Select a topic of your choice related to global studies, the UN Global Issues Overview, and your interests. Prepare a research proposal justifying the need to study this topic or problem and explaining how it connects and contributes to existing research.
Your research proposal should include these pieces:
As part of your preparation for your research proposal, you will also need to:
See the assignment instructions shared by your professor for more details.
Research proposals serve to:
Think about the main ideas, concepts, and terms that convey your topic. What are some smaller, more specific ideas within your topic?
Limiting your scope means you will be able to provide the appropriate amount of detail within the space or page limits you have.
Ways to focus your topic:
Think about how time, place, or different populations affect or are affected by your topic.
Ask who, what, when, where, why, how?
Ask what about this topic is important? What are potential outcomes or solutions? What methods of intervention might help prevent the problem? What are potential ways people might benefit from a solution? What will change as a result of the problem being resolved?
Talking about or brainstorming your topic with someone else might help you find the specific ideas you can focus on.
A research problem statement identifies:
Research questions guide your search for sources. They lead to specific information about your topic. Think about what you know about your topic already, and then think about what you don’t know about your topic and what you will need to find out. The research questions you develop should be open-ended, they cannot be answered with a simple yes or no.
A bibliography is a list of every source you used or cited in your research.
Bibliographies can be used to:
There are a few approaches you can take for your literature review.
Group the research into themes or categories.
Compare various arguments, theories, methodologies, and findings. What has been agreed on?
Contrast various arguments, themes, findings, and approaches. What are the areas of contradiction, disagreement, or controversy?
Critique approaches and arguments. Which are the most reliable or valid and why?
Connect to your own research. How does your work build on, depart from, make new connections, or add new perspectives?