The informal topic proposal is a concise (1 page maximum, word processed), ungraded assignment due the 3rd week of class. You should give me an idea of what you'd like to investigate for your semester project. Write a few sentences introducing your topic, give me an idea of how you'd like to approach it, and list several key questions you wish your research to address. If you're trying to decide between two or three options, flesh out each option briefly. The whole idea here is to get my initial approval on a topic choice: if I approve it, you can work on your formal proposal with confidence; if I don't, you'll have to time revise your topic choice before the graded proposal is due.

The basic purpose of the research proposal is informative: you want to give me concrete information on the scope and organization of your topic. However, it's also speculative in the sense that you're trying out ideas, exploring possible directions of inquiry, and asking questions of yourself and me. This speculation also suggests another important fact: your proposed research plan is subject to change and revision. It's not set in stone! In a nutshell, the proposal addresses two major questions: (1) Where are you in the research process at this time? (2) Where will you go from here?

Your proposal should be in memo format, addressed to me, and be two to three single-spaced pages long (double-spaced between sections and headings). Proposals should be thorough (in terms of content), well-organized, readable, and neat.

The major sections, along with some questions to get you going, are as follows. Use the same headings in your own proposal. Note: you don't necessarily have to answer the questions in order; be aware that some questions overlap. They're intended to get your mind working and in "proposal mode."

INTRODUCTION

• Describe the purpose and scope of your project, and identify the controversy or set of questions you're investigating.
• Discuss any relevant background information (contextualize the controversy/issue).
• Why is this project relevant to you and/or your field of interest?
• What are your qualifications for this investigation? (Have you done prior research? Do you have particular expertise or personal experience that would be relevant in some way?)
• If you have an argument in mind, spell it out. If you're unsure, articulate the possibilities or put forth a hypothesis. Give me an idea of an argument that could work.

Provide a fairly detailed, parallel, properly formatted, phrase outline of your project (see your writing handbook for examples). This will help us discuss your work in terms of organization, and will help you in focusing your topic.

METHODS

• What types of information are you gathering (primary and/or secondary)?
• What research methods (besides library research) do you envision using (such as a survey or interviews)? What is your strategy for carrying out these methods?
• Do you envision any special A-V needs for the oral report?

Provide a schematic and specific timetable for completing the research project (through submission of final report). Detail work you've done this far as well as work that's ahead of you. Example: our course schedule is a detailed timetable.

DISCUSSION

• What potential or present problems and/or questions do you have?
• What relevant information should I have for our conferences in the near future?

List key sources you have gathered thus far, using MLA citation style (see your handbook).

The progress report is the second written component in the overall research project sequence. In the sense that it informs me of the work you've completed and the tasks you have ahead of you, it is a reiteration and revision of the proposal. Some of you may find that your project has changed considerably (whether in terms of your thesis statement, your overall focus, and/or your organization), and the progress report is a way to make those changes explicit. Moreover, the progress report is your chance to iron out potential problems in the writing of your individual final chapter; thus, it serves a vital trouble-shooting function as well.

The report should be in memo form and consist of the following sections:

• Revised timetable of tasks done and work to be completed
• Discussion (of changes in your project, concerns and problems, anticipated number of future conferences with me, etc.)
• Abstract of chapter
• Revised outline

THE ABSTRACT

An abstract, according to Diana Hacker, "is a 75-to-100 word paragraph that provides readers with a quick overview of your essay. It should express your thesis . . . and your key points; it should also briefly suggest any implications or applications of the research you discuss in the paper" (Hacker A Writer's Reference 54). Check your writing guide for more information on writing abstracts. I've included several abstracts in our reserve reading folder for your perusal.

Basically, an abstract contains the essential message of your argument and research. It should include your thesis and major topics, major findings of your research, important names/date/statistics, and any conclusions and/or recommendations. An abstract should not include background information, tangential comments and conjectures, introductions, long explanations/examples, definitions, or data of questionable accuracy. Finally, the abstract should be written in a nontechnical style and should be able to stand alone in terms of meaning.

Just what it says! Be sure to use correct outline form, including parallel structure. In other words, don't mix phrases with complete sentences in your outline--be consistent throughout. Also, don't create a subcategory with only one item--this doesn't make sense logically. Any subcategory, by definition, needs to have at least 2 items--otherwise there's no need for that subcategory.

WHAT GOES IN THE INTRODUCTION?

Your intro is somewhat summary in nature, of course, but it's different from an abstract, strictly speaking. Your introduction is longer--it should be 2 or 3 paragraphs long--and should be a "hook" to grab our interest in your research topic (see Booth, ch. 15). In your intro, you should:

• Grab our attention with an interesting opening
• Define and describe the issue you're looking at, its key participants, etc.
• Discuss the origin and significance of the controversy or debate associated with your topic
• Explain the purpose of your research and articulate your argument clearly (can you tell this is the most important part of the intro?)
• Preview the scope of your analysis (what are the major points you'll be making?)

HOW SHOULD I FORMAT THE BODY OF MY REPORT?

Break up the text of your paper by using headings, as appropriate. You don't want to overdo it, but some headings are quite useful in making a long paper more accessible. Devising headings (without getting bogged down with subheadings) is also a useful exercise in organization. If you incorporate any visuals, such as a table, a graph, or a figure, be sure to format them properly and provide a proper titles (consult Booth, ch. 12, for details). See the sample research papers for examples of using headings.

DO I REALLY HAVE TO WRITE THAT DARNED CONCLUSION?

'Fraid so! Don't make your conclusion a boring reiteration of your introduction. Instead, review the major points of your research/argument, make an overall judgment about your findings, and make any specific recommendations, if applicable. Two paragraphs here should suffice.

A STATEMENT ON PLAGIARISM

Please read pp. 166-170 in Booth very carefully, and talk to me if you have any questions as to what constitutes plagiarism. I will hold you to these guidelines for all of your work.