AP Research

Third Edition

Revised by Class of 2022:

Samar Al Tourah, Adeeb Al-Faleh, El-Abbas Ali, Yousif AlOzairi, Nerys Carroll, Nadim El Azzazi
Bustos, Inyoung Hwang, Jana Khalafallah, Ammar Malek, Jude Mohammad, Ashley, Zartman
 Table of Contents

1. Problem Statement

2. Research Question

3. Finding a Consultant

4. Methodology

5. Poster Presentation

6. Inquiry Proposal Form

7. Literature Review

8. Conducting Research

9. Data Analysis

10. Limitations

11. Implications/Conclusions

12. Future Work

13. Citations/Conventions

14. Final Presentation

15. Reflection Process

16. Goal Setting Documents

17. Components of Research Paper

18. Top 10 Things to Remember

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 Problem Statement
What is it
The first step taken after completing your What/Why/In order to make a statement, is
writing your problem statement. Although it may seem quite insignificant, it actually plays a
massive role in beginning your exposure to different research as well as pushing forth the
creation of the basis of your own research paper. The problem statement also sets up the specific
premise of what your research question would answer. It picks an issue that the student wants to
address, the extent to which it still has not been attended to effectively, its consequences, and a
potential method to help resolve the issue.

How to approach it?

There is a simple structure to writing a problem statement.
► There is a problem in or with ________________.
► Despite _____________(something that should be happening), _________________ is
occurring (provide supporting evidence after this statement).
► This problem has negatively impacted_______ (victims of problem) because __________.
► A possible cause of this problem is _____________. Perhaps a study which investigates
_______ by a __________ (method) could remedy this situation.

However, its complexity lies in the details you choose to mention and those you choose to
negate.

Possible Challenges / Solutions

There are some challenges that you may encounter whilst doing the problem statement. Firstly,
simply choosing a topic could take some time. It's extremely important that you find a topic that
you are genuinely interested about. The waning work habits and motivation can hit hard during
the latter half of the year. This will only be exacerbated by a research topic that you have no
interest in pursuing. From there, focus on one specific aspect that you would feel requires more
attention. Another issue students could encounter is ensuring that the chosen source(s) align(s)
with the claim directly. To make sure this is fulfilled, explicitly state which pieces of evidence
prove your claim to be true. Also, some problem statements get rejected if the wording has any
generalities. In this learning process, specificity is integral as it decreases the scope, which
makes it more accessible and feasible to truly evaluate accurately.

Exemplars
There is a problem with the decrease in academic performance amongst students in their
last two years of high school. Despite the availability of different activities and projects to keep
the students interested in class, “upwards of 40% of high school students are chronically

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disengaged from school” (Crotty, 2013). This problem has negatively impacted high school
students because their decrease in motivation in school also decreases their academic
performance and “are unlikely to benefit from better standards, curriculum and instruction”
(Crotty, 2013). A possible cause of this problem is that students “feel there is no [greater]
purpose” in the work they do in class (Ripp, 2015). Perhaps a study which investigates a possible
reward-system which teachers can use to motivate the students into academically improving their
performance in assigned tasks in class could remedy this situation.

Extra Tips
● Cite more than one source, it increases the credibility of your claim.
● Write a “problem” and “in order to” statement to not only determine the problem, but
the purpose of the paper, which can be referenced or looked back on when trying to
recall the original inquiry.

Research Question
What is it?
A research question is the fundamental core of a research project, study, or review of
literature. It focuses the study, determines the methodology, and guides all stages of inquiry,
analysis, and reporting. Essentially, the research question is one unanswered by the current body
of research. So, say you read a collection of studies about a certain topic. The questions that arise
while you are reading that are unanswered by all of those studies can be used as a basis for your
research question. Your entire research study is performed to answer this research question.
Within some disciplines the research question may be an experimental goal which sets up the
purpose of the experiment being conducted or what the experiment aims to find out.

How to approach it?

Before writing your research question, you should’ve written a problem statement. What
the problem statement does is it outlines where within the current body of research problems still
reside. It outlines what factors in the world today are left unsolved by the lack of research on the
topic, and outlines the source of these problems. Often the source of these problems are
questions that have been left unanswered in the current body of research. You can also connect
more than one topic together to fit the gap you are specifically addressing. Being specific and
concise about your research topic makes it easier to address a certain gap in the field you are
looking into. The Problem Statement practically already gives you your research question
because it identifies what has yet to be answered. It also shows why answering these questions is
significant. Therefore, before you can begin formulating a research question you must compile a
significant amount of research on your topic of inquiry. Additionally, you need to look at

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different avenues or perspectives presented by studies within your topic of inquiry in order to
get a complete and well-rounded understanding of your topic. Or you can look at existing studies
from new perspectives. For instance, say a study examines the psychological implications of a
certain behavior, but there isn’t any research on the biological implications that can be an avenue
for your own research. Research usually builds on itself based on chronology or thematically.
One study in 1999, may include topics of inquiry in its next steps section that have been
answered by another study in 2001. Research answers questions, but with every new finding
comes a new avenue for inquiry and even more questions. By tracing the next steps of studies
within your discipline to the present day, or by looking at the next steps thematically you can
find out what hasn’t been answered yet. Once you have a general idea of the problem that needs
solving, and the questions left unanswered all you have to do is make sure your question is clear
and answerable.
Your research question should adhere to all of the following criteria:
1. A manageable scope: You cannot solve every problem. You cannot answer multiple
questions. You cannot examine multiple populations. We must look at things one step at a
time. Answer one question as we go. That’s how research works. Therefore, you need to
limit the scope of your research question to one population, one time period, and one
setting. If you are manipulating an independent variable in an experimental condition you
should only be studying that one variable or slight variations of that variable. What you
research shouldn’t be too general or too narrow. KEEP IT SIMPLE, BUT NOT TOO
SIMPLE.
a. A good way to check if what you’re doing is within your scope as a high schooler
is the following: Read some academic papers on the topic you might do, because
from a glance the topic might seem simple but upon further inspection, it might be
too complex. So looking at an academic paper will give them a better feel for the
level of difficulty they'll be getting into, and possibly what prior knowledge/skills
they'd need to get into the topic. (For example; taking advanced calculus, being
able to recognize physiological behavior, etc.)
Example of a scope that is too broad: To what extent, do children sent to daycare or
preschool start kindergarten with more developed skills?
Because it focuses on all skills ( language, social, small motor, large motor, etc.) you'd
have to gather too much diverse information to answer it, and therefore it is too broad.
Example of a scope that is too narrow:To what extent, do children sent to daycare or
preschool start kindergarten with larger vocabularies?
Just right: To what extent, do children sent to daycare or preschool (include specific place) start
kindergarten with more highly developed language skills? (”highly developed language skills
should be defined later in the research paper”)
2. It must be feasible (i.e. you must have all the possible resources to answer it yourself).
3. It must be researchable (i.e. it isn’t what is the meaning of life type question)

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4. Has Clear vocabulary: (i.e. don’t use words like EFFECT AND IMPACT: WHAT DOES
THAT MEAN!! Be specific)
5. It must have value: (i.e. what you are researching should be important and have some
significance / solves a problem).

Exemplars
Below are exemplars of research questions:

To what extent is the standard economic model of consumer behavior accurate in its description
of consumer rationality within a sample population of students enrolled in an American
international high school based in Kuwait?

To what extent does the responsibility of forensic science and witness testimonies impact
wrongful historic and modern criminal case convictions against African Americans in the state of
Georgia and jeopardize the reliability of the American Court System’s future?

Extra Tips
● Pick something you’re passionate about
● “To what extent..” is a great way to begin your research question and widen your
scope sufficiently
● Be sure you can address the gap you found, or narrow the gap so you can add
worthwhile data. Your research doesn't need to completely fill in the gap but can start a
conversation in the academic community.
● To what extent is a good place to start but remember there are many different types of
research questions; comparisons, correlations, simulations where “To what extent” may
not work.

Finding a Consultant

What is it?
The consultant is a professor that works / studies within the topic of your research
question that agrees to provide feedback throughout the your research paper process. After the
summer ends, the teacher cannot provide direct feedback on your workings of your paper. This is
why the consultant is essential to your success because they will be the informed overlooker of
your paper besides your class peers. Finding a consultant, particularly one that is an expert in
your field, is imperative. Although you might not end up not necessarily needing one, the nature

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of the class can have you at times facing completely separate and unique problems only to you.
This is where your consultant can come handy.

How to approach it?

From your research question you should generate different topics in which your question
can be categorized into. For example, if your question fits into the realm of social science what
specific science is it? Does it deal with people within a certain age? Are you looking at a specific
location? Think of how to categorize your question into these topics. Once you have thought of
various topics, place these into google search and add”professor”. Going back to the example, if
I am looking for a social science professor and fine tune my findings to psychology I will search
for “psychology professors”. If you have a specific location in which you’re looking into, add
this location into the search (this will present fewer results). Another source to look is at your
journals and see what professors wrote them or what people that they reference. This can be a
great way of finding professors who already study within your interested field and provide an
abundance of people you can contact. The consultant/ mentor can be found by making a list of
experts that you can find the email of. Look on university faculty websites, articles you find
important, and refer to people you might already know. These are a bunch of ways to find a
consultant. After finding 20+ professors that could possibly be a consultant, write a professional
email that details your paper and includes your problem statement, research question, and other
information that they should know.

Possible Challenges/Solutions
An obvious challenge is that a professor will not agree to be your consultant or won’t
even respond to your email. This is why you need to have a list of people that you can contact
because finding a consultant is a commitment that professor and you are making on working on
your paper amongst their other possible work. BUT DO NOT GIVE UP AMONGST THE
REJECTIONS!! Keep emailing people because they will respond in different paces and you
never know what reaction you may get.
Make Note: If the topic you are doing is overly complex you might NEED a mentor to
describe things you see in papers, if this is the case and you would need a mentor to do your
research; have a backup topic.
As well, please be careful when copying and pasting your message to the professors that
your email. Please look over the email and make sure you change the surname, university, and
professor name of the person you’re contacting. Nothing is more embarrassing when you send an
email to a professor with the wrong name or call a woman a “Mr.”.

Exemplars
Here is an example of one of an email that could be sent out.

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Dear Professor/Mr/Ms/Sir [name],

My name is [name] , and I am a senior enrolled in the AP Research class at the American School of
Kuwait.This AP Research course allows the students to conduct their own research in order to form a research
paper. Students in the course are required to have a consultant that will aid them in that process. The
consultant should be someone who is accustomed to our field of research, and who will be able to assist and
guide us through it.

I am conducting research under the discipline of sociology. I am going to be investigating the consequences of
using social media on the upperclassmen at my school, and how time spend on these sites corresponds to the
consequences. I have read some of your works and they inspired me to try and research such a huge issue.
Social media use is skyrocketing, and it is really crucial to understand the drawbacks that come with the time
spend on them. I believe that it will be interesting for you to be able to see the impact of social media on
students in a Kuwaiti school, as it echoes some of the work you do, such as your current work "Heroes in the
City/Heroes at School: Urban Education and Popular Culture".

It would be a great honor and privilege to be able to have you as my consultant. I would only need to be able to
contact you a few times a month in order to ask you questions regarding my research process. It would be very
beneficial to me if I was able to have someone of your expertise assisting me, and I would be very grateful if
you choose to do so. Please contact me if you are interested in doing so.

Thank you for your time,

[name]

Extra Tips
● Writing 20 emails seems like a very daunting task. Do not write twenty personalized
emails. Have a good template that you could use for most of your emails, then relate it
to each specific person.
● If you are conducting an experiment or focusing your research in Kuwait, you can find
the emails of potential mentors that reside in Kuwait on the faculty section of the
universities website. Look into the websites of universities based in Kuwait.
● When finding a mentor don't get discouraged if many people say no just keep trying
and remember that you can have mentors from many different aspects surrounding
your topic; so don't be scared to send lots of emails.

