Proposal research essay will be 10 pages and formatted using MLA. You will need a Works Cited page. The Works Cited page does not count as another page for your proposal.
Any paper that is plagiarized will be automatically failed.
Your proposal will also include these components that will receive individual grades:
A prospectus
An annotated bibliography
An outline
Peer review
Instructions:
1. Pick a topic Use The Omnivores Dilemma and Food Matters to determine what your topic will be. You will also use a chapter in the Omnivores Dilemma or an article in Food Matters as one source for your proposal research essay.
2. After you select your topic. You will submit a prospectus. Your prospectus must be approved by me before you begin researching.
3. You are required to include outside research (at least 6 additional sources minimum and no more than 8). For your proposal, I want you to select research from the library at CRC (this means you will be using the databases there). You may use TWO sources from the WWW and they MUST be credible. WIKIPEDIA cannot be used as a source. You MUST also use one essay from Food Matters or The Omnivores Dilemma as one of your sources. You will also need to include ONE outside source to support your counterargument.
The outside sources that you use will be your evidence to back up your ideas. You will be conducting research to find statistics, facts, quotes from experts, and studies to validate your argument in your proposal. Hypothetical examples, anecdotes, and personal experience can also be used in this paper. (You may need to use evidence to define your problem and really convince your reader it really is a problem. You will also likely need evidence to support the validity of your proposed solution.).
Sources for your proposal can include magazines, books, ONE video, credible internet web sites, scholarly journals and interviews. You will use MLA documentation to give credit to your sources through in-text citations and a Works Cited page. You MUST include at least 3 database articles from the CRC Library.
4. Follow the outline (EXACTLY) that I have provided for you (you will find it later in this document) to construct your proposal.
5. The paper must be formatted in MLA style. (Works Cited page does not count as a page.)
A proposal argument
A proposal argument is a type of argument that focuses on presenting proposal as a solution to a problem, outlining the details of the proposal, and providing good reasons to support the proposal.
1. Introduce and define the nature of the problematic situation
Make sure to focus on the actual problem and what is causing the problem. This may seem simple, but many people focus solely on the effects of a problematic situation. By focusing on the actual problem, your readers will see your proposal as a solution to the problem. If you don’t, your readers might see your solution as a mere complaint.
2. Propose a solution to the problem
Be specific. You may choose to break your solution into parts and spend a paragraph or so describing each part. Remember to stay focused. Added length does not always equal a better argument.
3. Describe the workability of the various solutions
There are a variety of ways that this can be done. With a single-solution paper you could break the feasibility down into short- and long-term goals and plans. With a multiple-solution essay, you may instead highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the individual solutions, and establish which would be the most successful, based on your original statement of the problem and its causes.
4. Address the opposition (your rebuttal/counterargument)
When writing an argument, expect that you will have opposition. There will be other people out there who are going to disagree with your arguments. Skeptical readers will have their own beliefs and points of view. When conducting your research, make sure to review the opposing side of the argument that you are presenting. You need to be prepared to counter those ideas. Remember, for people to give up their position, they must see how your position is more reasonable than their own. When you address the opposing point of view in your essay and demonstrate how your own claim is stronger, you neutralize their argument. By failing to address a non-coinciding view, you leave a reason for your reader to disagree with you, and therefore weaken your persuasive power.
5. Summarize and conclude your proposal
Summarize your solution(s), re-state how the solution(s) would work to remedy the problematic situation, and you’re done with your proposal.
Organizing your proposal
You will format your paper in sections. Your paper must follow this exact structure:
(Use these headers in your proposal)
Cover letter
This one-page letter introduces your audience to the problem, its significance, and your proposal to solve the problem. It should be addressed to a specific individual or group.
Summary
This section summarizes the problem, its background, the proposal, and justification in one paragraph.
Problem
This is a one-sentence description of the problem.
Background to the problem
This section is an introduction to the problem.
1. Describe the problem, its background/history, and its significance.
2. Convince your audience that this is a real problem, and something needs to be done about it.
3. Make it personal or show how it affects the reader.
4. Present your proposal (thesis statement) concisely.
The Proposal
After showing a problem really exists in the introduction, you need to show your solution, one which is solvable, doable, and practical. Explain your proposal in detail and justify it (with step-by-step specifics on how your solution works):
1. How much money it will cost?
2. Who will be responsible for implementing it?
3. How easily it can be implemented
4. How much time it will take to set it up and make it work?
5. What kinds of materials and labor are needed to make it work?
6. How it addresses the problem
Give reasons for your audience to implement your proposal. Show how the benefits of your solution outweigh the costs. If the costs are high, appeal to the values of the audience by showing that your proposal will lead to actions that lead to consequences that your audience values.
Use causal arguments
Show how one consequence will lead to another until the problem is solved.
Use analogy
Perhaps your solution or a similar one elsewhere is successful.
Use precedent
Perhaps your solution or a similar has been successful in the past. If a similar solution was not successful, show how your situation is different so that the solution will now work in your situation.
Justify your argument
Give reasons for your audience to implement your proposal (other than those which relate to its being able to solve the problem by giving arguments from the heart and from values). Show how the benefits of your solution outweigh the costs. If the costs are high, appeal to the values of the audience by showing that your proposal will lead to actions that lead to consequences that your audience values.
Counterargument
Summary and rebuttal of opposing views (Counterargument). When you address your counterargument, you must refer to a SPECIFIC outside source/author that would disagree with your proposal.
Conclusion
Sum up the main points and state your case clearly and directly, so that your audience feels convinced to do something about the problem, preferably adopt your proposal.
You have written a 1-page letter that introduces your audience to the problem, its significance, and your proposal to solve the problem. It should be addressed to a specific individual or group.
You have summarized the problem, its background, the proposal, and justification in one paragraph.
Problem
This is a one-sentence description of the problem.
Background to the problem
This section is an introduction to the problem.
You have shown your solution:
1. how much money it will cost?
2. who will be responsible for implementing it?
3. how easily it can be implemented
4. how much time it will take to set it up and make it work
5. what kinds of materials and labor are needed to make it work
6. how it addresses the problem
You have given specific reasons to implement your proposal. You have shown how the benefits of your solution outweigh the costs.
Counterargument
You have addressed the counterargument using a specific source (from your research) and have rebutted that argument.
Conclusion
Sum up the main points and state your case clearly and directly, so that your audience feels convinced to do something about the problem, preferably adopt your proposal.
Inclusion and analysis of at least 6 outside sources that are credible. (You have also included a chapter from The Omnivores Dilemma or an article from Food Matters as a source.
You have used in-text quotations properly within your paper and have included a quote from each of your sources
Proper grammar and spelling
Correct MLA style
