Identify and defend the “primary” independent variable, or the variable believed to have the strongest impact on the dependent variable:

As preparation for the final research paper, formulate a theory about the correlation between measurable independent variables (causes) and one measurable dependent variable (the effect). Be sure to have at least two independent variables for proposed research paper. The topic proposal should include the following four items which serve as the foundation for the final research paper after instructor feedback is given.

1) Purpose Statement

In one paragraph, state the correlation and identify the primary independent variables.

State the correlation as in the following:

“The dependent variable _______ is determined by independent variables ________, _________, ________, and ________.”

Identify and defend the “primary” independent variable, or the variable believed to have the strongest impact on the dependent variable:

“The most important independent variable in this relationship is ________ because _________.”

2) Definition of Variables

For each variable, write a single definition paragraph talking about the variable. Paragraphs should be in this order: dependent variable, primary independent variable, and three independent variables.

In addition to defining the independent variables, defend why each determines the dependent variable.

For the primary independent variable, at least two research sources that discuss the variable also must be cited. These sources need not be technical documents but should contain evidence to justify the relationship between the primary independent variable and the dependent variable. List these sources in the Works Cited (reference) page.

**Note: Citations from encyclopedias, Wikipedia, blogs, abstracts, or non-governmental websites are not acceptable research sources.

3) Data Description

For each of the variables, at least 30 observations of cross-sectional or time-series data must be obtained. Thus for the final research paper, a data matrix that is at least 30 rows by numbers of variables must be presented.

In one paragraph, identify the data sources and describe the data (i.e., which government agencies supply the data, which methods are used to compile them, when they were collected, etc.).

4) Works Cited Page

The final page of the proposal should be a Works Cited page listing the two research sources for the primary independent variable and the data sources, with a separate citation for each table of data, including specific table numbers for each of the sources.