The research / position paper is an opportunity for you to-as the name suggests-take a position on a topic you've committed some research on. (Your topic should, at least loosely, relate to "art.) The position that you take should be a well informed and reasoned claim or argument. The primary point of this essay is not to display your research on a given topic, but to use what you've learned to develop a persuasive claim or argument.
A prospectus detailing the what and why of your research. This prospectus is not binding; just indicate what it is you think, at this point, you might want to research and why you're interested in doing so.