English Homework

Proposing a Topic for Research

Purpose and Audience

In this first writing project, your purpose will be to persuade your instructor to approve your research topic. Because this topic will be the problematic issue that you will eventually propose a solution to at the end of the semester, it’s important to first prove that this topic is significant, complex, and truly worth researching for several months. Furthermore, your proposal should prove that you have a clear plan for how you will conduct your research on this topic. Your purpose for the proposal is not, however, to argue for a solution to your topic. Save that for your final project of the semester.

Choosing a Topic for Your Proposal

You will be using the same topic for the entire semester, so try to choose a problematic issue that personally affects you or really interests you. This doesn't have to be a huge, worldwide problem, but it should be something public that affects enough people that you'll be able to research it thoroughly with a variety of sources. This issue should also be something that doesn’t have an easy answer. It could be something from your major or field of study, an issue that’s currently in the news, a personal problem that many people face, or something that affects a discourse community to which you belong.

Once you have a topic in mind, you’ll come up with a research question. There's a good chance that your research question will evolve as you do your research, and that's not a problem. Revising your research question shows flexibility, and it's also a good sign that your understanding of your topic is growing and evolving as you learn more.

Genre

In academia, research proposals are a common genre for scholars who are trying to prove the significance of their research, and secure funding to continue their research. Like all writing, the length, content, components, and design of your proposal will depend on your audience and purpose. In this case, because your audience is your instructor, you will write a relatively concise proposal requesting approval for your topic. As your reader, I should be able to read your proposal and easily get a clear understanding of your topic and why it’s important and worthwhile.

Content and Organization

A proposal such as this often places emphasis on efficient, concise writing and clear document design to allow quicker reading for a busy audience. Your proposal must include clearly labeled sections for each of the following components:

· Cover Page and Title: Here is the place to demonstrate originality and creativity

· Abstract: In 50 to 100 words, try to summarize your project

· Significance of the Problem: Why is this problem a problem? What causes this problem? Why hasn’t it been solved yet? What kinds of disagreements does this problem cause? Why is this problem important and worthy of research? Are a great number of people affected by this problem? Who are they? Why is this problem worth solving?

· Research Question and Thesis: What is the question (or questions) that you’re trying to answer through your research? What is your tentative response? What is the solution that you will potentially propose?

· Sources and Research Methods: Which types of sources have you used so far? Which types of sources do you plan to use? Why will these sources be the most useful for learning more about your topic? (Don’t just say, “I’m going to look at some books and websites.” Build your credibility as a researcher by being specific and naming authors, articles, publications, or other sources.)

· Works cited page in MLA format or any other format you are comfortable with. Keep it consistent.

Research Requirements

While there is no limit on the number of sources you can use in your proposal, you should include at least three academic, peer-reviewed sources. These sources should help you define the problem and its causes, demonstrate the problem's significance, analyze the community affected by the issue you’re researching, and come up with a tentative solution. Your sources should be cited within the proposal and in a separate works cited page.

Grading criteria

In grading your proposal, I’ll be asking the following questions:

• Does the proposal clearly and thoroughly explain the problem and its causes?

• Does the proposal use credible research to support the explanation of the problem and its causes?

• Does the proposal explain the significance of the problem?

• Does the proposal use credible research to effectively prove the significance?

• Are all sources incorporated effectively through a combination of quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing?

• Does the proposal state a clear, specific research question or questions?

• Does the proposal provide a clear, specific explanation of the types of sources that you will be using to research your topic? Does the proposal also explain why these types of sources will be the most appropriate for this topic?

• Are all sections of the proposal unified, coherent, and easy to identify through their headings?

• Is the writing clear and free of errors? Does it show evidence of thorough proofreading?

• Are all sources cited correctly, both in the proposal and in an MLA-formatted works cited page?