Course Research
Assignment Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to develop theses based upon their own observations while reading original texts as well as the work of other scholars in the field.
Students will be able to apply information literacy skills developed throughout the semester.
Students will be able to apply feedback from previous assignments.
Relevant Course Outcomes
Students will be able to identify and analyze the textual, historical, and cultural contexts of works of literature.
Students will be able to read works of literature closely and thoroughly.
Students will be able to develop insights effectively through written communication, particularly via essay.
Students will be able to identify the steps of the research process and apply information literacy skills in a variety of contexts.
General Instructions
Requirement for all options: follow Writing Expectations
Refer to the research that you completed for your Course Research Scavenger Hunt
Course Research will be turned in through "Assignments" on Blackboard as always; for each option, you should turn in one document with all parts included and clearly labeled
You may turn in another Library Visit Form to earn 2 extra credit points on this assignment (to earn credit, form must be completed in full). To avoid overburdening the librarians at the Research Help Desk, consider scheduling an appointment. The librarian you meet with will have more time to prepare for your appointment and you won't have to wait for assistance if they are busy at the desk.
Option 1: Point of Significance
Page Length: minimum of 7 (full pages!) plus Works Cited
Other: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double-spaced (with no excessive spacing or extra spacing in header around name, class, etc.), MLA style
Instructions
First, choose a text on which you intend to focus. Anything on the syllabus (up until the last day) is fair game!
THINK: What interests you? What text has stayed with you throughout the course? What text jumped out at you as we have been reading? What do you tend to focus on as you are reading? Is there a question (or questions) that keep coming up to you?
Requirements
One page (minimum)
Summarize chosen text
No thesis required, but summary should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) demonstrate knowledge of chosen text and 2) get summary out of your system as, after this point, it will no longer be needed
Two pages (minimum)
Select one reading lens from the list in the How to Read activity (may not be Plot lens - you have already summarized!)
Identify and define one significant point concerning chosen text based upon your reading through this lens
A significant point is an idea that extracts meaning from the text
Thesis required: thesis will be a sentence identifying the significant point and providing context for it
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) focus in on one significant point in the text based upon selected reading lens and 2) define what sections of the text are important to that point
Three pages (minimum)
Defend the significance of identified point
Use a minimum of three credible, academic sources to support your defense
RESEARCH: Going to the library and/or using a research database (I suggest MLA or JSTOR), find at least three credible, academic sources to help you formulate or support your ideas. These sources might be ones with which you disagree – that can help you formulate your ideas too!
Sources should be credible (thus, typically from a respected journal or book)
Sources cannot be web sites (they can be sources found in electronic databases)
Your textbook is not included in the number of required sources
Direct engagement (quotations) from your research and the textbook is required
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) provide evidence to support why your idea is significant; 2) identify the credibility and usefulness of sources; 3) use sources effectively without letting them overwhelm your own ideas; and 4) demonstrate correct MLA citation style
One page (minimum)
Identify your research style and name it (i.e. The Citation Miner, The Database Jumper, etc.)
Discuss this style, citing specific examples from your research process to support the name
Thesis required: thesis will be a sentence identifying chosen name of research style and a brief definition
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcome: reflect on your own research process
Works Cited
Under each citation, provide a one to two sentence justification of the choice to use that source
Reminders: You will have at minimum four sources (the reading from your textbook and the three required sources)
Outcomes: 1) demonstrate correct MLA citation style and 2) demonstrate that choices of sources are deliberate and effective
Option 2: Film Connection
Page Length: minimum of 7 (full pages!) plus Works Cited
Other: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double-spaced (with no excessive spacing or extra spacing in header around name, class, etc.), MLA style
Instructions
First, choose a text and film pairing on which you intend to focus. Anything on the syllabus (up until the last day) is fair game! And any film which can be related effectively to the reading is acceptable.
THINK: What interests you? What text has stayed with you throughout the course? What text jumped out at you as we have been reading? What do you tend to focus on as you are reading? Is there a question (or questions) that keep coming up to you?