Methodology
What is it?
The methodology section of the research paper will be the key section on which your
entire research will depend on for its success. A good methodology section creates the very
foundation of the rest of the research paper, allowing other processes such as data collection and
data analysis to occur with ease, whereas a bad methodology section guarantees a mediocre or
even bad research paper in which the data collection and data analysis sections will be done
haphazardly and be filled with errors. The methodology section, furthermore, ensures that future

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other researchers and scholars will be able to verify the kind of work that was done during the
entire research period, ensuring that they can follow the same process again and to see whether
the gathered data will be similar to the original research or not, thus guaranteeing its validity
while also allowing them to evaluate the quality of the results obtained by the research paper.
Therefore, with all that said, let's dive into what a methodology section actually is.
A methodology section of the paper is the section where the author writes down the
appropriate method and procedures that will be used within the research paper by:
- Describing the materials and equipment used within the research paper
- Explaining the process which was used in order to gather the requisite samples
within the paper, coupled with the techniques used to gather these samples and
how the samples were prepared etc.
- Explaining how the data measurements were made and how the acquired data was
used in order to reach the paper’s results
- Describing the techniques statistical techniques used by the author on the data
- Key information on the following components will be put down as applicable to
you:
1. Approach

2. Design

3. Data method

4. Specific method

5. Sample

6. Data analysis

7. Equipment

8. Actions to be taken

All the listed sections above will form an important part of the methodology section of
the paper.

How to approach it?

The information that will be provided within this section must be clear and succinct. No
flowery diction or anything of the sort should be used when writing about the methodology. This,
in addition to writing the information using past tense in a chronological order will ensure that
the methodology will be easily understood and analyzed by other researchers and scholars alike.

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Possible challenges/solutions
There lie many-a-pitfall in which aspiring researchers might fall in, and they are as
follows:
- The researcher might not clearly elucidate on how the data was acquired during the
experiment
- Therefore, it is important for the research to describe what method was adopted in
a clear and succinct manner. This is necessary because the choice of method used
forms the backbone on which the entirety methodology section rests upon. Find or
look into certain methodologies, that you read from other sources you looked into,
that aligns with your topic. If it doesn't fully fit with your method in mind, feel
free to combine more than one method to help directly answer your research
question. Remember, its YOUR research and you can decide what is best to
address the topic you're exploring. Therefore, it is important to describe clearly
what methods were used to acquire the data in order to allow greater transparency
- The researcher might not choose the appropriate methodology for their chosen discipline
- It is imperative to consult with one’s own consultant in order to make sure that
any and all processes followed by the researcher is correct and is appropriate for
their chosen discipline. Barring that, the researcher might be able to read other
research papers and see what sort of methodology was used within those research
papers in order to emulate those processes as well.
- The researcher may not maintain ethical boundaries and run into problems with
the review board. Note that this would not occur with certain more quantitative
methodologies

Exemplars

Methodology
Quantitative data will be collected in this research paper, data that is gathered from
infected subjects with ARBs which will illustrate cases of multidrug-resistant bacteria appearing
in the hospital of Ibn Sina in Kuwait and whether a correlation exists between that and the
over-administration of antibiotics. Appropriate data will be acquired from the data banks that the
chosen hospital will have from the years 2005 to 2015. From there, a graph will be created that
will illustrate the number of ARB cases that occurred through the 11-year period each and every
year, all-the-while showing the number of administered antibiotics within each and every year.
For my paper, the data will be analyzed using linear regression type data analysis, with a result of
-1.0 showing a perfect negative correlation, and +1.0 showing perfect positive correlation. Such

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an analysis will be done 4 times for the MRSA, VRE, MDR-TB, and E.Coli bacteria in order to
ensure an adequate amount of cases are present to properly showcase my results. Previous
research papers have used linear regression type of data analysis, which is something I will try
and emulate to better present the relationship between both ARBs and the administration of
antibiotics within the Ibn Sina hospital.

Sample Size
The samples for this research paper will depend on the kind of bacteria analyzed within
the graphs, along with the year that is being analyzed in the first place. It relies on the gathered
information that was written and published by the Ibn Sina hospital, which will allow me to be
able to primarily focus on the needed subjects without being distracted and/or having my sample
be biased.
Procedure
Data will be gathered from the Ibn Sina hospital regarding the four antibiotic resistant
bacteria, which are the MRSA, VRE, MDR-TB, and E.Coli bacterium. Furthermore, data will
also be gathered regarding the amount of antibiotics that were administered for each year. From
there, a graphing calculator will be used to analyze and graph the acquired data in accordance to
the linear regression type of data analysis. The graph will be composed of two variables, with the
y-variable displaying the amount of antibiotics administered, while the x-variable will display
the number of patients infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria. The graph will then be analyzed
using linear regression and the results will be recorded and analyzed within the paper.

Extra tips:
● To get insight/inspo on how to write a methodology, look at the methodologies of
your scholarly articles and mirror their methodology if it is applicable to your study.
● Be sure you know exactly what you are going to be doing and how you will do it. Don't
just say I'll get this data, how will you, because when it comes to actually collect the
data it can be significantly different than what you planned if it wasn't planned to
perfection.
● Writing a step-by-step can be helpful when planning what to write in the method. You
don’t need to write it like that in the essay but it makesur se that you have all the
important information.
● When writing the procedure make sure that it is REPLICABLE.

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A note on interviews

When deciding upon your methodology, you may feel that it will be somewhat easier to
conduct interviews. There is basically no mathematical analysis involved, and not a lot of
research subjects need to be gathered to conduct a successful study. This is wrong. Completely,
entirely, stupendously wrong. Interviews can very quickly become very tricky, time-consuming,
and
However, it is possible to conduct interviews that won’t wreck your life and sleep
schedule, but you need to be very strategic about it. Try to use data that already exists rather than
conducting the interviews yourself, if possible. If you must conduct interviews, keep them very,
very, short. If you must conduct a long interview, have no more than say three interviewees. Try
to make sure that you have no more than 1.5-2.5 hours of interviews to code. This is because
coding is highly time consuming and confusing. You need time to conduct the interviews,
transcribe the interviews, go through around three rounds of coding, consolidate the codes, and
then figure out how you want to present them. To put this into numbers, say you have 1.5 hours
of interviews to code: you need at the very least 3 hours to transcribe said interviews (use
otter.ai, it will save you time), 5 hours to code, and 2 more hours to consolidate your codes and
understand how to present them. That is at the very least 11.5 hours (not including the time
needed to learn how to code interviews), and that’s likely an understatement. Mathematical
analysis doesn’t sound quite so bad now, does it? Also, if you’re an introvert, conducting
interviews might not be for you.
The alternative (if you must conduct interviews with quite a bit of questions): Consider
taking written responses. The caveat is that you won’t be able to ask follow up questions as
easily, but you’ll have concise, focused responses which you will thank yourself for later.

Mini Presentation
What is it?
It is the first major presentation of the year, and should consist of your finalized research
question, key terms/definitions, assumptions, and methodology. It is the first real look at your
research for your teacher and peers, and should focus more on contextualizing your research
rather than actually explaining how you will conduct/analyze it.

How to approach it?

You should be familiar with doing representations from your time in AP Seminar. You
should approach this presentation with those same strategies if you think that they made you

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successful (Being able to not drop out of Seminar and instead continue onto Research is a good
indicator of success).
By the time you have to present, you should have already written all the components that
make up the content of the presentation. It is most important to be mindful of the deadline, and
create a goal setting document according to the allotted time you have. To learn more on
organizing your time, go to the Goal Setting Documents section of the survival guide. Make sure
to use your consultants to look over everything in order to ensure that nothing needs to be fixed
or amended by the time presentation day comes around.

Possible Challenges/Solutions
Usually, the largest challenge students face with the presentations is time management.
Just keep the time you have in mind when rehearsing, rehearse it multiple times, and adjust your
presentation accordingly. That way, on presentation day, you won’t need to worry about watching
the time.
Many may struggle with the aesthetic of the presentation, or confused with how it may
look. Keep in mind that no one care less about how it looks, so you shouldn’t worry about this
aspect of the presentation. It should just be content on your slides, so make it presentable, and fit
in all of the important information onto your poster (problem statement, research question, key
terms/definitions, assumptions, and methodology). One popular technique of placing this
information into your slides is the classic CTRL + C and CTRL + V method. However, this
varies on Macbooks.

Exemplars
Below is an example of a student’s poster presentation, given a high according to the
rubric. As you can see, he/she clearly didn’t care about making it look pretty, and he/she did
well. Also note that it can be multiple slides and should include in-text citations.

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Here is another example:

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 Extra Tips
● Use very basic colors for your presentation so that the text looks clear. This isn’t the
presentation where you start taking risks.
● Include your consultant early on in the poster presentation, so that you can make any
necessary changes earlier in the process
● People will tell you to rehearse a certain number of days, not to rehearse the day
before, to rehearse in the morning before your presentation, etc. Just do what works for
you. If you are better when you rehearse at a minimum, do that.
● Try and take the mini-presentations seriously because it is a good practice for the final
presentation, and you can even use some of the content from the mini preseantion on
the final.

Inquiry Proposal Form

What is it?
This is the form that you must complete after doing your background research, finding
the sources for your literature review, finalizing your research question, and completing your
methodology. The document consists of a series of questions that, once answered, should
accurately represent your research project. Once approved by the Review Board, you can begin
your data collection.

How to approach it?

The good thing about the IPF is that by the time you reach it, most of it should be
finished. Just remember to continue checking your research question, and methodology and all of
your answers on the form align with each other. A goal-setting document can be very helpful
during the completion of your IPF form, as all the questions can get intimidating. For more
information, go to the Goal Setting Documents tab within this document.

Possible Challenges/Solutions
Time management will be your biggest problem during the IPF phase of your research.
Just remember that as long as your form follows and fulfills the rubric, you should get high, so
don’t waste your time unnecessarily writing more than you have to unless you’re that type of
person. You can also use a goal-setting calendar to help organize your time.
Feasibility can often be a great obstacle towards conducting research as well. Oftentimes,
one may not have the resources to complete research at the scale they wish. Thus, one should
ensure that they can complete their research within the time frame and the resources they have
available or can get through their mentors.

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 If you’re stuck on how to answer a certain question, make sure to email your consultant
to find the answers. To get a response as soon as possible, go through all the questions before
even beginning to answer the form. If you find a question that you might struggle with, don’t
hesitate to email your consultant.

Exemplars
Below is the list of updated questions that will be asked for your inquiry proposal form
1. State your research question and/or project goal.

2. Describe three key studies that have informed your understanding of the scholarly
conversation surrounding your topic.

3. Identify the gap addressed by your proposed research, and explain how the gap is
situated into the scholarly conversation Provide sources to justify the gap your proposed research
is addressing.

4. Describe your chosen or developed research method and defend its alignment with
your research question.

5. Identify additional approval processes (check all that apply):

Human subjects [requires additional IRB review and approval if student wants to publish
and or publicly present]
Animal subjects [requires additional review or approval by school or district processes]
Harmful microorganism [requires additional review or approval by school or district
processes]
Hazardous materials [requires additional review or approval by school or district
processes]
No additional review or approvals required

6. Explain how your proposed method complies with ethical research practices

7. Describe the date or additional scholarly work that will be generated to answer your
proposed research question or achieve your project goal.

8. Describe the way you will analyze the data or additional scholarly work generated by
your method and justify its alignment with your research question or project goal.

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 9. List any equipment, resources, and permissions needed to collect data or information.
Attach the initial drafts that apply to your proposal if engaged in human subject research:
informed consent forms; surveys, interview questions, questionnaires, or other data gathering
forms; or letters/flyers that will be distributed to study subjects.

10. Describe the anticipated logistical and personnel challenges for your research project
(to collect and analyze data or to pursue research methods appropriate to a paper that supports a
performance/exhibit/product).

11. Provide a brief timeline that outlines your process from now through the project
completion.

12. Discuss the anticipated value and or broader implications of your research project.

Below is an example of an entire inquiry proposal form that was given a high according
to the rubric:

Inquiry Proposal Form

1. Research Question (with associated project goals if applicable). Include revised questions, if
needed.

To what extent is the standard economic model of consumer behavior (SEM) accurate in its
description of consumers within a sample population of students enrolled in an American
international high school based in Kuwait?

