PSY 321 Part 3 Guide
Research Proposal Part 3 Guide: Methods and Discussion
Assignment Guidelines
Write an APA formatted methods section and discussion section. Use the Research Proposal
Part 3 Template to structure research proposal part 3. Notice that the Part 3 Template includes
your introduction and literature review sections from Research Proposal Part 2. It is important to
include all these sections in your Part 3 Proposal. Submit your paper via Canvas. Required
format is PDF.
Assignment Requirements
1. Methods Requirements
a. Participants
i. Who will you study?
1. Why are these participants ideal for your specific research study?
2. Are there any relevant demographic characteristics of your
participants?
ii. Why are the participants you selected appropriate for your study? iii.
How many participants?
iv. How will you recruit participants?
1. Will they receive any incentives to participate?
2. Why is this method of recruitment appropriate?
b. Design and Procedure
i. What type of research design?
1. Why is this research design appropriate? ii. What is your research
procedure?
1. When, where and how will you collect your data?
c. Measures
i. What type of measures will you use?
1. Must be directly related to your hypothesis(es).
2. Must be peer reviewed published measures.
ii. Why will you use these measures?
d. Proposed Analysis
i. What statistical test will you use?
ii. Why will you use this test?
2. Discussion Requirements
PSY 321 Part 3 Guide
a. Implications
i. Include two implications of your research proposal. These implications
can be theoretical and/or practical implications.
1. Theoretical Implications help us answer the following questions:
a. Why is your study proposal important to the field?
b. How can it deepen our understanding of your topic?
c. Why should researchers care about your proposal?
2. Practical Implications help us answer the following questions:
a. Why is your study important in practice?
b. Why should practitioners care about your proposal?
b. Limitations and Future Directions
i. Include two limitations and future directions of your study design.
1. What are some aspects of your design that may impact the validity
and/or generalizability of your study?
2. Are there any aspects of your design that may impact the reliability
of your study?
3. How can future studies address these limitations?
3. APA Format
a. APA formatted title page
b. APA formatted page numbers
c. APA formatted headings
d. APA formatted in-text citations
e. APA formatted reference page
4. Writing
a. Clear writing and grammatically correct
b. Include your introduction and literature review from Part 2 Proposal and provide a
complete paper with all sections of your research proposal. This includes:
i. Title Page
ii. Introduction
iii. Literature Review iv. Methods
v. Discussion
vi. Reference Page
PSY 321 Part 3 Guide
Assignment Resources: Methods and Discussion
See the Research Proposal Part 3 Template for guidance on how to structure the introduction and
literature review section.
If you are not sure where to start, see the optional (non-graded) Methods Section Supplemental
Worksheet and the Discussion Section Supplemental Worksheet to help you work through each
component of the methods section. These supplemental worksheets have been created to guide
you and support your success on these parts of your proposal.
Assignment Resources: APA Formatting
APA Format Guides
make sure you are on track and support your success! If you can’t make office hours, please
send an email to set up another time to meet.
Assignment Rubric
Methods Section
1) Participants:
a) Who will you study? _____ of 1 point
b) Why will you study this group _____ of 1 point
c) How many participants? _____ of 1 point
d) How will you recruit participants? _____ of 1 point
2) Design and Procedure:
a) What type of research design _____ of 1 point
b) What is your research procedure? _____ of 1 point
3) Measures:
a) What type of measures will you use? _____ of 1 point
b) Why will you use these measures? _____ of 1 point
4) Proposed Analysis:
a) What statistical test will you use? _____ of 1 point
b) Why will you use this test? _____ of 1 point
Discussion Section
PSY 321 Part 3 Guide
5) Implications _____ of 2 points
6) Limitations and Future Directions _____ of 2 points
Format and Writing
7) APA format
a) Title Page _____ of 1 point
b) Page numbers _____ of 1 point
c) Headings _____ of 1 point
d) In-text citations _____ of 1 point
e) Reference page _____ of 1 point
8) Writing
a) Clear and grammatically accurate _____ of 1 point
b) Include Introduction and Literature Review from Part 2 _____ of 1 point
Total _____ of 21 points
PSY 321 Part 3 Guide
- Assignment Guidelines
- Assignment Requirements
- Assignment Resources: Methods and Discussion
- Assignment Resources: APA Formatting