As part of your proposal you will need to create an annotated bibliography and a summary of your proposal.
Annotated Bibliography
If you are unfamiliar with how to do so, be sure to review the Annotated Bibliography section on the library website. It can be accessed here. Any further questions can be answered in this week’s Online+ portion of the module, which will focus on how to create an annotated bibliography.
With your proposal and any other research that you conduct you will need to find resources to support your topic and then reference them in order to give credit where credit is due. Annotated bibliographies are typically used for academic research papers, but they can also be useful tools for professional reports and proposals. In an annotated bibliography, each reference includes an additional summary that describes the content and explains why the source is useful. In your summary explain why the source is included in the bibliography. As you summarize each source, make sure you identify the main idea that will be highlighted. Construct your summary around the meaning and value of each source and establish a connection of the source to the proposal. You must distinguish credible and accurate types of materials to support the main concept of the proposal and recognize the context of your sources.
For your annotated bibliography, include at least five sources, of which two must be from scholarly journals. To locate your sources, you will need to utilize effective search tools within the databases to distinguish relevant academic and professional sources. Use the databases in the library to locate the scholarly resources. The databases can be found in the Library Resources tab.
Executive Summary
With your outline completed and a general idea of what your proposal will look like, take time now to develop a short Executive Summary. The executive summary is a one-page summary of what to expect in your paper highlighting the main points of your proposal. You should use the executive summary as a tool to get the reader intrigued so they want to read your proposal to get more information. To engage the reader, identify the purpose and use appropriate tone and usage for the audience. Consider addressing the situation and your audience’s views fairly and respectfully.
As you summarize, be sure to convey the understanding and scope of the proposal. Give a thorough explanation of the proposal, and highlight relevant research to support the main idea.
Your executive summary should be written as a professional document and should include these headings:
- Purpose
- Problem
- Solution or Plan mentioning your research
- Conclusion