SAMPLE “REVISED PROPOSAL WITH THESIS”
In this one-page assignment, you should accomplish the following; 1) narrow your subject down to a single issue; 2) propose a preliminary thesis; 3) consider who your audience is; 4) consider where you’ll get your information.
Revised Proposal with Thesis
When I first started thinking about my paper on the Arctic Rose, the fishing vessel that sank in 2001 with all fifteen hands lost, I considered writing about the Hispanic crewman aboard, the multi-million dollar lawsuit that followed the sinking, and the Coast Guard’s efforts to prevent sinkings.
I’ve decided I want to investigate exactly how the Arctic Rose sank. I know that this might be difficult, since the causes of many sinkings remain a mystery forever. However, I know the Coast Guard conducted a very extensive investigation, interviewing former crewmen, marine architects, engineers, and safety experts. The USCG took video of the wreck. I’m convinced that they were at least able to determine likely and unlikely causes of the loss of the Arctic Rose.
Since I don’t yet know the knowledge gleaned from the investigation, I can’t craft a thesis on the exact cause of the sinking. However, I’ve spoken with a few people who knew the vessel owners. The reputation of the owners is excellent. This suggests that, contrary to much speculation, the boat was fit and seaworthy. So my initial thesis is this: “The sinking of the Arctic Rose was a dreadful accident, but not the result of negligence.”
I hope to be able to say with some certainty exactly what happened or might have happened.
I’d like the fishing industry to read this paper, since many ill-informed rumors are running about. Thus, I will need to go beyond a light treatment of the subject. At the same time, I want the paper to appeal to an educated general readership. This means that I will have to define certain marine terms for the layman and describe certain references that fishermen might take for granted.
Where am I going to learn about the investigation of the Arctic Rose tragedy? The Seattle Times published many stories about the event since it was local. I can access those online or in the Seattle Public Library. The news stories should offer up names of Coast Guard officers who conducted the investigation, as well as the vessel owners and legal counsel. I’ve never talked with someone in the Coast Guard before, but I’m confident that I can get access to these people if I explain that I am engaged in a project on losses in the fishing industry. I also assume the report the USCG produced is a public document. I can also search for marine architects who worked on the boat, as well as professional organizations in the marine field. I plan to use the phone, the library, Google, and personal interviews to acquire my information.