ABSTRACT
As part of the process of doing a research project, researchers' may be called upon to write a research proposal. The first element of a research proposal is the introduction. This is a crucial first step in which researchers' provide the motivation for their project while also providing the reader with a clear roadmap of their study. Most importantly, researchers' will need to convey the specific methodology they intend to use. At the most general level, they need to convey whether they will be pursuing a qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-methods strategy. This chapter explores the importance of issue-framing in initiative campaigns using survey data from two prominent and contrasting case studies, the first, a successful 1986 toxics initiative in California intended to protect drinking water supplies; the second, an unsuccessful 1992 recycling initiative in Massachusetts. As with surveys and interviews, providing specific details will help persuade readers that they have carefully thought things through and are using sound research methods.
