Assignment 3: Research proposal assignment

Due Wednesday, May 2, 2001

The assignment is to write a mini-proposal for research that if carried out successfully would be publishable in a conference such as the CHI conference, or in a related conference (e.g., Hypertext, CSCW, Digital Libraries, etc.). The proposal can be on any topic that you wish. It is to be at least 5 pages in length (single-spaced) but no more than 10 pages in length. It should have at least the following components:

• brief abstract (one paragraph), giving the highlights of the proposed work and its significance.
• problem statement, in which you explain the problem to be investigated and analyze why it is an interesting problem.
• hypothesis, in which you indicate what you wish to discover.
• brief literature review, in which you say something about what other relevant research you've encountered that gives insights on the problem.
• materials and methods, in which you specify what steps you would take and what resources would be required.
• evaluation, in which you explain how you determine whether you answered your question (in a way that will be convincing to others)
• expected results and significance, in which you discuss the possible outcomes and their significance.