Research Proposal Assignment Guidelines

ENGL 106

Purpose
The purpose of a research proposal is to demonstrate that there is a need for the research
you are seeking to conduct. This means you are trying to convince your reader(s) that the
research you want to explore is worthwhile. You should already have a clear sense of your
topic’s landscape from the work you completed on your annotated bibliography, but your
proposal should strive to narrow the focus of your research by identifying a gap within,
problem with or question about the information that is currently available. I.E. you should
be looking for a place where your perspective can fit into the ongoing conversation.

Unlike a literacy narrative, which is written with a general audience in mind, research
proposals are usually written to the gatekeepers of academic journals, conferences or other
more mainstream publications. You might find it helpful then to think of your proposal as a
document that attempts to convince a potential publisher that your research merits the
quality of their platform. With this in mind, you should also outline a plan, covering what
you have discovered in your research and identifying what questions you still might need to
answer before presenting your research in its final form.

Looking ahead, your proposal should bring you closer in your preparation to your
culminating project for this course, the research poster, which is due at the end of the
semester. In other words, you will be seeing the research and writing process all the way
through, not simply conducting an isolated exercise.

Research
While your annotated bibliography allowed you to survey the generalities of your topic, the
work toward your proposal should help you to narrow it to a manageable size. This can often
be achieved by becoming well-versed on a particular facet of the research you have already
conducted. In other words, you should come to be familiar enough with the available
information to know what others in the field have already said (contributed to the research
conversation) about your particular topic. New research will be necessary in this endeavor,
so I am asking that you incorporate at least three sources in addition to what you have
included in your annotated bibliography.*

*You will not be required to incorporate all of the sources from your annotated bib, only the
ones you see as relevant to your proposal.

Length
1200-1400 words.

Meaningful Title
Every proposal must have an interesting, rhetorically relevant title that pulls readers into the
text.

Format
As always, MLA format—double-spaced, one-inch margins, twelve-point serif font, with the
proper heading in the upper left corner of the first page, single-spaced, and a proper

English 106 Javan DeHaven Fall 2017

Questions to consider
 Why is my research important?
 Who is my research for?
 Where is there a problem/gap in the current research about my topic?
 What is my plan for further research?
 What have I already discovered in my preliminary research?

Criteria
 A compelling introduction that discusses in broad terms your history with your
research topic, and what you have discovered thus far. You might think of this section
as the narrative or story of your research.
 Identify a gap/problem/question you have concerning the current research on your
topic.
 Elegantly incorporated sources to bolster/further/demonstrate your
perspective/argument. Discuss specifically how they will be helpful to you.
 A clear projection of where you hope to take your research i.e. your research plan.
 An acknowledgment of what you still do not yet know and why it is important for you
to find out about it.
 A compelling conclusion.
 At least three additional annotated sources beyond what you already included in your
bibliography.
 A works cited page.

Grading
Three new sources with annotations: 10 points
Rough draft: 10 points
Peer review: 10 points
Final draft: 100 points
Total: 130 points

Due Dates
Three sources with annotations: March 26 by 11:59 PM
Rough Draft: March 30 by 11:59 PM
Peer Review: April 2 by 11:59 PM
Final Draft: April 6 by 11:59 PM*

*Remember, all drafts should be saved as a Word Document (.doc, .docx) before you hand
them in.
**I encourage you to visit the Writing Lab (HEAV 226) at any stage of the writing process.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns about the assignment, please contact me.

English 106 Javan DeHaven Fall 2017

Research Proposal Rubric Possible Actual

Formatting and length 5

Compelling introduction 5

Elegant incorporation of sources with correct citations 15

Clear focus/rhetorical awareness 20

Clarity of purpose toward further research 20

Identification of a gap/problem in the current research 20

Compelling conclusion 5

Grammar/usage/punctuation 10

100

English 106 Javan DeHaven Fall 2017