2. Reasons for choosing the topic of interest and research question/project goal.

I chose to research this specific branch of economics because unique to the other
branches, behavioral economics is not a discipline that commonly collects data, but instead
looks to explain the consumer behavior data that other branches of economics collect. As
stated by economist Colin Camerer in his research article “Neuroeconomics: How
Neuroscience Can Inform Economics,” behavioral economics “increases the explanatory
power of economics by providing it with more realistic psychological foundations”(Camerer,
p. 1, 2010). As a result, behavioral economics has the ability to expand our understanding of
all other branches of economics. Carrying the ambition of being a financial analyst in the near
future, this research will hopefully expand my understanding of economics as well.
In recent years, behavioral economics has been utilized for this purpose extensively,
as economists have begun to use it to explain and find flaws within SEM and its claims on
human rationality. For example, McGill University economics professor Herbert Simon uses
behavioral economics to attribute SEM to the largest economic downturns in human history,

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 such as the housing bubble in 2008 (2009, p. 2). However, criticism of the model has sparked
controversy, as SEM is seen by many economists as “foundational to the framework of all
economic theory” (Kahneman, 2003, 1451). In addition, a common argument against the
research exposing the standard economic model is that all of the test subjects are college
students (Kollat, 1999, p. 3). Therefore, in order to make the research on the accuracy or
inaccuracy of SEM more credible, this model’s accuracy must be tested in an environment
different from that of college students, such as upperclassmen in the American School of
Kuwait. Doing so would eliminate a large critique of the research on the standard economic
model of consumer behavior, as it provides a larger variety of study groups. Thus, with this
critique answered, SEM will not be as extensively used and the research of SEM’s flaws will
be more widely accepted, preventing possible economic consequences that may result from
the use of SEM as stated above.

3. Data or information that will have to be collected to answer the research question/address the
project goal.

To reach the project goal of proving the accuracy of the standard economic model of
consumer behavior, its main claim of human rationality must be tested. Because the model
states that humans are rational utility maximizers when making economic decisions, testing
this statement by measuring the rationality of a sample population will determine whether or
not the model is accurate. To do so, we will be issuing the Warped Axiom of Revealed
Preference Test (WARP) that was designed by Paul Samuelson, which will yield quantitative
results(Samuelson, 1948, p. 244). I will then graph this quantitative data and compare the
choices of my sample population to standard utility maximization graphs that represent
rational choices. In doing so, I will be able to find the difference between the theoretical and
experimental values, ultimately allowing me to calculate each individual coefficient of
rationality and ultimately the average coefficient of rationality for the entire sample
population. The coefficient of rationality, a measurement of how rational decisions are, will
be compared to a rationality index, determining whether or not the consumers in my
population are rational (1948, p. 245). This will prove/disprove the claims and therefore the
accuracy of SEM, answering my research question.

4. Brief list of possible sources of information to discuss during the introduction of the paper.

Aleskerov, F. T. (2007). Utility Maximization, Choice and Preference. Quarterly Journal of

Economics, 12(1), 47-53. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34183-3
Bruni, L. (2007). The Road Not Taken: How Psychology Was Removed from Economics, and
How It Might Be Brought Back. Economic Journal The Economic Journal, 117(516),
146-163. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0297.2007.02005.x
Enis, B. M. (2004). Students as Subjects in Consumer Behavior Experiments. Journal of
Marketing Research, 9(1), 72. doi:10.2307/3149612
Gardner, M. P. (2001). Mood States and Consumer Behavior: A Critical Review. Journal of
Consumer Research, 12(3), 281. doi:10.1086/208516

18
 Henry, S. L. (2010). Consumers, Commodities, and Choices: A General Model of Consumer
Behavior. Society for Historical Archaeology, 25(2), 3-14. Retrieved September 23,
2016, from JSTOR.
Hoch, S. J. (2003). Time-Inconsistent Preferences and Consumer Self-Control. Journal of
Consumer Research, 17(4), 492. doi:10.1086/208573
Manzini, P. (2009, December). Consumer Choice and Revealed Bounded Rationality.
Springer, 41(3), 379-392. doi:10.2139/ssrn.923785
Kahneman, D. (2003). Maps of Bounded Rationality: Psychology for Behavioral Economics.
American Economic Review, 93(5), 1449-1465. doi:10.1257/000282803322655392
Kollat, D. T. (1999). Current Problems in Consumer Behavior Research. Journal of Marketing
Research, 7(3), 327. doi:10.2307/3150290
Roegen, N. G. (1936, August). The Pure Theory of Consumer's Behaviour. The Quarterly
Journal of Economics, 50(4), 545-593. Retrieved September 21, 2016, from JSTOR.
Samuelson, P. A. (1948). Consumption Theory in Terms of Revealed Preference. Economica,
15(60), 243. doi:10.2307/2549561
Shugan, S. M. (2012). Editorial—Are Consumers Rational? Experimental Evidence? Marketing
Science, 25(1), 1-7. doi:10.1287/mksc.1060.0196
Simon, H. A. (1995). Rationality in Political Behavior. Political Psychology, 16(1), 45.
doi:10.2307/3791449
Sippel, R. (1997). An Experiment On The Pure Theory Of Consumer's Behaviour*. The
Economic Journal, 107(444), 1431-1444. doi:10.1111/j.1468-0297.1997.tb00056.x
Williams, P. (2014). Emotions and Consumer Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5),
8–11. doi:10.1086/674429

5. Chosen or developed research method to collect and analyze the above data/information.

I will be taking an exploratory approach because I am looking for the accuracy of the
standard economic model of consumer behavior within a high school population in Kuwait.
It is a study that has not been conducted before, and so I am not explaining any prior research
or theory. In addition, because I am exploring the presence of a theory within a sample
population and not creating or building anything, this cannot be a creative approach. The
design of my method will be experimental, as my research will have a control group. This
research will be done using the Weak Axiom of Revealed Preference (WARP), where the
control group will be the choices that consumers make “regarding a set of products while
under no budget constraints” (Kahneman, 2003, p. 1453). The WARP test and theory was
designed by renowned economist Paul Samuelson, and has been used in many experiments,
such as those conducted by economics professor Mark Dean of Columbia University (Sippel,
1997, p.1).
The choices the consumers make will be quantified and used to calculate the
coefficient of rationality, so my data method is quantitative. I will be carrying out probability
sampling in order to ensure that no bias is involved in the attainment of my sample
population and that my sample population is representative of the entire upperclassmen
population. The WARP study, conducted at the European University Institute by economics

19
 professor Reinhard Sippel, used “probability sampling” and yielded successful results,
showcasing that probability sampling is a common practice within the discipline of
behavioral economics(2013, p. 3).
The WARP test will yield quantitative results that represent the choices made by each
consumer. Through the use of the utility maximization model, I will be able to use this
quantitative data to graph and compare the choices of my sample population to standard
utility maximization graphs that represent rational choices. In doing so, I will be able to find
the difference between the theoretical and experimental values, ultimately allowing me to
calculate each individual coefficient rationality and ultimately the average coefficient
rationality of the entire sample population. The coefficient of rationality, a measurement of
how rational decisions are, will determine whether the consumers in my population are
rational (Samuelson, 1948, p. 244). If the results yielded by the WARP test prove my sample
population to be irrational, then the claims by the SEM model, stating that all consumers are
rational, prove to be false. In doing so, I will be able to determine whether or not the SEM
model is accurate, answering my research question.

6. Equipment or resources needed to collect data or information.

I will not need any physical equipment other than approximately forty sheets of
paper that will contain the WARP test and a set of pens/pencils that will accommodate thirty
or more students. These materials can be easily obtained, as I can go to any store in my area
that sells school supplies.

7. Anticipated challenges to implementing the chosen research method (to collect and analyze
data or when pursuing research methods appropriate to a paper that supports a
performance/exhibit/product).

Although I am conducting probability sampling within the American School of

Kuwait, gaining my sample population will still be challenging, as the WARP test relies on
subjects that are participating with free will. Because of this, many will choose not to
participate, so I have no way of being sure how long testing may take. In addition, what
makes this more challenging is that my research requires every participant to be a high school
upperclassman at the American School of Kuwait. This will make receiving the appropriate
amount of test results/participants a challenge, as I cannot take people outside of this group.
These two challenges will impact my research because having an insufficient number of
participants will give me an incomplete view of the school population, causing my rationality
calculation and conclusion to be invalid. However, this problem can be solved by providing
an incentive to possible participants in order to convince them to take the tests. In doing so, I
will hopefully have enough participants to make my calculations and measurements of
rationality within the population valid.
As I will be hoping to give these WARP tests out after school within the American
School of Kuwait library, I will also need consent from the librarian, Mr. Roberts, and the
school administration. This may be a challenge, as the American School policy has become

20
 stricter in regards to staying late after school. This has a large impact on my research because
without this space, many participants may choose not to take the WARP test because of a lack
of convenience. To address this issue, I will speak to school administration and give an
elevator speech to explain my research. By understanding why I need a part of the library for
space, they will more likely grant me permission to use it. Another large challenge I foresee is
maintaining the anonymity of the test takers. This can impact my research by giving me a
possible bias towards the data based on how certain people answer. However, because the
results are written in pen/pencil and on paper, there will be nothing digital to trace back to
the participants, so having them not write their names on the test paper will be enough to
cover their identities.

8. Expected approvals needed and from where (IRB, etc.).

I will need approval from the American School of Kuwait high school administration for
testing students within the library after school hours. In addition, I will need the consent of
the participants taking the test in order to have permission to analyze their answers.

9. Teacher’s Feedback.

10. Teacher’s Approval (signature): _____________________________________________________

Here is another example:

Inquiry Proposal Form

1. Research Question. Include revised questions, if needed.

To what extent do norms, values, and beliefs of Korean, American, Venezuelan, Egyptian, and
Indian ASK high schoolers’ individual cultures shape their cultural intelligence when those
merge with the dominant Kuwaiti culture in the school?

2. Reason for choosing the topic of interest and research present question/project goal.

When I was choosing the topic for my research paper I looked around to see the resources
that I could effectively use, so I realized that I could use the school environment for findings
that could be beneficial to the whole community. The first step of my process was just listing
down some phenomena that I observed during the past five years that I have been in Kuwait
which affected me in the first place, and then find a topic of research that would connect
them all. For instance, I examined that ASK tries to enhance a lot of competition through the

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GPA and ranking system. However, at the same time, it tried to create a stable and
homogeneous community. Although these two things always created me a lot of
disequilibrium, not every student reacts the same way. I have noticed that there is actually a
very large gap between the academic performance of Kuwaiti students with respect to others
that come from abroad, and that students during recreational time tend to sit in many
separate groups, who interact minimally with one another. This last observation inspired me
to research more about this topic and I eventually found out that there are several
psychological tendencies that lead to certain social behaviors, and a recent one that is
developing during these last decades is a phenomenon called cultural intelligence, defined as
the ability of an individual to demonstrate high intellectual and cognitive capacities in
different cultural environments (Al-Jarrah, p.23, 2016). This notorious finding made me
reflect on the experiences that I had to go through when I first moved to Kuwait. In fact, I
remember that my scholastic performance became better only after I was able to adapt to the
culture and customs of the country. However, this left the mystery of why many students
react differently to the learning environment in ASK. Therefore, it made me think that there
might be a correlation among the individual culture of a student and the way this affects
their cultural intelligence when approaching the scholastic niche in ASK that is prevalently
dominated by the Kuwaiti culture. As a result, after the topic seemed to be researchable I
wanted to find out more about the current statistics and arguments that are being made on
the issue. I found that less than 7% of students in international schools are capable of
showing the same skills and intelligence conveyed by their culture when it merges with
another (Lopes-Murphy, p.228, 2014). This finding brought me in mind the ideas that I
expressed at the beginning of this research process with the goal of improving something
that affected me as it affects others around me who live in the same environment. As a result,
my goal is to analyze more in depth this social phenomena in ASK, in order to provide
strategies that would bring cooperation and unity among our students, as well as providing
them the best way to develop their maximum intellectual abilities in a culturally diverse
habitat. A solution to this problem matters on a small scale because each culture tends to
follow its own norms, values, and beliefs. Therefore, these different ideals tend to clash with
one another with the ones expressed differently in other cultures, and this lowers or
increases the leadership, academic and intellectual standards of a certain intellectual group,
creating competition and dominance (Ang et al., p.349, 2007). Moreover, when looking at the
issue on a larger scale, another problem arises. The recent phenomena of globalization that is
exposing the world to a much more culturally diverse environment, so it is necessary to
prepare young learners to develop their intellectual abilities despite the cultural barriers that
could arise, in order to avoid cultural clash and competition which is already happening on a
large scale among the Arab world and the West (Ersoy, p.6099, 2014).

