MSCI 712: Some Comments on Idea Paragraphs

Below are a few suggestions for writing idea paragraphs, based on my reading of your first idea
paragraph. Im hoping that well see the papers move closer to the ideal sketched below as the
term progresses.
First, Ill emphasize that a major consideration in the evaluation of your study proposal is how
clearly a theoretical rationale is developed for conducting the proposed study. What can we
learn from your study regarding the processes or mechanisms by which the effect documented
in the target article comes about?

For example, its not really enough to just extend the study conducted in the target article to a
different domain, context, or participant population, and point out that we dont know whether
the effect will hold in the new setting. Instead, try to elaborate on *why* looking at the effect
in that new setting would be informative: What is the broader, overarching reason why you
might expect (for instance) the effect not to hold in the new setting?
Please try to write your idea short (in one page) and to the point while clearly labeling each part
(theory, hypothesis, study, and conclusion).
Theory:

You do not need to summarize the papers we study to demonstrate your knowledge. Your
proposals should be original ideas but whenever you need to mention what has been done
previously in the area of your proposals, you should state the current state of knowledge
correctly. Please jump right in and state your own, novel claim in this section; there is no need
to start by reiterating the claim(s) made by the authors of the target article. Instead, focus on
what sets your claim apart from theirs.

Asking the why question, possibly more than once, is a good trick for pushing you to think
and explicate your reasoning at a higher level of abstraction. If you find yourself writing, It
would be interesting to test whether or Its possible that or I wondered if, chances
are you are evading rather than explicitly addressing the why question.
All good research questions have a claim, the reason for that claim, and evidence that the
reason is present. The 40 points here are available if you make good coherent arguments for
your points. Don't just say "I think X", say "I think X because Y causes X, and Y is present
because of Z". The better your argument, the better your mark will be in this area.
Hypothesis:
Your hypothesis should be an empirical statement. it should predict something. A good
hypothesis is specific, meaning that the concepts are carefully defined. It should be your own
Idea.
Make sure your hypothesis is "testable." To prove or disprove your hypothesis, you need to be
able to do an experiment and take measurements or make observations to see how two things
(your variables) are related.
To create a "testable" hypothesis make sure you have done all of these things:

Thought about what experiments you will need to carry out to do the test.
Identified the variables in the study.
Included the independent and dependent variables in the hypothesis statement. (This
helps ensure that your statement is specific enough)
Study:
Your description of the proposed study is necessarily going to have to leave out a lot of
methodological details. Please focus on the key characteristics of the study needed to test the
claim you have just set out. For example, what are the important differences (e.g., new
experimental conditions or measures) between your study and that of the target article?

All else equal, your task will be simpler if you stick fairly close to the original study of the target
article in all respects except for the critical change(s) required to test your claim. Please resist
the temptation to change a whole bunch of other aspects of the task, unrelated to your claim,
simply because you think it would improve the study.
Conclusion:

At the end of your proposal you should also briefly discuss your ideas from a broader
perspective. Do not repeat your idea here, instead explain what does your proposal mean to
the current state of the area? How does it improve our knowledge and understanding of the
phenomena you are suggesting to study further? That is, what would be the contribution of
your study?
Plagiarism:
You should paraphrase others' Ideas and restate them in your own words and then cite the original
document.