Overview (Due Mar. 16)
Each student will write a 1000-word (minimum) Introduction, data description, & Method section for their project. While you will not be married to these sections—indeed you are encouraged to modify it as you work—it is a starting point to get you thinking about what you plan to do and how you plan to do it. Nevertheless, it should be taken seriously, and it will be graded seriously.
The introduction should introduce your problem and the thesis you are attempting to prove through the analysis. It should indicate why the problem/question needs an answer in the first place to demonstrate the significance of the issue. This is an opportunity to prove to the reader that your report deserves to be read. Most importantly, it should articulate the argument. At this stage in the process, your argument might not yet be fully fleshed out. That is okay. The thesis is allowed to change between now and the final draft. In fact, it might change multiple times. Nevertheless, state the thesis you intend to prove.
The data description should indicate the type of data used in the analysis, where it came from, and why it will help you answer your question. You have already written about your data a little in the project proposal. This section should elaborate further on that discussion. Where did the data come from? Did the data require any processing? How did you do it? What other data is being added to the primary dataset?
The method discussion should describe the tools and methods you intend to use to analyze your data. This section should elaborate on the specific type of analysis you will engage in and the process by which you will implement it. How will these methods help you answer your question. What will they do that others cannot? Were these methods inspired by another article? If that is the case, this is a moment to draw from the literature exploration. If you take that approach, make sure to cite sources appropriately.