Purpose: To persuade me that the research topic is interesting and worth researching.
Audience: Professor
Task: In 2-4 pages, propose the research topic you want to explore. Remember, the topic you choose will be the topic that all of your assignments will focus on this semester.
Keep in mind, the topic you are proposing is one that you will research for the entire semester. All of your assignments will relate to this topic – so make sure it is something you are interested in! Near the end of the semester, you will discuss multiple perspectives on the topic in a 6 – 8 page research paper (i.e., the Inquiry Research Project) and incorporate research found in reliable, scholarly sources. You will receive more information on the requirements for the Inquiry Research Project later. For now, focus on choosing a topic.
Address the following questions in your proposal:
1. What is the topic? Clearly state this in the introductory paragraph of your paper. Provide some background information to help the reader understand the topic. Do some preliminary research (minimum 3 Sources) that help support your background and provide full MLA citations for each source used. Use the Oakland Library Databases to help locate scholarly sources. Include a Works Cited list on a separate page at the end of the proposal.
2. How is this topic relevant to your audience (i.e., your peers)? Explain.
3. Why do you want to write about this topic? This may be addressed in multiple paragraphs and is likely to constitute the majority of the paper. Consider the following questions for this section – keep in mind that you are not limited to answering these questions:
a) Do you or your team have a personal experience that relates to the topic? Tell me about this experience.
b) Do you think researching this topic will benefit you intellectually, spiritually, or professionally? How so? Elaborate.
c) Do you think that exploring this topic and sharing what you learned will benefit your peers and/or community? How so? Elaborate.
4. What do you want to know about this topic? You should list multiple questions that you want to find answers to this semester.
Format: In-text citations, the document layout, and Works Cited citations should follow MLA formatting guidelines. Instructions for identifying sources and citation formatting can be found in The Everyday Writer. Also, use standard MLA document formatting – 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, and 1-inch margins.