Prospectus Guidelines D. Reiss atndpart.htm

Prospectus

A Prospectus is a preliminary proposal or tentative plan for a future project, a document to guide as well as report on your work in progress. The information in your Prospectus should demonstrate that you have spent time and energy engaged in preliminary thinking and, if necessary or appropriate, preliminary research. As your thinking and early drafting progress, you might change your plans — and you are welcome to do so as long as you check with me about the new topic and enquire whether an updated prospectus is necessary.

Prospectus Guidelines and Examples

Identify the working title for your project, following academic conventions for naming, capitalization, and punctuation. Incorporate the preliminary central idea into your title, for example:
State your preliminary topic and central idea in 1-3 sentences. Be specific about the idea you propose to develop, clearly stated as an appropriately limited topic in one of the following ways:
- a specific research question that you hope to answer as you investigate the topic further, for example, How can our university keep tuition costs under control so that people who most need higher education can afford to attend?
- a preliminary thesis with an opinion, viewpoint, or perspective that you are thinking about—and that you are willing to change as you investigate and contemplate the topic further, for example, tuition at our university is too high for people who most need to attend; therefore, tuition should be reduced.
Briefly identify the primary viewpoints or perspectives about the topic. Understanding multiple perspectives is essential for understanding your topic. Identify the common ground among those who are concerned about the issue and identify the specific alternative perspectives that show the issue is complex and controversial. Here are some examples:
- Issue: the high cost of tuition:
  - Common ground: Many students consider college tuition to be too high for middle-class and low-income families.
  - One perspective: Some students think tuition should be lower.
  - Another perspective: However, other students think college tuition should be free.
- Issue: sand erosion problems at the coast:
  - Common ground: Residents of coastal areas recognize that beach erosion is a perpetual problem.
  - One perspective: Some residents think sand replenishment is the best approach.
  - Another perspective: However, other people think improved seawalls are preferable.
  - Another perspective: Some residents recommend construction of an artificial reef.
  - Another perspective: Other residents suggest letting nature take its course instead.
- Issue: analysis of the character of Walton in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein:
  - Common ground: Most readers agree that Walton was determined and committed to his goal.
  - One perspective: Some people think that Walton's quest for the Pole was a noble effort to advance human knowledge.
  - Another perspective: However, other people think Walton was reckless, endangering his crew for his own glory.
Identify the specific personal reasons you chose that topic and that approach, for example, what aspects of your own experience or observation generated your interest in the topic you selected.
Identify the specific academic reasons you chose that topic and that approach, for example, what aspects of your own academic studies or educational goals for this project, this class, or your curriculum generated your interest in the topic you selected.
Identify an audience in addition to your teacher and your classmates that ought to be interested in or persuaded by development of this topic, for example, students at the university and their families, ecologists, or classmates in a literature class.
If the project requires or permits research, describe your preliminary research plan.
1. What do you already know about the issues?
2. What information do you want and need to know about the issues?
3. What kinds of information and sources does this project require?
4. How you will proceed to locate the information you need within the time available?
What challenges do you anticipate as you investigate the issues and write this paper? How do you propose to deal with those challenges?

See Writing Guides and Resources for additional information about writing and documenting academic papers.