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 What is a Proposal?
A proposal begins the process inquiry on a topic or project. It provides a starting point for the activities of composing by identifying the key issues, methods, and sources you plan to develop further through the project itself. Although the proposal often cannot specify precisely how your plans for the project will ultimately unfold, you will save yourself a great deal of unnecessary effort and time if your proposal is well-developed before you launch your project. Here are some basic features of a solid proposal:
  1. It defines a question, problem, or issue [or a set of these] addressed by the project. This is the "engine" that drives the inquiry into the topic.
  2. It identifies the audience(s) the project will address.
  3. It explains why the inquiry is signficant for a particular audience or audiences.
  4. It proposes a method or approach to start the inquiry. Several methods may be proposed, if the project is large or complex.
  5. It suggests relevant sources of information about the inquiry you are aware of or plan to look for.

The inquiry should be

compelling (that is, interesting for you),

manageable (able to be carried out), and

significant (interesting for others).

There are many projects that might fill one or two of these criteria, but you need to propose a project that meets all three.

M. A. Syverson
Computer Writing and Research Lab
Division of Rhetoric and Composition
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas 78712

syverson@uts.cc.utexas.edu

July 19, 2000
Information for Students: