Paper Proposal

Now that you have a significant portion of your research done, you will write a proposal that will suggest a plan for the paper that you will be drafting. The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that you have a direction and that your final paper will have a clear focus, a strong argument, and an effective and discernible organizational structure. This proposal will consist of three parts:


1. A one to two paragraph introduction to your topic that includes a hook and a thesis.

2. An outline that includes three things: your thesis; a tentative structure for the paper, expressed through a formal outline; and parenthetical citations indicating where you will be using sources you have found.

3. A working bibliography containing at least 10 sources you plan to use in your research paper. You may end up adding or dropping sources as you begin to draft. Further, these sources may not be cited in your introduction or outline. (That's why this is considered a working bibliography, rather than a Works Cited list.) The bibliography should follow MLA format. You may use annotations as well, but this is optional. Four of these citations should be scholarly/professional.

Helpful hints from Rules for Writers can be found:

Introduction/Thesis 21-25, 361-362
Outline 17-20, 361-362
Works Cited 435-462

All three parts should be submitted together in one document. Please format according to the guidelines in the syllabus and according to the model.  You are being supplied with a model proposal for this assignment.  PLEASE FOLLOW THE MODEL EXACTLY.

The proposal will be due on Monday, February 4. Please note that this due date has been changed from the one in your syllabus.  This is due to the extension given on the annotated bibliography.  As always, I am happy to look at your work as it progresses, up to the day before the proposal is due.