Extended Proposal

As the next step toward your research paper, submit an extended proposal, which should include the following:
Tentative title for your essay
Thesis, an arguable statement which may change as your paper develops. For thesis tips, see FCTTA Chapter 6: “Developing an Argument of Your Own.”
Summary of your argument, which may repeat the explanations from your first proposal, may be an outline of your anticipated points/examples or may be an introduction that you’ve already started drafting
Annotated bibliography with at least five sources that you have already evaluated or that you plan to complete (e.g. if you’re going to interview someone, cite it as a personal interview
(Links to an external site.)
and note the questions you’ll ask). Here are instructions for formatting the bibliography and writing your annotations: What is an annotated bibliography?
download
Total of ~1000 words, including the annotated bibliography. The annotations, which should be about a paragraph each, will be the bulk of your word count.
Grading: This assignment is worth 10% of your course total. It is meant to be a step in the research process: to help you gather your thoughts and to show me how your argument is developing. If you complete each element, including accurate citations in your annotated bibliography, you’ll get full credit.
Reminders: The type of research will depend on your topic. Sources don’t have to be traditionally academic or “scholarly” if, for example, you’re analyzing popular media or public reactions to a current event. That said, MPC Library’s OneSearch
(Links to an external site.)
system and research databases
(Links to an external site.)
are great resources, especially if you hit a paywall or find a subscription-only publication while googling (see, for example, US Major Dailies
(Links to an external site.)
). You can also ask a librarian
(Links to an external site.)
for help.
To double-check MLA citation, consult FCTTA chapter 7, our MLA practice quiz, the MLA website
(Links to an external site.)
, the Purdue OWL
(Links to an external site.)
and/or the MPC Library (e.g. works cited pages
(Links to an external site.)
, in-text citations
(Links to an external site.)
, or ask a librarian
(Links to an external site.)
).
Feedback: As usual, once I’ve graded your extended proposal, click “View Feedback
(Links to an external site.)
” to see my color-coded annotations. You’ll see mostly yellow marks, which are key ideas (and just me following along). Green marks are comments, and pink/red marks are corrections, which you can click (in the Canvas app) or track to the margin (on the Canvas website).

Last Completed Projects