Purpose Sampling and data collection are essential components of quantitative research. While sampling determines the subjects, data collection determines the best practical approach to collect data.

Purpose

Sampling and data collection are essential components of quantitative research. While sampling determines the subjects, data collection determines the best practical approach to collect data. In this assignment, you (as a research assistant) are assisting professors in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics in conducting survey research to answer a research question: "does taking a research method course will improve the critical thinking skills of California State University - Los Angeles students?" Because you took a research method course, you are asked to design this survey research and write-up a research proposal by specifying the sampling and data collection methods that you think can answer these research questions properly.

In this research, you and the researchers are asked to complete this study within a year with a limited budget of $50,000 dollars as research funding. The university took away $25,000 dollars as a management fee. About $20,000 is paid to hire you as the research assistant and your professor to work on this project. In other words, there is only $5,000 left as the operational funding to complete this research, and you are now asked to design this research without compromising the validity of the conclusion results. 

Students will investigate this question by completing the following tasks: 

• 1. Identify the IV of this research (0.5 pt.)
• 2. Identify the DV of this research (0.5 pt.)
• 3. Use the IV and DV to create one hypothesis regarding the efficacy of a research method course on critical thinking skills (0.5 pt.)
• 4. Identify/Define the target population in this research, then
  • Create one inclusion criteria (0.5 pt.)
  • Create one exclusion criteria (0.5 pt.)
• 5. Identify the unit of analysis in this study (0.5 pt.)
  • Use your target population, inclusion and exclusion criteria to inform your answer to this question.
• 6. Define the sampling frame by describing how or where you can obtain the sampling frame of the target population (1 pt.)
  • Use the unit of analysis to inform your sampling frame.
• 7. Choose only one probability sampling strategy, and provide sufficient justification(s) (2 pt.)
  • Select one probability sampling method.
  • Discuss its capability to create a representative sample in this research.
  • Discuss why you choose this method over other probability sampling methods.
• 8. Determine the sample size, and justify the preferred number of cases you would like to have in your research proposal (2 pt.)
  • When determining your sample size, you need to consider the following factors, including cost, external validity and sampling errorLinks to an external site..
• 9. Select one of five surveying methods and provide sufficient justification(s) (2 pt.)
  • Choose one of the five surveying data collection methods.
  • Discuss the pros and cons of the data collection method you choose.
  • Discuss why you choose it despite the limitations of this method.
  • Discuss why the method you choose this method over the other four methods.
  • Discuss the response rate (nonresponse error) of your method is justified.

Assignment Format

• Write up your answer in the short answer format, and present your answer to these questions in a word document and submit it on Canvas.
• The nonconforming assignment format will result in losing credit(s).
• Do not create a cover page.
• Do not write your name, course information, professor's name and your ID number in the paper.
• Font size: 12 and Times New Roman
• 1” Margin on left, right, top and bottom of the page
• Double-Space between all lines or paragraphs
• Use formal and academic language
• Students are expected to complete this assignment and have all the class materials to complete this assignment.