The Great Depression Prospectus

1. Title. Provide a tentative title for a research paper.
2. Subject/Topic: Discuss the general topic/subject. First, describe your subject/topic briefly. Second, place subject/topic in an historical context. Lastly, state its significance to the larger historical issue(s), why is it important. (2-3 paragraphs)
3. Question/Problem: Define the “problem” that you are confronting or the question(s) you are seeking to answer in research. You should present tentative conclusions. The purpose here is to see how you are conceptualizing your problem/question(s) and how you might get at some answers. Keep in mind that any conclusions which you propose are tentative at this point. (1 paragraph)
4. A thesis statement. A thesis statement is a sentence in which you state an argument about a topic and then describe, briefly, how you will prove your argument. A thesis makes a specific statement to the reader about what you will be trying to argue. (1-2 sentences)
5. A preliminary outline should be included with the prospectus. Follow traditional outline form. The outline should not be TOO detailed but it should offer general topics and subtopics and resources. It should enable you to approach your topic and present your material in an effective, organized way. (Outline for a 8-10 page paper should be 1 – 2 pages)
6. Working Annotated Bibliography. The last part of this prospectus is more detailed, it will require a working annotated bibliography. The annotated bibliography should include at least 5 sources that you will be using for your research. Include two (2) primary sources and three (3) secondary sources (that are credible sources) for your outline. Make sure to include diverse sources for the secondary sources, at least one book and scholarly journal. First, provide a proper citation in MLA. Second, provide a summary for each of the sources. (What is the source about? What arguments does it make? What examples does it illustrate?). Third, indicate how the source will be used in your research. Evaluate its effectiveness. Each of the annotation should be 5-7+ sentences long. (5 paragraphs)
7. Format: Present your paper in MLA format