Research Paper
Research Paper and Presentation Overview: You will write a research paper of around 10-12 double-spaced pages. You should consult a number of sources as you progress through the project—that number depends upon the focus of your research, but at least 5-6 peer reviewed secondary sources. I expect you to discuss your paper’s progress with me periodically, and if I ask you about the state of your research after the first month of the course, I expect you to have an answer. You may choose any writer (or set of writers) and topics (or set of topics) you wish among the writers we are studying for the course. You should have a clearly articulate thesis that is complex and intellectually interesting.
Researching Specifics:
Your paper should include 5-6 secondary sources (or more) about your topic. Begin your search by using the MLA database, which is the largest one available for secondary sources on subjects in literature. Be sure to vary your search terms. Often, typing the topic or a writer’s name and his or her work is enough to help you find sources, but sometimes it takes a more creative approach and broader search terms. If your initial search returns multiple hits, consider limiting it with narrower search terms. You will likely need to us ILL (interlibrary loan), so please start early.
Find credible sources from academic journals and scholarly books that have been published in the last twenty years, give or take a few years. It is fine to use electronic sources like online academic journals and databases; the MLA database is the most appropriate one for this discipline. Even library books are sometimes available as e-books. Spark notes, Wikipedia, and similar websites, however, are not credible sources, so be careful when you are doing your research online. You will not be able to compile sources solely by going online, so plan to go to the library after you have searched the library’s online catalog and databases. Make sure the research is credible and peer-reviewed. We will go over what this means in class.
Once you find your sources, begin to take notes on the book chapters, introductions, and journal articles you’ve found. From there, you will be able to write a cogent thesis.
Research Proposal
The research proposal is a one page (250 word) typed proposal describing your chosen topic and your plan for preliminary research. You should already begin researching primary and secondary sources before you write your proposal.
*All proposals should show some efforts in finding sources relevant to the research topic.
Exceeds Minimum Competency: The proposal meets minimum competency and in addition shows the following characteristics.
• The topic and research questions are addressed in a way that is particularly thoughtful and creative.
• Writing is more skilled; clear; organized; and free of mechanical, grammatical, and other errors than expected for this level of college study.
• Student demonstrates an especially thorough and clear understanding of research question to be investigated. The research plan is more professional and sophisticated than expected for this level of college study.
• Research is under way, with some (but not necessarily all) sources found.
Meets Minimum Competency
• The topic and research questions are relevant to the assignment and practical to address in a single study. The research questions are specific.
• Writing is generally clear and easy to follow. Some errors of mechanics and grammar are evident but do not indicate a general lack of skill. Most paragraphs are well constructed; sentence structures are appropriate and show college-level sophistication, and appropriate transitions are used throughout the paper.
• Plan for finding and reading background literature is appropriate; it represents a thoughtful and professional approach.
• Proposal uses proper MLA style, with few errors (if applicable).
Needs Attention (in one or more of the following areas):
• The topic or research questions are not especially relevant to the assignment or practical to address in a single study. The research questions are not specific.
• Writing is not clear and easy to follow. Errors of mechanics and grammar are evident and indicate a general lack of skill. Most paragraphs are not well constructed; sentence structures do not show college-level sophistication; and/or appropriate transitions are not used throughout the paper.
• No plan for researching background literature.
• Paper contains many errors in using MLA style (if applicable).
Research Paper
Once you have written your proposal, you are ready to begin writing.
As you write, be sure to include plenty of evidence that you can use to support your argument (and that you have an argument). Avoid plot summary; instead, focus on details from the text(s) that support your ideas. You may certainly use your class notes as an aid, but it is important that you think critically about the text and that you select and analyze passages that support your ideas. Please list sources in a works cited page prepared according to the MLA guidelines. Your research should also be fairly recent (no sources from the 1930s or 40s, which are often easily found in JSTOR). You want critical materials from the last twenty years or so. Occasionally, a book or article written earlier will be important to your work, but overall, your research should be current.
This is a deliberately broad assignment. It will be your task to focus your argument and your research topic. Please consult the MLA citation guide for in-text citations and a Works Cited page. An online guide and samples may be found here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
Technical Matters:
All papers should be approximately 10-12 pages, typed in Word using Times New Roman 12-pt. font, and double-spaced. Use the MLA documentation style guide. Late papers will not be accepted. Submit to english.grades.hpu@gmail.com. Label your paper and name in the subject heading.