POLS 3520: Special Topics Research proposal Your research proposal is a document that lays out your research topic and questions, how these questions relate to ongoing discussions in the field, how you plan to answer your questions, and includes an annotated bibliography. Introduction 1-2 pages The introduction is an extended version of the “pitch” you wrote in October. Beyond that, the introduction should summarize your engagement with the existing literature and frameworks, your methodology and source base, and your research question(S). Introductions, as the word suggests, introduce your reader to your topic, your question, and your way of looking at the problem. They should not be a lengthy pre-history of the topic, nor should they be full of broad statements (the Russian peasantry was always subjugated! The Russian people have always been traditional!). Rather, they should briefly set the scene for your discussion, or even briefly state the existing debate (in broad terms) on your topic. If you have a “soft” opening paragraph that relates a story or anecdote, make sure that the story or anecdote you chose actually connects to the question you are going to pose. Remember, the point is to show the reader, in a manner as efficient as possible, what your research project is going to be about and why it matters. After the opening paragraph, briefly introduce the state of the field. What are the main explanations for the problem/conflict you are studying? Then, in the final paragraph, introduce your main research question and sub-questions. You may choose to do this in a more openended way, the way someone working in the humanities tradition would, or in a way more common in Political Science, with clear hypotheses. Finally, explain how you will answer the question/test the hypotheses. State of the Field 2-3 pages In this section, you will explain the debate on the topic and related issues as it exists today. The questions that you will want to address here include: What are the main points of agreement and disagreement? What are the methodologies and sources that have led people to particular conclusions? What frameworks and theories are other scholars employing, and how does the choice of framework affect the answer to the research question? How and why has the debate changed over time? A good “state of the field” section will not simply summarize the existing literature, but explain why scholars have asked certain questions, reached particular conclusions, and so on. You don’t have to cover every single piece written on the topic: rather, give the reader an analysis of how the debate has evolved. Start with the relevant frameworks (if applicable) and move down to the more specific literature. In the final paragraph of the section, explain how you will intervene in the ongoing debate. Do you want to test a theory? Challenge a particular interpretation? Take sides in a disagreement between groups of scholars? Source Base/Data and Methodology (2-3 pages) In this section, you build on the work you did in the source analysis to explain what kind of sources and methods you will use to answer the research questions you posed earlier and to test your hypotheses. First, explain what kind of sources you are going to use. If they are textual source, explain how and why they were produced, in what context, for what audience, etc. If data, explain how and why this data is collected. Either way, make sure you take note of potential biases and problems and explain how you will address them. Second, explain where these sources/data can be found. Third, give an example of a source, the way you did in the source analysis assignment. And finally, explain how these sources help you answer the questions you are posing, and how the source base/data/methodology you plan to employ is similar or different to the source base/data/methodology employed by other scholars you discuss in the “State of the Field” section. Annotated Bibliography Here you simply include a revised and updated version of the annotated bibliography you submit in November. Make sure that the updated version includes all literature you cite in the research proposal.
