Before we can write a research proposal we need an issue.  In order to move from an issue to a proposal, we have to develop the issue into understandable components, and from this understanding, move to a researchable question…the research question.

For this week’s discussion, I’d like you to take an issue you think you might want to address in your proposal, and write a paragraph or two identifying what you think the major variables are in the issue, and how they might be related to each other.  For each variable, give both a conceptual and operational definition.  To the extent possible, tell us how you think the variables affect each other.  I’m not looking for research questions or hypotheses yet…just a conceptual description of an issue and its variables (causes and effects).