Topic/Research Proposal
Overview
The topic/research proposal assignment.
Topic/Research Proposal
The Topic/Research Proposal
For English Composition II, you are expected to conduct a research project, where you explore, research, and then create an argument about a topic of your choosing. For this assignment, you’re going to take the first step in exploring your topic through preliminary research and proposing what further research you’re going to conduct.
Remember that this paper is not an essay, with an argumentative thesis that you have to prove with evidence. It’s also not just an informative report on the topic. Think of it more as a reflection and exploration of your topic. Think of this assignment as educating me on your topic. When writing the proposal, you should imagine that your audience is a group of students or scholars who would be interested in your topic, but might not have more than a passing familiarity with it. So, your purpose should be to give a good overview of the topic. It should also be to tell where your research is going and to get your audience interested and excited about your research.
Be sure to answer the following questions in your topic/research proposal:
1. What is your topic? Introduce it. Provide some background information or an overview of the subject matter. (15 sentences)
2. What is your thesis statement (i.e. research question - the thing about the topic you want to find out)? Your topic must be opinionated and well-phrased and formulated, rather than a petty observation about your topic. For example, if I argue that Kingman is the best place to live, my thesis statement might look like this: Kingman, AZ is the best place to live in Arizona because of the weather, entertainment, location, and job opportunities. Be sure to include these sub-issues within your thesis statement. (1 generally longer sentence)
3. What are some key issues or questions that surround your subject? (6 sentences)
4. What's the whole point of this topic? What motivated you to pursue this topic? So what? Why do you care about this topic? Why should your readers? (Don't be fooled by how short this question is - it's of vital importance!) (10 sentences)
Format: Standard MLA. 12 pt. Double-spaced. Times New Roman. 1-inch margins. No title page—put name, instructor, class and date on first page at the top, flush left (double-spaced).
Before submitting, please note that you are not able to reuse a previously written paper from high school or college. This is called dual submission/self-plagiarism. Even if it is your own words, the unethical part is that you are trying to receive credit in another course for the same exact essay/assignment that you wrote in a previous or concurrent course. If this happens, you will automatically receive a zero for the essay and possibly be kicked out of the course at my discretion.