Order instructions 

1. Select a research topic from the list of topics below, or come up with one of your own based on your own research interests.  It must be a research question.  You will not be answering the questions yourself.  NOTE: Make sure that the topic you choose and the variables you  propose are thoroughly social scientific.  Also, make sure you do not choose anything on the  list of off-limit topics.
2. Select a dependent variable, also known as DV (what you’re interested in understanding whether it is influenced) It may help to think of it in terms of a question you would ask people on a survey (see example below).
3. Select three independent variables, also known as IVs (three factors that might influence the opinion).
4. Locate three journal articles on the topic/DV and three factors/IVs. Do not use newspaper or magazine articles.  These MUST be from academic journals.

Save the file as Your Name Topic and Variables and upload it to the assignment labeled

Upload your Topic and Variables here.

1. Capital Punishment

2. Opinion on Capital Punishment

In a survey, you might ask people “Is Capital Punishment acceptable?” to get their thoughts

3. Independent variable 1: Gender,

Independent variable 2: Political party

Independent Variable 3: Religious preference

4. Searched on keywords: gender and death penalty; political party and death penalty; religious

preference and death penalty.

Results (include at least the following, but aim to include as much information as possible):

Stack, S. (2000). Support for the death penalty: a gender-specific model (IV 1)

Jacobs, D. and Carmichael, J.T. (2002). The political sociology of the death penalty: a pooled time-series analysis. (IV 2)

Young, R. (1992). Religious orientation, race and support for the death penalty (IV 3)

NOTE: to make things easier for you, aim for a full, APA citation.  For that you will need the following items: author(s) name(s), journal name, year of publication, pages, article title, volume, issue.

See next page for suggested topics

Topics and Variables

These are some suggested topics and variables.

You do not answer these questions.  If you were to do your proposed study, you would probably create a survey and ask these questions or you would locate some data that has already been collected on your topic.

Other sources for topics:

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/research/research-topics/

http://libguides.umflint.edu/content.php?pid=485294&sid=3979632

1. Topic:

2. Dependent Variable:

3. Independent variable 1:

Independent variable 2:

Independent Variable 3:

4. Searched on keywords:

Possible articles for literature review:

Article for relationship between IV 1 and DV:

Article for relationship between IV 2 and DV:

Article for relationship between IV 3 and DV: