Chapter 2 Analyzing Problems and Opportunities

In this chapter, the author mainly introduced the key steps to follow when writing solicited proposals. Above all, it is important to read Request for Proposals (RFPs) to analyze the elements of the “writing situation” (14), that is, Five-Ws and How. It mentions that those principles also apply to writing unsolicited proposals. I’m not sure about these questions when it comes to unsolicited proposals, such as the MAPC thesis.

1. Who exactly are the readers, and who else might be involved?

The primary thesis readers would be the student’s committee members. And for the students who plan to use it to apply for PhD programs, another important group is the professors in the admission committees. Additionally, journal editors and journal readers can become the readers if the thesis is submitted to some academic journals.

2. What do the readers need?

I’m somewhat stuck by the questions which kinds of research topics will be attractive to my committee and the professors in the field. I think here the MAPC handbook would be a good resource to identify the Five-Ws and How questions. It says “the topic should permit you to concentrate on the direct study of some issue of professional communication, rhetoric, or composition. The research you perform should also provide you with an opportunity to study more fully what you find interesting and rewarding. Avoid narrowly mechanical research projects and topics.”

Therefore, it seems the topic is up to the students. The committee members will be satisfied by any topic, as long as it falls in the field of professional communication, rhetoric or composition. The point is the students themselves find it interesting and rewarding. Additionally, the students need to justify the soundness of the topics they chose.

3. Why the client or funding source looking for someone to do this project?

I think they want to get some evidences showing the students are qualified to get a master’s degree. So we have to write papers which exhibit our excellence in conducting studies independently. In my opinion, that mainly requires a relatively exhaustive literature review, logically reasonable experiments and analyses, and an inspiring conclusion.