Research Paper Proposal

The good news is that this is the most formulaic of all the assignments we will do in here this semester. If you follow the format, you should have little problems with this one. Remember that the main reason for writing this proposal is that by the time you've completed it, you'll have a better idea of what you will be doing the rest of our time in this class. The proposal forces you to be specific and to narrow your focus--something that you may not be so comfortable with at first. That said, here are the requirements:

The first page of the proposal
A typed, double-spaced description of your paper. By the end of the page, we should have an idea of whether your paper will be argumentative or exploratory. If you will be arguing a point, you need to let us know what that main claim will be. If, on the other hand, you will be exploring--seeking potential answers to a question--you need to let us know what it is you hope to discover. Keep in mind that the more specific your main claim or question is, the more focused your research will be, and in turn, the better your paper will be. Also realize that nailing down a main claim or question right now does not prevent you from making adjustments to that idea. You may end up with an entirely different thesis--but forcing yourself to come up with one now will direct your research.

The second page of the proposal
Bibliographic entries of three potential library or Internet sources for your paper. Again, this doesn't mean you have to use them, but the sources should be ones you are seriously considering. Once you have listed the bibliographic information, write a brief summary of the source and then explain how you intend to use it. Will you be arguing against this material? Will you be using it to support your ideas? Why is it that this particular source will be helpful to you? If you have room to include more than three, feel free to do so.

The third page of the proposal
A list of eight to ten other sources that you are considering using. Follow the format outlined in the MLA guide (information on my homepage under Purdue OWL) and in the Citing Web Sources web site.

*Note: Since this assignment is so straightforward, we won't have a peer review session. But feel free to post your proposals to the list-serv if you would like feedback from me or your classmates.