Your Proposal will start with an introduction. You do not need a subheading for the Introduction – you can jump right into writing it.
Your prompt for the proposal asks for “good ideas and spirited conversation,” so you should start by indicating (subtly) how your topic speaks to one or both of those qualities.
Lead into a brief background of the study (generally speaking, what have researchers been doing to address this topic?) and then transition (Links to an external site.) into your research question/problem statement. The research question/problem statement should be written as a statement (not a question) and in present tense – for example:
“Automatic Electric Vehicle (AEV) technology is currently being developed for fuel transportation in military theaters, yet few are employing the same technology for water transportation in areas where water is scarce ( APA Citation (Links to an external site.) ).”
“An important aspect of Othello’s tragedy is society’s failure to accept an interracial marriage – a prejudice that is revealed through the characters’ microaggressions” (APA Citation (Links to an external site.)).”
Then, state your contribution to topic in future tense – for example:
“In this study, I will investigate whether AEV technology could be used to transport water in developing countries where water is scarce.”
“In this study, I will investigate the stigma surrounding interracial marriage in the early modern period, as well as the manner in which the characters’ microaggressions exasperate the tragedy.”
Provide a line or two briefly explaining your research method in future tense – for example:
“I will research the materials, designs, and capabilities of military AEVs through trade journals and lab studies, and I will compare my findings to data regarding the terrain and water needs of the Sahel region of North-West Africa – a region that is experiencing a deadly drought.”
“I will research pamphlets, sermons, and other stage dramas published during the production of Othello, as well as modern studies regarding microaggressions, in order to get a sense of the attitudes applied to interracial marriage in the early modern period.”
Finally, describe who could be impacted by this study, and how they would be impacted. Ask yourself, “Who would read a literature review like the one I’m writing, and why?” Usually, researchers who are working on their own projects use literature reviews to gain an understanding of who else has been working on similar projects. A literature review provides an overview of the current state of our understanding about a topic, so that researchers can build on the successes and work toward mitigating the challenges of previous studies. Make sure you know which disciplines your intended researcher-reader is likely to be working in.
