What are the factors in rural areas that contribute to the retention and recruitment of teachers?

Context & Purpose
The research prospectus is both a synopsis and a plan. It gives the audience a glimpse of a problem and its significance, as well as describes the objectives, approaches, and methods of a proposed investigation of the problem. It explains the background of the problem to the audience, describing present understandings and knowledge, as well as identifies your proposed solution(s). It also contains the vital elements of a research investigation, and is often both persuasive and informative in its purpose. The goal of the prospectus writer is not only to persuade the audience to believe in the credibility of the proposed investigation then, but also to make them believe that solutions and methodologies are practical and appropriate.

Key Objectives
Propose a large-scale research project that would contribute new knowledge to your discipline;
Persuade your audience that your proposed research project should be pursued;
Incorporate analysis of small scale primary research method results;
Use appropriate documentation style and formatting.
Details
Compose a prospectus based on the research you have gathered in Assignments 2 and 3, your annotated bibliography, and the results from the primary research method you planned and executed. The prospectus should propose your research project to an engaged academic audience who could be responsible for giving you the approval to begin a hypothetical research project. In the prospectus, you should not only lay out your research question and hypothesis, but you must also condense the findings from your literature review and combine those findings with a structured, realistic plan for an extended primary research study that adheres to University of Mississippi IRB guidelines.

Suggested Structure
You may choose to lay out your prospectus however you want (as long as you meet the requirements for the assignment. However, the following guidelines may help you construct a framework that works for your project:

Abstract

The abstract, which should be no longer than ½ of a page, should situate your project within the field – it should state how the research you are proposing fits into the knowledge established by your academic discourse community and why members of the community should care about your project. Further, the abstract should address the anticipated results of your project based on your research and the analysis of your findings from the mini-pilot.

Introduction with Literature Review

The introduction and literature review section of your prospectus should be about 2 pages long, should establish context for your research problem or question and your stance on it, and should synthesize sources from the stand-alone Literature Review that are most relevant to the topic that you address in your research question. You may use some or all of the same sources as you used in the Literature Review paper, but you should not simply cut and paste sections of the original paper. The prospectus has its own rhetorical purpose, and the much-shorter literature review section of the prospectus should correspond to the rest of the document.

Small Scale Primary Research Study (Methods & Findings)

You will conduct a small-scale primary research method (survey or interview). You should include the results of this research method in your prospectus. Depending on the nature of your project, this could be an important component of the prospectus or a very minor one. You should plan to devote at least 1-2 pages to presenting your methods and results.

Large Scale Proposed Primary Research Methods

The methods section of your prospectus should be about 2-4 pages long, and it must identify and describe (in detail) the proposed (hypothetical) primary research you want to conduct for this project. The plans for your research must follow IRB guidelines for ethical research (even if you are not studying human subjects). If you need to include supplementary documentation as a part of the IRB process, attach it as an appendix section to the prospectus.

Conclusion

½ page to 1 page, tying it all together

Format
6-8 pages, excluding title page, references, and appendix (if applicable)

Proper APA-style document structure

Title Page
Running Head
Page Numbers
Headings/Subheadings
Figures/Tables
At least 4 cited and referenced sources