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CMNS 1140 – Career Research Proposal

Background and Learning Context

In this current assignment (Assignment #4, Research Proposal), you will be writing a short proposal to me, proposing your topic for the final written assignment in CMNS 1140, the Career Research Report (Assignment #6).

We will apply the following critical communication skills and principles to research and write an INFORMATIVE, researched report.

The Research Proposal

The research proposal is the first step in research report writing. It allows you to begin brainstorming and narrowing down your research topic, generate ideas relating to the research topic, structure the order of your ideas, frame boundaries for your research report, and formulate questions you may wish to consider when writing your paper.

Consider the proposal as an exploration of your research interests, your initial ideas for exploration, your personal reasons for exploring this area, and an opportunity to identify the sources you will need in order to complete the report. While the proposal is not set is stone, since effective research necessarily implies a shifting of attitudes as you gather new information, it should give you (and the instructor) a pretty clear idea of whether your research idea is feasible.

Assignment Instructions

Research Proposal Requirements

Ensure that you address (answer) the following questions, and use these requirements as the basis for the headings of your proposal:

1. Identify the career area or field you will be exploring in your final paper for this course, and describe the basic parameters (scope) that you will be researching. Use an extended definition to define the field.   (Cite sources)
2. Describe some of the current issues that are part of your intended professional field. Are any of them controversial?  What are the complexities? Etc.  (Cite sources)
3. Identify a key international trend that is impacting or informing your prospective field. Define the trend—what is it? What is its impact? Why is it important that you are aware of it now? What steps can you take to be prepared to leverage this international trend and make yourself more employable? (Cite sources)
4. Why do these issues interest you personally? ( no citation required, and it is OK to use “I” in this section.)
5. Introduce and list at least 8 questions about your field that you could potentially research in your final report. (No citation necessary for this section.)
6. From the above list, select at least two questions that you plan to address in your final paper, and list them in the order that you will structure them in your report. Ensure that these are all open-ended questions.  For example: don’t say Is sustainability important?  Do say, Why is sustainability an important part of Marketing? (Explain WHY you chose those two questions. (“I” is OK in this section—No citation necessary)

7. Explain how each of these questions will benefit first year students in your field. Pretend that you would be presenting your report findings to these students at the end of the semester.

Address the benefits to first year students for each question that you intend to research. (Some citation may be necessary, depending on the claims you make in this section.)

Additional Assignment Requirements

8. Integrate at least three visual elements (e.g., tables and one figures) into your proposal. These visuals can occur anywhere in your research proposal, but one of them must relate to the International Trends section.
9. Use at least four different sources of information:
   1. one primary source (e.g., an industry professional whom you will interview)
   2. three secondary sources (e.g., textbook, journal article, industry magazine, credible website etc.)
10. Attach a Works Cited page at the end of your proposal.

You must use proper documentation/citation format, either MLA or APA, your choice, but be consistent.