Description
Content Requirements for this Assignment:
Write a proposal asking your instructor for approval on the formal report topic you have chosen.
Information you might want to include in your proposal:
• Why is this an interesting and significant topic? How does it relate to current concerns?
• What are you hoping to achieve for yourself (in terms of improving your writing and critical thinking skills) when you write the paper?
• How will you approach the topic, and what is your plan/timeline for completing your formal report? Be realistic about how much time you will spend on each phase (planning, research, first draft, revisions, final version).
• What resources are you planning to use? Be specific about the details, e.g. the library databases that you will be searching, relevant web resources and search terms. It might be useful to talk to the NAIT librarians when you are developing this section of your plan.
• Include an annotated list of at least five sources that you have reviewed that you anticipate will be useful as you work toward the actual Literature Review. The annotations should briefly describe the content of each article, the perspective of the author, and why or how you think this source will be useful.
• Make sure you review Kent Lewis’s introductions to “Questions” and “Argument” before determining your topic, since the Literature Review has a strong focus on analysis of argument or persuasive writing.
• What assistance or guidance will you need from me or from your classmates as you are going through the essay-writing process?
When you are writing, remember that you are trying to persuade your instructor to approve your topic. Keep your audience in mind. Maintain a friendly, polite, enthusiastic tone; present your information in a professional manner.
Formatting Requirements for this Assignment:
Pay attention to the memo format of your proposal. It must include:
Your name, recipient name & title, date line, subject line, etc.: all in appropriate memo format.
Subject – should be a clear statement of the topic for your proposal as well as a preliminary title (more specific than the topic).
Purpose statement – clearly states the topic for the research project.
Body paragraphs – each paragraph is short (no more than 4 sentences). Bullet points or numbered lists are used as necessary.
Request for approval – Make this a friendly closing sentence; wind up your memo in the nicest possible way.
Your name & contact details – it’s always good to provide these as part of your request for approval at the end of your proposal, in case the supervisor/instructor wishes to contact you for additional information
You will be marked on format and organization (including paragraph structure), content development, readability and grammar and spelling.
