Phase 2. Theory and Hypothesis

This part of your paper involves a general process that explains your research question. This process contains two closely related concepts. You should focus on answering the following questions:

What is the theory involved in your research project? What is the theoretical connection between your concepts? In your theory section you may want to answer why concept Y (the dependent variable) is related to concept X (the independent variables).

Example: Your theory should include statements pertaining to why your selected groups are expected to be different. For instance, if your topic involves attitudes toward health care (National vs. Private), you must explain why people have different attitudes. Is it class difference? If so, what is it about class differences that would impact attitudes towards health care? Is it because some classes would benefit more from health care? In what ways would different classes benefit?

Although there may be multiple factors that are expected to influence the dependent variable, your focus should be on your main explanatory variable at this point. However, you should be thinking about how other factors may also influence the dependent variable. In this way, you can add control variables to your model when you operationalize your hypotheses.

Write a directional hypothesis. For example, you could hypothesize that people from lower classes will support a national health care system more than people from higher classes because they will tend to benefit the most (Avoid a null hypothesis).

Example: Hypothesis 1: Lower class people will favor a national care policy more than high class people.

1. Use academic sources to support your argument.

2. Quotations should be used effectively.

3. Make sure to read the description of the previous phases again.

4. Hypothesis should state that there is a relationship.

Note:

1. At the end of the semester, you will turn in your paper by combining the phases. You will be asked to turn in the original phases with your final paper. In other words, you need to keep your original phases with my comments after I return them to you.

2. Staple (Do not use a binder).

3. Save your work in disks (Make sure to have multiple backups). You will be responsible for a lost disk.

4. Overall, present your paper professionally.