SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

HUMANITIES DIVISION

Research Project Proposal

Purpose: It is important to plan a research project carefully, making sure that you have enough sources and a good idea of what you have already done and what you need to do. You should be sure to find periodical articles, books, and any other sources relevant to the your topic.

Approach: You are to outline—in intricate detail—the project you will be working on in this class. In this you will also be making a crucial decision on the path you are going to be taking in this class. I encourage you, if your topic allows, to try doing primary research also—this will come up particularly if you plan to go on to study science or business. Primary research is gathering data from the world around you so please do give this some consideration and be prepared to explain in detail how you will gather the data in your proposal.

Learning Objectives:

• Conduct library research
• Read primary and secondary sources and determine relevance to project
• Discuss credibility of source material
• Use various media
• Evaluate source material for bias, currency, validity, comprehensiveness and relevance

Research Project Proposal Requirements:

1. Introduction/Statement of Purpose

• This section states why you are conducting the research and what you hope to accomplish.

2. Research Question

• This is a specific but open-ended question.

3. Review of Literature

• This section summarizes the sources that lead you to you topic and considers the positions taken.

4. Search Plan and Relevant Sources

• This section describes the methods you will use and demonstrates the soundness of your project.

5. Timeline and Challenges

• This section will clarify the range of time you need too complete the project and address potential problems.

6. Working Bibliography

• List of at least 10 potential sources (minimum of 3 books and 3 periodicles) of information (do not number them) using MLA (or appropriate) citation style.
• Summarize each source in 5-10 sentences. Cover subject and author’s point.

7. Detailed plan for primary research (if applicable)