Final Project: Research Proposal

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Final Project Research Proposal

• Tectonic Geodesy

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Purpose

• If you go on to a career in science, your career
  will live or die based on your ability to write
  research proposals.
• Scientific writing is a critical skill that is
  not exercised enough in coursework.
• Writing a proposal on a topic forces you to do
  intensive research and critical thinking about
  your proposed research topic.

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Important Elements

• Hypothesis to test
• Best if it is a real test and not just a strawman
• Exploratory proposals (what will we find) can
  work but you have to make a good argument that
  convinces people there will be something
  interesting found.
• Provide motivation (Why should we care?)
• Describe previous work, needed background
• Provide a coherent work plan
• Provide a realistic budget

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Characteristics of a Bad Proposal

• Cant see the forest because of all these danged
  trees.
• Its so obvious why my idea is important that I
  dont have to tell you why.
• I wrote the Project Summary and Introduction at
  the last minute, and hoped you wouldnt notice.
• The science-free proposal A detailed description
  of what I plan to do will be compelling even if
  nobody can tell if there is a question to be
  answered or whether anything important will be
  learned.
• A vague description of what I will actually do is
  fine because you know I will do the right thing.

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Characteristics of a Good Proposal

• Clearly poses an important question that must be
  answered.
• Conveys a sense of excitement about the problem.
• Project Summary is your first impression. As with
  meeting people, you want to make a good first
  impression (first meeting).
• The first few paragraphs are critical in
  confirming that first impression (first date).
• Background clearly presented, and work plan
  clearly desribes the steps that the work will
  take (the analogy gets dodgy about now).