Research proposal for an essay

The purpose of the research proposal for an essay is to present three key elements:

• The topic and research question: State the topic chosen and explain it in general terms, situating it in the subject area of the course, for example. It should lead to the historical question that is being asked about the topic. This can take up to a paragraph and should focus on making clear why the topic is relevant and interesting in the context of the course. The question need not be one that no one has asked before; after all, you will be required to do mostly research in secondary sources. It should be of interest to you, however.

• The draft thesis statement: In one complete sentence state the core of your argument (see the section on building a research essay for an example).

• An outline for the key arguments that will support the thesis and form the body of the essay. It should list key ideas for the presentation, each expressed in a full sentence. These arguments should not just be topic areas, but actual points that you are making and that will be backed up by evidence drawn from sources. In most undergraduate essays, there should be three major arguments. Each will then be subdivided into specific paragraphs that will make the particular points, but you don't need to do a paragraph breakdown at this stage.

As you can probably tell, this outline will actually form the core of what will later become the introduction of your essay. An outline like this should take around half a page.

Following this proposal, a tentative bibliography, or list of works that will be used for this project should follow. This list would need to include a variety of types of sources, including books (monographs), scholarly articles, encyclopedia articles, and websites. Check the specifics for your course for the number of sources expected. Items in the bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author's last name and respect the requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Research proposal for an "Unsolved Mystery in Canadian History" (for students in HIST 373 and HIST 374 only)

The purpose of the research proposal for an essay on an Unsolved Mystery also is to present three key elements that are similar to those of an essay:

• The Mystery and research question: State which of the relevant Unsolved Myster was chosen and situate it in the subject area of the course. Identify which aspect of the Mystery are you intending to explore, as most of them allow multiple avenues for inquiry, and pose which questions you have about it and intend to answer.

• The draft thesis / theory: While this is likely to evolve, at this point, what is the most likely explanation you have for the Mystery you are proposing to tackle? Remember that it has to be based on some evidence, but will likely still be the be-all-end-all explanation on the subject. This should be a statement, not a question.

• An outline for the key points to be used to support the thesis or theory: Identify three key ideas that will be used to articulate your explanation. These should be expressed in full-sentence statements to describe key ideas to develop (and obviously can be presented in bulletted form). Core ideas can be organised chronologically, thematically, or in any other way that helps support the thesis or theory.

As you can probably tell, this outline will actually form the core of what will later become the introduction of your essay. An outline like this should take around half a page.

Following this proposal, a tentative bibliography, or list of works that will be used for this project (in addition to the primary and secondary sources listed on your Mysteriy site) should follow. This list would need to include a variety of types of sources, including books (monographs), scholarly articles, encyclopedia articles, and websites. Check the specifics for your course for the number of sources expected. Items in the bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author's last name and respect the requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Research proposal for revising a Wikipedia article

Provide a general assessment of both the strengths and of the weaknesses of the article as it pertains to its historical dimension. Some guiding questions that may help assess the article:

• Is the information presented accurate?

• Is all the information pertinent or relevant in regards to the overall focus of the article?

• Is the topic sufficiently covered in its various aspects?

• Are there historical dimensions or perspectives that are emphasised more than others?

• Are there elements that seem to be missing in order to provide a more complete or balanced portrait?

• Does the article cover the topic's geographical extent well?

• Is the subject presented in a generally neutral tone, as befits an encyclopedia?

• Are there missing references?

This should be done in one or two paragraphs maximum.

Provide a list of improvements you intend to make to the article. Ensure that you keep your expectations realistic given the time you have for this assignment. In general, you should plan for the same amount of work that writing a 2500-word essay would require. Ensure that you identify specific parts of the article that you target for improvements, and to give as specific as possible details about the improvements you intend to make.

Suggested length: one to two paragraphs (a point-form list is fine too).

Following this proposal, a tentative bibliography, or list of works that will be used for this project should follow. This list would need to include a variety of types of sources, including books (monographs), scholarly articles, encyclopedia articles, and websites, but not include other Wikipedia pages. Check the specifics for your course for the number of sources expected. Items in the bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author's last name and respect the requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Research proposal for book or article reviews

If you are writing a review for a book or an article (or more than one), it involves more than simply reading the work and then giving your opinion about it. You will need to do research on what other authors have written about the topic to see where the argument of the book / article you are reviewing fits in the historiography (the conversation amongst historians about the topic in question).

• State which book(s) or article(s) are going to be reviewed, briefly present the author(s) and what their core argument is in the work(s) being reviewed.

• If more than one book or article is being reviewed, draw the connections between them and explain how they form a coherent research project.

• Briefly explain the historiographical environment (the conversation amongst historians) in which this work or these works are situated.

This is a proposal; you are not expected to have read the book(s) or article(s) in great detail at this stage, but you should be able to justify your choice of them and have an idea of where you are going to take this project.

Following this proposal, a tentative bibliography, or list of works that will be used for this project should follow. This list would need to include a variety of types of sources, including books (monographs), scholarly articles, encyclopedia articles, and websites. Check the specifics for your course for the number of sources expected. Items in the bibliography should be presented in alphabetical order of author's last name and respect the requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style.