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3. Data or information that needs to be collected to answer the research question/address
the project goal.

In my research, I will be conducting a mixed data method that will include both qualitative
and quantitative data. In order to answer my research question, I need to relate several
aspects and social behaviors of the students to the four-level of cultural intelligence which
include: cognitive intelligence, which is the understanding and adaptation to extraneous
norms and practices (Keung, p. 20, 2011); metacognitive intelligence, involves observing the
culture and immediately adapting to the cultural differences based on the apparent
observations before knowing about norms, values, and beliefs (Keung, p. 18, 2011);
motivational intelligence is the energy directed towards the learning and studying of the new
cultural habits (Keung, p. 22, 2011); behavioral intelligence includes the verbal and nonverbal
behaviors when an individual approaches a new culture. These four aspects will be the
standard used to assess the cultural intelligence of students and in order to analyze them, it
is necessary to include several behavioral practices that will fit in the categories described
above, which will then be associated with a certain component of cultural intelligence to find
a specific trend. The aspects assessed will be cultural interaction, decision-making,
leadership, adaptation, task performance, age, gender role, and social environment. As it was
mentioned above, each of these characteristics and behavior needs to be categorized in one
of the aspects of cultural intelligence while analyzed in order to find a trend. In order to do
so, the data gathered will be gathered through a survey that will include a total of 20-25
questions that will be formulated assessing every characteristic stated above. The participants
will include six students of a certain cultural group from each grade according to the ones
stated in the research question. The results will be assessed through a qualitative method for
all the characteristics since the responses given by the students will be used as factual
evidence that will be analyzed based on the characteristics that fit in a certain aspect of
cultural intelligence. This is the best way to analyze the social behaviors and characteristics
because it is required to back up the claims with a lot of evidence both from the survey and
the reviews in other research papers, so it will strengthen the credibility, and also because it
would require a lot of conceptual knowledge of the psychological aspects that cause a certain
behavior to happen and it could be assessed numerically on specific scales, however, since
each aspect is different, there is a risk that the scope of the research question starts focusing
on irrelevant facts not stated in the initial claim. Furthermore, it would require a much larger
group of people from different communities and environments, meaning that it would also
be a problem for my feasibility. Despite all, I will use quantitative data when I will be
assessing the performance level of the students because the evidence will be based on their
numerical performance in school and in various core subjects, therefore I can analyze a trend
using a regression correlational analysis where I will graph the results on a scatter plot and
use a line of regression to find a specific trend. In order to assess task performance, this is the

23
best way because it shows more visual and direct evidence to the audience when they will be
looking at the graphs on my paper rather than just using more wordy analysis that will still
include mathematical concepts, which can turn to be heavy and unpleasant to read. Another
possible use to assess the task performance, as well as all the other social and behavioral
characteristics, could be through the CQ scale created by the researchers Ang and Dyne
which includes purely statistical measurements however, it requires a deep knowledge of
psychology and the discipline which may sound confusing for the readers and as well for me
that I am not an expert, therefore I will be using the academically validated assessment since
it evaluates also through the use of qualitative data which can be easily analyzed by
connecting them with the evidence gathered on other papers. In conclusion, the evidence
gathered will help me to find trends among these social characteristics and the levels of
cultural intelligence, and subsequently analyze which aspects of the cultural intelligence are
more affected by the multicultural environment in our school, and from that I can provide
suggestions based on the needs of the students in order to raise the level of cultural
intelligence in the school, which will clearly tackle the goal of my research question which is
to determine how an individual’s culture shapes the cultural intelligence of a person and
how this varies when merged in the multicultural environment of our school dominated by
the Kuwaiti culture.

4. Brief list of possible sources of information to discuss during the introduction of the
paper.
Al-Jarrah, A. (2016). The cultural intelligence level among international students in Jordanian
universities. Educational Research Quarterly. 39(3). 23-39. Retrieved from
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=5aacd307-f081-4efa-b4f9-5518c47
5f403%40sessionmgr107&vid=5&hid=124

Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Yee Ng, K., Templer, K.J., Tay, C., Chandrasekar, N.A. (2007).
Cultural intelligence: its measurement and effects on cultural judgment and decision making,
cultural adaptation and task performance. Management and Organization Review. 3(3).
335-371. Retrieved from
http://www.linnvandyne.com/papers/MOR%20Ang_Van%20Dyne%20etc.%202007.pdf

Bucker, J.J.L.E., Furrer, O., Lin, Y. (2015). Measuring cultural intelligence: a new test of the
CQ scale. University of Freiburg. 6(19). 1-36. Retrieved from
http://doc.rero.ch/record/257449/files/WP_SES_461.pdf

Deng, L., Gibson, P. (2008). A qualitative evaluation on the role of cultural intelligence in
cross-cultural leadership effectiveness. International Journal of Leadership Studies. 3(2).
181-197. Retrieved from

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https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol3iss2/IJLS_V3Is2_Deng_Gibson.
pdf
Eisenberg, J., Williams, G. (2012). The effects of cultural intelligence on multicultural team’s
projects. IACCM Conference Journal. 2(6). 1-18. Retrieved from
https://www.wu.ac.at/fileadmin/wu/o/iaccm/Abstracts/2012_eisenberg.pdf
Ersoy, A. (2014). The role of cultural intelligence in cross-cultural leadership effectiveness.
Journal of Yasar University. 9(35). 6099-6260. Retrieved from
http://journal.yasar.edu.tr/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1_Vol_9_35.pdf
James, W. (1890). The Principles of Psychology. New York City, United States of America:
Henry Holt and Company. Retrieved from
http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/principlesofpsychology.pdf
Keung, K.K. (2011). What factors of cultural intelligence predict transformational leadership:
a study of international school leaders. Journal of Liberty University. 5(24). 1-149. Retrieved
from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1485&context=doctoral
Kodwani, A.D. (2012). Beyond emotional intelligence (EQ): the role of cultural intelligence
(CQ) on cross-border assignments. World Review of Business Research. 2(4). 86-102.
Retrieved from http://www.wrbrpapers.com/static/documents/July/2012/7.%20Amitabh.pdf
Locke, J. (1690). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. London, England. Retrieved
from http://www.earlymoderntexts.com/assets/pdfs/locke1690book1.pdf
Lopes-Murphy, S.A. (2014). Experiences in postsecondary education that may lead to cultural
intelligence: exploring and proposing practices. International Journal of Teaching and
Learning in Higher Education. 26(2). 287-296. Retrieved from
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1060833.pdf
Marx, K. (1867). Capital: A Critique of Political Economy. Hamburg, Germany: Verlag von
Otto Meinser. Retrieved from
https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Capital-Volume-I.pdf
Rahimi, M., Barakat, G., Atari, Y. (2014) A study of relationship between cultural intelligence
and decision making styles of high school principals in izeh county. International Journal of
Scientific and Research Publications. 4(6). 1-5. Retrieved from
http://www.ijsrp.org/research-paper-0614/ijsrp-p3044.pdf
Stenberg, R.J. (2004). Culture and intelligence. American Psychologist. 59(5). 326-338.
Retrieved from
file:///C:/Users/Loreia/Downloads/55835-Sternberg_2004_culture_and_intelligence.pdf
Zornes, D. (2004). Globalization and its impact on academic culture in post-secondary
educational institutions/organizations. Athabasca University Master of Arts. 1-59. Retrieved
from
http://dtpr.lib.athabascau.ca/action/download.php?filename=mais/Zornes_D%20MAIS701_Ap
r04.pdf

25
5. Chosen or developed research method to collect and analyze the above
data/information.
In my research, I will be using an ethnographic method which is a type of correlational study
which is specified on how cultural values affect a certain social group. I believe that this is
the best choice because the goal of my research question is to find how the norms, values
and beliefs of a culture affect the cultural intelligence of the individuals in ASK, which is
clearly culture affecting the society in this specific way. Many other research papers that I
observed adapted a correlational analysis study, however, I realized that this is not the best
specific method because it observes only a specific variable affecting another, however, in my
study I will be investigating many social and behavioral aspects and correlating them with
the different areas of cultural intelligence, therefore choosing an ethnographic specific
method can help me to achieve these correlations yet by focusing on the goal of my research
question. As a result, I will also use a non-experimental because I will not include a control
group in my research due to the fact that all the people in ASK are going through the process
of cultural exchange including the Kuwaitis despite their dominance. I acknowledge the fact
that by using an experimental method it is possible to have more comparison among the
correlations, for instance if I were to compare a local school as well, it could be possible to
see a larger difference in the levels of cultural intelligence, however by adapting these
methods I several issues of feasibility will arise since I do not have access to another school
to conduct the research, also the only non-international schools are purely Kuwaiti therefore
there would not be any kind of comparison to other cultures. As a result, part of the
questions in the survey will include comparing and explaining experiences in scholastic
performance in their home country to find any sort of correlation with the impact of the
multicultural environment. By adapting these two methods, I will be also using an
exploratory approach because the phenomena that is happening is only happening in the
American school of Kuwait and once I have investigated the trends, then I will give an
explanation through the data analysis. My data will be gathered through the survey and I will
analyze the social trends to the level of cultural intelligence by using quote and qualitative
data from my survey and connecting them with ideas expressed in my papers, and I will also
use a regression analysis to find a correlation between the performance levels and the
categories of cultural intelligence. By such means, my consultant suggested me to use a
selective sampling because it is necessary to select students that do not belong to mixed
cultures, since they will have mixed norms and values, and they also had to live for a specific
amount of time in their home country, in order to find the change that happened when they
came in touch with the multicultural environment. This sampling is necessary to find the
specific trends that I am looking for, however it is also necessary to make a random selection
out of this category of students in order to avoid biases. Therefore, the best way to do this is
after getting my approval is to send an email to all the ethnic students willing to participate
but without making any further restriction or selective choices. In conclusion, this will be the

26
best method to answer my research question since every part aligns based on the necessities
required to find the goal, so in this way I will be able to find trends and correlation on the
performance variation when encountering a multicultural environment.

6. Equipment or resources needed to collect data and information.

In order to successfully conduct my research I do not need a lot of equipment, but the one
required is absolutely essential. First of all, the most important resource is the collection of
research papers and resources that I have collected. These are crucial not only to give
background information in the literature review through the foundational sources as well,
but it is also extremely important for the evidence they include regarding the different
explanations and examples that they have when discussing about the different social
characteristics such as cultural interaction, decision making, leadership, adaptation, task
performance, age, gender role, and social environment, along with the four different
components of cultural intelligence which need to be used as a backup evidence to the ones
that will be gathered in the survey. Regarding this last piece of equipment, I will need access
to a google form in my school Gmail account because the survey needs to be sent to the
students through email in order to apply the selective sampling discussed in the
methodology but yet without choosing and increasing biases. Furthermore, in order to have
approval from the principal and administration, I need to send them the survey as well. The
last piece of equipment will be a graphing calculator where I can insert the data that will be
gathered on the academic performance and grades that students will submit in certain
subjects that will be asked on the survey and through the utensils that the calculator
furnishes I can determine the regression line for my quantitative regression correlational
evidence that as explained previously can create a more effective flow in the reading of the
graphs rather than explaining the mathematical equation solely in a confusing paragraph.
Finally, I need to bake cookies in order to reward the participants who volunteered to attend
the survey.

7. Anticipated challenges in implementing the chosen research method (to collect and
analyze data or pursuing research methods appropriate to a paper that supports a
performance/exhibit/product).

