1. Ben McClellan
Mrs. Lester
Honors Lit/Comp.
29 March 2012
Research Design Proposal
Research Paper Topic:
The topic I chose was about the terrorist group that most Americans are aware of called, Al-
Qaeda. This group is responsible for the killing of thousands of Americans in the attacks on the
World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
What I Know about the Topic at This Point and Why We’re Interested in This Topic:
I have recently discovered a newfound interest in understanding this topic because of their
radicalism for their cause. These men, as well as children, believe that their cause is worth more
than their own lives. Al-Qaeda members believe that by killing themselves “for Allah,” will gain
them the opportunity to receive 72 virgins in paradise. These extremists will stop at nothing to
kill as many “infidels” as they can in their lifetime. The infidels I’m referring to are any person
or persons that do not believe that Muhammad is a prophet and that Allah is God. On this Earth,
absolutely no military power, apart from Al-Qaeda, shows so much radicalism that they would
willingly strap a bomb to their chest a storm an enemy stronghold.
What We Want To Learn
Being as vague as possible, I would like to learn everything about this terrorist group called “Al-
Qaeda” that I do not already know. More specifically, I would like to know about where their
passion comes from. Every religion has its own God or set of Gods, but Muslims have so much
pride in their own God that they would do anything to please him. Furthermore, I would like to
learn about the tactics used by the Muslims. For example, how do they hide IEDs without being
noticed or how they set off a bomb while they are safely away in a hidden location? I’m just
fascinated by their drive and will to win any conflict that they come in contact with.
Our Initial List of Questions We Have About Our Topic
Why hasn't al-Qaeda attacked the U.S. again?
Why isn't Al-Qaeda attacking the Israelis?
Does al-Qaeda have a long-term strategy?
Should followers be focusing their jihad, or holy war, against Arab regimes, or against
Americans?
Why did it take so long to find Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden?
What is Al-Qaeda doing now that bin Laden is gone?
Will Al Qaeda's affiliates take on a greater role in the jihad movement?
What exactly is the relationship between Al Qaeda's affiliates and the core leadership?
Was economically undermining the United States a part of bin Laden's strategy?
Does the killing of Osama bin Laden create an increased risk of terrorist attacks in USA
or Europe?

2. Three Primary Research Questions
Where exactly do these soldiers get their drive to die from?
How can you possibly cope with the fact that the bomb strapped to your chest will
explode and you are most certainly going to die?
Why do these Al-Qaeda members not try to cooperate and coexist with other religions
and ethnicities?
Research Plan
As of right now, Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context is the most effective database that
I have chosen to use for this project. The information is very organized and effective. All
of the information is presented to you based on relativity to your topic. Personally, I have
gained much more knowledge on the topic of Al-Qaeda thanks to the Gale Opposing
Viewpoints in Context database.
The introduction of Easybibs.com has greatly helped me in my journey to make my time
in literature composition more effective and more efficient. Instead of manually typing in
all of the information yourself, as I did in Noodletools.com, I can now save and upload a
citation the has already been put together by easybib, making the time spent in this class
focused on more important things, such as this research design proposal.
Content Creation Tools
The databases provided by Mrs. Lester and Mrs. Hamilton will enable me to create this project
with as little friction as possible. Databases such as SIRS, GVRL, Gale Opposing Viewpoints in
Context, and Britannica give me all the information that I could ever want about Al-Qaeda. I
have personally used all of these wonderful databases and in return have received invaluable
information towards my topic. For the presentation, though, I will use Prezi, as described in the,
Final Learning Product below.
Final Learning Product:
I picked the digital text for my final learning product. Earlier in the year, I used the program
Prezi for my project on child soldiers. So, my choosing of this program is strictly because I am
familiar and comfortable with the program. At first, it was tough to get used to but once Mrs.
Lester and Mrs. Hamilton taught me about Prezi and all of its controls, I instantly became a fan
and will continue to use this program throughout my high school career.