Research Proposal

Daniela Popescu

Research Skills

The research proposal CONTENTS

1. Introduction2. Background to the

research3. The research questions4. Hypotheses5. The objectives of the

research6. Literature Review7. Methodology8. Ethical issues9. Research Planning10. Managing Time-scaling.11. References

Introduction•Strong development of Web 2.0 has led to important changes in human life, including relationships and social interactions.•We always hear about the fact that the use of social networks negatively affect society and the education of the young generation.

Introduction•On the other hand, the advantages and the good things of social networks are not negligible, as they also contribute to the development of the individual.•There have been few studies and research conducted on these facts, so we cannot yet have a clear and realistic conclusions about the influence of using social networks.

Millions of people-are members of one or more social networks. Apart from specialized networks that attract users with the same interests, other networks like Facebook, Twitter etc. have users with different ages, gender, occupations and concerns.They create profiles, share photos and thoughts with friends and watching people worldwide, known or unknown.

1.19 billion Users

200 million Users

500 million Users

Background

The aim of research study 

Investigate the factors that motivate individuals to use social networking

and resulting effects on the individual and family.

Research questions

RS1: Using online social networks affects individual mentality and principles?

RS2: Using social NETWORKS affects relationships in real life, especially family relationships?

Hypotheses

H1: In most cases, relationships and activities in online environments are based on real-life relationships and activities, contributing to the maintenance of the latter.

H2: In the most common situations in which activity on social networks are not taken to the extreme, there are many more advantages than disadvantages.

Objectives

O1: To find out if people are using social networks to interact with other people and to make new friends, or to maintain pre-existing relationships in real life.

O2: To find out whether social networks users feel comfortable to share their real thoughts with other better online than in the offline environment. Then, if there are changes in the relationships in real life?

Objectives

O3: To find out whether social network users feel tempted to create a personality different from the real one, only to meet the expectations of others.

O4: To find out whether social network users improved their communication skills, after using SNS’s.

O5: To find out whether users of social networks relate to their online “friends” also in real life.

Literature ReviewDr. Philippa Collin said in “The benefit of Social Networking Services” that the rise of social networking has led to the necessity of new patters of communication and social connection between young people. She also emphasized the need to develop an intergenerational communication not to risk the emergence of a society structured by a digital divide between young generation, their parents and elders.

Danah M. Boyd concluded in “Social Network sites” that the activities deployed in the online environment mirror, support and modify real-life activities.

Another study “Online Social Networking’s Effect on Adolescent Social Development” conducted by Mary Wilks concluded that online social networking may have more positive than negative influence on adolescents.

MethodologyThe subjects are 500 young people, full time “Amira College” students between the ages of 12 and 18. They will be provided with a Likert scale survey.Respondents will be asked to rate their answer on a scale from 1 to 5: Strongly disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Strongly agree.After collecting the data a qualitative analysis will be done.

Ethical Issues•Participants and their parents will be informed about the purpose and methods used•A consent form has to be signed by parents•The information provided by participants will be used only for the purpose of research•Answers will be provided in anonymity.

Managing Timelines

In this research is used Gantt chart to outline the steps for research completion and not to miss any due date.

GANTT CHART

Power Point Presentations available at:

http://www.slideshare.net/DanaPopescu/research-proposal-32845073

Research Proposal

Surveyhttp://www.slideshare.net/DanaPopescu/survey-32847934

References1.Boyd, D. M. & Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11. Retrieved from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html (accessed Jan. 17, 2014, 14.48 hrs)

2.Collin, P., Rahilly, K., Richardson, I. & Third, A (2011) The Benefit of Social Networking Services. Cooperative Research Centre for Young People, Technology and Wellbeing. Melbourne.

3.Mary Wilks, "Online Social Networking’s Effect on Adolescent Social Development," www.eckerd.edu (accessed Jan. 15, 2014, 09.30 hrs)