Project Plan
Major projects, from constructing a new building to deploying new software,
usually begin with a plan. A project plan allows businesses to
- predict what resources are needed
- set deadlines that can be met
- control the quality of the end result
While writing an academic paper is not as complex as planning a new
building, it does require project
management skills. By doing a project plan, you will
- find out whether you have enough resources to answer your research
question
- determine whether your topic can be argued
- develop three claims that
you plan to make in support of your thesis
- anticipate and meet at least one argument against your thesis
How to Write Your Unit 4 Project Plan
STEP 1: Present Your Thesis Statement
Focus
on a specific content area and indicate
the question, debate, or conflict that
arises when people (yourself included)
talk about this subject.
For example, child
abuse is a topic, not a thesis statement. Increasing
funding to child protective service
organizations will drastically reduce
child abuse, however,
both states the topic and indicates
the claim you will seek to prove. This is a
thesis statement.
STEP 2: Describe Three Specific Claims or
Main Points
Write three
paragraphs that describe three of the claims or main points
you plan to pursue in your final project (one paragraph
per claim). Include an explanation
of how you will develop each of these in the
paper. For
example, will you explore specific
sources for information to support your claim? Will
you need to present statistics
or conduct interviews?
One easy way to do this is to use a three-part
divided thesis, such
as Increasing funding to child protective service
organizations will drastically reduce child abuse because it will
reduce case loads, enable more thorough investigations, and increase
options for treatment.
- Claim 1: More funding will reduce case loads.
- Claim 2: More funding will enable more thorough investigations.
- Claim 3: More funding will increase options for treatment.
STEP 3: Challenges (or Counterargument)
In a paragraph (or so), describe at least one opposing viewpoint
that challenges your claims. How do
you plan to deal with this argument? (You can either show why the
argument is wrong or admit that your opponent is right, but argue
that other factors should be considered.)
STEP 4: Full APA
reference for your first
source
After you have
completed a library search, create an APA reference
for your first source and then, in a
paragraph, discuss its strengths/weaknesses
in relation to your thesis statement
and argument. Specifically,
how will this source help support your
paper?
STEP 5: Full APA
reference for your second source
Create an APA reference
for your second source and then, in a
paragraph, discuss its strengths/weaknesses
in relation to your thesis statement
and argument. Specifically,
how will this source help support your paper?
Note: You are not required to use the sources you list here
in your final project. If you
find better sources, use them.
Remember that your final
research paper requires at least five
sources.
At least two of those sources must be scholarly.
Internet
Resources
 See interactive
Persuasion Map (NCTE)
Developing
an Argument (UMUC)
Developing a Thesis
Fill
in the blanks to develop a thesis (Kansas)
Developing
a Thesis (tutorial takes you step-by-step from topic to thesis;
U Wisc—Madison)
Developing
a Thesis (tests for a good thesis from St. Cloud U)
Thesis
Statements: How to Write Them (includes a discussion of how the
thesis statement relates to the rest of your paper)
How
to Write a Thesis Statement (Indiana U—Bloomington)
Developing
Your Thesis (Dartmouth)
Online
Thesis Builder (Tom March's Electraguide)
Defining
a Position (thinking through your position; resolving contradictions)
Organizing
an Argument
Fear
Not the Introduction (get started by
skipping the introduction; Tina Blue)
Elements
of Argument (thesis, organization, supporting evidence)
Counterargument (turn
against, turn back)
Ways
to organize an argument, including Set
Up/Reject, Comparison,
and
Hybrid (or
combination) forms from L. Weinstein The
Basic Principles of Persuasive Writing (UBC Writing Centre)
Thinking
Strategies and Writing Patterns (U Maryland)
Planning
Your Argument (OhioLINK)
Make an Outline Online (Tom March's Electraguide)
Paradigm
Online Writing Assistant
Description
of a Persuasive Essay (step-by-step guide)
Essentials
of Effective Persuasive Essays (by
two Hamilton College, NY, students)
Developing a Logical Argument
Pro-Con
Chart (POWA)
Argument (includes
making a claim)
What
Is an Argument? (appeals to logic, emotion, ethics; counterargument)
Models
from L. Weinstein, including Set
Up/Reject, Comparison,
and Hybrid (or
combination) forms
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