Despite the effectiveness of the method that I chose for my research, there are several
challenges that I can encounter and it is important to prevent them in order to achieve the
goal in my research question. First of all, there is a big challenge that I need to face with the
administration and the principal before submitting my survey because I will be asking the
students for personal information on their academic performance scores such as GPA and
grades in the four core subjects. As it can be seen, these are extremely personal information

27
so some students might not be willing to share them, therefore what I might do is create a
consent form that will notify the students about this issue however it will be explained that
the survey will be anonymous and the only identity that I am looking for is their ethnicity.
Furthermore, I either need to ask to send the survey for me and then forward me the answers
so that I won’t know the people’s name or I need to print it and distribute it to the students
asking them to not write their name. Secondly, the survey will contain also questions on the
norms, values, and beliefs of their cultures, and specifically a question will ask them to
interpret how such cultural components are reflected in their lifestyle and school
performances. I am aware that this can cause other problems with privacy because beliefs are
personal, therefore I will ensure that the questions will be generically on the teachings and
norms of the culture, and I will make sure not to ask questions regarding religious, political,
or idealistic beliefs. Furthermore, I will also ensure once again that the survey is accepted
through the consent form. Lastly, since the survey will be very long because it will include
20-25 questions and the majority will be short answers, there might be a chance that the
participants might lie or refuse to answer because of time management. Despite all, this is a
problem that arises on every research that includes solely a survey as a data gathering
method. Therefore, in order to avoid this issue I will prepare the survey in advance and I will
give several weeks before the final submission so that the students will have time to complete
it, furthermore, I will also advise the students to keep the answers short and concise so that
they will not worry about the time management. Regarding the issue of false answers, I am
considering to include a short paragraph on top of the survey, as well as a reminder from the
principal that will explain in depth the goal of the research and the importance so that they
will understand the importance of submitting truthful answers, moreover, they will have a
reward that will include a small amount of cookies for the people who complete the survey,
so that they will be more willing to participate.

8. Expected approvals needed and from where.

The only approval that I will need is the consent form that the students will sign in order to
agree answering the survey which includes several private information regarding their task
performances and the beliefs of the culture, therefore in the next weeks I need to create the
consent form and start to inform the students about the idea and why they should agree.

9. Teacher’s feedback.

10. Teacher’s approval (signature):________________________

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 Extra Tips
● Get to work quickly and don’t waste time early on, otherwise you’re shooting yourself
in the buttcheeks.
● Include a link to every form you mention in the inquiry proposal (volunteer forms,
consent forms, etc…)
● Try to finish your IPF early so that you can take days to send it to your consultant
and receive it on time to make changes.
● It is okay to keep modifying and adding more to your research. Just make sure every
decision (type of method, how it will be carried out, gathering the results, etc.) all ties
back and helps you answer your research question.
● Share with peers, they can catch your mistakes better than you can.
● Make sure you keep in touch with your mentors
● Don’t get demotivated if you don’t get accepted initially, most times than not that will
happen. Just fix the comments that the IRB left and it’ll be fine

Literature Review

What is it?
The literature review is the part of the research paper that integrates multiple sources
from preliminary research in order to describe the prior findings in the discipline that led to the
establishment of your gaps. The literature review is very important, as it lets your readers know
the extent to which you understand the background research behind your topic of inquiry and the
initial research method which led you to obtain your gaps, create your research paper, and
construct your methodology.
A good literature review section consists of an apt number of sources. In the beginning,
you will be asked to retrieve, annotate, and evaluate around 30-50 sources so that you can
develop a strong foundation for your research; however, to account for AP’s paper word count,
the final product should consist of around eight of the best sources that dictate the biggest
preliminary findings in your discipline of research. Additionally, good literature reviews consist

29
of important details and connections between these sources that allow for the establishment of a
detailed research path that will explain your motives behind creating your research question and
methodology. The literature review accounts for around 20-30% of your research paper and is
directly and indirectly evaluated heavily by the AP rubric (primarily rows 1-4); getting the
literature review right will pave way for the rest of your research.

How to approach it?

In order to approach the literature review properly, you must attain all the important
resources first. These resources include
i. Literature Review Outline (details the different parts that go into the
literature review and introductory parts of the research paper)
ii. Literature Review Matrix (provides a template for organizing the
information in your preliminary research sources)
This is a very helpful tool because it gives you the main things the rubric
is looking for on the rubric. Furthermore, it is out into sections which
allows you to come back easily to find which sources are the most
beneficial to your paper.
iii. Literature Review Matrix Rubric (provides the keys to success for
completing the Literature Review Matrix properly)
iv. Writing a Literature Review - a helpful guide to the process and steps to
writing your literature review.
v. AP Academic Paper Rubric (to view rows 1-4 as a guideline for the
literature review; however, the teacher should have access to the revised
rubric for you all...use this link only as a backup, but you all should
receive new rubrics)
With the literature review comes great organization and synthesis. The basic outline of
the literature review is similar to the following:
i. Description of source organization (not required on the final AP paper,
however)
1. Chronological, thematic, methodology-based, multipartite
organization
ii. Introduction to the topic of inquiry
1. Define the topic or issue of concern
2. Present an outline of the following content
iii. Define key terms and concepts that are integral to your topic of inquiry
1. These terms tend to show up in the research question and
methodology later on
iv. History of research

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 1. Presents information of the sources and connections between them
- more on this in a bit
v. Current situation of the topic
1. Presents the gaps and limitations from history of research that
requires addressing in new research
2. Presents the research question under investigation and the general
methodology
3. This section is a supplement to the literature review
When browsing the sources for your lit review, ensure that you abide to the following
guidelines:
i. The sources should preferably be written by graduate or doctorate students
in college who have immense specialty in the discipline you’re
researching. They should be peer-edited.
ii. Make sure the research you obtain is quite recent to your discipline
iii. In some integral way, all the research papers you collect must connect to
one another and address/solve limitations present in other papers; a good
way to achieve this is scrolling down to the works cited paper on your
research paper and choosing several relevant sources from there (this gives
you a better chance of retrieving sources that are more connected)
iv. Your goal should be to gain more than 10 recent sources of the sort
described above
v. Along with these recent sources, make sure to obtain around 3-5
foundational sources, and these are sources that began research or spiked
research in your discipline; these sources are very helpful in establishing
the importance/introduction to your discipline and defining key terms
vi. Know that you have a wide range of databases to use form, so choose
them wisely and try to get sources with a wide range of perspectives
Choosing an organizational pattern for the history of research (purpose - to ensure your
history of research section flows logically and enhances the eventual revelation of your
research question and methodology):
i. Choose a chronological pattern if sources build upon research on a
time-to-time basis
ii. Choose a thematic pattern if sources share similar ideas or perspectives to
the issue at hand (this tends to be the most preferred organizational
pattern, but this doesn’t mean that your pattern must be this way too)
iii. Choose a method-based pattern if your sources have a clear division in the
methodology used to solve their research questions
Introduction to the topic of inquiry (purpose - to give readers preliminary information and
precautions on the specific topic of inquiry):

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 i. Establish a baseline to your readers and give a general introduction of your
topic (use sources here; note, these sources must be other than those 10-15
sources selected for your history of research section)
ii. Note the significance of your topic to today’s generation and why research
on it must persist (use sources here; note, these sources must be other than
those 10-15 sources selected for your history of research section)
iii. Establish the stakes of not resolving certain problems with the issue at
hand
Define key terms and concepts from your research (purpose - to present essential
information about recurring key terms and concepts in your research):
i. For each term you’re defining, present at least two connected definitions
from two different sources (this accounts for synthesis)
ii. Use your foundational sources to help define your terms; if none of these
sources are useful for this, then utilize an online dictionary specialized in
your discipline of research
iii. There are no bounds to the amount of words required to be defined for
your first literature review, but if cutting down is required, then eliminate
unnecessary definitions (this section isn’t heavily evaluated by the AP
rubric)
History of research (purpose - to present all preliminary sources and connect information
in them to establish any solid gaps in research):
i. Refer to the Literature Review Matrix document (it will provide you with
information on essential sources that must be described for each source)
ii. In between describing each source, ensure that you synthesize important
limitations and claims between the sources (this will greatly aid you in
establishing gaps in the research)
iii. Use your 10 recent sources here, and any of the foundational sources if
needed, and use the matrix for each source
iv. Your citations must be proper for all sources and must follow the proper
citation method for your discipline
v. Present the final gaps that you received after analyzing each of your 10
sources in depth and finding any limitations in them (these gaps must be
coherent and logically derived from your analysis, or else creating your
research question will be tough)
Call to research (purpose - presents the research question and research methodology in
order to delve into a never-before research concept that was retrieved from the gaps):
i. Research question: read the Research Question portion of this guide
ii. Research methodology: read the Research Methodology portion of this
guide

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 Once your literature reviews are assessed, please take the time to get extra feedback from
her, and ensure that you understand why you received the grade so that you can amend
the necessary parts for the final AP product. Again, use the hyperlinked sources! They are
there to help you all out if any of the aforementioned guidelines are difficult to
comprehend. The biggest challenge in this literature review is severely limiting its word
count. This will be addressed in the next section.

Possible challenges/solutions
When constructing the literature review, one big problem will be gathering sources that
are the perfect quality for your research. When it comes to this point, attempt to retrieve sources
that are credible in terms of the acronym CRAPP, which stands for purpose, authority,
authenticity, relevance, and currency. The teacher will review the guidelines of PAARC with
you and help you ensure that all the sources you collect are reliable for your discipline.
Additionally, certain disciplines tend to gather many recent sources; in fact, the majority of your
sources in general should be published within the time frame of your research topic’s dominance.
Some research topics are very recent, and the sources for these topics will be produced within the
last few years or so, whereas some research topics may not have been research enough and may
contain only a small amount of sources, outdated or recent. If you ever come to this source
shortage dilemma, always reread the references section of all your research papers and hunt for
relevant sources there, and know that there is a wide array of databases available just for source
collection! Finally, make sure to avoid the “extremes.” The benefit of using a wide range of
databases is the magnitude of sources you can receive, but many will be too extreme to use.
Some may be extremely unreliable and will greatly lack credibility, while some may be too
advanced to comprehend and could lead to misinterpretation. Make sure to avoid these two
extremes to ensure that all sources are professional yet within an understandable content range.
Secondly, organizing the literature review is quite difficult at first, but certain methods
can clear this problem. Firstly, referring back to the Literature Review Outline is a good general
strategy when you’re lost. Remember, this outline gives you the general outline that most
research papers in a wide range of disciplines follow when introducing topics. However, when in
need of specific organizational evidence, I suggest reading the literature review sections of your
research papers. Different disciplines tend to name this section differently, from “Review of
Literature” to “Current Research.” Whatever the title may be, always review that section to gain
more insight on the organization pattern for your discipline.
Finally, the biggest problem when writing the literature review is cutting it down after the
practice run. After the practice run, expect your literature review to contain around 5000-7000
words; however, 5000 words is the word limit of your ENTIRE paper, including the introduction,
hypotheses (if needed), literature review, data and results, and conclusions. This is why properly
cutting the literature review will take some time. Remember that the literature review does get
assessed by the first four rows of the rubric; however, those rows are solely dedicated towards

33
the significance, history of research, and gaps. Therefore, on the other sections of the literature
review listed above, feel free to cut down on significant amounts but not too much till the point
where clarity won’t be present. You will, however, find that this isn’t enough. Therefore, the best
method for cutting down your literature review is reducing the amount of sources you describe in
the history of the research section from 10-15 to 8-10. This may seem tantalizing to do, but even
combining very similar sources may do the job, if you’re not willing to cut anything down (you
will feel like this at some point!). Finally, I heavily suggest that you take a look at the exemplars
that will be attached in the next section for more guidance on the length of the literature review.
It is important to acknowledge that a possible problem with Lit Review is remaining relevant to
the topic of inquiry and gap. A lot of researchers introduce a topic of inquiry that has no relation
to their method, and from there create a gap, rather than find one. It is important to choose to not
fake a gap or make one up in order to make your research relevant and significant

Exemplars
Since the literature review is a massive section, there won’t be any sections pasted below
here. Instead, there will be hyperlinks to some exemplars which have great literature reviews.
Make sure to review the sections for each exemplar described above in the “How to approach
it?” section.
1. RP Exemplar 16 (2015-16)

2. RP Example 2017

Extra tips
● We cannot stress how important it is to check the above exemplars and other research
papers in your discipline when constructing the literature review. They are your
ultimate sources when it comes to creating a limited yet impactful literature review.
● Ask your consultant for help whenever you encounter a problem that you cannot
fathom. Your consultants have written an insurmountable amount of literature reviews
and will provide you with detailed feedback whenever you require their assistance. You
can also ask your consultants what certain areas in the field you can look into to add
more perspectives to cover in your paper.
● If a significant amount of your sources do not synthesize or build upon the current
body of research, please do not utilize them. This may hurt your performance on
several of the first four rows of the rubric and will make the literature seem
underdeveloped. Therefore, only stick with sources that are completely relevant to the
topic/discipline of inquiry and synthesizes to other sources either in methodology, gaps,
or topics of inquiry.

