6 Outline and Proposal

“Leading by Example: A Research Paper Outline and Proposal” was created by Anthony D. Rosborough for the course LAWS2019: Law & Technology at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University in 2024. It is reproduced with the author’s permission.

Note: Always refer to course materials to ensure specific requirements are met.

Leading by Example: A Research Paper Outline and Proposal^[1]

Anthony D. Rosborough

Abstract. This document provides an overview (and embodied example) of how to structure your outline for your major research paper. This is an important step in the development of your ideas toward the final research paper. The abstract at the beginning describes the paper in its entirety from a distance. It should be voiced in the third person, and from the perspective of someone who has read your entire paper and is now commenting on what it says, why it is important, and what it contributes to the literature.

Keywords: Major research paper; legal scholarship, outline; proposal.^[2]

1. BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT

In this section, you should take a few paragraphs to situate your research and provide context to the reader. You may decide to start off by reciting a general social or technological trend that presents new challenges or questions. You should state clearly what the research project aims to explore, why/how the existing research on the subject has not addressed the problem in the same way, and why this inquiry is important.

2. RESEARCH QUESTION(S)

The research question is an important concise statement of the problem and the topic of research. It should be condensed to a single sentence (or two) that addresses a legal question for inquiry that is contained to a specific topic or area for study. The research question is important because its openness or closedness will inform the size of the net you are casting with your research paper. It is important that your research question addresses a problem that can reasonably be answered or analyzed with the time and space you have for this major paper project.

3. OUTLINE

Here you should consider a rough outline of what the paper will look like. It should be structured as a table of contents. It is understandable that at this point, you are probably not completely sure about the final structure of the paper. That is OK. The point is that you have put some thought into how you will structure the analysis that responds to your research question.

4. METHODOLOGY

Here you should provide an overview of the research methods you tend to use. The majority of your research is likely to be doctrinal in nature, but you may use a mixture of methods, including historical legal analysis, drawing upon existing empirical research/data, or conducting comparative analyses. An example of a brief methodology section is provided for you below:

Following a thorough literature review, the proposed methodology is to utilize a combination of empirical and doctrinal research. For the purposes of examining trends in free-trade agreements, an empirical approach is proposed so as to demonstrate overall trends in the language and scope of rights provided by various international trade instruments.

For the purposes of examining the extent to which technology transfer obligations can support the enactment of new exceptions and limitations, the proposed methodology is more doctrinal. Examination of TRIPS commentaries, session reports, and committee meeting minutes may be relevant in ascertaining a purposive interpretation of Article 66.2.

5. CONTRIBUTION TO THE FIELD

It is important that your research projects offers an original contribution to the existing body of knowledge. It does not have to present a groundbreaking revelation, but it needs to offer something new by either looking at a well-canvassed problem in a new light, or in applying existing law or theory to a new technological context. In order to describe your contribution to the field, you should have a decent awareness of the key literature and research in your area. This will be reflected in your bibliography. You should also address the relevance and significance of your research in a broader sense (e.g., might it be used to inform future law and policy development? Will it shed light on a lesser known impact of the law?).

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Your bibliography should list at least 5 academic sources. It would be most appropriate for those sources to reflect the key literature in your area. You may include brief annotations for some sources and texts, particularly where the connection to your research paper and question is not immediately obvious.