Research Proposal Assignment for Dr. Smith Harvey

Research Proposal

Due : In Week 9 – submitted via Blackboard by the beginning of class time

Evaluation: 10% of final grade

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE ESSAY!! IT IS SIMPLY THE PREP WORK FOR THE ESSAY DUE IN EARLY APRIL!!

Format

· A cover page is unnecessary due to it being a Blackboard submission

· 11 or 12-point font, Times New Roman (or similar)

· approx. 1 page (subject area + bibliography)

· use the sub-headings & structure as shown below

(i) SUBJECT AREA (5 marks)

For the major (argumentative) essay component, you will be researching & analyzing a topic of your own choice . Your topic should include a Canadian aspect of some kind. Whether you choose to explore an issue, trend, problem, movement, debate or controversy, you must evaluate the topic’s overall SOCIAL IMPORTANCE & IMPACT on individuals, communities & society-at-large.

· For this proposal, first list a general category of interest . Use the material in your textbooks, class activities, the newspaper, Internet searches or personal interests as inspiration).

· From this general category, then narrow the subject to one specific issue, situation, problem or debate within the larger category. You want to avoid a topic that is too broad or else you won’t be able to adequately analyze it in the space of the final essay.

· Lastly, in one sentence, explain how you will focus the topic & what particular themes/aspects you will concentrate on for discussion in your essay (these may shift somewhat over time).

Part One should end up looking like this:

(1) General category : Disability [→ a word or two]

(2) Specific subject : Residential Construction & Accessibility [→ a set of more specific words or phrases]

(3) Particular focus : I will focus on the trend of renovating homes to be accessible for people with physical disabilities - for example, by installing ramps, lower-height cabinets, & automation.

[→ one full sentence describing the purpose of your research, providing possible themes & examples]

(ii) PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY (10 marks)

· Do various keyword searches to find sources on your topic (published after 2000); create an alphabetized APA bibliography

· List a minimum of 4 (or more!) resources on your topic FROM THE LIBRARY DATABASES only .

· Do not use article ‘abstracts’ – full text articles only

· You will want to remember the database names & the retrieval dates for your sources

· Email a copy of each source to yourself (along with an automated APA citation), & store them in a folder on your computer or on a memory stick

· Acceptable sources: e-books, academic & trade journals, newspapers, magazines; reports & fact sheets by universities, government & social agencies; documentary videos; interview transcripts.

Do NOT use Google (web) searches at this time – ONLY include sources from the Library Databases!