34
 ● Never believe that too much is necessary-quality over quantity. Being concise in your
literature review is the key to allowing your readers to understand the major points of
your prior/current research and how it led to the formation of your gaps, research
question, and research methodology. Again, in a 5000 word research paper, the
literature review should be around only 30% of the paper, or around 1500 words (you
can exceed by an amount of 150-200 words, but know that in terms of the total word
count, AP Research graders will not be as lenient as AP Seminar graders!) .
● Remember to use proper signal phrases when describing your sources. The literature
review is where the majority of your research paper sources will be so don’t miss out
on utilizing the signal phrases you all learned about in AP Seminar...they are integral to
AP Research as well!
● Have a variety of sources that tackle different subtopics within the main topic.
● You can use turnitin.com to check your intro and lit review, if you are mostly quoting
directly use turnitin to check your “plargarism”, you should have a percetentage in the
20%-30%. Your intro and lit review will be mostly other sources so this should be fine,
just be sure to cite! (If you don’t it might accidently flagged for plagarism, which
would not be very good)

Conducting Research
What is it?
As one of the most essential parts of the research process, conducting research is defined
as how you will collect the data that your research paper will use as evidence for its claims and
conclusions. Research can be conducted in several different ways, such as experimentation on a
sample population, online surveys (qualitative and quantitative), content analysis studies, etc. In
order to figure out how you should conduct your research, look into your methodology and find
the most effective way in which you can answer your research question. This part and the next
(data analysis) is also where your consultant will become most useful by helping you develop a
research process that will answer your question thoroughly yet succinctly.

How to approach it?

You should already have a method of data collection in mind before entering the
“conducting research” time period because of the completion of your methodology. Before
beginning the period in which you will begin conducting our research, Mrs. Olsen will probably
give you a deadline where data collection/research conducting must come to an end. In order to
ensure that you can fit all of your data collection into the allotted time given, it is essential that
you design some sort of schedule or calendar that will track your progress and keep you on task.

35
In order to find more on time management, go to the Goal Setting Documents section of this
survival guide. Within this calendar, you should have several tasks that need to completed.
First and foremost, if you are conducting experimentation on a sample population, the
first task is to create a consent form that must be signed by your potential participants. Doing so
will protect you from any inevitable lawsuits and will provide you with confirmed participants. If
you are conducting any research within the school make sure to get administrative approval
quickly. This could result in a short talk with Mr. Roberts to a full presentation of your research
to Mr. Murphy, so be prepared for everything. Tasks that must be completed after this are
specialized to your discipline, methodology, and research. It is important to get everything done
before the deadline, even if the deadline is just a suggested deadline, as this will ensure that you
don’t fall behind in the writing of your research paper.

Possible Challenges / Solutions

The largest challenge you will face in the research conducting process when doing
experimentation is gaining participants and receiving actual data. The development of amnesia is
a common symptom for your participants during the time frame in which you have to conduct
your research, and this may cause them to continuously forget to fill out your survey, show up to
the testing times, etc. You can solve this by offering incentives for participation, such as food.
Money is strictly forbidden from being offered as an incentive. If giving incentives does not
work, the only other solution for this is to keep reminding them of their participation in your
experiment. Please refrain from using threats as a method of gaining participants, no matter how
tempting. Remember, as students, we are not allowed to make up false facts or assumptions.
Conclusions from method should be only from research and results. We are not experts to make
facts out of our own assumptions
Another large challenge is finishing your experimentation on time. As advised above, the
best solution to this problem is to prevent it from developing in the first place and managing your
time from the very start of the research collecting period. However, if you find yourself facing a
tricky or unrealistic deadline, speeden up the research process and continue to remind your
participants to do the part they signed up for. In addition, begin analyzing the data that you have
already collected if possible to save time on data analysis.
Another problem you may face is getting administrative approval for your testing on
campus. If this happens, and the administration does not budge, then it is in your best interest to
remodel your plan so that it can fit at a different venue. Consider common issues such as
anonymity of the participants, conducting research outside school grounds instead of on school
grounds, etc. Do not lament on issues such as these, as this will only waste valuable time.

Exemplars
Here is an example of data collected and organized. Each table represents a data set for a
different participant.

36
Extra Tips
● Make sure to use your consultant when trying to figure out how to conduct your
research. They are your best friend within the research process, so use them.
● There is no need to spend too much money on incentives for your participants. The
very idea of an incentive or prize is usually enough to persuade them to participate.
● Don't give up when you aren't gathering enough responses. Seek other ways to get the
data and don't rely on one way (this can save you a lot of time).
● Keep your data collection plan flexible, as you will inevitably face challenges that you
may not be able to overcome/will force you to change your initial plan.
● If you are conducting survey data, be prepared to factor non-response bias into your
methodology, where those who don’t answer your survey differ in some meaningful
way to those who do, thus giving you inaccurate results. This is usually mitigated by
selecting a sample to send the survey out to rather than sending it out for everyone to
respond to, or using a mixed methodology.
● Make sure to organize your quantitative/qualitative data as you conduct research. This
will prevent a giant pile of disorganized data at the end of research conducting.
● Try to leave a month to six weeks period for data collection because you are more
likely to get a larger number of participants which will increase the validity of your
results/conclusions.

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 Data Analysis
What is it?
This section is arguably one of the most important sections of the research paper for
both the writer and the reader. Not only does the data analysis put the data into context and
begin to connect the relationship between the data obtained and its usefulness, but this section
also informs the reader as to why this data and this research is important and relevant to the
problem previously addressed. The form of data analysis depends on the specific methodology,
field of research, and the type of data (qualitative, quantitative, mixed).

How to approach it?

The best way to determine how to analyze your data is to read several research papers
surrounding the same issue/discipline and tweak the process to fit your own goals, keeping in
mind your specific limitations. This section is also where your consultant plays an important
role! They will aid in helping you determine the best way to approach and make sense of your
data. Once you determined your data analysis process (ANOVA, correlational analysis, etc.) then
it is essential to set a schedule for analyzing all of the data. Remember that, you do not
necessarily need to use a website or statistical analysis it depends on the research questions
(triangulation is a good way to analyze). Because this is the most important and technical part of
the paper, it is important not to rush this process and to be thorough with your data calculations.
The main goal of your data analysis is to translate your numbers /keywords into something that
fits into your discipline. It is best to start analyzing or grouping your results as soon as you get
them. This will make it easier to find themes and connections among the responses and avoid
being piled up with data that it is confusing to connect (this is best if you are doing thematic
analysis).

Possible Challenges / Solutions

The main issue that usually arises is the tedious process of sorting through your data. If
you fall behind on this process (not following your schedule), it will be difficult to cram all of
the calculations into a week or two. Therefore, you must keep up with your schedule- you don’t
need to do a lot inconsistently, but rather a little consistently. Avoid making assumptions- it is
easy to say that certain data proves this or disproves that, but make sure to avoid using absolutes
in your conclusions. Statistical analysis is a science with very specific guidelines. It’s not enough
to assume you can analyze data in whatever way seems most intuitive. Factor in time to read
about statistical analysis of data and learn about the guidelines for various types.
Also, if you are conducting a survey, you might also face the dangers of non-response
bias. Non-response bias is a possible skew in your results due to a certain set of people not
responding to your survey. For example, say you are conducting a survey on "Instagram", then
you might only get responses from a young audience as older audiences do not use Instagram
that much. While there are many methods out there to check for non-response bias, an academic

38
paper called "Handling Nonresponse In Social Science Research" by Linder et al. placed some of
the most popular ones in one paper. This can be very helpful.

Exemplars
A correlational analysis was conducted by taking the mean physical appearance score
(1 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 5)of each stock photo and plotting them against the calculated mean score of a)
altruistic traits and b) positive social relationship traits in order to establish a correlation. The
mean scores were taken for each stock photo and plotted, then a line of best fit was determined in
2
order to calculate the 𝑟 value and thus evaluate the strength of the correlation between the two
variables. Based on the responses to these questions, a correlational analysis was conducted by
taking the total score of each photo and creating a graphical representation between mean scores
of measured altruism and measured physical attractiveness in order to establish a correlation.
Figure 1’s negative correlation defies the concept of the beauty premium, which states
that more attractive individuals gain more benefits. However, the negative slope indicates that
the more attractive the individual, the less trustworthy they appear, thus instead supporting the
theory of the beauty penalty, the theory that attractive people are faced with higher standards
than others, and thus are more susceptible to failure, instead of the beauty premium (Jia & Zhou,
2014, p.181). Still, despite the negative correlation demonstrated in Figure 2, both data
2
components’ strong 𝑟 value indicates that beauty does influence people’s first impressions,
whether it be positively or negatively.
In Figure 2, the positive regression indicates a correlation that does support the beauty
premium. The correlation demonstrates that the more attractive an individual was perceived to
be, the higher their positive social traits were ranked, thus demonstrating the positive benefits of
being attractive in terms of engaging in social relationships. More attractive stock photos
experienced higher mean scores of positive social traits, concluding that people associated
attractive individuals with stronger social skills such as more confidence and overall more
friendliness. However, the findings from the qualitative survey suggest that the beauty premium
is only relevant to first impressions, and does not extend to actual friendships between
individuals. The keywords identified demonstrated that personality traits, not physical traits,
were considered the most when asking about qualities considered in social relationships.
Additionally, all qualitative participants answered that they valued personal over physical traits
in friendships, supporting the hypothesis that the beauty premium wears off with time and
mutual acquaintance. The unconsciousness of the participants to the beauty premium also
suggests that there is no malicious intent behind judging individuals, and rather it is a primal
instinct, supporting the theory of the beauty premium being a subconscious action of the human
mind (Olson & Marshuetz, 2005, p.500).
While a strong, positive correlation was determined between appearance and social
relationships, an analysis of the qualitative data provided further insight as to whether the beauty
premium would prevail further than a first-impression interaction (as modeled in the quantitative
survey). The qualitative questionnaire also questioned whether the beauty premium was a
conscious or subconscious effort. Moreover, the data yielded a similar response where students
were not aware of acting on a beauty premium, instead responding that they did not consider
physical appearances at all in first encounters with people, thus supporting the theory that the
beauty premium is a subconscious effort.

39
 Extra Tips
● Use your consultant to your advantage- they are called experts in their field for a
reason.
● Having data that does not prove your hypothesis or phenomenon that you are
investigating does not mean you have a bad research paper.
● Keep in mind that the purpose of this research is to reach a conclusion, not that it has to
prove/disprove anything.
● It is very easy to fall behind in AP Research, make sure to always be on top of your
work and schedule, one weeks worth of missed work can make all the difference.
● Taking AP statistics before this class is very helpful. But if you are taking one at the
same time as AP Research, ask your statistics teacher to help you understand statistical
analyses. Statistical analyses appear in the later part of the course so don't simply wait
around for that.

Limitations

What is it?
This section is a reflection on challenges and obstacles that impeded achieving further
implications in the research. It includes experiment, systematic, human, and methodological
errors that were encountered in the research, and it is necessary to make the readers and
researchers aware of possible mistakes. Also, growth and progress come one step at a time, thus,
it is necessary to reach better and more sophisticated implications in future research.

How to approach it?

