Research Topic: “Comparative Efficacy of Peer Support Group Interventions Among Diverse Subgroups of Adolescents Experiencing Sexual Abuse in Foster Care: A Multidimensional Outcome Analysis”
Rationale: This research topic captures the critical elements of your study, such as the focus on peer support group interventions, the target population (i.e., adolescents experiencing sexual abuse in foster care), and the outcomes you are interested in, such as trauma symptoms, self-esteem, social skills, coping strategies, and satisfaction with the intervention. The phrase “Multidimensional Outcome Analysis” implies that numerous factors and outcomes, such as age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and personality, are considered.
Possible Research Questions: 1. How do peer support group interventions impact trauma symptoms among adolescents experiencing sexual abuse in foster care? 2. Do different subgroups (i.e., age, gender, ethnicity, culture, personality) of adolescents respond differently to peer support group interventions? 3. What is the relationship between participation in peer support groups and self-esteem levels among adolescents in foster care who have experienced sexual abuse? 4. How do peer support group interventions influence these adolescents’ social skills and coping strategies?
Research Proposal Format
1. Introduction and Problem Statement (what are you going to do?) [2-3 pages]
· Background (history of the problem)
· A brief statement of the problem
· The significance of the study
2. Review of Literature [2-3 pages]
· A brief review of current published works with a direct bearing on the problem
· Review of any “classic” studies related to the problem
· Establish if reviewed findings are consistent or disagree with each other and explain
· Summary
3. Research Questions and Hypothesis [1-2 pages]
· State two or three general research questions
· State two research hypotheses
· State independent and dependent variables
· Define variables and concepts
4. Research Methodology [2-3 pages]
· Type of research design and why it is needed
· Population and sample
· Plan of data collection
· Development of the questionnaire:
o What items will be included?
o Existing instruments: Reliability & Validity
· Plan of data analysis
· Limitations of the study
