My Understanding of the Research Proposal

I believe that a research paper is an ongoing learning process that requires a student to search for appropriate sources and then review and reflect upon those sources in order to gain a through understanding of the material to create a thesis. In class discussion today I realized that a research paper is a time consuming process, however the extra time dedicated to the paper will reap beneficial results. As an English major, I too agree with the idea that a research paper is not complete after the research has been gathered, that is why a research proposal is such a great tool to utilize. Since this is the first time during my undergraduate program that I have been required to submit a formal research proposal the entire process is new to me, but I must say that I think it is a wonderfully helpful idea. The purpose of a research proposal is to help the writer construct, organize, and review the materials for the paper in order to create a research question and thesis. The Penguin Handbook discusses the "Research Project" in chapter 20, and it states that "if you've kept your materials organized during the research phase, you can complete the writing phase on schedule with excellent results"(336). This statement from the handbook can directly relate to the main purpose of the research proposal, which I believe to be first and foremost a detailed and organized review of the information from the sources and a narrowing of the sources to decide which sources are best suitable for my argument. After I have chosen the sources for my paper, I can then use this information to create a timeline of my paper. This timeline will help me to schedule the various steps of my paper. Next I will create a research question from my information and my thesis statement will be a possible answer to that question. Thus far I believe my question will ask,"How has the NCLB Act failed to help the children in American schools?"
Overall, my research proposal will be a helpful tool to guide me throughout the process of creating my paper.

The Plan for my Research Paper on NCLB

I believe that for a research paper to ultimately become a success when the final draft is handed in, the writer needs to develop and follow an appropriate plan for the paper. This plan will serve as an organized outline which will allow the writer to plot out the number of steps he or she will utilize for the paper as well as how much time will be devoted to each step. Since this research paper assignment is the largest grade that will be assessed in English 207 this semester, I am going to plan the entire process of developing my paper that way I can track my progress. My first step included finding a research topic that was both interesting and relevant to me personally. I chose to write a persuasive research paper about the 2001 No Child Left Behind law. This particular topic is close to my heart because in two years I will be a professional teacher working with my students in the real world classroom setting, and according to the research I have seen and read, this law is not benefitting all students. The main purpose of my paper will focus on the problems that have failed to be corrected under the NCLB law.
The second part of my paper will include finding at least ten valid sources for my paper, both online using LexisNexis, and hardcover books in the Jerome Library. I also plan to use an interview with one of my former teachers as a source from a first person perspective. After I have gathered all of my sources and compiled my annotated bibliography (and I will use the Handbook, pages 317-320 to help me), I will begin to draft my paper and create a thesis. My thesis will most likely describe that "Under NCLB there are more problems than solutions" or something along those lines. I am a bit concerned that at first I will be confused on how to order my supporting points. This means I have to spend time sorting through my sources and find the details that strongly support my thesis. When my draft is complete, I will make changes as necessary, proofread it several times and provide the appropriate MLA page headings and citations.
I hope to achieve a greater knowledge of the NCLB act from researching this paper, so that when I enter into the realm of teaching, I am able to have an educated opinion regarding this Law and the changes that should be made. I also hope that this paper helps me to achieve a solid comprehension of persuading an audience on a given topic.