The best way to make a successful imitation section is by starting through the data
analysis process. After data are collected and analyzed, the ability of the good researcher is to
make inquiries and connections that will lead to a conclusion. You will notice that certain
patterns are totally unclear, thus, if there is no way out start thinking about procedures in the
research that could lead to this struggle. As a result, it is important to look back at the entire
procedure and especially the methodology. This last one seems almost a certainty when all the
methods parts are selected but you will notice that throughout the research it may strengthen
certain areas and weaken others. Lastly, the main goal of your research is to convey ideas to
others, so also think about possible solutions and procedures that could improve the whole
research process and enable more findings in the future and write them down.

40
Possible Challenges / Solutions
This section is not very theoretical but it’s mainly about the ability to self-reflecting on
the errors that occurred. For this reason, the best way to approach any challenge encountered in
this section to have the idea in mind that you need to make this research better. There is no
perfect research and you will always encounter something that needs to be tweaked. Recalling
back some challenges from the data analysis, sometimes it will be hard to find patterns and don’t
make the mistake to give up and include everything in the limitations section because they are
not obvious, but with help of your consultant and a good knowledge of your methodology, you
will succeed. Another common mistake is that often the results will not match your initial
hypothesis and you are going to tend to think that your entire methodology is wrong. Be
extremely critical and analytical and try to find patterns, and just include things that could
improve your method rather than change it completely.

Exemplars
The term “culture” is generalized because a country can have similar norms, values, and
beliefs. However, it is formed by several minor ethnicities with different heritages. For instance,
large countries, like the United States, contained samples from multiple regions that had diverse
cultural expectations such as African-Americans, European-Americans, and Hispanics. As a
result, estimated levels of cultural intelligence are relative assessments since such microscopic
cultural components could have different impacts when assessed individually in a multicultural
environment. Furthermore, it was completely ignored the fact that performance levels are further
influenced by the American education system, which tends to convey teaching methods aligned
with the norms and structure of the country. This could be a further variable that impacts levels
of cultural intelligence, since it has a dominant impact on each group, including Kuwaitis. Thus,
a more precise level of cultural intelligence could have been detected if impacts from the
learning institution were assessed while investigating the fundamental values of American
Education and a teacher’s methods, of influencing students.

Extra Tips
● Be an expert on your methodology
● Contact your consultant if you struggle
● Always think: “How can I make this better next time?”
● Unless your methodology is an experiment with treatments, you cannot infer causation,
only correlation as long as it is a form of observational study.
● One important limitation is usually your (a high schooler) access to resources, whether
it be lab equipment, software or data size. Mentioning your limitations due to your
position makes you that much more credible.

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 Implications / Conclusions
What is it?
This is one of the last sections of your research paper and summarizes what further
research should be conducted on your topic and what was the final results of your own research.
It is important to be specific in this section because it is the key for others to know what to needs
to be done in the future. This part describes what your research is good for. Ok, you've spent an
entire year researching this topic and you got this data and have reached this conclusion, so
what? What does this data provide to the academic community? Where could this data be used?
Research is after all a continuous process that is built upon the works of others so make sure to
contributing to the cycle!!

How to approach it?

When conducting your research and writing the paper you should always be thinking of
the future. What are you contributing to your topic? What needs to be said? What improvements
should be made? if you’re asking and answering these questions as you go through the research
process make sure to document your answers. Your thoughts are expected to change through this
process but what you conclude about the entire process is important. Writing the conclusion is a
restatement of what your goals are, what your data found, and the overall answer to your
research question. After doing this, you should be able to self knowingly know what else
could’ve been done to answer your research question. What were you not able to do during your
research that could benefit your paper? What is missing? Just as you thought and found holes in
other research in your preliminary research, the same must be done to your work. These holes
may be evident in your paper and add to the implication. Stating what is further needed adds to
your credibility because it shows your audience that you are able to recognize your downfalls.
Do not hold back!

Possible Challenges / Solutions

The most challenging aspect is writing the implication sections. Writing the conclusion is
simply because it is a summary of your own work and you know your work best. But what
happens if you can’t think about what needs to be done in the future? Keep thinking. Keep
re-reading. Most times we know what else our work needs but we may not want to say it because
it may show what we’re slacking in. Get over yourself and say what you weren’t able to do.
What you may not have been able to do could be what someone else can do.

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 Future Work
What is it?
This section of the research paper follows the limitation section, and it is essentially a
development of the reflection made in the previous section where you find practical solutions
and changes in methods that will prevent the same limitations from occurring, and it will
improve your research. In other words, when you identified a problem you have to come up with
a realistic solution that will be included in the procedure of future research, and in this way, the
methodology develops and findings can be more accurate. In a way, when you write your
literature review, all the developments and the history of research have been changing and led to
new findings is all about researchers creating future work and improvements that will then be
made by other researchers like you. Thus, after the critical thinking skills applied in the previous
section, your job is to make sure that your research can give contributions but also teach other
researchers how to improve.

How to approach it?

The best way to approach this section is to first follow the ideas that you developed in the
limitations sections, and once you see those issues you can solve them in two types of ways. First
of all, if it was a problem that tremendously impacted your research either in a systematic way or
a human error, you are just gonna say “instead of using this equipment/test people in this specific
way__________, I would do this instead_________”. Pretty much you are just relying on your
personal experience to find a solution. Secondly, if you encounter other types of issues that are
more knowledgeable based on the discipline itself, it is a good idea to contact your consultant
and he or she can certainly give you more explanations. Another great way is to reread the
research papers that you chose for the project and see if they suggest different methods and ideas.
Make sure to cite them because this can also give you points on the rubric for the “selecting
evidence” and “constructing an argument” parts, as you are strengthening your credibility.

Possible challenges/solutions
Once you have identified your flaws and things that you want to improve, the hard part is
done. However, you cannot be vague and list out solutions that have never been experimented
with before. Thus, the only challenge that you can encounter is making sure that the
improvements that you are suggesting make sense both professionally and methodologically.
Most of the time it can occur that you don’t know maybe the name of a model, a test, or just a
specific part of a method but that you still need to include in this section. The best way to
overcome this challenge is simple: once again, read your information on previous research and
contact your consultant.

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Exemplars
Cultural intelligence requires a psychological analysis, resulting from the assessment of
many different variables. This study focused majorly on impacts provoked by the individual
culture, learning environment, and dominant culture through an improved methodology,
following the fundamental discoveries made by Ang and his colleagues. Despite all, it is
recommended to develop a data method that further enquires the variables assessed in this
research. Agreeing with Ersoy’s errors, it is necessary to collect a larger sample and subdivide
the multiple cultural sects coming from a single country. Subsequently, conduct a similar
analysis that investigates such trends on a smaller scale to note different impacts as encountering
the multicultural environment (Ersoy, 2014). Secondly, Lopes-Murphy presents a qualitative
method of assessment that also enquires on the teaching techniques used by educators in
multinational schools in order to analyze their effects on cultural intelligence (Lopes-Murphy,
2014). Thus, it is recommended also to use a meta-analysis or a subsection in the qualitative data
analysis, conducting a separate survey for teachers to recognize strategies affecting the cultural
intelligence of students. This method will enable a more thorough evaluation on performance
levels, which were overlooked, as they could be affected by many variables external to cultural
intelligence evaluation.

Extra tips
● Study and be aware of certain types of methodologies that might be useful.
● Link all your solutions by referring to the limitation section.
● Be extremely specific with the terminology. The more you know the smarter you seem.
● Discuss how your process can be refined by future researchers
● It is a good idea to do the implication and future work together because they are
directly correlated and can help with making sure there is no repetition.
● Try not to ramble off actually detrimental issues with your paper

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 Citations/Conventions
What is it?
Citations/Conventions refers to the consistent style you will use throughout your paper
when organizing your content and citing your sources as well as the grammar/spelling of your
writing. Although this isn’t directly assessed by the rubric, citations/conventions still have a
massive impact on the authority and credibility, as well as the smoothness of your paper. They
not only help in ensuring the effective communication of your argument to the reader but also
ultimately confirm your degree of credibility to the audience, leaving an impression on them
before they even begin looking into the research you’ve spent all year working on. Use this to
your advantage with the AP graders; make them believe in the quality of your paper before they
even begin reading it.

How to approach it?

At this point in time, you should be fairly comfortable with using the APA format,
because of AP Seminar, and MLA format, because of all your other classes. However, in AP
Research, much like the rest of the research components you will write, your writing style largely
depends on your specific research field. The citation/convention rules you will follow when
writing your research must follow the conventional writing style used most commonly within
your discipline. To figure out the format, style, and way sources are cited within your field of
research, just look over the sources you collected at the beginning of the research process. What
style do they commonly use? Normally, research in the sciences and social sciences uses APA
while research in the humanities uses MLA. However, these are generalizations, and you should
definitely look into the sources you have already accumulated to check how you should write
yours.
When checking the conventions of your paper, such as spelling and grammar, use your
peers. Share your research components with them, and ask them to look our for any errors. Do
the same for them. You can’t catch these mistakes on your own.

Possible Challenges/Solutions
You shouldn’t have too many problems with this aspect of your paper. However, some
may have trouble deciding which style they should use for their paper. This usually happens
because either your sources don’t all use the same style, or because your research is taking place
in a very interdisciplinary field with disciplines that are on opposite sides of the academic
spectrum.
If your sources don’t all use the same style, try to pick the style that is most prevalent
throughout them. If you have an interdisciplinary problem, use the style of the discipline that
takes the most priority within your study. For example, in bioeconomics, if you are largely
focusing on the biology aspect, use the style most prevalent within that field. However, if you're
looking at something like behavioral economics, which deals with psychology and economics,

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use the style most prevalent within economics, as it takes more precedence over psychology in
this case. You could also just ask your consultant for advice, but remember that the most
important thing is to have a consistent style throughout your paper, so don’t spend too much of
your time trying to figure this one out. It won’t make or break your research paper. Unless you
really mess up.

Exemplars
Below you will find an example of a title and abstract page with the format all papers must
follow. Hopefully, this will stop your group chat from exploding with questions about the format
of these pages the night before the submission deadline.

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Extra Tips
● You can email your consultant for advice on what style you should use, but don’t email
them to simply proofread your work. They can be used for much more useful purposes.
● Share your research paper/components with the same people that will be reading your
college essays. Treat it with almost as much priority.
● Go through your paper multiple times before submitting it. You don’t want to destroy
an entire year’s worth of hard work just because the AP graders can’t understand what
you’re saying in parts of your research, or lose trust in your research because of simple
spelling mistakes.
● Don’t forget your works cited page and stay consistent with citation styles!

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 Final Presentation

What is it?
The final presentation is 25% of the AP Research grade. It does sound menacing,
however, it is essentially just a presentation about everything that has already been done in the
research paper. Nothing new needs to be done for this section. Students just have to condense
their paper into a 15-minute presentation. There are 20 available minutes for the presentation,
however, 5 minutes should be kept in order to adequately answer the oral defense questions.
These are three questions that are asked by the panel that the research is being presented to. All
of the questions are shared with the students beforehand, so it is very easy to prepare for this
section.

How to approach it?

This presentation is just a culmination of all the work done in class up to this point. That
is why it is crucial to make sure to keep all previous work stored in an easily accessible location.
DO NOT think that you have to make an entirely new presentation. You can reuse the
presentations you had created earlier in the year. You would then obviously add on the missing
sections into the presentation and make specific changes according to the rubric.
The rubric is your strongest ally in this section. There are very specific things that the
rubric looks for, such as how the data relates to your original hypothesis. Looking closely at the
rubric allows you to not clog your presentation with information that isn’t needed. That allows
the presenter to have only the important information that the rubric is looking for in their
research. The lit review section is not very important in the presentation, unlike in the research
paper where it was a huge portion of the rubric. Only a few slides (around two to three) should
then be allocated to that, as it is not what the college board is looking for. Pay attention to that
and make sure you only put in the things that the rubric is actually looking for. That will make
the presentation seem like a much less daunting assignment.

