Guidelines for Undergraduate Proposals
A good proposal provides a blueprint for the work its author seeks to finance. Most successful submissions in the social sciences provide the following information in roughly the order set forth:
- Clear statement of the question the project will try to answer. Devising a clear and feasible research question is often the toughest part of the job. Remember that a question ends with a question mark; it is not an allusion to a broad topic area. “I want to understand why some people decide to vote while others do not” is a question, while “voting behavior” or “turnout” are both topics.
- A paragraph or two on the significance of the project. Social resources are scarce. Why is it important to find an answer to the question you have posed? Does the question have policy significance? Will it produce a general important to a lot of people? To whom does your answer potentially matter? Have others pointed to the importance of the subject?
- A few short paragraphs on the answers others have offered to this question or to related questions and a note about why you consider these answers inadequate. In a short proposal, we do not ask you to go into great detail, but no one should offer a proposal without having done some investigation first. In a few rare instances we may accept proposals that simply state your thoughts about the likely answer to the question, but in almost all instances reviewers want to see that you have done some homework.
- A short description of your research design or methods for answering your question. What information do you need to obtain to determine whether your favored answer is wrong or whether alternative plausible answers are wrong? How will you secure this information—through case histories? Small surveys? Examination of patterns in client records? Again, please consult with faculty members in developing your 2-3 paragraphs and consider whether it is feasible to do what you propose.
- Remember that interviews and surveys usually require university human subjects clearance, under federal law. Please consult the university websites on this subject (OPR). If you are using historical materials or other people’s survey data, you generally won’t need this clearance. In many instances clearance is fairly pro forma, but you must be familiar with the rules and prepare your project for review.
- If you propose to carry out work abroad, particularly in difficult contexts or in Africa or Central Asia, pay attention to what is involved:
- Understand that countries usually require official clearance to conduct research within their borders. Apply very early (several months beforehand). Be prepared to pay a fee and to secure a corresponding affiliation with a local institution. If you plan to carry out your work under the auspices of an internship with an NGO or government organization, you may not need official clearance, but you should have the written permission of the organization, whose own status your activities may jeopardize.
- Most countries require visas. If you intend to travel within the region, get visas for all of the countries before you travel.
- Remember that you cannot set up all of your arrangements from here. If you don’t have a high tolerance for uncertainty and strong survival skills, consider an internship under the auspices of a respected international organization.
Do not expect faculty members, government officials, or ordinary citizens to help you carry out your work. Remember that you are imposing on busy schedules. It is generally a good idea to request meetings in writing, then to follow up with a phone call or a visit to a secretary upon arrival. Not all people will have time for you, and no one is obligated to provide you with information, records, etc.
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