The research proposal is intended to provide you with an opportunity to develop a topic and
your research skills for the term paper. The research proposal requires that you critically
reflect on a historical figure, event, or artifact, and explain its historical and social
significance. Given the nature of the course, the chosen topic should be historical in nature
(i.e., prior to the year 2000) and reflect a broader issue in sport and society. For example,
while Sydney Crosby’s “golden goal” at the 2010 Olympics may be a historic event, it does
not directly reflect or relate to a broader societal issue, thus making it a poor topic for the
assignment. Instead, you’ll want to focus on a topic that reflects the key themes of the course
(i.e., issues of race, class, gender, commercialism, nationalism and so on). If you are unsure if
your topic is historical, don’t hesitate to ask!
The goals of the assignment are to familiarize yourself with a topic, conduct preliminary
research on that topic, and begin to develop an argument supported by primary and secondary
sources. Each of these components can (and should) form the basis for your term paper, so
choose your topic wisely.
The research proposal should be completed via the “Research Proposal Submission Form,”
which can be found in the assignments tab on Sakai. The research proposal should make use
of a minimum of five (5) sources, two (2) of which must primary historical sources and three
(3) of which must be secondary academic sources. The primary sources must be text-based
(i.e., newspapers, diaries, personal letters. YouTube videos will not be accepted as valid
primary sources) and be from the time under study. The secondary sources must be academic
in nature (i.e., peer-reviewed journal articles, academic books).
KINE 2P91 KINE 2P91 Research Proposal Brock University KINE 2P91 – Research Proposal Submission Form Name: Topic of study: What is the proposed topic of study? Historical and social significance of the topic Briefly explain the historical and social significance of the topic (Do not exceed the space provided): Thesis statement: Provide the thesis that will form the argument of your paper (1-2 sentences): Research undertaken: Primary sources Bibliographic information for the 1st primary source (Follow APA formatting. Click here for guide): Discuss the relevance of the 1st primary source to your thesis (Do not exceed the space provided): Bibliographic information for the 2nd primary source (Follow APA formatting. Click here for guide): Discuss the relevance of the 2nd primary source to your thesis (Do not exceed the space provided): Research undertaken: Academic secondary sources Bibliographic information for the 1st secondary source (Follow APA formatting. Click here for guide): Discuss the relevance of the 1st secondary source to your thesis (Do not exceed the space provided): Bibliographic information for the 2nd secondary source (Follow APA formatting. Click here for guide): Discuss the relevance of the 2nd secondary source to your thesis (Do not exceed the space provided): Examples of APA formatting for different types of sources: Source Source 1