ARGUMENT TOPIC PROPOSAL
The starting point for most projects is often a proposal. A proposal in business is an offer to provide a service or a product to someone in exchange for money. Many businesses and non-profit organizations rely on proposals to receive new or additional funding or to enhance the growth of their firm. In business, a proposal is a part of a process of planning and research on, and cultivation of potential foundation and corporate investors. A well-designed proposal can often make the difference between getting the job and the additional funding; it could also mean the loss of company money and ultimately perhaps your job or someone else's job.
Thus, a proposal is a written document that launches a proposed solution to a specific problem or need.
The success of a proposal rests on the effectiveness of the argument. A proposal written for academia clarifies for your instructor, your classmates, and you, why you intend to research a specific topic, how you intend to research it, and what purpose your work will serve. In addition, your proposal should connect the issue to the larger audience that may include legislators and individuals involved in the issue.
NOTE: The finished proposal is not an essay.
Topic: The Topic Proposal is your opportunity to propose a topic of interest you will use for the following assignments:
• Annotated Bibliography #1,
• Classical Argument,
• Toulmin Argument,
• Annotated Bibliography #2,
• Rogerian Argument.
Do not select topics from the following list unless you have communicated with your instructor and have been given permission to work on one of these topics. These topics fall into the following categories: too broad (you will not write a book for this class), the topic is too current making reliable sources difficult to obtain, or the instructor has seen the issues too many times to read another paper on the issue.
Abortion Capital Punishment Censorship
Cell phone use while driving Child Abuse Eating disorders
Euthanasia Evolution Gun Control
Legalizing Marijuana Smoking Stem Cell Research
Objectives: Demonstrate an understanding of what constitutes a valid argument.
Purpose: Proposals help organize and develop ideas for longer papers about a particular issue. Your purpose is to develop your clear position on the issue selected and prove your perspective is valid. In addition, you should motivate your audience to care about this issue and understand your position.
Length and Format: Use MLA or APA format as directed by your instructor. Cover all parts of the proposal as instructed. Length will vary depending on the topic and individual focus.
Audience: You, other readers in the class, and your instructor. The issue selected should include an audience larger than your class and instructor. The audience may be limited to the state or our country. The audience may encompass all nations. Think carefully about your audience as your thesis/claim and sources will depend on the audience for your future papers.
Focus: Your proposal should provide your instructor with a clear view of the issue you plan on using for the major papers and both Bibliographies. It should clearly explain why your position or approach to the issue is best.
Organization: Using an outline form or bulleted list, include the following components in your proposal:
• Write working title for your issue. Place this in the Title position in MLA/APA format per your instructor.
o The title may change as you work through the assignments for the course and as you learn more about the issue chosen.
• Write a working thesis/claim that you believe is true about the issue and that you plan to support in the remaining projects for this course.
o A tentative thesis/claim may be modified throughout the semester as you learn more about the different positions available for the issue.
o In this section, explain what you expect to uncover about this issue that is not generally known or accepted.
o Include possible questions you will answer through your research into the topic.
• Briefly explain why you are interested in this topic. Avoid clichés such as "close to my heart," or vague statements such as "it is important in society" or "it is a very important topic." Be specific and show your interest.
o Are you interested in the topic due to your future career?
o Was your interest in the topic "sparked" by readings or assignments in other courses?
o Are you interested in this topic because a family member suffers from this illness or addiction?
o Does your interest in this topic stem from something that happened to you or a family member?
o Does your interest in this topic stem from the implementation of a new law, new job, new community, etc.?
• Explain why it is important to you and to your audience that you learn more about this topic. Why should you research this topic to learn more? How will research you conduct add to the general knowledge about this topic?
• Describe how and where you plan to research this topic. Will you use the Internet with a Google or Yahoo! search only? Will you limit your research to the campus online library for scholarly journals? Will you conduct interviews (keep in mind if you will use APA documentation, APA does not recognize personal interviews as a sources and therefore will not meet the source criteria for future assignments)?
• Explain how you will analyze the information found through research. What method will you use to evaluate the effectiveness and quality of each source?
• Identify the target audience for your topic. Give specific details.
• Provide a References/Works Cited page (APA/MLA per your instructor) showing a minimum of three sources cited correctly that might be useful in future assignments on this topic.
Development: Show your responses to the above points in an outline format or bulleted list format.