Reference no: EM132726884

Research Proposal Assignment

This assignment asks you to produce a formal proposal of at least 1200 words describing the research project you intend to pursue for the rest of the quarter. Typically the proposal builds on one of the topics you discussed in your Research Topic freewrite. However, you may write their proposals on a different topic if you so desire (important: contact Christine if you're switching topics!)

Assignment Goals:
This assignment has three interrelated goals:

1. To help you develop an effective research plan for your PWR 2 project, considering context, research questions, sources, timeline, and larger implications.
2. To give you practice working with the Research Proposal as an academic genre.
3. To provide an opportunity for working on stylistics and effective academic discourse.

Paper format: 1200 +words; 1.5 spacing; separate title page including name, title, and date; page numbers; in-­-text citations and works cited in MLA form; 1" margins; visual evidence (as appropriate) with captions.

Proposal Draft and Revision

To give you time to develop your research idea and to focus on polishing your writing, this assignment involves a draft and a revision.

The draft is due Wednesday, January 16, at class. Turn your draft in two ways:
1. As an electronic document. Go to your Ning Portfolio (use the "Portfolios" link for your Section on the top horizontal menu to find your Portfolio. Start a new discussion in your portfolio called "Research Proposal". Include your proposal as an attachment to that discussion.)
2. As a print out. Bring 1 copy of your proposal with you to class.

Draft format: Your draft should be at least 1200 words in lengths, and should be 1.5 spaced. You may print your proposal as double-­-sided if you prefer. Please include page numbers. You may use images in your draft if you wish - just please use them rhetorically, not decoratively. In addition, be sure to cite any sources (textual or image-­-based) that you include in your draft. Outside sources are not required for your proposal, though they may enhance your ethos as a researcher.

Proposal Requirements and Structure

The proposal should be at least 1200 words in length (include page numbers please!) and should have a well thought-­-out title and contain effective visual rhetoric as appropriate. It should be a traditional, linear Word document, although it must be divided into sections with the following subheaders:

• Section #1 -­- Introduction. This introduction should be designed to interest your reader in your topic and proposal and provide some historical/cultural context for your project. At the end of your introduction, include a tentative thesis to indicate to your reader that you are entering your project looking at your topic through a critical, analytic lens -­--­- this thesis should clearly state your intentions using a metadiscursive structure (i.e., "In this project, I will..." or "This research project will investigate
..."). A good formula for an introduction is context + problem/complication + proposed argument or research question. Each stage in this formula should be a few sentences long. If you are not ready to construct a hypothesis at this point, be sure to include at least one well-­-thought-­-out research question to indicate what line of inquiry you're going to use in your research. NOTE: consider using reference sources (such as those found on our Library Research Guide - list under "Key Links" on the right sidebar of the Ning) to help you develop an understanding of the background of your topic.
• Section #2 -­- Research methods and sources. In this section, you should discuss the methods and sources you will use to conduct your research, including specific references to sites, databases, key texts or authors that you feel will be indispensible to your project. Include here also reference to less traditional research methods-­--­- fieldwork, interviews, surveys, visits to chatrooms, gaming -­--­- as applicable to your topic. This is also the section in which you might troubleshoot the research project, or weigh the benefits and drawbacks of certain types of sources (i.e., availability, bias, etc.). Make sure your reader understands how the methodology/sources you have chosen are appropriate to your specific topic. Keep in mind, also, as you move forward that you are required to use some of Stanford's databases as part of your search strategy.
• Section #3 -­- Timeline. Include a timeline for your project, using these dates from the syllabus as the foundation for your plan:
o Wednesday, January 16: Draft of Research Proposal due
o Tuesday, January 22 (by 11:59pm): Proposal Presentation Materials due
o Wednesday, January 23: Proposal Presentations (by individual assignment)
o Monday, January 28: Revision of Research Proposal due
o Wednesday, February 13: Midterm presentations
o Tuesday, February 19 (by 9am): Draft of Written Research Argument due
o Wednesday, February 20: Four slides for Research Presentation due
o Monday, February 25: Draft of Research Presentation due & In-­-Class dress rehearsal
o Wednesday, February 27: Revision of Research Presentation materials & OCT goals sheet due
o Wednesday, February 27: Research Presentations (possible additional evening session on Feb. 26 or 27)
o Friday, March 1 (by 5pm): Presentation reflection due
o Monday, March 4: Second draft of Written Research Argument due

o Monday, March 11: Final Revision of Written Research Argument due

In addition, set up certain milestones (by day or by week) that you will accomplish to keep yourself on track. Be sure that your timeline is more than a simple reiteration of the assignment deadlines for the course; it should reflect some awareness of the demands of your time outside of class, as well as the different stages in the process of research (going to the library, taking notes, going to the writing center, reviewing sources, etc.). You may also want to include other notable time commitments (significant midterms, a trip to visit family, etc., away games for a team). Finally, remember this is a proposal for your research project, not just your research paper, so your timeline should reflect that.

• Section #4 -­- Conclusion. In your conclusion, address the "So What?" of this research. That is, why does what you are investigating matter as more than an academic exercise? Why should your audience want to read it? Why does it matter?
• Section #5 -­- About the Author section. Finally, as an addendum to the proposal, create a biography of yourself as a researcher -­--­- an "About the Author" section in which you establish your persona and your ethos as a student-­-researcher on your topic. Please include an appropriately sized photograph of yourself alongside your bio (remember to consider ethos in your photo selection!). Be sure to use the third person in your biography. See Envision Chapter 7, p 174-­-175 for strategies for writing an effective bio.
• Section #6 -­- Works cited or Preliminary Bibliography. If you cite any sources, you'll also need to have a works cited at the end of the proposal, with the citations in MLA format. Any parenthetical citations in the text itself should also follow MLA guidelines. Even if you don't have a works cited, you should include a preliminary bibliography at the end of your proposal containing at least 4 sources; be sure this is in proper MLA form as well (please be sure to include URLs for your source UNLESS you found them through a database). Also, please after each citation, note how you found it. For example, this is a citation that might appear in the bibliography/works cited of a paper on Women & Computer science:

Please note that the most current version of MLA citation form doesn't require you to include URLs, however for my class, please include URLs for all materials you find online unless you use a database to do so. You can find more help on in-­-text citations and works cited format through the "MLA Documentation" link found under the "Class Materials" link on the top menu of our Ning site.

Attachment:- Research Proposal.rar