As you know, on Tuesday you are required to submit a 250-300 word proposal defining the topic of your research paper. Please bring six copies of your proposal to share with classmates in your peer review groups.

Developing a well-defined problem is the key to a successful research paper. As you finish your proposal, keep in mind that a research problem is more than just a topic. Whereas a topic identifies some general phenomenon (e.g., Native American healing traditions), a research problem raises interesting questions of theoretical or practical value (e.g., How do contemporary Native American healing traditions interact with biomedicine?). Your paper will be more fun to write (and to read) if you tackle a specific research problem than it will be if you address a broad, ill-defined topic.

Begin to narrow your focus by doing some exploratory reading on a topic that interests you. You may find that the course readings are a good place to start. As you read, take note of exciting ideas or unresolved puzzles, and try to formulate interesting “what,” “how,” or “why” questions about your topic. Do a preliminary literature search early on to make sure that you’ll have enough—but not too much—material to draw on.

The paper proposal should identify the problem and articulate why it is important. Try to relate your problem to the broader themes of the course, and indicate how you plan to approach the problem.

Many university libraries have useful suggestions for finding appropriate research topics. See, for example, this page at the Cornell University Library.