The aim of this activity is to provide the evaluation team with enough information as to determine if the topic chosen is both appropriate and doable. The information you will need to include in your research project proposal will really depend on whether you choose to do the research project essay report (option one) or a research project field-work report (option two). However and in both, you will be summarizing the topic the topic you have chosen for your project. In either case, your proposal should be about 2-4 pages (not including supplementary materials like title page, references, and journal abstracts for option one). Late proposals will have 2.5 points deducted for each day they are late (including weekends).

Option One: Research Project Essay Report Proposal

In addition to summarizing your project topic, you will need to outline what you are going to cover in your paper-at least tentatively. It is important that you start collecting a bibliography to guide your thinking about your topic early on. You will want to include at least three journal references and attach their abstracts at the end as an appendix. Also, include at least two book references. (That is actually pretty easy, as you already have two texts for this course.)

Option Two: Research Project Field-work Report Proposal

In addition to summarizing your project topic, you will need to list the name(s), role(s), and affiliated organization(s) of the person or people that you intend on interviewing regarding your topic. This means that you will need to develop a specific list of questions (an "interview protocol") that you intend on asking. Interviews need to be conducted in groups of one or two investigators. You will also want to list the one or two other students who will be working with you on both the proposal and final report, though each of you will be submitting your own unique and personally written proposal and report (be very careful with respect to plagiarism here). However, the interview protocol should be designed collaboratively and should be the same in both the proposal and the final report. Remember to include the name of your partner(s) with your own on the title page of both the proposal and final report.