Research Seminar Research Proposals

Sample Research Proposals:

"The Science of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction" by Timothy R. Miller won an Excellence Award in 2015.

"Is Transgenderism a result of Nature or Nurture? Do misperceptions, prejudices and ill-conceived behaviors necessitate educating the general public about this condition?" by Kristen Svatos won an Excellence Award in 2015.

"The economic factors limiting recovery from the great recession and their impact on the middle class," by Jack Netter won an Excellence Award in 2015.

"Sexual Transmitted Disease Risk in Adolescent Women in Uptown" by Rosemary Callahan won an Excellence Award in 2012.

"The Impact of Community Gardening in Neighborhoods" by Francisco Juarez won an Excellence Award in 2012.

"How Can Student Health Literacy Inform Key Stakeholders Regarding Wellness Policy Implementation" by Adenia Linker won an Excellence Award in 2012.

"Effects of the 1988 Modernization of Wrigley Field to the Lake View Neighborhood" by Monica Siggelkov won an Excellence Award in 2012.

"The Poverty Experienced by Female Heads of Households and Their Children During the Mid to Late Eighteenth Century and the Impact it had on the Frontier of Colonial America" by Larry Melton won an Excellence Award in 2012.

"Racial Profiling of Hispanic Mortgage Borrowers and the Ensuing Foreclosure Problems" by Victor M. Lau won an Excellence Award in 2011.

"Alternatives for Handling Storm Water Runoff from Disconnected Downspouts in Urban Cold Climate Areas" by Peg Sabatino won an Excellence Award in 2011.

"Does Long-Term Home Ownership Affect the Age at which the Elderly Choose or are Placed into Assisted Living Facilities?" by Rick Sabatino won an Excellence Award in 2011.

More Help:

See chapter 3 in the Foundations Book for more on Research Seminar.

SNL Faculty on Research Seminar Research Proposals

The best papers involved a specific hypothesis, a focused review of related literature, and a clear, credible methodology. Weaker papers were too general and not clearly related to the competence in question. Instructors recommended that students focus on a relatively narrow topic, consult a variety of sources, carefully evaluating the credibility of each. They also suggested that students choose a research topic in which they already have a strong interest and/or confidence, while warning against excessively personal topics. They emphasized the importance of synthesizing the literature, choosing a specific and credible methodology, and defining terms.

-- from SNL Faculty Workshop, 1/11/06