Before writing your research paper, you are required to submit a research proposal (typed, double-space, one-inch margins, fonts no larger than 12) on 12 October; the research paper will not be accepted without an approved proposal.Students will submit their drafts electronically as ONE attachment directly to the instructor.
The draft is composed of two sections:
The first part will be your final proposal; the second part will be the copy edited by one member of the student’s study group.Students who do not receive a grade for the first proposal must submit a second draft electronically to the instructor ASAP; attach this second draft on top of the first draft/comments. NOTE: All drafts must be saved in one file, with the most recent draft on “top.”Students desiring professional editing suggestion should make an appointment with the Writing Center. You must carefully comply with the proposal template provided on Canvas; no alterations will be permitted.After selecting a problem of Chinese foreign policy, you must develop a causal statement.This statement is your thesis and will act as the backbone of your paper.Your thesis is UveryU important because it is the paper’s basic argument and organizing focus.A good thesis will put forward a strong point of view: this problem (y) occurred because of variables x1, x2, and/or x3. For instance, a possible thesis to explain the Sino-Soviet border clashes of 1969 (i.e., your problem=y) was the political aspiration of the PLA commander, Marshall Lin Biao (cause= x1).To test this thesis more widely, you then make the hypothesis more theoretical: change political aspirations of Lin Biao to a military leader; change Sino-Soviet border clashes to military conflict.The final hypothesis: “If a military leader has high political aspirations, then there is a greater chance for a military border conflict.”You test this hypothesis on the 1969 border war. Once you have formulated your thesis, you must then defend your position by providing supporting evidence compiled from both primary and secondary source materials.Your proposal outline will detail your argumentation points in an organized fashion.Once you have written this basic outline, you can fill in the underlying points with details . . . the more the better.Your outline will naturally change as you continue your research and writing, and you can adapt the argument.However, you need to test your thesis.As such, it must also include sections addressing alternate explanations for the problem as well as analyzing any faults of your argument.For instance, you would evaluate alternative explanations of the Sino-Soviet border clashes, such as the problems of tripolarity (x2), the radical nature of the Cultural Revolution (x3), and/or problems of communications (x4).You will only test one of these hypotheses in your paper…not all of them. Thirdly, your proposal must include a detailed bibliography containing primary and secondary resources.You MUST use The Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition): https://www-chicagomanualofstyle-org.unh.idm.oclc.org/home.html The instructor with proposal will make corrections and suggestions electronically and returned to the student for editing.The instructor will review the paper up to three times before the final grade is issued.
