During the early stages of your research, you should start to make

plans for the finished project.

This writing is the chance to show me that you have

something that is "worth" studying.

The prospectus is used in many others fields, too.

In business, for example, a prospectus is used to show what

the results of a project would be to persuade a possible

investor to give money to "buy into" the business.

So you are trying to get me to "buy into" your idea for the paper.

Below is a link to a page with more specific information

about how to write and what to say in a Prospectus.