See Description

Research Proposal (Unit II) Instructions (also located in "Syllabus"): 

Follow the directions below to complete the Unit II Research Proposal (NOTE: Your “Syllabus” includes a link to an example of the “Long Proposal” format at the end of your “Unit II Research Proposal” instructions on or about the top of p. 6).

 If you have questions, please email your professor for assistance. As always, you may also seek out the guidance of the Success Center; the tutors are always there to assist you with your writing and comprehension.

Contact CSU’s Success Center via email at [email protected] or phone at ext. 6538.

You may submit writing assignments to the Success Center by using a “Writing Center Request form” located on the myCSU Student Portal. To submit a “Writing Center Request form,” log into the myCSU Student Portal, click on “Success Center,” and then click on “Tutoring.”

If you have questions concerning APA or your writing assignment, again, you can contact the Success Center at [email protected] or by phone at ext. 6538.

Purpose:

The purpose of the Research Proposal is to mold the preliminary ideas you have about your topic and to develop them in an academic manner. This development occurs as a direct result of your research on the subject. Therefore, this is your first formal articulation of your project. The Research Proposal is the next step towards writing assignments that will help you construct your Research Paper.

Description:

In this 500-600-word essay-style “Research Proposal” (about two [2] pages, double-spaced, not including the “References” page), you develop the project about which you intend to write your final Research Paper for this course.

NOTE #1: For your Unit/Week I Assignment I, you wrote a “Short Proposal” (see the example on p. 331 of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers). For your Unit II Assignment II, your proposal should follow the “Long Proposal” example and guidelines on pp. 332-335 of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers; however, you do NOT need to include at this time the following: Abstract; literature review; description of research methods. 

NOTE #2: If your Research Proposal is less than the minimum required word count (500 words or two [2] pages), then you have not fully developed your proposal or adhered to the assignment appropriately, which can severely impact your grade for this assignment.

NOTE #3: You must include in your “Tentative Argument” no less than one (1) research source that meets the “Research Requirements” posted as an “Announcement” and also located in “Ask the Professor” and in your Unit II Discussion Board. Your instructor has provides “Library Research Instructions” in your Unit II Discussion Board and in “Ask the Professor” as well.

Your Research Proposal will include the elements listed below: 

Your Research Proposal should include a list of references in APA style and should adhere to APA conventions throughout.

When you write for academic or public audiences, it is imperative that you are supported by voices other than your own. In other words, even if you are an expert, you still must support your assertions.

In a Research Proposal, the same is true. For this assignment, you will include at least one (1) source in your description of

your tentative argument.The source cannot be yourself, an interview, or your text book. You must research your topic in

order to gain a valid academic source that speaks to your topic in some way, and your CSU librarian is only an email away.

Elements: Your Research Proposal grade will be graded in part on your inclusion of the elements listed below:

 1. Cover page and APA formatting:

 You include an APA-style cover page for your Research Proposal. See the example on page 6 of the CSU APA Guide, 6^th edition.

Your cover page should include the following: the title of your future Research Paper (this may be changed as your project develops), your name, and the name of your university (Columbia Southern University). The cover page should also include a running head, which should include up to 50 characters of your title, along with a sequential page number in the upper right-hand corner, for which instructions are located on pp. 9-11 of your CSU APA Guide.

2. Purpose Statement (no Abstract required):

Review the purpose statement on p. 333 of Strategies for Writing Successful Research Papers. You may also want to refer to Chapter 1, Section 1c of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises (pp. 6-7). The following questions should be addressed in the first paragraph of your Research Proposal, which should be dedicated to establishing your purpose for doing this particular project.

• What is your rationale for this project?

• What do you hope to learn from the project, or what to do you want to see happen as a result of it?

• Who is your audience? Chapter 1, Section 1d, of The Little, Brown Compact Handbook with Exercises (pp. 7-8)

      • What role will you play in this project: investigator or advocate?

• What do you wish to persuade your audience to think or do? Why should they listen to you?

3. Statement of qualification:

Address the following questions as they are applicable to your project.

• What is your investment in the topic?

• What personal experience do you bring to the topic?

• What special qualities do you bring to the project?

• How might your investment, experience, and special qualities make you particularly apt at developing this project?

4. Tentative argument (no “literature review” or “research methods” required):

Your final Research Paper for this course will be an argumentative, research-based, academic paper. While it is unlikely that you will have a concrete idea of what your entire argument will be at this point in the writing process, it is necessary for you to articulate your argument as you understand it to be right now. Address the following questions.

• What is the context surrounding your topic? In other words, is there some event that was a catalyst for bringing your topic into the public eye? (Optional) Or  . . . what is the professional debate surrounding your topic?

• What is your explanation or definition of the topic?

• What is your analysis of the specific issue surrounding your topic?

• What is your tentative thesis (argument) or hypothesis? 

IMPORTANT! Who is your opposition? (NOTE: No opposition usually means no argument.) Why is your topic/issue debatable? Why would others disagree with you? Why should others listen to your argument? What authoritative research backs up your position?

5. References (no less than one [1] authoritative resource):

Include a references list as the last page of your Research Proposal, separate from your initial two (2) pages but still included in one (1) document (i.e., a third page). See the example on pages 6, 7, and 21 of your CSU APA Guide. All entries are those that have been cited in the body of your writing (your tentative argument). No others are to be included. No textbooks.