The Research Prospectus

Introduction
This assignment asks you to LOCATE a trend in the scholarly conversation (research) of YOUR discipline,
DELIMITING the scope of that conversation, DISCOVERING the historical origins and theoretical
assumptions of that conversation, TRACING it to the current conversation, SYNTHESING that conversation
through ANALYSIS of its various relevant branches and tangents while INDENTIFYING gaps through
incongruences or cognitive dissonance. By so doing, you will be ready to enter that conversation confidently and
competently.

What????

Entering the scholarly conversation can often be a daunting and frustrating experience for the novice. Don’t
worry. You’re in 311. We will start at the beginning with investigation of genre and invention of topics and then
march forward to the glorious conclusion! You’ve got this. On point with your other assignments, this task will ask
you to address your audience, purpose, angle, and genre.

What is Research
Anyway?
Research can be found in a number
of occupations and written in
various genres. Despite the largess
of this multi-dimensional
continuum, good research retains a
common thread: good research
strives to respond to a question
that needs answering. Sounds
simple, doesn’t it?

That depends: what’s your

question?
Melk Abbey Library Good research asks questions
worth answering.
AT A GLANCE
Produce a RESEARCH PROSPECTUS in one
beautiful piece including
 a Title Page
 an Abstract
 a Proposal of Research and Personal
Relevance Statement
 a knock-out 8-10 page Literary Review
 a beautifully crafted Annotated
Bibliography (usually 8-10 pages).
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THE NITTY GRITTY

The Final Prospectus should be presented in a professional manner. It should be printed

in color on high quality paper and spirally bound.

The prospectus should represent the highest standards of published,

edited American English including adhering to MLA standards of
grammar, punctuation, and formatting.

Must have one-inch margins, double-spaced (except where mandated)

Times New Roman 12 pt. font, and proper MLA in-text and end
citations.

Your final prospectus must include at least 3 multi-modal forms of

rhetoric with proper MLA tags and formatting that adhere to the highest
professional standards. These forms are tables, graphs, pictures, etc.
Please keep in mind, the visual rhetoric expectations for this genre are
very prescriptive. No visual rhetoric is merely decorative.

Refer to Addendum D for the Grading Rubric.

The Title Page: Refer to the Instructions attached here as Addendum A.

The Abstract: On a new page, write a 180-200 word summary of your literature review.

Remember, even though this piece is short is should still adhere to all
the principles of writing and argumentation that you have learned. An
academic abstract is not a teaser for your piece. It should cover the
entire argument and include important details. This is what your readers
will use to determine whether your article applies to their research.

At the bottom of the abstract page, include at least 6 key search words
intended for search engines.

For proper formatting, refer to the instructions on Addendum B.

Proposal of Research and Personal Statement: this will be a one page explanation of the
relevance of your project to BOTH your discipline AND personal
scholarship area.

The Literature Review: following the abstract on a new page, write an 8-10 page review of
the scholarship of your target subject.

Literature reviews review the “literature” or scholarship on a subject

including its history and branches, demonstrate the importance of the

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 topic, and “carve out a space” for future research by indicating the
questions and gaps in existing research.

To do so, they need to provide some mixture of analysis and evaluation

and synthesis of sources. Literature reviews do not just list previous
studie: they are also arguments about a particular body of research.
Refer to your copious class notes for specifics of this argumentation.

Your literature review should begin with the sub-heading:

Proposal of Research: this will be a one paragraph explanation of the

relevance of your project to your discipline and personal scholarship
area.

You will then have a subheading Introduction: think of the introduction

as a longer form of abstract, covering how the rest of the article will
read. See Addendum C for an example of first page formatting. Please
note: first page number appears here along with your last name.

The review should then be sub-divided into the divergent branches or

categories of scholarship followed by a pithy conclusion, each with its
own sub-heading.

The Annotated Bibliography: after the conclusion of your Literature Review, on a new
page, include an annotated bibliography of your research. See “More
Hazel” and “Mary Moretime” as well as your class notes for examples.
As we discussed in class, you may in the end have more sources than
these. Be sure to include all sources in your original bibliography and
any additional sources you have needed to complete your argument.
Use sub-headings that include

1. Background Annotated Bibliography: List, cite, and annotate 8

background sources using perfect MLA formatting that exemplify the
background scholarly conversation (the last 30 years or so) that will be
beneficial to your argument. At least 6 of these sources MUST BE
defined as scholarly.

2. Contemporary Annotated Bibliography: List, cite, and annotate 8

contemporary sources using perfect MLA formatting that exemplify
the current scholarly conversation (the last 5-10 years or so) that will be
beneficial to your argument. At least 6 of these sources MUST BE
defined as scholarly.

The Full Annotated Bibliography Task Sheet is found under the Content Tab.