Possible Challenges/Solutions
There are only 20 minutes available for both the presentation and the oral defense. The
ideal time for the actual presentation is 15 minutes, in order to leave 5 minutes for the oral
defense. It is sometimes a struggle to time this adequately, making people go over the 15 minutes
that should be allocated for the presentation. Make sure to only include the things that the rubric
is looking for. The lit review does not need to dominate the presentation. Only a few slides are
sufficient for the lit review. Additionally, the best way to truly know how much time your
presentation actually takes is by actually presenting it to someone. Presenting to people is very
different to practicing alone. It allows you to actually know how you pace yourself in
presentations, and you can make adjustments to the presentation based on that. Also, ask your

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peers to grade you using the AP presentation rubric so that you know where you stand before
presenting the final product.

Exemplars
The exemplars of this section can not be found online or given to students in order to
protect their privacy of the students in them. Feel free to ask your current AP Research teacher to
view some of the exemplars in class. It would be beneficial to dedicate the class period to
viewing the exemplars and taking notes on them as they are not available elsewhere. The
teachers should have a large variety of presentations available for viewing at all times.

Extra Tips
● Present the presentation to peers or family beforehand and let them time you. Ask them
to also grade you based on the rubric. This is the best way to prepare for the
presentation.
● The oral defense questions are all given to the students, so they should not take you by
surprise. Make sure to go over them and prepare adequate answers to them. Review the
rubric to see what is needed to achieve a high in the oral defense section (the last three
rows are dedicated to the oral defense).
● Feel free to use note cards but make sure to never rely on them too much. They are
there to help you remember key points.
● Jumbling up some words or messing up a few times does not automatically stop you
from getting high on the third row of the rubric. Make sure to not get caught up on your
mistake and continue your presentation well. Remember, we are all humans and
commit mistakes nevertheless.
● Relax and make sure to end the course with a bang(ladesh).
● Instead of saying “um” say “excuse me”
● Bear in mind you're not just presenting information, but having a genuine conversation
and taking your audience on a journey (so to speak), of your research.
● PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

Reflection Process
What is it?
The reflection process is a way to understand what you have learned from completing an
assignment. It should be a place to organize your thoughts after you have completed a major
component of an assignment. Your ability to summarize your work should be an indication of
how well you understand that particular component, and more importantly, it will help you
connect the different parts of the Research paper together. Also, because the Research teacher is

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not allowed to assess you on your Research paper during the second semester, the reflection
process allows the teacher to be updated on your progress without being able to check your
research paper.

How to approach it?

The reflection process has 6 components which are the same for all reflection
assignments. Start by reading the rubric and highlighting the keywords. The keywords should
appear directly in your paper. Start the first paragraph with what you thought the component was
supposed to be about, then continue into what the component was actually supposed to be about.
Be sure to show a change in the thinking process. After this, write about some mistakes you
might have made during your initial approach to the assignment. Make sure to show the change
again and how you figured out that what you were doing was wrong. Lastly, connect the
component to how it relates to your overall Research. How does the component fit in the overall
paper? Lastly, explain how you have grown and become a better researcher through this
component.

Possible Challenges/Solutions

The most common challenge you will have with this section is writing about what you
learned after having completed a research component. Research is an ambiguous process and so
the lesson learned is usually not a great epiphany. Think about what the section is about and what
skills are being strengthened by working on this section. If nothing else, just include the
feedback from your consultant and talk about learning from the weakness the consultant
corrected. Another common challenge will be the one related to time. Whether it's
procrastination or just a busy week, it is important to know which reflections are summative and
which are formative. Let your teacher know if you will not be able to do one section on time,
usually, they will be okay with giving you an extra day!

Exemplar 1: Data Collection Reflection (Summative)

Exemplar 2:

Extra Tips
● Think about what the process has taught you.
● Keep the reflection short. Reword the Rubric into your essay to ensure the teacher will
see all the components clearly.
● Include your consultant and peer review feedback.

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 ● Break the reflection into 4 paragraphs (1 for each component of the rubric) to ensure
you do not forget any parts and so that the teacher can clearly see the parts.

Goal Setting Documents

What is it?
A term you should be familiar with from your time in AP Seminar, the GSD is a table
calendar/planner that will allow you to better manage your time. A basic format is a table
consisting of two columns, with one being the goal/job for the day and the other the date. This is
one of the most essential tools in AP Research because producing a research paper by
successfully completing the research process is a monumental task. You will probably find
yourself having to make three or four GSD’s in order to accomplish all your tasks throughout the
course efficiently and without the accompaniment of all-nighters, tear-stained keyboards, and
broken friendships.

How to approach it?

The parts of the research process where GSDs will be incredibly useful consist of when
you are writing your inquiry proposal form, compiling your literature review, conducting
research, making your methodology presentation, and finalizing your research presentation. To
start writing your goal-setting document, first establish the range of time you are working with.
Determine the day that you will begin working on the assignment (hopefully it’s the same day)
and find out when the deadline of the assignment is. Once you have those two dates, fill out the
structure of your document so that the number of rows in your table matches the number of days
you are working and are each assigned a date.
After this, break down the assignment into parts that you think are small enough to keep
you on task. It is important to keep your own capabilities in mind when filling out the rows. For
example, placing tasks that you cannot possibly do in one day within a one-day slot defeats the
purpose of even having GSD, as your time is no longer being organized and will cause you to
stop following the calendar. Instead, fill in the slots according to how much time you have in
comparison to how much work you have to get done.

Possible Challenges / Solutions

There will be times when life gets in the way of you completing the task you had for a
certain day. You could have been sick, had another class to study for, accidentally fell asleep
playing the Xbox, etc. Don’t worry about it. The most important thing to do when these things
occur is to adjust your calendar as soon as possible so that you can accomplish your tasks by the
time of the deadline. To stop these issues from inhibiting your success, just keep your tasks as

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balanced and minimal as possible. That way, if you miss a task, it won’t be too hard to
accomplish the missed task along with the task you assigned yourself the next day, and you’ll be
able to make up for lost time.

Exemplars
Research Collection Calendar

Date Goal for today

11/29 Make Calendar Template on PREP document

11/30 Fill in calendar

12/01 Fill in calendar

12/02 Fill in calendar

12/03 Fill in calendar

12/04 Write out the structure of consent form/Book meeting with

administration

12/05 Write out the structure of consent form

12/06 Write out the structure of consent form

12/07 Write consent form

12/08 Write consent form

12/09 Write consent form

12/10 Finish writing consent form

12/11 Send consent form to consultant for approval

12/12 Make needed changes, Administration Approval Should Be

Attained by now

12/13 Collect all upperclassmen names through Mu Alpha Theta pool

list

12/14 Set up excel word spreadsheet and randomize list

12/15 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

12/16 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

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12/17 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according
to the list

12/18 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

12/19 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

12/20 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

12/21 Start collecting participants/distributing consent forms according

to the list

12/22 Finish Collecting Sample Population

12/23 Write WARP test (Research common high schooler consumer

goods)

12/24 Write WARP test (Choices Set #1)

12/25 Write WARP test (Choices Set #1)

12/26 Write WARP test (Choices Set #1)

12/27 Write WARP test (Choices Set #2)

12/28 Write WARP test (Choices Set #2)

12/29 Write WARP test (Choices Set #2)

12/30 Write WARP test (Choices Set #3)

12/31 Write WARP test (Choices Set #3)

01/01 Write WARP test (Choices Set #4)

01/02 Write WARP test (Choices Set #4)

01/03 Write WARP test (Choices Set #5)

01/04 Write WARP test (Choices Set #5)

01/05 Send WARP test to consultants for feedback

01/06 Make changes to WARP test

01/07 Make changes to WARP test

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 01/08 Resend WARP test to consultants

01/09 Finalize WARP test

01/10 Renotify all 20 participants with WARP testing date

01/11 Hold WARP testing within library (2:15 Wednesday, subject to

change)

01/12 Analyze WARP tests

01/13 Analyze WARP tests

01/14 Analyze WARP tests

01/15 Analyze WARP tests

01/16 Analyze WARP tests

01/17 Finish collecting data needed for calculations

Extra Tips
● Don’t forget to include your consultant in your GDS. They are also essential, and not
emailing them your assignment early may hurt you, because you never really know
when they will email back.
● Leave a couple of free days near the end of the calendar so that you are scheduled to
finish before the deadline. These will end up coming in handy when emergencies come
up.
● In addition to two columns, you can also add a “What could I have done better?”
column as well. This will help improve your performance and will make writing your
reflections much easier (trust me). Also having questions to answer for the reflection
help you elaborate on why you have been doing it and what is next in the process.
● The format described above and the one seen in the exemplar are not concrete. If you
find a format that works better for you, use it.

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 Components of Research
This section will just outline the components that should make up your research paper. So these
components include
1. Title Page
2. Abstract
3. Introduction: Contextualization, Significance, Research Question
4. Literature Review: Keywords, History of Research, Gaps in Current Research (varies)
5. Methodology: Approach, Experimental/Nonexperimental Data Method, Specific
Method, Sampling, Data Analysis Explanation/Procedure
6. Data Analysis: Evidence, Analysis
7. Limitations
8. Implications
9. Call for Research/Discussion
10. Conclusion
11. Works Cited Page
The order of some parts may vary, as will the inclusion of all of these parts, depending on your
discipline. There may even be extra parts, such as error analysis, exclusive to your discipline or
field. It differs from research field to research field, but this is a basic outline. This survival guide
covers all of the components listed above.

Top 11 Things to Remember

1. When you are picking a topic, don’t choose certain subjects because you think they will
be easier to research. Almost nothing is easy to research. Instead, choose to research
something you are passionate about. It will benefit you in the long run.

2. Do whatever it takes to find your consultant/consultants. Send hundreds of emails,

try different types of messages, anything. And don’t be afraid to get professors from the
big universities. The class of 2017 had consultants from NYU, Columbia, Brown,
Georgia Tech, etc. so it’s possible. Just stay hopeful. Also don’t be afraid to reach out
to multiple consultants. It is possible and even beneficial to have more than one
professional helping you, just be sure that you are able to maintain communication with
each one.

3. The challenges you face will, unlike Seminar, often be very different from your peers’.
There will be many times when no one in the classroom will be able to give you solid

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 answers to the questions you have. This is where your consultant comes in, and is why
it is so important that you find one. Build a good relationship with them and use
them as a guide to navigating the research process. They have probably jumped the
hurdles that you are currently facing many times before.

4. Don’t be fooled by the calendar. You don’t have as much time as you think, so don’t
waste it. Get ahead in the beginning so that you don’t set yourself up for failure when
you have to start cramming for APs and when senioritis really begins to hit near the
end of the year. Also, make sure to give yourself flex days in case life happens, or if
you know you will be busy during a certain week, so you don’t fall behind.

5. Use goal-setting documents to navigate your way through this research process.
Don’t underestimate the extent to which they can help you. After your consultants,
these things are your best friends, as they are a great tool in helping you manage your
time and keep you on task.

6. The number of documents/assignments you will need to complete throughout the

research process is monumental. Start organizing these documents as soon as the
year begins to avoid any clutter later on in the year. It’ll make looking for past
documents to finish future assignments, much easier.

7. You have three major presentations throughout the course: the poster presentation, the
literature review presentation, and the final presentation. However, these three
presentations aren’t exclusive to each other. Build off of the earlier ones to create the
next ones. This way, you can stay consistent with the information you’re presenting
and minimize your workload.

8. Don’t stress about having to change your research/procedure due to complications with
data collection, time management, or any other obstacles you may run into. The most
important thing to remember is that research is not a straight line, but a winding
path with speed bumps and forks in the road. Sometimes you have to take two steps
forward and one step back. You shouldn’t let such inevitabilities discourage you.

9. Plan for success. Although there are inevitable changes that you have to make to your
original plan, establishing a solid plan before moving on with your rework reduces
uncertainties and allows you to have a frame of work to make pivotal choices in your
research process.

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10. Everyone will have challenges to face. However, under no circumstances should you
begin fabricating any of your research. This undermines the entire course and destroys
whatever credibility you have if you get caught. If your research is failing, present the
failures. There is no such thing as failed research if you are presenting the truth.

11. This research paper will undoubtedly be the most difficult paper you will ever face in
high school, but don’t let that scare you. Let it fuel you. Completing it is one of the
most fulfilling feelings in the world and is not one that many ever experience,
especially in high school. Ask anyone that contributed to this survival guide: it’s all
worth it in the end.

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