You will work on your proposal as part of History 501. A reasonable length is about 7-10 pages, excluding bibliography. The proposal should be organized into sections and be written with fully developed paragraphs and complete sentences. Everything should be consistent with Chicago style.
Outline:
Introduction:
General discussion of the background and objectives of the thesis/project/portfolio. This is where you catch the attention of the reader – tell them about the significance of the question(s) to be addressed and the impact your proposed work will have on these questions. In some cases, you might then include a very short statement about how the rest of the proposal is organized to set the expectations of the reviewer.
Main body of Proposal
Includes more detailed discussions of the historiography. This section should convince the reader that more research is necessary. It should include a detailed discussion of the specific goals. The objectives section is one of the most important section of the proposal, because listing specific goals helps the author focus on what data will be important to the thesis/project/portfolio.
Work Plan:
This timetable predicts the duration of each step and the overall project. The purpose of the work plan is to show that you have thought carefully through what needs to be done, how it can be done, and when it can be done. In practice, you will almost certainly need to modify the plan as the work proceeds, but establishing a plan from the outset can help you foresee and avoid potential difficulties. If you anticipate trouble-spots or issues, include them so your committee might help you trouble-shoot.
Budget and Justification:
As with the work plan, the budget may need to evolve as the project progresses. Nevertheless, it is important to think through what resources will be necessary – such as traveling to archives.
References:
Include a bibliography of work related to your research including primary resource collections.
Criteria for Evaluation of a Thesis Proposal
- The merit of the proposed research.
- How well the proposed research is placed within the context of existing knowledge about subject of study.
- How clearly and concisely the proposal is written.
- Do the sources exist in sufficient quantity?
- Can you travel to see the sources you need to look at?