Students must develop a written proposal for their research essay (approximately 500-750-words or two or three typed pages, double-spaced, 12 font). The purpose of the proposal is not only to familiarize the student with the topic but also to ensure that the student’s approach to the topic is workable and off to a good start. The proposal will require some preliminary research and background reading, but it will serve as a useful guide in completing the project. The proposal should consist of the following three parts:
OBJECTIVES: Introduce the topic and explain the objectives or purpose of the essay in one solid paragraph combining a, b, and c.
a) Topic
- Identify the general topic to be analyzed.
b) Background Questions
- Answer simple questions about the topic and the context. What is the scope of your paper–what will you include and what will you limit?
c) Thesis Statement
- Clearly state what thesis or argument the essay is, probably, going to develop.
OUTLINE: Provide a preliminary outline of the essay.
This should be in point form, including headings and subheadings, examples, etc., similar to these instructions.
It should be clear from the outline how the essay will develop the thesis or argument by laying out the sections of the essay.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY: This is a list of sources with a paragraph of notes foreach of your three sources.
- The Works Cited (MLA) should include three scholarly sources—books and peer-reviewed journal articles from a university library, besides any references to textbooks. Online academic journals or government websites are fine.
- The full bibliographic entry of each source in MLA format is followed by a one paragraph (5-7 sentences) description and evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses as a source and its usefulness for the essay.