My Revised Research Proposal

Below is my revised research proposal.  I finally feel like I have a clearer vision on how i will go about with my research.    Putting everything on paper definitely helped and has made me more confident on where to start.  My advise with writing a research proposal is to have many drafts!  You need to be very specific on your data plan so it will take a few drafts to get it just right. 

        After the data gathering exercise, I feel ready to make specific plans on how I go about answering my research question.  I feel that I have specified my question to the point that I will be able to answer it smoothly.  My search will be more broadened and I won’t become overwhelmed with to many results.  My research question is: What are the positive and negative effects of Facebook on a college student’s literacy at the University of Central Florida? 

            At first I wanted to research on the effects of all social medias, including texting, and blogs.  I then realized that was too much to take on and I needed to refine and clarity the question.  For this reason I chose to research on strictly Facebook.  This will make my research much more specific.  In my question I also narrowed my research to students at the University of Central Florida.  This way I will be able t compare others research but I will be adding to the conversation by narrowing my research to one community. 

            I feel that this question is very important in today’s society.  Facebook is becoming so popular that some people are beginning to find a negative aspect of it.  Through my research I would like to explore what others have already found, for example, surveys have shown that students who use Facebook regularly have lower GPA’s.  After exploring what others have found I would like to find new data with the students of UCF.  I plan on creating surveys for students to fill out about their Facebook use and schoolwork. 

Through this research I would like to learn if the popularity of Facebook is harming students and their future.  Many Educators have become concerned with this issue for the sake of their students.  Being an education major, I am also concerned and would love to find out the true effects of Facebook. 

My first step in the research will be analyzing many peer-reviewed journals, my secondary sources.  I have found a handful of sources through the UCF library database.  These articles will give me a clear idea of the studies and conversations already talked about on the topic.  After reviewing my secondary sources I will move on to the primary ones and will be looking at research done recently.  With all of the data collected from others I will be able to determine a clearer research gap because as of right now the only one I can find is analyzing the University of Central Florida.  I will then create a survey for students to take about their Facebook usage, grades, etc.  I will also interview students to ask how the feel about Facebook and if they honestly think it affects them.  After I have collected all of the necessary material I will begin writing the first of many rough drafts. 

10 Secondary Sources

Poellhuber, Bruno, and Terry Anderson. "Distance Students' Readiness For Social Media And Collaboration." International Review Of Research In Open And Distance Learning 12.6 (2011): 102-125. ERIC. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

Woodley, Carolyn, and CaAtherine Meredith. "Supporting Student Transition Through Social Media." American Journal Of Distance Education 26.2 (2012): 86-95. ERIC. Web. 13 Sept. 2012

Junco, Reynol. "The Relationship Between Frequency Of Facebook Use, Participation In Facebook Activities, And Student Engagement." Computers & Education 58.1 (2012): 162-171. ERIC. Web. 13 Sept. 2012.

Sacks, Michael Alan, and Nikki Graves. "How Many "Friends" Do You Need? Teaching Students How To Network Using Social Media." Business Communication Quarterly 75.1 (2012): 80-88. ERIC. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Doak, Jennifer. "Prepare To Engage: Building Relationships Through Social Media Is A Smart Investment For Institutions." Currents 37.8 (2011): 46-51. ERIC. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Halter, Heather J. Moving From A Textbook To Facebook [Electronic Resource] : College Students' Motivations For Using Social Networking Sites In Education / By Heather J. Halter. n.p.: Orlando, Fla. : University of Central Florida, 2010., 2010. UCF Libraries Catalog. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Witty James Vince, et al. "Findings On Facebook In Higher Education: A Comparison Of College Faculty And Student Uses And Perceptions Of Social Networking Sites." The Internet And Higher Education 13.(n.d.): 134-140. ScienceDirect. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Hart, Michael J. "A Study on the Motives of High School and Undergraduate College Students for Using the Social Network Site Facebook." ProQuest LLC (2010). ERIC. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Kabilan, Muhammad Kamarul, Norlida Ahmad, and Mohamad Jafre Zainol Abidin. "Facebook: An Online Environment For Learning Of English In Institutions Of Higher Education?." Internet & Higher Education 13.4 (2010): 179-187. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.

Paula Schlegel, et al. "Cell Phones, Text Messaging, And Facebook: Competing Time Demands Of Today's College Students." College Teaching 59.1 (2011): 23-30. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.