Format and Length Requirements: Use standard memo format (single-space) and 12 point Times New Roman font; Place each heading flush with the left margin and bold it. 1,200-1,400 words

Introductory Comments about the Proposal Assignment
A proposal is one kind of informal report. Lengthy research projects, reports, and papers often begin with a proposal to do research. A proposal serves several purposes:

The proposal is a planning document for the writer in the sense that the proposal requires you to draft an outline for the future report or paper, create a thoughtful schedule of key tasks, list relevant sources, and so on. The goal is for you to actually use the plan that you develop as you write the report or paper.

The proposal is a decision making tool for the audience. With a proposal, the audience might be an instructor, employer, argumentative committee, book publisher, and so on. The audience for the proposal may or may not be the same audience as the audience for the future report or paper. Essentially, the proposal audience has the power to approve or reject your request to research, meaning the proposal audience decides if your plan is feasible and if the resulting document (or other deliverable) will make a significant contribution to the company or field of study. In this sense, the proposal’s purpose is persuasive. Sections like the background section help your audience understand why its important for you to complete the research, while other sections (e.g., the outline, schedule, and methods sections) allow the reader to verify that your plan is strong (meaning that there is research available, that you have a reasonable schedule, etc.).