LA498 M2A3

Must follow ALL directions. Read carefully and understand. Must be turned in tomorrow by noon EST. Must use ALL attachements.

Developing a proposal is one of the first steps in an academic research process. While proposals are commonly reviewed by faculty and other researchers in relevant fields, your audience for this proposal includes your classmates, who may have disparate backgrounds and limited knowledge of your topic. Even your instructor is unlikely to have specialized knowledge in exactly the topic you’ve chosen. Consequently, your task is to present a concise (350-500 words) yet well-supported proposal in which you introduce the contemporary global issue you’ve selected, explain its significance, both in your own field of study and to the larger external population, and present a clear argument as to why this topic is worthy of time and attention. Your proposal must demonstrate your understanding of the scope of the social and cultural issues related to this topic while demonstrating your familiarity with relevant scholarly research.

Using the information included in Scaffold Step #1 (Topic Proposal Worksheet) and other scholarly sources you may have collected (THEY ARE ATTACHED), organize your work in a manner that most effectively develops your argument. Follow the conventions of academic essay writing with a title page; double-spaced text; clear introduction, body, and conclusion; and a reference page. Your work should be original, with quotations limited to less than 10% of your total word count. Use only scholarly sources in your proposal, and include citations in APA format.

Be sure your work clearly states the problem in a way that anyone unfamiliar with your field of study will understand. Draw an explicit connection between the topic and one or both of your Degree Depths; this will help establish the relevance of your topic to your studies.

When summarizing key issues and themes found in your preliminary reading, consider how the issue may affect vulnerable and disenfranchised populations around the world, and the ethical issues that may be involved. Synthesize the key disagreements among the research studies; this will help your audience understand the need to study the issue.

Your proposal should be 350-500 words and reflect appropriate critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, and senior-level written communication skills.

Research-worthy topics in the Capstone (ALL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN Scaffold Step #1) :

• Contemporary issue/problem studied by academic researchers  
• Global in scope (notlimited by national or regional focus)
• Clearly related to one of your fields of study (degree depths)
• Adversely affect vulnerable and disenfranchised populations
• Research studies include major points of disagreement

Do:

• Focus on current scholarly research and practice (past 10 years)
• Analyze diverse arguments and themes
• Examine diverse perspectives and ethical implications
• Synthesize findings from current scholarly research and practice

 Don’t:

• Include personal opinions, beliefs, or values
• Begin with a preconceived “solution” to any issue
• Advocate for or against a particular position
• Rely on popular sources (.com, .net, etc.)