This consists of a research plan, which requires you to outline how you intend to complete the project, and a final paper（2000 words） due at the beginning of the exam period. These assessments are designed to track your competence in the core skills developed in this unit, and provide you with the opportunity to apply them on practical research tasks.
You have a choice of four questions to answer:
• What predicts voting at the 2016 Australian election? Use the survey data provided, and any other relevant data you obtain, to establish a theory of vote choice and an explanatory model.
• What factors explain support for gun control in the United States? Use the provided survey data, as well as other sources of information you can obtain, to establish a theory of support or opposition to gun control and an explanatory model.
• What are the predictors for better health outcomes at the county level in the United States? Use a combination of the data provided and data from other sources to establish a theory of ecological health outcomes and an explanatory model.
• What explains domestic violence rates in NSW local government areas? Use a combination of the data sources provided, to establish a theory of ecological crime rates and an explanatory model.
Select one these to answer. For each questions we have provided data that can provide you with a starting to point to work with.
• Download the question 1 data
• Download the question 2 data
• Download the question 3 data
• Download the question 4 data (this includes domestic violence rates reported by the NSW government and ABS census data packs (Links to an external site.))
You can use more than the data we provide. In fact, looking at additional data is encouraged. More information on the research project and the data can be found here
The research plan is designed to allow you to gain early feedback on your approach to this assessment to increase your chances of passing as much as possible.
A 600-word research plan for the final project for the unit, this assessment is designed to encourage you to think about the question you will answer, and the data and methods you will use, for the major research project. You will be provided with three possible questions and several sets of data. You will be required to select best way to answer their chosen question.
Questions and data will be made available early in the semester. Time will be made in week 4 to discuss the questions and our expectations for this assessment in detail.
For this assessment, you will need to outline the question and the literature that informs it (only five sources are required for your plan) and then outline the methodology you intend to use to answer the question. At the end of your plan you should include a reference list outlining all the data and literature you have used. This will not count towards your word limit. Assessments will need to be completed in R Markdown, which we will show you how to use. An RMD template for you to use can be downloaded here
You only need to submit the PDF output from this, however, and not the RMD file.
You should read forward in the unit guide to make sure you include what you believe will be relevant methods dealt with later in the semester, and discuss your ideas with your tutor and the lecturer. No analysis will need to be conducted for this assessment. You merely need to show you have thought about the data you are using and how you will examine it. Additionally, you are not locked in to this plan for your final research project. It merely provides an opportunity for you to think about and receive feedback on your research design before you complete your final assessment.