POLS 3520: Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation

Research proposal

Your research proposal is a document that lays out your research topic and questions, how

these questions relate to ongoing discussions in the field, how you plan to answer your

questions, and includes an annotated bibliography.

Introduction 1-2 pages

The introduction is an extended version of the “pitch” you wrote in October. Beyond that, the

introduction should summarize your engagement with the existing literature and frameworks,

your methodology and source base, and your research question(S).

Introductions, as the word suggests, introduce your reader to your topic, your question, and

your way of looking at the problem. They should not be a lengthy pre-history of the topic, nor

should they be full of broad statements (the Russian peasantry was always subjugated! The

Russian people have always been traditional!). Rather, they should briefly set the scene for your

discussion, or even briefly state the existing debate (in broad terms) on your topic. If you have a

“soft” opening paragraph that relates a story or anecdote, make sure that the story or anecdote

you chose actually connects to the question you are going to pose. Remember, the point is to

show the reader, in a manner as efficient as possible, what your research project is going to be

about and why it matters.

After the opening paragraph, briefly introduce the state of the field. What are the main

explanations for the problem/conflict you are studying? Then, in the final paragraph, introduce

your main research question and sub-questions. You may choose to do this in a more openended

way, the way someone working in the humanities tradition would, or in a way more

common in Political Science, with clear hypotheses. Finally, explain how you will answer the

question/test the hypotheses.

State of the Field 2-3 pages

In this section, you will explain the debate on the topic and related issues as it exists today. The

questions that you will want to address here include: What are the main points of agreement

and disagreement? What are the methodologies and sources that have led people to particular

conclusions? What frameworks and theories are other scholars employing, and how does the

choice of framework affect the answer to the research question? How and why has the debate

changed over time?

A good “state of the field” section will not simply summarize the existing literature, but explain

why scholars have asked certain questions, reached particular conclusions, and so on. You don’t

have to cover every single piece written on the topic: rather, give the reader an analysis of how

the debate has evolved. Start with the relevant frameworks (if applicable) and move down to

the more specific literature. In the final paragraph of the section, explain how you will intervene

in the ongoing debate. Do you want to test a theory? Challenge a particular interpretation?

Take sides in a disagreement between groups of scholars?

Source Base/Data and Methodology (2-3 pages)

In this section, you build on the work you did in the source analysis to explain what kind of

sources and methods you will use to answer the research questions you posed earlier and to

test your hypotheses.

First, explain what kind of sources you are going to use. If they are textual source, explain how

and why they were produced, in what context, for what audience, etc. If data, explain how and

why this data is collected. Either way, make sure you take note of potential biases and

problems and explain how you will address them. Second, explain where these sources/data

can be found. Third, give an example of a source, the way you did in the source analysis

assignment. And finally, explain how these sources help you answer the questions you are

posing, and how the source base/data/methodology you plan to employ is similar or different

to the source base/data/methodology employed by other scholars you discuss in the “State of

the Field” section.

Annotated Bibliography

Here you simply include a revised and updated version of the annotated bibliography you

submit in November. Make sure that the updated version includes all literature you cite in the

research proposal.