Your proposal should clearly identify the following:
Questions you are seeking to address/answer in your research.
Thesis of your research paper.  That is, what is the main argument/claim you will be making?
A brief description of your strategy in answering your research question and/or supporting your thesis.
A description of potential pitfalls you may face along the way (e.g. being convinced of an outcome prior to actually researching a topic, being sidetracked and unable to keep your topic to a manageable length or size, etc.).
A description of what you think would count as success in your project.
Each proposal should also include an annotated bibliography of at least 5 academic sources (books, journal articles, documentaries, reputable websites) beyond those assigned for the course that will be used in your research.