Project Proposal Guidelines

(5% (50 points)) 

Expected length: 750-1250 words (double-spaced in the 12pt Times New Roman font) 

Due date: 1PM on 6/3 (Th)

Please submit a Word or pdf file to the Assignment module on Canvas.

The purposes of this proposal are (a) to help you clarify what you intend to do; (b) to present more detailed background information with more references; (c) to firm up your research design and data collection methods; and (d) to make clear the feasibility and appropriateness of your project. After careful review, your proposal will either be approved as is, provisionally approved with a request for clarifications or with specific recommendations, or not approved. If not approved, you will need to rework and then resubmit your proposal within two weeks. If you want to receive feedback earlier, you may turn in your proposal before the due date.

 

Your proposal should consist of the following five parts: 

 

1. Introduction

1. Describe the goal(s) of your project
2. Explain why it is interesting
3. Explain what it tells us about Japanese culture

 

2. Brief Literature Review

  Summarize what has been uncovered in previous studies about your topic. Please see the section in these guidelines below that discusses the differences between primary and secondary sources. This section concerns secondary sources.

 

3. Research Questions and Working Hypotheses

1. Research Questions: What do you want to find out? 
2. Working Hypotheses: What do you expect to find and why?

 

4. Research Method

 Describe the data collection procedure you are going to use (e.g., survey, interviews, linguistic analysis, text analysis, etc.). You should include (1) description of your data collection procedures (e.g., what, when, where, and how), (2) a brief description of your sources of primary data, including informants, if any, and (3) draft versions of your instruments (e.g., sample questions for interviews and/or surveys). 

     If you are going to analyze cultural texts (literary work/films/TV dramas/manga/etc.), provide information on your source material and an explanation of why you selected it. Please see the section in these guidelines below that discusses the differences between primary and secondary sources. This section concerns primary sources.

 

Data Sources

Alphabetically list your data sources (primary sources), from which you collect data.  See below

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for the differences between primary and secondary sources. Provide URLs whenever they are available.

 

References

Alphabetically list a minimum of 4 references, at least one of which is a published resource, such as a book or a journal article. More references are encouraged. Provide URLs whenever they are available.

This is a list of secondary sources.

 

 

 

An additional goal of this project is to make you aware of and familiar with the use of academic research materials.

1. Use library catalogs such as CMU's Cameo.
2. Use on-line academic databases such as JSTOR and others listed under “electronic databases” on CMU library’s home page. You are free to use other databases that provide bibliographical information on academic journals and books. These databases are available through the CMU library website.
3. Depending on the nature of your topic, I may accept non-academic internet information, such as Wikipedia, as valid sources. However, these are NOT reliable academic sources. You will not receive full credit for background research if your sources are limited to non-academic internet information. You may also use our textbook and other readings as sources.
4. For both academic sources and non-academic internet sources, make sure to consider the       publication dates and possible biases of these works.

 

 

Proposal evaluation criteria:

All approved or provisionally approved proposals including the five parts above in sufficient depth receive full credit. Proposals that need reworking will receive full credit after they are reworked and accepted.

 

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What are primary and secondary sources? (thanks to Professor E. Kaske for this section)

 

1. Primary sources are sources that are the closest and most immediate expression of your object of study.
2. Academic research is a secondary source, because the researcher acts as an intermediary to your object of study. He or she has already studied the object and what you read is his or her interpretation of it. However, if your object of study is the author of an academic book, or is the book itself, rather than the topic being written about in the book, then the academic book becomes your primary source.
3. For example, if you study apples, the apples you collect yourself are your primary source. If you read a book about apples, this is a secondary source. Different apple books may have different approaches to and interpretations of apples. Comparing these approaches may also

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