Analysis to Determine the Elasticity of Rubber Bands

Overview The three major types of proposals are (1) planning proposals, (2) sales proposals and (3)

research proposals

In a planning proposal, the people writing the proposal are proposing to carry out solutions to a

problem or make some kind of improvement to something that already exists.

In a sales proposal, the people writing the proposal are trying to get their audience to buy a

product or service offered by their business.

In a research proposal the people writing the proposal are seeking funding to carry out a

study. The writers of the proposal are not proposing to actually carry out the solution to a

problem, but rather to do some kind of research that will answer a question or identify the best

solution to the problem.

Proposal Tips Proposals should be reader-centered. Think about what the reader needs to know and give

him/her only that information.

Avoid "blue sky" proposals. Back up your claims with data, reasoning, and feasible solutions.

In the real world your proposal should be as mechanically-perfect as you can get it, and should

follow the funder's checklist to the letter.

Apply all you have learned about formatting to make the final document clear and usable:

headings, lists, indentations, active space, and visual design elements such as typefaces, etc.

Use appropriate diagrams and visuals. Visuals don't have to be fancy or professional--scanned-

in hand sketches are fine--as long as the designs demonstrate thoughtful use of visual

communication techniques. If you use clip art or images from the Internet, be sure to cite your

source.

If you use outside sources to gather information, be sure to quote and cite appropriately

Assignment Tips Remember that for this assignment, you will actually carry out your study, so only propose a

small-scale study that you personally can complete in the time available.

In the proposal, keep your claims and arguments rational. You will use your opinions to

persuade your audience about needs and benefits, but avoid purely emotional appeals.

For the purposes of this assignment you are the "Principal Investigator." You can also be the

only investigator, unless you need somebody else to help you (be sure to list their names and

qualifications in the appropriate part of the proposal)

Template In the real world, the contents of a research proposal are usually dictated by the funder's

request for proposals (RFP) and the accompanying checklist. But nearly all proposals contain

the following elements:

Title A clear and limiting title, so that an electronic search can find the document.

Introduction (or Overview) The purpose of the introduction is to convince the reader that the problem or study is worth

their attention and money. Proposal introductions contain some or all of the following

elements. Use subheadings as needed to separate the introduction's subsections:

Need: statement of the problem and why the project needs to be undertaken

Background, if applicable, about why it's a problem

Your goals and objective, what you plan to accomplish with your study

Benefits of your study to the audience, to the group with the problem, or to some other group

with a need

Qualifications of personnel, why you are especially qualified to do this research

Data sources that you will use

Limitations and contingencies: what backup plans do you have in place if something doesn't go

as expected in your study?

Scope of the proposal: A formula statement that says "This proposal contains..." with a short

summary of the things in the proposal.

 A Descriptive Heading for the Body of the Proposal Include the following subsections in your proposal's body:

Methods What methods will you use to gather the data in your study? Give a detailed description of the

procedure that will be followed by your investigator(s) using everything you’ve learned about

clarity and specifics.

Write this section exactly like you would write a process description, in third-person

indicative mood, present tense, and active voice.

Timetable List the key tasks and the dates by which the tasks will be accomplished, maybe in table form.

Materials and Equipment What materials and instruments do you already have, what will you still need, and how will you

get the things you need? What will happen to the leftovers when your study is done? A list can

work well here.

Personnel Who is working on this study, and what are their qualifications? Think about using a list if there

is more than one person.

Facilities Where will the study be done? What additional facilities will you need?

Budget How much will your study cost? (This is a good place to use a table.)

Expected Results What do you generally expect the outcome of your study to show?

Conclusion Restate the needs and benefits or summary of key points

Close with a request for action from the audience.

References If your description includes information that is not general knowledge or public domain, add a

references section to the end and cite your sources (using whatever citation format you like). If

your description only includes general knowledge, then omit this section.

Remember that you cannot copy/paste information from the Internet and present it as your

own writing. This is a writing class, and copy/pasting is not writing (in fact, it is plagiarism).

Everything in your paper must be written by you in your own words.