West Virginia University Goal of A Research Proposal Discussion

A research proposal is an action plan for carrying out your research. Research proposals make an argument that the research is feasible and worth doing. The goal of a research proposal is to explain the question or problem and state how your project will address that question or problem through research. The audience for this assignment is an academic audience. This is one of the primary projects that you will put in your portfolio. Your audience is your instructor, a fellow scholar who will determine if your project is clear, achievable, and worthwhile.

In the research proposal, you should include,

• A clear working title for your project
• A discussion of the exigency to which your research addresses responds, using sources from your annotated bibliography
• A discussion of the issue’s key terms, perspectives, and points of tension
• A concise description of what you will be researching
• A statement of your research question(s)
• A thorough description of the research methods you plan to use

Formatting Specifications

The document you submit should be single-spaced using 12-point Times New Roman and one-inch margins. Include a Works Cited or Reference page and format your sources using APA or MLA format (including a hanging indent).

Reflective Cover Letter

In addition to submitting the proposal, I would like you to submit a reflective cover letter. This 300-400 word text should be written as a letter to me. You’ll begin with “Dear Professor Sarraf” and conclude with “Sincerely, YourName.” In this letter, you’ll want to reflect on your experience with this unit.

You are required to respond to the two bolded questions. You are not required to respond to the additional questions; they are meant to provide you with a starting point if you aren’t sure what to say in the letter:

• What would you like my feedback on? What questions or concerns do you have?
• What time management strategies did you use to manage this project? Please reflect on specific strategies from the Time Management lecture in Week 5.
• How has your project (esp. Your research questions/plan) changed as a result of the secondary research you conducted?
• Before this assignment, how did you learn more about research you read in news/popular sources?
• How have your research behaviors changed as a result of this project?
• What is one thing that you learned in this unit about research writing that will help you in the future, either as you write for this class, for other classes, or in your career?

Grading

The research proposal will be revised and included in your final portfolio, which is worth 70% of your course grade. Failure to submit the cover letter will result in an incomplete grade.

Below you will find a list of criteria that I will use as I read your proposal:

• Title accurately identifies the topic, method, and angle
• Proposal explains the issue or problem and the exigency, using literature from the annotated bibliography
• Proposal describes key terms, perspectives, and points of tension
• Research question is specific, narrow, and answerable
• Research methods are thorough and appropriate for the research questions
• Works Cited uses standard formatting conventions (MLA or APA)
• Writing follows conventions for academic research proposals, including formatting, style, and mechanics