First: Post your Topic Proposal draft (300+ words); please copy and paste it into a message rather than attaching it. Second: Respond to at least four (4) proposal drafts to be eligible for full credit. Please spread around these comments, so that everyone receives some feedback. If a draft already has 2-3 comments, find another one! Give detailed feedback, i.e. full sentences. Does the first sentence of the proposal identify a specific, clear research question? Do you immediately understand what issue the writer will be addressing? Is it phrased as a yes/no question? Does this question appear debatable? Are there reasonable people on both sides of the question/issue? AND, does the student-writer seem to approach the question with an open mind, ready to look at all sides? Does the writer include at least 5 relevant questions they will need to answer, in order to answer their main research question? Come up with at least one additional question for the writer to consider. Does the writer identify specific potential sources they will use? (For example, “.gov” is not specific enough–which government agency?) Is it evident that the writer has conducted background research? Include at least one suggestion for a source the writer could consult. Does the writer make a persuasive case for why this question matters? Where could they improve? Is the proposal formatted correctly? (Review MLA formatting guidelines.) Is the proposal broken into paragraphs? Where could paragraphing be improved? (Topic sentences, development, etc.
