PWR 03-04/05
Winter 2002
Marvin Diogenes/Alyssa J. O’Brien
Stanford University
Assignment: Research Proposal on Comic Rhetoric of your Choice
§ Topics Due: February 4, 2002 (bring in 2 copies)
§ Proposals Due: February 13, 2002 (bring in 3 copies, stapled)
§ Peer Responses Due: February 15, 2002 (bring in 2 copies)
Description: As we read Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and move into the research-based argument, you’ll write a detailed Research Proposal sketching out your preliminary argument on the use and effectiveness of comic appeals in a particular rhetoric of your choice. To get started, and to prepare for our Library Research Session on February 6, you completed a Research Topic Questionnaire and typed a one-page description of your ideas for the project. For the Research Proposal itself, follow the Guidelines below.
Length/Format:
Your research proposal should be five typed, double-spaced pages; attach
a Works Cited page listing the primary and secondary sources you have discovered
so far through the Library Research Sessions and your own exploration of
databases and the stacks. Note: This can be a working list of potential sources,
but you should have identified approximately 7-10 sources, at least half of
which must be actual paper sources (not web pages). Also attach a
reflection on your research and proposal writing process. Either prepare the
paper according to the manuscript format detailed on page 3 of syllabus, or
format this proposal in a professional manner (use subheadings, incorporate
visual images, put it in a presentation binder). Bring in 3 stapled copies of
all pages.
Purpose: The Research Proposal is a discursive essay that proposes a research topic, offers a tentative narrowing of the topic into an argumentative or analytical claim about the topic, sets forth the methods that will be used to explore the topic, sets up a timeline for completion, and argues for the significance of this topic and research. In the process, this assignment is designed to fulfill the following goals: to orient you to the term's research focus by asking you to articulate a topic for investigation; to introduce you to the genre of proposal writing which has vast applications for your future academic and professional pursuits; and to establish the relationship between sophisticated use of sources and strong research writing.
Focus:
The topic you have chosen for this assignment should be one that
intrigues you, puzzles you, amuses you, or otherwise appeals to your
intelligence and academic interests in some way.
Ideally, your research-based argument will evolve from this proposal.
As you work on this topic, however, the specifics of your research may
cause you to refine your focus. This
is perfectly acceptable! Remember
that research and writing are themselves processes of discovery.
Focuses may involve the social uses of laughter and comic rhetoric, the shared strategies of certain comic writers, an in-depth analysis of a particular writer’s work, the growth of a comic genre, and the way in which comic persuasion can address a specific social issue.
Organization: Research Proposals are commonly used in a wide variety of disciplines and professions as a means of developing agendas for research communities, securing funding for study, publicizing plans for inquiry and field research, and testing the interest of potential audience in a given project. Therefore, the genre of the Research Proposal differs in important ways from other kinds of academic writing.
In the proposal itself, you should explain your interest in your chosen subject and establish a set of questions to guide your inquiry throughout the rest of the project. Structure this material according to the following key points:
· Come up with an intriguing title for your research proposal. [This title will necessarily be different from the one you use for the Research-Based Argument, and the spirit of inquiry should appear in your choice of a title.]
· Craft an effective introduction to engage the audience’s interest. [Note: we will be sharing these proposals in class and in Peer Review groups – so your audience is the entire class.]
· Give some background on the topic (or, what you know so far). [Note: acknowledging how little you know can be an effective rhetorical move, for it shows you exactly what knowledge you need to accumulate.]
· Identify a series of questions that will inform your research. [You might want to explain each question or set of questions as you list them.]
· Delineate the methods you will use to conduct your research: Library investigation of primary and secondary sources? Interviews with comedians or fans? Field research finding films or music? [Note: this section should be rather specific and demonstrate the research you have already begun through the Library Database Session, the Tour, and your own investigations. Be as precise as possible, providing both the names of key secondary sources, databases, and other research venues, as well as the rationale for why these methods will serve your needs.]
· Set up a time line for your research. [You can use the syllabus to help you to this; be sure to identify the steps of your process. Note: This aspect is the one common denominator in all research proposals, no matter what the disciplinary or professional field.]
· Determine and articulate the purpose or goal of this research: What is your ultimate aim? Why are you researching this particular topic? Or, why do you feel compelled to study this topic further? What do you hope to accomplish? Why is this important? Or, what is the significance of this work? [This last aspect is the most crucial one, and it often makes or breaks the decision of a governing board, financial establishment, or other evaluative audience when judging various proposals for their merit, feasibility, and contribution to the field. Note: You might choose to weave this aspect into your introduction. In that case, devise your own conclusion for the proposal.]
Suggestions for Ideas on How to Get Started: We
suggest that you write out your responses to the key points above and then shape
your answers into a five-page proposal. If you are having trouble getting
started on any of the sections, return to your Topic Sheet and read through your
earlier ideas. Alternatively, visit the PWR website at http://pwr.stanford.edu
and try the brainstorming techniques under “Students/Writing
Resources/Exploring.”
§ Please read Chapter 40 in The New St. Martin’s Handbook, on “Becoming a Researcher,” in order to begin thinking more concretely about ways to approach this assignment, and read Chapter 41 on "Conducting Research" in order to develop methodological strategies for completing this assignment. Also, please read Chapter 51, "Designing Documents," in order to learn effective ways to package your ideas in the form of a Professional Presentation.
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