Explain your topic and what you’re trying to accomplish (what is your argument, what are you trying to prove, how you are going to prove it, etc.

Mercer 1
Kristen Mercer
Professor Whoever
English B1A T/TR 8:00-9:25
Research Prospectus
3 October 2017
Research Prospectus
Research Question: Type your research question here.
Working Thesis: Next, include a working thesis here. A working thesis is not a finalized thesis, but rather an early form of your thesis statement. A working thesis will evolve as you continue to research your topic.
Bibliography
Smith, John. A Fit of Pique. Penguin, 2009. This is where you include your sources (you only need 2 for this assignment, formatted just as if you were doing a works cited for a paper. They should be in alphabetical order and be properly formatted according to MLA conventions for each particular source. Once you’ve finished the citation itself, briefly summarize the sources and explain what they will bring to your research paper. You only need a few sentences for this portion.
Explanation: Explain your topic and what you’re trying to accomplish (what is your argument, what are you trying to prove, how you are going to prove it, etc. This portion is typically 5-7 sentences long.
Example:
Writing the Prospectus
I.THE RESEARCH PAPER PROSPECTUS
Here are guidelines for writing a prospectus (or abstract) for a research project in English. Although you may not be able to answer all of the questions at this stage, you should have some solid preliminary answers.
Writing the Prospectus
1. Working thesis statement or hypothesis
a. the topic or subject of your examination
b. the question you are going to ask about the subject (the perspective from which you will examine the subject)
c. the argument you are going to make about it (this will undoubtedly shift as you research and write, but you need to begin to formulate a hypothesis to help direct your inquiry)
Writing the Prospectus
2. Preliminary Bibliography (2 possible sources)
a.Explain why you’ve chosen these sources
b.Explain what they offer your study–the information they provide; the author’s argument and perspective
c.You do not need to write more than a few sentences explaining your choice of each source.
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Writing the Prospectus
•Explanation
– how will you use the sources?
– are they valid/reliable for the questions you want to ask?
– What is your argument?
Writing the Prospectus
So, your prospectus should have a tentative working thesis that I expect will change over the the next few weeks as you engage in research of your topic.
It should include your research question (all thesis statements are the answers to questions)
Writing the Prospectus
•The argument/angle you are going to take in your paper must be included. Remember, this is an argumentative research paper. Your thesis must be arguable.
•A preliminary bibliography:
Writing the Prospectus
•The Explanation:
»Explain what these sources offer your study—how will they work in your paper to further your argument?
»Are they valid/credible/reliable for the question(s) you want to ask?
»Explain whether they are scholarly, and, if not, why do you think they are reliable and worth including in your research paper.
Writing the Prospectus
•Your prospectus should be in MLA format.
•Your thesis statement should be listed first, with the information required for that portion following.
•Next, you should have your “Bibliography,” which should be formatted like any other works cited (alphabetical order), and under each citation, you should include the brief explanation required for each source.
Writing the Prospectus
•Finally, you should have one paragraph explaining how you are going to pursue your research question. This section is called Explanation.

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