Prospectus

Prospectus

A prospectus is a formulation of your initial thinking for your essay topic. This assignment gets you to narrow your project focus by proposing and articulating the guiding question you want to pursue for our larger out-of-class essay project for the course. The rationale behind it is so you develop a topic that is narrow, focused, worth exploration, interesting to you, and driven by your genuine curiosity and critical thinking. It also helps you consider what you’ll try to cover, what you need to research, and why the topic is worth pursuing.

Look at the “Final Essay Project” handout for directions on the topic focus. As you discuss your proposed topic, include as much detail as you can (at this juncture). Essentially, this is your pitch to your “editor.” You’ll need to describe the focus of the project, why your readers will be interested in it, how your project is original, how you plan to conduct the research, and what exactly you will try to analyze as you pursue the project.

Use the following questions to help develop your prospectus:

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What is your original, focused thinking question that calls for research and sparks analysis? How will it add to the ideas/theories/conversations started by the discussions or texts from our class?

How will this focus prompt research/fieldwork? What will the research look like before you start writing your essay?

What is your purpose in writing about this subject? Why are you interested in it? Why might this discussion matter to potential readers/voters/citizens?

What is at stake in exploring this idea/focus? What do you think you can explore
here that is interesting and original to your essay? How are you going to do something that hasn’t already been done by another writer (at least, to your knowledge)?

Additional questions you might consider:

What have others already said/written about your proposed subject/topic? How do you suppose you will be situated in this “conversation”?

What types of sources do you know you will incorporate into your essay?

Assignment Requirements:

• ‣ Your prospectus should be a minimum of 250 words, typed, double-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, with 1” margins and a MLA format heading. Include the word count at the bottom of your proposal. Submit your prospectus in Canvas by 10am on 11/12.Bring a hard copy of your proposal to class on 11/12.
• ‣ Your prospectus should read as a stand-alone topic description and respond to the key questions above. For additional reference, see the samples posted on Canvas. The Prospectus will receive a letter grade based on how well you addressed the above features. It’s worth 5% of your overall course grade. No late or emailed submissions will be accepted.
• ‣ Proofread and edit your prospectus carefully before turning it in. It’s a good idea to get other readers in on the process as well. To make this a polished, well-written proposal, seek feedback on your overall clarity, adherence to the assignment guidelines, grammar/punctuation/sentences. Imagine this in a career setting where competition is intense and you’re trying to “green light” your project as a writer.