write a thesis prospectus title and introduction
Requirements:
1) Submit a prospectus that does the following (refer back to the student sample I asked you to look at during Week 2 for review and read my annotations on it here):
- Defines, illustrates, and quantifies the problem
- Links cause and effect
- Suggests responsibility
- Shows how the failure has persisted despite efforts to address it
- Identifies and prioritized the main events of its history
After the prospectus, include a draft of your introduction (first paragraph(s)) of your HCP. This will serve as an invitation to your audience to review, understand, join the conversation about the history, themes, details of the problem. You should answer the question: WHY SHOULD WE CARE? (Remember: what are you/your audience afraid of?)
2) Somewhere in your introduction, you should include a thesis statement (argument) that follows the problem-failure model: “The problem of _______ (name the problem) is caused by the failure of _______________ (somebody to do something) which has resulted in ________________ (quantify, give examples of problem).” This information will be more fully presented in your prospectus, but distilling it into a single statement will set up your paper to deliver on the promises you make to your reader. I suggest it be the final, strong sentence of your Intro; in other words, very early in the essay.
3) Keep in mind you may need to include explanations of terms of art (a word or phrase that has a precise, specialized meaning within a particular field or profession) and identification of those who hold power or influence policy, sometimes called “players” or stakeholders. Explain the reasons the problem still exists, and how it has been considered, addressed so far. Show likely causes, especially as identified by experts, players, observers, journalists. Include at least three authoritative sources, two scholarly and one from popular media, like an op-ed or commentary, something in the language of non-scholars, lay people who want to understand clearly. An early appeal to authority, expertise and historical cause-effect analysis impresses readers, who will trust your own expert telling of the “story” of the problem and your introduction of the “conversation” that is this academic essay.
4. Finally, you will also need an academic title. This should summarize your paper in the best and fewest possible words. Here are some student examples from 39C:
- “Abuse of Domestic Migrant Workers in Hong Kong: Failure of the Labor Department Towards its Largest Workforce”
- “Invisible ‘Companions’: Exclusion and Exploitation of U.S. Domestic Workers”
- “Family Status Discrimination in Housing: How Congress has Failed to Fund the Private Nonprofits Fighting Against It”
- “Lack of Legal Aid for Tenants: Failure of Government to fund Legal Services Corporations”
Technical Requirements: Min. 500 words (2 pages)–but more is better! Also, of course, a Works Cited page is always, absolutely required. Make sure to add all of your sources to the Working Bibliography in your ePortfolio.
Don’t worry! This is a very, very rough first draft. Still, it must at least include a very strong thesis and should in its title or introduction suggest a “promise to the reader.”
Here is the sample that mentioned in the requirement 1, and it’s a final draft sample.