The first tip for creating a research proposal that caught my attention was the importance of opinions. Often times we think of the word “fact” when we hear research, because facts are reliable and able to be proven or disproven. However, according to chapter five in the Bedford Book of Genres, it is very important to determine the thoughts and ideas that people have regarding the given topic. These opinions are able to provide the reader with a further understanding of the topic by providing varying perspectives on aspects of the research. In addition, I found it interesting that the chapter also advises the author to form his/her own arguments in response to these opinions. Thus, the research proposal is not only expected to state the facts and reflect multiple standpoints, but to also take a stand and formulate an argument. This piece of advice will definitely serve as an excellent reminder to me while writing my own research compositions.
The next aspect of the chapter that I found incredible useful is the Research Draft Checklist, consistent of various questions to ask oneself in order to gain a solid understanding of what it is you’re trying to research. These questions are designed to give people an insight into factors ranging from purpose and audience to style and design. Even after settling on a topic, it is crucial to continue asking the questions found in this checklist in order to ensure that you are conducting relevant, appropriate, and useful research.
Finally, I enjoyed the high value placed on organization. This is because I personally try my best to keep track of my sources so that I can have easy access to them, verify that they aren’t plagiarized, connect them to one another, and document them in the final paper. A working bibliography, containing annotations and comments, helps very much when approaching the end of the paper so that the writer doesn’t have to continuously make new edits.