Research Proposal Sample (Page 4 of 7) in pdf

Review of Literature:

FIELDWORK – Since my research question deals partly with what attitudes and

information influence individuals’ diet choices, I will use two business as fronts for my

field research. An organic farm in Latrobe, PA will allow me to shadow some “meat

producers” to learn how their methods differ from those of factory farms and also

understand how toward public health, meat, and food-safety impact upon their business.

An organic food market in Pittsburgh will allow me to survey customers who, as

shoppers here, have some consciousness about food quality. Broadly, I will ask them

why do you shop here? I will look at the construct questions that look into the rate of

vegetarianism and try to correlate this with customers’ attitudes about food safety, diet,

and the ethical treatment of animals.

INDUSTRY and ITS CRITICS

I will look at a number of public resources produced related to food and meat production.

Government statistics and food safety/inspection programs will be part of my interest.

But I will also want to see what kind of argument is going on between PR groups for the

producers (those with a financial stake) in comparision with non-profit consumer groups.

How do they report information about crises (eg. The mad cow outbreak) and how do

they describe the health and safety issues.

BOOKS ON DIET AND FOOD SAFETY; POPULAR MEDIA

I hope to get a sense of some of the general trends in food production and American

attitudes toward what they eat here. This should help me to evaluate which pro-

vegetarian arguments have the most merit (as opposed to those which might be the most

influential, or the most repeated by vegetarians or non-vegetarians). Is vegetable and

grain production actually “kinder” to the environment? Are organic and small-farm

producers of meat “kinder” to the environment or animals? What are the dietary costs

and benefits of meat vs. vegetarian diets? This should also help me to understand

whether the popularity of certain diet choices has changed over recent years.

ACADEMIC and SPECIALIZED JOURNALS ON FOOD SAFETY, MEAT, and

VEGETARIANISM

Ultimately I hope to get some solid information on safety and risk of various kinds of

diets, in relation both to food-borne diseases and the like, but also to general health (i.e.

fat, cholesterol, protein requirements etc.) At this point, I have not been able to find a

general enough treatment of these issues to be of much help.

Research Proposal Sample Page 4