This assignment will assess the following competency: 1. Explore key topics in technical writing.

Directions: Very little money is spent in this world without a proposal of some sort first laying out a project and then justifying why it is worth the cost. Whether you are obtaining funding for your work, suggesting changes where you work, selling a project, or bidding for a project, you will need a proposal. Proposals attempt to persuade the audience to take direct action. They are an important part of planning, research, and sales.

Proposals take great care to write. You need to know your audience and be informed about the subject matter to write a successful proposal. Furthermore, many proposals have an oral presentation component as well, what might well be called “The Pitch.” The recipient of the proposal would be given a formal, paper copy, but then an individual or a team would give a presentation in hopes of winning approval.

For your final paper in this course, you will be writing a formal proposal paper that will be solving a problem, improving a situation, or satisfying a need related to your field of study. Research is an important component to this paper, so be sure to select a topic that is researchable (mostly through primary sources). You may need to spend some time researching your field of study to gain an understanding of areas in which further research could be done. Please review the technical communications rubric for specific grading requirements. You should also review Chapter 23 in your textbook.

In addition to a formal cover letter that describes your proposal project, the proposal must include the following components in APA-style format:

Transmittal letter (cover letter that describes your proposal project)

Title page

Table of Contents

Informative abstract

Body of your paper (including the introduction, statement of purpose, current problem, proposed plan, literature review, research methods, results/findings, and conclusion/recommendations)

Primary research (discussed in your methods and results/findings)

Graphic images to clarify data (tables, graphs, charts, illustrations, etc.)

Headings

Reference page

Research includes at least 5 sources – with at least 2 being peer-reviewed or scholarly sources and the rest from different credible, peer-reviewed, or scholarly sources.

Appendix (this is where to include your survey or interview questions)

Paper (body) must be 2500+ words, double-spaced (APA-style format), which is about 10-12 pages in length

The rough draft of the proposal paper is due Week 9 and the final draft will be due in Week 11. You will also be submitting a professional oral presentation demonstrating your proposal in Week 10.

For this week’s assignment, you will begin considering the purpose and topic for your proposal paper. Complete the Proposal Development Worksheet to help you develop your specific audience and purpose.

Submit this assignment to your instructor via the dropbox “LP1 Assignment: Proposal Topic.” This assignment is worth 25 points.