Research Proposal – Topic: Title: “Social Media Influencers and Authenticity: A Qualitative Exploration of Audience Perceptions and Influencer Practices” Research Question: How do young adults perceive and define authenticity in social media influencers, and how do influencer practices align with or challenge these perceptions? Rationale: This research topic addresses the increasing influence of social media on young adults and their consumption of content from influencers. Understanding how authenticity is perceived and enacted by both influencers and their audiences can shed light on evolving trends in digital culture.Date
Research Proposal (2 – 4 pages not including reference list) – Due: Oct. 24th at 5:30 p.m. Introduces your topic States your problem statement and the questions your research aims to answer Include research question(s) A research question is a statement made in a question form seeking to study, learn, explore, or examine more about the research topic. It is aimed to distill or focus the research problem. Expressing a research problem helps provide direction to the research. Example: I conducted research that had 3 research questions – but I still came up with a list of questions to ask for interviews, focus groups or thematic analysis What themes emerged in news coverage about COVID-19 in relation to health risks and did the themes differ between African American and mainstream news outlets? What themes emerged in news coverage about COVID-19 in relation to safety risks, and did the themes differ between African American and mainstream news outlets? Where African Americans voices muted in mainstream news coverage of COVID-19? Provides context for your research Qualitative method (ethnography, case studies, interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis) Qualitative theory (ex. Grounded theory, gatekeeping theory, uses and gratification, etc.) Paradigm, (positivism, post positivism, interpretivism, critical) Anticipated outcome of research Reference List
