HOW TO PROPOSE . . . (Chapters 6 & 7)

. . . a research paper topic. Your proposal will consist of components: 1. Brief answers to the following 6 inquiries (see Chapter 6) 2. An outline (see Chapter 7) 3. A rough bibliography (see Chapter 7) 4. A schedule (see Chapter 7) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The 6 Inquiries

1. Title. Offer an enticing title that alludes to your thesis, using a “Title: Subtitle” format. The former is for the broader topic, the latter for the narrower angle. Titles do, in fact, matter: they’re the “handshake” that gives the first impression, so they should convey some confidence. While titles don’t necessarily have to be clever (via puns, irony, alliteration, etc.), such extra effort might be appreciated by the teacher who has to read several dozen papers in a given week. Ugh. One of my favorites: “Questions About Sleep Deprivation You Were Too Tired to Ask.”

MACBETH: MISTAKES WERE MADE ⚔

Macbeth is a Shakespearean tragedy following the story of Macbeth, a noble Scottish warrior who turns into a murderous usurper due to the manipulation of three witches, and heroic antagonists Malcolm and Macduff lead a resistance against him. Fallout: Macdonwald – “Unseamed from the navel to the throat” by Macbeth Thane of Cawdor – Hanged for treason against Duncan Duncan – Stabbed by Macbeth Guards – Killed by Macbeth Banquo – Killed by Mercenaries hired by Macbeth MacDuff's Family – Killed by Mercenaries hired by Macbeth Lady Macbeth – Died under unknown circumstances (thought to be suicide) Siward – Stabbed by Macbeth Macbeth – Beheaded by Macduff 2. Thesis. State your tentative thesis, which may be tweaked as the paper develops. Goal: have it clearly capture and concisely articulate the primary point of your research paper in one or two sentences.

3. Objective. What do you want to ultimately accomplish with this paper? What do you anticipate your outcome will be? Some helpful verbs to get you started: to instruct or educate, report or recount, explain or describe, compare and contrast, chronicle or report, analyze or evaluate (among other similar options)? Give your reader a hint of what’s in store, the answer(s) you’ll provide, your “exit strategy.” Remember: if you can’t effectively pitch your idea, it’s unlikely your instructor will “catch” it; in other words, don’t assume he or she will innately derive meaning from—or impose meaning onto—your nebulousness.

4. Origin. How did you come up with this topic and/or your specific take on it? Why is it of interest to you? Do you have some personal investment or connection to it? Is it related to your education somehow (major/minor/coursework)? Where did you first encounter or read about it? From where did it originate? Is there some backstory? Can I ask more questions in a single paragraph? Can I? Huh?

5. Orientation. Help your reader capture the “big(ger) picture”: the vista or panorama. Why does this topic matter? Why is it important to know more about it, or understand it better? Answer the “So what?” question. Blunt, I know. Just trying to help.

6. Obstacles. What could possibly go wrong? Seriously. What. Could. Happen? The path of research writing isn’t primrose-y (Google’s default dictionary definition: “a commonly cultivated plant of European woodlands that produces pale yellow flowers in the early spring.”) I digress. We’re now talking problem identification. Certain sources may be “tainted,” for example: too superficial or simplistic, too complex or convoluted (“nerdy”). They may end up being repetitive, biased, obsolete, or unavailable. Interviews, or inter-library loan requests, might fall though. Survey results may be unfruitful. If you’re struggling with an illness or medical condition, you might even factor in potential health setbacks. How about your impending workload? Will other papers, projects, presentations, assignments, exams, or employment responsibilities converge, orchestrating your downfall? (Sorry, a bit dramatic.) Devise contingency plans. How will you compensate or circumvent? Not to be “Randy Raincloud” here, but expect delays, diversions (used in the British sense), and dead-ends.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Outline

INFORMATIVE RESEARCH PAPER OUTLINE Introduction � A hook (something that grabs readers’ attention), such as:   A narrative example (a story or account) OR   A case study (a real-life example) OR   Statistics (from credible sources) Note: pick one of these; don’t include all of them � Thesis statement presentation AND � Topic significance (why is this important, worthy of our consideration?) AND � Study limitations (what your parameters are, what you’ll not cover) Body (presentation of the data/offering of support), comprised of: � Current/recent studies AND/OR � Authoritative published reports/sources AND/OR � Additional case studies AND/OR � Additional statistics Note: You may include several of these components, in any order you choose, but you should try to organize your material climactically, saving the best for last Conclusion, consisting of a: � Summary of main points (rephrased refreshingly) AND � Restatement of your thesis (but in an original, fresh way) AND � Reinforcement of the topic significance OR � Sharing of your opinion(s) OR � Offering of predictions/options

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Bibliography You should aim for about 10-12 potential sources with the understanding that many of these will drop off as you get further into your research. Provide basic bibliographic information. This doesn’t need to be in M.L.A. format.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Schedule Fill in the dates. For the “set by instructor” ones, refer to the course calendar. There is a docx version of this schedule on the course website.

SEQUENCE ELEMENT DUE DATES DONE 1. Planning Determine purpose and audience (set by instructor) ! Determine documentation style (set by instructor) ! Determine possible topic(s) ! 2. Researching Read background information on topic ! Narrow topic (as necessary) ! Gather books and periodical articles, find websites ! Order additional materials via inter-library loan (if needed) ! Conduct alternative research (interviews, surveys, etc.) ! Read and evaluate all materials carefully (will take time) ! 3. Drafting Free-write, brainstorm, map, list, etc. ! Further narrow topic (as necessary) ! Write proposal and outline, create bibliography ! Submit proposal, outline, bibliography, and schedule Set by instructor ! Determine quotes to incorporate, place in outline ! Determine material to paraphrase/summarize, insert ! Tweak, highlight thesis statement ! Draft rest of paper based on outline ! 4. Revising Revise for content (structure/completeness/logic) ! Revise for style (conciseness/syntax/diction) ! Find and embed graphics (charts, tables, photos, etc.) ! Write captions for graphics, cite their sources ! 5. Editing Revise technically (grammar/spelling/punctuation) ! Check parenthetical references (content, format) ! Check Works Cited entries against parenthetical references ! Check parenthetical references against Works Cited entries ! Polish Works Cited entries for conformity ! 6. Proofreading Print draft ! Proofread hard copy carefully ! Submit to Turnitin.com Set by instructor ! Do additional revising/editing as necessary ! Insert page numbers ! 7. Publishing Send copy to proud parents/grandparents, jealous siblings ! Submit final draft for grading Set by instructor !

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