Research Proposal

The research proposal is a persuasive document. Your purpose is to convince your audience (in this case, me) that you will be able to produce a research paper in the allotted time.

The research proposal has four parts:

1. Specific topic: Your topic should be one which can be covered in 10 - 12 pages. If there are books on your topic, it is too broad.
2. Intended audience: You need to consider who would be interested in your topic. Be specific; the level of knowledge and expertise you assume for you audience will determine what you need to cover in your essay. Also consider why this audience would be interested in this topic. What expectations will they have? What do they already know? What do they need to know?
3. Purpose: As you consider your audience, you should also consider your purpose. If you explaining something, you assume an audience unfamiliar with the topic. If you are persuading, you must assume your audience has some opinion already.
4. Possible sources: These should be sources you're already found and are considering. This list should include books, articles, and online sources. This is a preliminary bibliography. Not all of these sources will make there way into your final essay, nor are you limited to only these sources,

The proposal can be as brief as two paragraphs (topic, audience, and purpose in one paragraph, a discussion of sources in the second) or as long as 2 pages. The proposal is not graded, but it must be approved. If the proposal is not submitted for approval or not approved, the research project will not be accepted.