A Framework of Rhetorical Moves Designed to Scaffold the Research Proposal Development Process

Aim/Purpose: To provide a research proposal writing framework to help doctoral students argue and motivate their efforts at furthering the existing knowledge available understand some phenomenon or theory. Background: I discuss how cognitive process theory of science heuristic can lead set rhetorical moves question prompts that use develop content proposals. Methodology: searched literature on and, more broadly, academic locate teaching learning concepts associated with my recent prompt approach used guide students. search words such as “writing” “question prompts.” My review led me scaffolding. further using keywords “rhetorical move” “heuristic performed several iterations searches reviews. Contribution: Instead guiding linearly developed begins an Introduction proceeds Literature Review then Research Design Methods section, reveals proposal’s underlying logical flow by describing five moves: establishing topic from interesting phenomenon, opportunities, selecting question, providing tentative solution, plan investigate solution. Thus, contributes scholarship about educators facilitate independent reflection broader problem-solving development stage. Particularly for social sciences, it promise writing, dual problem space model reflection, scaffolding valuable theoretical perspectives supervision planning phase research. Recommendations Practitioners: Teachers advisors may framework’s scaffolds navigate ill-structured typical projects in sciences. The type gives student responsibility; rather than thesis supervisor advisor articulating nominating technique, they require self-regulate independently. This helps deal oft-experienced circumstance which does not have time interact directly regularly student.