1. Please provide your working research question. (Make sure that it’s the most specific and arguable version of the question that you can muster. This should be one or two sentences long.)
2. In a short piece of writing (no more than 250 words), explain to me the debate that surrounds this subject. Are there people out there debating this? If so, tell me what the argument is about. (If there is no debate, this is not an adequate subject — and you’ll need to rethink.)
3. Any argument has to have at least two sides. Show me that these sides exist. Please provide links to two sources (articles, YouTube videos, podcasts, blog posts, etc.) that you feel represent two differing views on this subject. Do any explaining (no more than 250 words) that might be necessary for getting me to understand.
4. Who do you envision as the audience for this project? Who might benefit from having this question answered? Who might be interested in learning more about it? (No more than 250 words.)
5. I don’t want to read another essay — so why should I care about this problem you’ve identified? How does it affect me? If it doesn’t, how might it concern someone I love? (No more than 250 words.)