Research Proposal [Assignment/Rubric]
Kimberly Stelly
Overview
Writing a research proposal is one way to effectively manage your research paper. A proposal gives you an opportunity to develop the foundation of your research paper. The proposal also will give your professor a chance to see and understand your purpose and your reasoning for choosing a specific topic. By doing research and constructing your proposal, you will hopefully be able to avoid any difficulties or issues that occur during the research process.
Your objective is to make a case for the question(s) you plan to explore, the sources you plan to use, and the validity of the issue. Your topic should be current and controversial. The ultimate goal is to argue for change. Research both sides of your issue. The quality of your proposal will dictate if you will be permitted to write about this topic.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this assignment, students will
- formulate a researchable, open-ended question on a current and controversial topic that has two clear sides.
- construct a well-structured research proposal that includes credible sources and follows APA format guidelines, including a cover page, in-text citations, and a references page.
Questions to Consider
A good proposal will be at least 2-3 typed pages that address all of the following questions.
Research Question. What question will you be exploring? You must examine a controversial issue that has two clear sides. You need to approach your topic as an open-ended question that needs answering first. You are going to have to explore both sides of the controversy in order to make a good argument. Why does this question need to be asked? Why does change need to occur?
Research Conversation. What have you learned about your topic? What side of the issue has the strongest argument? Can you narrow your topic? If your topic is too broad, such as “immigration,” how are you going to narrow your topic down to a manageable one? Your topic needs to be current and controversial. Reading, watching, or listening to the news will help.
Search Strategy. What sources are you using? Avoid blogs, student essays, and encyclopedias. What kind of experts will you need to include? Can you distinguish between a reliable and unreliable source? Always consider the source.
Managing Information. How are you going to keep track of the sources you find? How are you managing the information you find? It’s important to keep the information from different sources separate and make sure you have all citation information in order to avoid plagiarism
Project Challenges. What challenges do you anticipate? For example, do you think it will be difficult to locate current sources or find enough research information for both sides? Or do you expect any challenges with finding a stance to take or creating a thesis?
The proposal should be submitted to the instructor at the due date and time in APA format (i.e. Times New Roman, 12-size font, and double-spaced). Students who submit proposals that meet these criteria will almost certainly get their choice of a research topic.
Structure and Rubric
- APA Style: Essay follows APA style and includes a cover page (5 pts.)
- APA References: The References page follows APA formatting (10 pts.)
- Research Question: The research topic is structured as a question (5 pts.)
- Example: Should voting be mandatory in the United States? Center this question at the top of your second page, replacing the title with your question.
- Paragraph One (20 pts.):
- Explains why you chose the topic. How is it relevant to you? In what ways might it be relevant to the United States? To the world?
- Identifies who is primarily affected by the topic. Be specific!
- Establishes which side you are “leaning” towards. Why? Explain your reasoning behind this decision.
- Gives a brief summary of your topic.
- Paragraph Two (20 pts.):
- Summarizes the “for” argument. Provide three reasons for the supporting side.
- Includes at least one direct quote or paraphrased statement from at least one source. Make sure you have a lead-in and citation for each direct quote.
- Provides specific evidence the source(s) give in support of the “for” argument? Is the evidence from experts? Why should this evidence be trusted? Is the evidence reliable? Why?
- Paragraph Three (20 pts.):
- Summarizes the “against” argument. Provide three reasons for the opposing side.
- Includes at least one direct quote or paraphrased statement from at least one source. Make sure you have a lead-in and citation for each direct quote.
- Provides specific evidence the source(s) give in support of the “against” argument? Is the evidence from experts? Why should this evidence be trusted? Is the evidence reliable? Why?
- Paragraph Four (20 pts.):
- What questions do you have about your topic? These questions will guide your research.
- What do you anticipate being the challenges in your research and in creating your arguments for each side?
Reminders
Remember, you need
- at least two sources.
- at least one source for paragraphs two and three.
- cite each piece of textual evidence.
Regarding sources: Don’t use ProCon.org or any type of encyclopedia, blog, school newspaper, newsletter, or doctoral candidate paper. Don’t use a business.
Downloadable Resources (Assignment/Rubric)
Click here to download a Word Doc version of this assignment/rubric:
Research Proposal assignment with rubric
Attribution:
Stelly, Kimberly. “Research Proposal [Assignment/Rubric].” Strategies, Skills and Models for Student Success in Writing and Reading Comprehension. College Station: Texas A&M University, 2024. This work is licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).