Research Action Plan (RAP)

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Research Action Plan(RAP)

• McNair Professional Seminar
• March 15, 2004

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What is it (RAP)?

• A description of the summer research project you
  and your mentor propose to do
• Includes a number of components that are
  necessary to carry out a research study.

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1. Statement of Problem(s)

• What you plan to research or study
• Pose in the form of a question or problem to
  answer

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2. Justification/Importance of project

• Why is the research needed?
• What is the significance?
• What are the potential impacts of such research
  in and out of your discipline?

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3. Hypothesis and/or Research Questions

• Actual questions or problems to test
• May contain one or more questions to research
• Search for an answer or solution to the
  problem(s) at hand

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4. Sources of Literature Review

• What has already been reported?
• Are there specific references that will be used
  journals, articles, abstracts, websites, etc.?
• Where will the references and resources be
  located (that you need)?

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5. Methods of Data Gathering Methodology

• Quantitative vs. Qualitative??
• Participants?
• Data and data collection?
• Key issues to consider in data collection process?

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6. Data Analysis

• How will data be analyzed or sorted to help test
  theory or answer research question(s)?
• How will the data be used to reach conclusions?

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7. Timeline

• Outline of activities and summer work with
  mentor
• Projected dates/benchmarks for completion of
  different areas of your work
• Should reach some completion of project by the
  end of summer research session

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8. Signatures

• McNair Scholar
• McNair Mentor
• 9. RAP review by McNair program for completeness
  and accuracy

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RAP issues and work session

• Some of the issues
• Sharing of RAP Kim Johnson
• Small group work session