Students will examine local evidence through the lens of Catholic Social Teaching, distinguish initial examples of statistical study designs, and develop a focused investigative question for the research project.

Students will refine a community issue into a statistical investigative question, evaluate possible study designs and initial sources, and submit a peer-reviewed methodology plan grounded in Catholic Social Teaching.

Students will collect traceable evidence, conduct an ethical observation or public-data audit when appropriate, compare findings across study designs, and improve their evidence plans through peer critique and a midpoint quality gate. They will conclude with a weekly reflection circle about how research is changing their understanding of the community issue and Catholic Social Teaching.

Students will analyze patterns, anomalies, methodological fit, and conflicting evidence before connecting warranted conclusions to Catholic Social Teaching. They will use reflection and two rounds of peer critique to revise an individual research paper and a team study-design brief for the community research symposium.

Students will refine their evidence-based symposium materials through peer critique, present their final research to an authentic audience, defend their methodological choices and proposed community response, and reflect on how research and Catholic Social Teaching changed their thinking.