Research Proposal Assignment for Dr. Smith Harvey

Due: In Week 9 – submitted via Blackboard by the beginning of class time

Evaluation: 10% of final grade

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE ESSAY!! IT IS SIMPLY THE PREP WORK FOR THE ESSAY DUE IN EARLY APRIL!!

• A cover page is unnecessary due to it being a Blackboard submission

• 11 or 12-point font, Times New Roman (or similar)

• approx. 1 page (subject area + bibliography)

• use the sub-headings & structure as shown below

1. SUBJECT AREA (5 marks)

For the major (argumentative) essay component, you will be researching & analyzing a topic of your own choice. Your topic should include a Canadian aspect of some kind. Whether you choose to explore an issue, trend, problem, movement, debate or controversy, you must evaluate the topic’s overall SOCIAL IMPORTANCE & IMPACT on individuals, communities & society-at-large.

• For this proposal, first list a general category of interest. Use the material in your textbooks, class activities, the newspaper, Internet searches or personal interests as inspiration).

• From this general category, then narrow the subject to one specific issue, situation, problem or debate within the larger category. You want to avoid a topic that is too broad or else you won’t be able to adequately analyze it in the space of the final essay.

• Lastly, in one sentence, explain how you will focus the topic & what particular themes/aspects you will concentrate on for discussion in your essay (these may shift somewhat over time).

Part One should end up looking like this:

(1) General category: Disability [→ a word or two]

(2) Specific subject: Residential Construction & Accessibility [→ a set of more specific words or phrases]

(3) Particular focus: I will focus on the trend of renovating homes to be accessible for people with physical disabilities - for example, by installing ramps, lower-height cabinets, & automation.

[→ one full sentence describing the purpose of your research, providing possible themes & examples]

1. PRELIMINARY BIBLIOGRAPHY (10 marks)

• Do various keyword searches to find sources on your topic (published after 2000); create an alphabetized APA bibliography

• List a minimum of 4 (or more!) resources on your topic FROM THE LIBRARY DATABASES only.

• Do not use article ‘abstracts’ – full text articles only

• You will want to remember the database names & the retrieval dates for your sources

• Email a copy of each source to yourself (along with an automated APA citation), & store them in a folder on your computer or on a memory stick

• Acceptable sources: e-books, academic & trade journals, newspapers, magazines; reports & fact sheets by universities, government & social agencies; documentary videos; interview transcripts.