This document outlines the requirements for a research proposal assignment in an ENC 1102 writing course. Students must write a proposal with four sections: a research question on what determines success for FIU students in writing courses, a literature review of 3-4 sources, research methods for collecting primary data through surveys/interviews, and a references list. The proposal asks permission to begin a research project whose results will be reported in an informative essay. The proposal must include a clearly defined research question, literature on the topic, and a feasible plan for primary and secondary research.

1. ENC 1102: Writing and Rhetoric II
Professor McCormick
Spring 2019
Unit One: Research Proposal
DUE DATE
Final Proposal Due: Monday, February 4th, 2019
Research Proposal
Many academic disciplines and programs ask students to write a
research proposal before they launch a research project – a
study or paper. Research proposals are also very common in
professional or corporate environments where supervisors may
ask an employee to write up a project proposal before that
project is launched.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment, like any research proposal, is to
ask permission to begin a project. For this assignment, you are
asked to write a proposal for the research you will conduct. The
results of your research will be reported in your Informative
Report/Essay. This problem will continue to guide you through
the rest of the semester, as we conduct secondary, exploratory
research and ultimately argue persuasively for a solution to the
problem in the final Proposal Argument essay. A secondary
purpose for this assignment is for you as students to reflect
personally on your own success in ENC1102, and the value of
writing and rhetoric for you beyond this class.
You will conduct your own primary research through field
methods that may include surveys/questionnaires, interviews,
and observation. Note that field research is considered primary
research, which means you are finding the data yourself. The

2. field research you are conducting is the sort of research that
scholars in social sciences such as anthropology, linguistics,
sociology, and political science often conduct. Still, field
research is used in every field. For example, observation is a
common form of primary research for biologists and surveys are
used frequently in the business and marketing fields. Students
from any academic field will find value in conducting original
primary research based on a subject matter question.
Layout and Formatting
Your research proposal is a formal, academic document with
four major sections:
1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
3. RESEARCH METHODS
4. REFERENCES
Section 1: Research Question
In this section, pose your research question by explaining the
problem to be investigated. You mustshow importance and
significance of the problem and also pose the determinate
research questions to be investigated. I expect a research
question that is clearly defined, appropriate in scope and
appropriate for ENC1102 and feasible for investigation through
your own field research. Your research questions should help
address the broader class question of “What determines a
successful experience for FIU students in writing and rhetoric?”
Section 2: Literature Review
The literature review will survey the articles and texts that you
have examined in your preliminary work. This includes 3-4
sources, cited in MLA style. A literature review should clearly
and concisely summarize the research you’ve conducted so far,
showing your audience that you have some understanding of the
academic conversation you’re proposing to enter.

3. Section 3: Research Methods
In this section, describe the primary and secondary research you
plan to conduct. You may choose to conduct an interview,
observation, survey, or some combination of different field
methods for primary research. Your secondary research methods
include what types of publications you will be looking for in
your library and internet research; what academic fields, news
sources and discourse communities write about the questions
you are researching.
In your Methods section, you must:
· let readers know the purpose and scope of the field research
you will be conducting
· ensure the data is being collected in a fair and ethical way,
without leading questions or flawed methodology
· be very clear and detailed in the research you plan to conduct,
so that readers can replicate your research
· discuss your plans for further secondary research
I expect a manageable research plan appropriate for the time
period allotted. To do that, consider these questions:
· How are you planning to conduct the necessary research for
this project?
· How much time do you think you'll have to dedicate to
research?
· What research challenges do you anticipate?
· How will you meet those challenges?
· How will you handle your research notes, and document your
research?
Section 4: References
Follow MLA guidelines to compose your references section,
listing all cited sources in MLA format.

4. By the end of this unit, you should be able to:
· Complete a writing project with the purpose of convincing
their reader of the feasibility of their proposed research project;
· Define an area of interest appropriate for extended research;
· Define a problematic, significant and interesting question
which will be explored and refined in the research;
· Demonstrate that adequate resources are available for the
topic;
· Identify an audience or discipline appropriate for the topic;
· Develop a plan for effectively managing, organizing and
conducting a research project.
NOTE:TO ENCOURAGE ORIGINAL THINKING AND
THOROUGH RESEARCH, YOU MAY NOT USE ANY OF THE
FOLLOWING NINE TOPICS:
-Abortion
-Religious beliefs
-Assisted suicide/euthanasia
-Gay marriage or adoption
-Capital punishment
-Changing the legal drinking age
-Legalization of marijuana
-Conspiracy theories
-Legalization of prostitution
ENC 1102: Writing and Rhetoric I
I
Professor McCormick

