Lesson Five
Internet Research; Writing a Proposal
Dr. Nancy Hoagland

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, you should be able to:

  1. identify and use strategies for searching the Internet
  2. collaborate with group members to produce a brief guide to Internet research tools
  3. use APA or MLA style to create a list of works cited
  4. define a planning proposal
  5. explain the difference between a research proposal and a goods-and-services proposal
  6. describe the basic structure of a proposal
  7. write a planning proposal for the class project


(Transcript)

||  Tasks/Readings ||
|| Focus Questions  || Lecture || 

  Interview with
Chuck Guyker,
Senior Project Manager
Dyncorp Information & Enterprise Technology, Inc.

"Writing in a Group"

video | transcript

 

Tasks/Readings

Readings

  • Read Markel, Chapter 7: Researching Your Subject, pp. 123-158 (continued)
  • Read Markel, Appendix: Reference Handbook, "Part A: Documenting Sources, MLA Style" pp. 592-593 and 610-620 (continued)
  • Read Course Guide, Unit 3 Gathering and Documenting Information, 3-1 - 3-29 (continued).
  • Read Markel, Chapter 17: Writing Proposals, pp. 431-461.
  • Read Course Guide, Unit 4 Proposing a Project, pp. 4-1 - 4-22.

Tasks

  • Check the Study Groups area to locate your group and read the instructions for completing a Group Activity on Using Internet Search Tools (20% of Course Participation Grade)
  • Contact members of your group either by e-mail or by posting a message in the conference area for your group to begin the activity as soon as possible.
  • Make conference posts under the conference topics for Lesson 5: Internet Research; Writing a Proposal:
    • Study Group Reports on Using Internet Search Tools.
    • Using MLA Guidelines for Documenting an Internet Source
    • What Is a Planning Proposal

Focus Questions

  1. What are the most useful strategies for searching the Internet?
  2. What are MLA guidelines for documenting the use of an Internet source? Other sources?
  3. What is a planning proposal?
  4. What is the difference between a research proposal and a goods-and-services proposal?
  5. What is the basic structure of a proposal?

Lecture Notes

NOTE: Lecture notes are intended as a guide to each week's reading assignment from Markel's Technical Communication, 7th ed.. In the notes, I will identify the topics that I consider important in a reading assignment. I will also try to relate the reading assignment to the writing assignments for the course. Questions on the final exam will be based on the objectives, focus questions, lectures notes, and assigned reading for each lesson.

Introduction

This lesson consists of four main topics:


Chapter 7: Researching Your Subject (continued)

For a discussion of this chapter, please see the Lecture Notes for Lesson Four.

In Lesson 5, you are expected to use the information on pages 129-133 in Chapter 7, as well as the information found on the UMUC Library Web page on Search and Use the Internet to complete the Group Project on Using Internet Research Tools.. The goal of the group project is to compile a list of tips to help students search the Internet for research sources for the class project. This project counts 10% of the Course Participation Grade.


Appendix: Reference Handbook, "Part A: Documenting Sources, APA Style" and "Part A: Documenting Sources, MLA Style" (continued)

For a discussion of documenting sources using in your writing, please see the Lecture Notes for Lesson Four.

In Lesson 5, you are expected to use either APA or MLA style to write a works cited entry for one Internet research source you plan to use for your project. This entry should be submitted as one of the conference topics for Lesson 5. Please state whether you are using APA or MLA style.

In my experience, we all under estimate the time required to determine the proper format for citing sources in a formal report. I think students wait until the last minute to create the works cited page and then do not have time to find the correct format for entries. Unfortunately, details such as using the proper format for documenting sources can make the difference between a grade of A or B on a report.

The purpose of this conference topic is to help you become more familiar with APA or MLA style before you complete your formal report. You have several sources of information about APA or MLA format. One is Markel's Appendix: Reference Handbook, "Part A: Documenting Sources, APA Style" pp. 593-603 and "Part A: Documenting Sources, MLA Style" pp. 610-620. Another source is the handbook for the course, A Writer's Reference, 5th ed. For me the most valuable tool is the online Web site for AWriter's Reference. I used the Research and Documentation Online page to look up MLA Guidelines as I wrote lecture materials for the course. But the textbook site also gives APA Guidelines in an easy-to-locate format. The UMUC Library Citation Resources also has information on how to apply APA or MLA Guidlines.


Chapter 17: Writing Proposals

Markel begins by pointing out the difference between external and internal proposals. An external proposal is submitted to an individual or group outside of your organization, and an internal proposal is submitted to an individual or group within your organization such as your supervisor.

He continues by distinguishing between solicited and unsolicited proposals. When an organization wants to purchase a product or service, it sends out a document soliciting other groups to either send in a bid with prices for the needed items or send in a proposal for the needed services. An unsolicited proposal is sent to an organization that also needs a product or service. The only difference is that in an unsolicited proposal, there is no official document on record that solicits the proposal. But proposals are expensive to write so usually there is at least a conversation inviting an individual or group to send in a proposal.

Markel also says that proposals can be classified by what is delivered at the end of the project. The end product of a research proposal is a research report. The end of a goods-and-services proposal is a tangible product such as the installation of a new security system. NOTE: For this course, you are supposed to write a research proposal. The reason is that you usually do not have time to complete a project that involves producing a tangible product. For this course, you are supposed to identify a problem, research methods of solving the problem, and write a research report recommending ways of solving the problem. You can recommend the installation of a new security system, but you should not plan to include the actual installation in your class project.

Markel outlines the structure of the proposal as follows:


Course Guide, Unit 4: Proposing a Project

The proposal assignment for COMM393 is based on the original Course Modules and also on the Course Guide. The Course Guide has an excellent discussion of writing a proposal in Unit 4: Proposing a Project. Please see pages 4-8 - 4-21 for a description of a planning proposal with an extended example of how to write one.

The Course Guide defines a planning proposal as follows:

The planning proposal describes an issue or problem and offers possible solutions. In a technical environment, a planning proposal is a tool to define and outline a project. It describes the scope and requirements of a project; determines resources, anticipated deliverables, and their delivery schedule; and establishes expectations. (4-1)

This outline for a proposal that appears in the Course Guide is a little different from the outline that appears in Markel, Technical Communication, 7th ed.. The outline on page 4-21 of the Course Guide contains the following :

If you look at the Assignment Sheet for Assignment 2: Planning Proposal, you will see that the structure outlined in the Assignment Sheet (and the Evaluation Sheet for Assignment 2: Planning Proposal) is based on the Course Guide. The reason is that the Course Modules and student examples are based on this outline. I suggest that you use this model for completing Assignment 2.

REMINDER: Assignment 2: Planning Proposal is due on December 5. . For more information, see the Assignment Sheet for Assignment 2: Planning Proposal and the Evaluation Sheet for Assignment 2: Planning Proposal.

For additional information on conducting a research project, see Module 2: Planning and Executing a Project.

Material for this course was originally written and developed by Michelle Didier, Edward Harris, James Gillin, Pat Kirby, Marj Crane,Danielle Bujosa, Andrew Joyce, Ed Brandmark, Traicy Garey, and Sharon Biederman.

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