Research Proposal

First Draft Due (Bring 4 Copies): October 28, 2004
Final Draft Due: November 2, 2004 (Election Day! Don’t forget to vote.)

One of the first steps in a research project is the identification of a topic, and the drafting of a research proposal. Once you have selected a tentative topic, you need to narrow the topic down to a manageable size. The proposal helps you narrow your focus. Begin with your Pre-Proposal Research Draft and build a proposal out of ideas there.

The proposal is not an outline. An outline helps you organize a research paper after you have done the research and are ready to assemble the pieces of a puzzle that you can see in your mind. The proposal is much more preliminary. In a proposal you present your thoughts about what your paper might be about.

What is your question?
There are likely to be a number of good “questions” within any specific topic. Try to focus on one of those questions. (Add others if you want, but try to pick a main one). The Question is a good place to start your proposal. Your preliminary research may have helped you begin to refine your question, but you should still have a question. You do not have answers yet. This is normal, and a good sign of the research process.

Issues to address in a proposal (not in this order, and not in this format)
1 - What is my research question?
2 – How might I characterize my approach to the question? Sociological, Psychological, Ethical? (Find clues in the journal articles you’re finding.)
3 - What is the broader topic for my research question?
4 – Is my topic focused enough? Too often people have overly broad topics. Work very small here.
5 - What are the boundaries of my topic? What doesn't belong in my paper?
6- Where do I think I am finding the most valuable resources for my research?
7 - What ideas (if any) do I have about organizing the research essay?

Proposal Checklist (make sure your proposal includes these elements)
1 - Indicates your topic
2 - Indicates your working ideas for your research question. Consider what you take to be the relevant elements of your topic. Include your reflections on your research (“In researching x, I think I am finding that…”)
3- Indicates which of the common readings for the class you think is (are) relevant for your project, and why. (“Omi/Winant's idea of x is likely to be useful because it says... This can help my project because…”)
4 - Indicates the problems you think your working ideas for a research question will raise concerning your topic. What are some obstacles or challenges that you can anticipate?