5. Spring 2019
Unit
One
: Research Proposal
DUE DATE
Final Proposal Due:
Monday,
February 4
th
, 2019
Research Proposal
Many academic disciplines
and programs ask students to write
a
research proposal before they launch a research
project
–
a
study or paper. Research proposals are also very common in
professional or corporate environments
where supervisors may ask an employee to write up a project p
roposal before that project is launched.
Purpose

6. The purpose of this assignment, like any research proposal, is to
ask permission to begin a project.
For this
assignment, you are asked to write a proposal for the research
you will conduct
.
The results of
your research will be
reported in your Informative Report
/Essay
.
This problem
will
continue to
guide you th
rough the rest of the
semester, as we conduct secondary, exploratory research and
ultimately argue persuasively for a solution to the
problem in the
final Proposal Argument essay.
A secondary purpose for this assignment is for you as students
to
reflect personally on your own success in ENC
1102
, and the value of writing and rhetoric for you beyond this class.
You will conduct your own
primary

7. researc
h through field methods that may include
surveys/questionnaires,
interviews, and observation.
Note that field research is considered primary research, which
means you are finding
the data yourself.
The field research you are conducting is the sort of resea
rch that scholars in social sciences such
as anthropology, linguistics, sociology, and political science
often conduct. Still, field research is used in every field.
For example, observation is a common form of primary research
for biologists and surveys a
re used frequently in
the business and marketing fields. Students from any academic
field will find value in conducting original primary
research based on a subject matter question.
Layout and F
ormatting
Your research proposal is a
formal, academic
docum
ent with
four
major sections:
1.
RESEARCH QUESTION
2. LITERATURE REVIEW

8. 3
.
RESEARCH METHODS
4. REF
E
RENCES
Section 1:
Research Question
In this section, p
ose your research question by e
xplain
ing
the problem to be investigated
. You must
s
how
importance
and significance of the problem
and also pose
the determinate research questions to be investigated
.
I
expect a research question that is clearly defined, appropriate in
scope and appropriate for ENC
1102

9. and feasible
for investigation through your own fiel
d research
.
Your research questions should help address the broader class
question of
“What determines a successful experience for FIU students in
writing and rhetoric?”
Section 2: Literature Review
The literature review will survey the articles and texts that you
have examined in your preliminary work. This
includes 3
-
4 sources, cited in
MLA
style.
A literature review should clearly and concisely summarize the
research
you’ve conducted so far,
showing your audience that you have some understanding of the
academic conversation
you’re proposing to enter.
Section
3
:
Research Methods

10. ENC 1102: Writing and Rhetoric II
Professor McCormick
Spring 2019
Unit One: Research Proposal
DUE DATE
Final Proposal Due: Monday, February 4
th
, 2019
Research Proposal
Many academic disciplines and programs ask students to write a
research proposal before they launch a research
project – a study or paper. Research proposals are also very
common in professional or corporate environments
where supervisors may ask an employee to write up a project
proposal before that project is launched.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment, like any research proposal, is to
ask permission to begin a project. For this
assignment, you are asked to write a proposal for the research
you will conduct. The results of your research will be
reported in your Informative Report/Essay. This problem will
continue to guide you through the rest of the
semester, as we conduct secondary, exploratory research and
ultimately argue persuasively for a solution to the
problem in the final Proposal Argument essay. A secondary
purpose for this assignment is for you as students to
reflect personally on your own success in ENC1102, and the
value of writing and rhetoric for you beyond this class.
You will conduct your own primary research through field
methods that may include surveys/questionnaires,
interviews, and observation. Note that field research is

11. considered primary research, which means you are finding
the data yourself. The field research you are conducting is the
sort of research that scholars in social sciences such
as anthropology, linguistics, sociology, and political science
often conduct. Still, field research is used in every field.
For example, observation is a common form of primary research
for biologists and surveys are used frequently in
the business and marketing fields. Students from any academic
field will find value in conducting original primary
research based on a subject matter question.
Layout and Formatting
Your research proposal is a formal, academic document with
four major sections:
1. RESEARCH QUESTION
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
3. RESEARCH METHODS
4. REFERENCES
Section 1: Research Question
In this section, pose your research question by explaining the
problem to be investigated. You must show
importance and significance of the problem and also pose the
determinate research questions to be investigated. I
expect a research question that is clearly defined, appropriate in
scope and appropriate for ENC1102 and feasible
for investigation through your own field research. Your research
questions should help address the broader class
question of “What determines a successful experience for FIU
students in writing and rhetoric?”
Section 2: Literature Review
The literature review will survey the articles and texts that you
have examined in your preliminary work. This
includes 3-4 sources, cited in MLA style. A literature review

12. should clearly and concisely summarize the research
you’ve conducted so far, showing your audience that you have
some understanding of the academic conversation
you’re proposing to enter.
Section 3: Research Methods