Analyst or StatCrunch to input your survey results into and run the analyses you have learned in this course. Share the means and N (the descriptive statistics) on the variables. Share tables and write a description of each.

5. Preliminary findings (~2-3 pages). State what analyses you did to investigate your hypotheses and objectives. Add at least one relationship analysis result from your pretest/market test survey (must be a crosstab, correlation, or regression). You may use Excel, XL Data Analyst, or Statcrunch.com to input your data and get your analysis result table. Remember, under each table in a paper, write a sentence or two describing the table and the findings.

6. Conclusion (2-3 paragraphs). Review the proposal’s goals and what you found. Make sure you write a full paragraph on what you would do next to continue. Last, share a paragraph on what you learned.

7. 4+ references reference list. Include at least 5+ in-text cited facts in your paper. (See Purdue Owl APA for more.)

Rubric Checklist:

1. Statement of the problem (1-2 paragraphs).

2. Literature review (3+ paragraphs).

3. The research objectives (~1 page).

4. The research method (1-2 pages).

5. Preliminary findings (~2-3 pages).

6. Conclusion (2-3 paragraphs).

7. 4+ references reference list. Include at least 5+ in-text cited facts in your paper. (See Purdue Owl APA for more.)

Ex. 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HisjaS8SLS8JplmNTGiy_YXaFsxKhYBJITuwSPaHynM/edit?usp=sharing

Ex. 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/17qUBSL_gamqrsfgwR1jtEUnQ-3m2-7hd76fKUiewPqs/edit?usp=sharing