Worksheet for the Proposal
A) List the general and specific benefits for your readers if they accept your proposal.
Include deficiencies and growth needs.
B) Mention any counterarguments or concerns your readers may have about your topic,
design, or solution.
C) Discuss how you plan to demonstrate both your credibility and yourself as nonthreatening.
D) List the objectives of your research. The objectives are tasks that you will need to do
in order to evaluate the criteria you have established. Will you need to compare? Will
you need to get unbiased opinions?
The Proposal
The Proposal will be your most persuasive document: you must convince your decision makers
that they need to invest time and money into your research. Before applying the following
suggestions and format, become familiar with the guidelines in Anderson chapter 19.
Suggestions for a successful document:
A) Write a professional memo demonstrating good technical writing style and delivery.
B) Demonstrate an appeal to the reader by preparing a researched, documented, and
well-developed proposal. Refer to your Company Profile/Defining Objectives Memo.
C) Include all elements of persuasion: present claims, reasons, and support with
concrete evidence from your sources. You must sound credible.
D) Never assume the audience is receptive; look for, intercept, and neutralize
counterarguments.
E) Offer what readers will gain if they accept your proposal, and what they will lose if
they do not accept it.
F) Gather five sources to aid in your discussion. These must be cited within the paper
and listed alphabetically in a reference page.
G) Do not include design parameters, too much literature review information, or
conclusions. At this point, you only promise to investigate a solution to a problem or an
answer to an opportunity. You may mention some strong, concrete evidence that
warrants further investigation.
H) Follow instructions outlined below.
Introduction
1. Give your project a working context. Your readers need a reason for your
investigation.
2. Keep this paragraph brief (5-10 sentences).
3. Lead up to a statement of need and ask for permission to do the research.
Problem Statement (or Opportunity or Need)
1. Be persuasive by generating concrete claims.
a. For example, if you see evidence of air quality problems in the
community, give explicit examples.
b. Use five sources to back up your claims.
2. Consider all angles and all counterarguments of why this is an important
consideration. Make this problem, need, or opportunity significant to your
readers.
Objectives
1. Write each objective with goals and criteria in mind.
a. Goals should be evident after developing a good problem statement.
The words “comparing,” “defining,” “describing,” “researching,” will
point to appropriate goals for a formal report.
b. Criteria will help you effectively report or evaluate your topic or
design. What types of information will your readers be interested in: cost,
safety, environmental concerns, government guidelines? Don’t forget
that each of these has many facets.
2. Present the objectives in a logical order, for example, from most to least
important or chronologically.
3. Defend the objectives. Tell your readers why each objective is important to
the company.
Product/Solution
1. Describe the type of formal report you will present: literature review,
design/redesign, feasibility, empirical research.
2. Say what you will examine in the report. Look at the superstructures and let
your readers know that you know how to put together the proper kind of report.
3. Use the future tense.
Method
1. Indicate how you will arrive at the product by listing the steps you will go
through to complete your research.
2. Describe each phase from your list by informing your readers where you will
get the information. In addition, be careful of Internet sources. Consider how
you will convince your readers that you will use only credible sources.
3. Defend each step by indicating why you must perform this particular task.
4. Persuade your readers that you know how to start a project and push it through
to the end.
Resources and Costs
1. Relate what resources you will need to complete your project.
2. List the research cost. (Most expense accounts for this kind of research run
about $2500-$3500.)
Schedule
Use the syllabus due dates.
Qualifications
Illustrate that you are qualified to take on this project by describing:
a. Academic qualifications (be specific about coursework, projects, etc.).
b. Experience (be specific; you may fabricate for this class).
Management
If your project team consists of more than four people, you should show the
management structure of the team. You may want to consider including an
organizational chart.
Conclusion
1. Your last effort at persuasion; end with something that gives a punch
to your argument.
2. Stress the need, problem, or opportunity in a short summary.
3. Request approval for this proposal.
References
1. List five references on a separate page.
2. Cite each reference within the proposal.
Remember: because this is an unsolicited proposal, you must convince decision makers both
that the company would benefit from this project and that you are the right person for the job.