How do I prepare a research proposal?
The senior paper represents the largest scholarly project a student pursues during the study of history as an undergraduate student. A crucial step in your work on your senior paper is the preparation of a proposal. In it, you will describe as clearly and concisely as possible the content and significance of the paper, its location in a body or bodies of scholarly literature, the sources that will be used to support the research, and distinctive methods or theory that will be employed. The proposal constitutes a statement of understanding between the student and her/his advisor concerning the work that lies ahead. While it is often the case that projects change definition somewhat as work progresses, the proposal ensures that critical issues of definition are met early and that a realistic plan of completion is in place.
The proposal should be five to six pages long, typed, double-spaced. Begin by explaining the broad context of the period you are exploring, taking care to describe the chronological and thematic boundaries of your work. Then focus on the specific topic, asking the questions and stating the hypothesis you are investigating. The proposal should work from the general to the specific, from the known context to the unknown questions you hope to answer. After you have defined the topic, briefly explain the evidence on which you will rely and in particular the primary sources you will use. The centrality of those sources for the project should be made clear, ways in which they will be accessed, explained, and the potential problems posed by their use clarified.
Conclude with a bibliography divided into sections headed "Primary Sources" and "Secondary Sources." The proposal should convince the readers (your fellow students and your instructor) of the feasibility of your project.
