A research proposal may be an early part of a larger project or it may be a self-contained assignment. In either case, the basic steps in creating a proposal are the same, and the specific details will depend on your instructor’s guidelines. In general, a research proposal makes the case that your topic is interesting, that your research question is worth investigating, and that adequate sources are available. In order to demonstrate the merit of a proposed research project, many instructors require that a proposal include the following:
background information on the topic
a focused research question
a summary of preliminary research findings
a likely answer to your research question
a search plan, with a list of possible obstacles to finding sources
a working bibliography, or short list of promising sources, with complete bibliographic information in a specific style, such as MLA or APA
For his assignment, student Marshall Rivera chose the topic of Head Start, an early childhood intervention program aimed at improving educational outcomes for low-income children. He created the following brief proposal.
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Marshall Rivera
English 102: Writing and Research
Professor Willard
24 October 2015
Research Proposal: The Cost-Effectiveness of Head Start
Background: Head Start is a federal program created in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s larger initiative of ending poverty in the United States. Operated by the Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start’s focus is on preparing young children from low-income families to be ready for school. Head Start claims that children who benefit from early intervention programs are more likely to perform better in school and are therefore more likely to become productive members of society. But critics claim that Head Start is costly and has no lasting effect on the lives of poor children.
Research Question: Is Head Start an effective enough program to be worth the federal tax dollars required to run it?
Summary of Preliminary Findings: My early research shows mixed reviews of Head Start. Some sources, such as Lindsey Burke at FoxNews.com, strongly criticize the program as a corrupt waste of taxpayer money. Others, such as Amanda Moreno of the Huffington Post, insist that Head Start has many worthwhile benefits, even if long-term educational outcomes cannot be clearly demonstrated.
Likely Answer to Research Question: My initial thinking is that Head Start is worth the money, although there is probably room for improvement. For example, maybe Head Start should be held accountable for the performance of the children it helps, similar to the way schools are held accountable for student performance as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. On the other hand, critics of Head Start need to understand the many factors that are out of the agency’s control, such as child abuse, substance abuse, school violence, and learning disabilities. In some situations, education alone cannot solve all the problems faced by a child. I suspect that Head Start could be part of a successful series of programs that are aimed at improving all aspects of a child’s life, from education to nutrition to safety.
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Search Plan: I plan to uncover sources from both sides of the research question: those in favor of funding Head Start and those opposed to it. My goal is to understand how and why these sources have such different interpretations of the same evidence, which is primarily a large 2010 government study on the effectiveness of Head Start. I also plan to look carefully at the neutral sources that suggest that Head Start is flawed but could be made more effective with some changes. One obstacle I may face in my research is finding unbiased sources. Government sources, which are typically considered reliable, may demonstrate bias in favor of this government-funded program. Many nonprofit and educational sites may also demonstrate this same bias. Likewise, conservative groups that oppose taxes for many federal social programs will probably be automatically biased against Head Start.
Working Bibliography
Burke, Lindsey M. “Head Start’s Sad and Costly Secret—What Washington Doesn’t Want You to Know.” FoxNews.com, 14 Jan. 2013, www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/14/head-starts-sad-and-costly-secret-what-washington-doesnt-want-you-to-know.html.
Colleluori, Salvatore. “Media Cherry-Pick Facts to Falsely Label Head Start Program a Failure.” Media Matters for America, 16 Jan. 2013, mediamatters.org/research/2013/01/16/media-cherry-pick-facts-to-falsely-label-head-s/192284.
Moreno, Amanda. “Why the Head Start Headlines Are Wrong.” The Huffington Post, 24 Jan. 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-moreno-phd/head-start-early-education_b_2533443.html
United States Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families. Office of Head Start, www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ohs. Accessed 16 Oct. 2015.
Vinci, Yasmina. “Does Head Start Work?” Reuters.com, 27 Dec. 2012, blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2012/12/27/does-head-start-work/.