Lists of suggested films: This is a LITERATURE course, not a History course. Your choice of film should be one you can connect to the literature (not just the historical background we have read).
Internet Medieval Sourcebook: Medieval History in the Movies (acceptable films are those in the categories of "The Celtic World" or below)
Requirements
One page (minimum)
Summarize chosen text and chosen film
No thesis required, but summary should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) demonstrate knowledge of chosen text and film and 2) get summary out of your system as, after this point, it will no longer be needed
Two pages (minimum)
Select one reading lens from the list in the How to Read activity (may not be Plot lens - you have already summarized!)
Identify and define one significant point based upon your reading through this lens concerning the relationship between the chosen text and film
A significant point is an idea that extracts meaning from the text/film
Thesis required: thesis will be a sentence identifying the significant point and providing context for it
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) focus in on one significant point based upon selected reading lens connecting the text and film and 2) define what sections of the text and film are important to that point
Three pages (minimum)
Defend the significance of identified point
Use a minimum of three credible, academic sources to support your defense
RESEARCH: Going to the library and/or using a research database (I suggest MLA or JSTOR), find at least three credible, academic sources to help you formulate or support your ideas. These sources might be ones with which you disagree – that can help you formulate your ideas too!
Sources should be credible (thus, typically from a respected journal or book)
Sources cannot be web sites (they can be sources found in electronic databases)
Your textbook and the film are not included in the number of required sources
Direct engagement (quotations) from your research and the textbook is required
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) provide evidence to support why your idea is significant; 2) identify the credibility and usefulness of sources; 3) use sources effectively without letting them overwhelm your own ideas; and 4) demonstrate correct MLA citation style
CAVEAT: It will be tempting at some point to focus exclusively on the film or to turn this into a review of the film. Neither is the goal of this assignment.
One page (minimum)
Identify your research style and name it (i.e. The Citation Miner, The Database Jumper, etc.)
Discuss this style, citing specific examples from your research process to support the name
Thesis required: thesis will be a sentence identifying chosen name of research style and a brief definition
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcome: reflect on your own research process
Works Cited
Under each citation, provide a one to two sentence justification of the choice to use that source
Reminders: You will have at least five sources (the reading from your textbook, the three required sources, and the film)
Outcomes: 1) demonstrate correct MLA citation style and 2) demonstrate that choices of sources are deliberate and effective
Option 3: Creative Application
Page Length: minimum of 4 (full pages!) and 4 (full pages!) of additional work plus Works Cited
Other: Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1 inch margins, double-spaced (unless the project requires another type of spacing), MLA style
Instructions
Design a creative piece that is in some way related to or inspired by one or more of our readings.
Requirements
Four pages (minimum)
Compose creative piece
Your project should be serious and should demonstrate a significant point about the text(s) by which it is inspired
Outcome: demonstrate understanding of a text or texts through application to a new, creative setting
Three pages (minimum)
Defend the influence of one or more texts on your creative piece
Use a minimum of three credible, academic sources to support your defense
RESEARCH: Going to the library and/or using a research database (I suggest MLA or JSTOR), find at least three credible, academic sources to help you formulate or support your ideas. These sources might be ones with which you disagree – that can help you formulate your ideas too!
Sources should be credible (thus, typically from a respected journal or book)
Sources cannot be web sites (they can be sources found in electronic databases)
Your textbook is not included in the number of required sources
Direct engagement (quotations) from your research and the textbook is required
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcomes: 1) provide evidence to support why your creative piece is influenced by a text or texts; 2) identify the credibility and usefulness of sources; 3) use sources effectively without letting them overwhelm your own ideas; and 4) demonstrate correct MLA citation style
One page (minimum)
Identify your research style and name it (i.e. The Citation Miner, The Database Jumper, etc.)
Discuss this style, citing specific examples from your research process to support the name
Thesis required: thesis will be a sentence identifying chosen name of research style and a brief definition
Should follow conventions of effective writing and the course Writing Expectations
Outcome: reflect on your own research process
Works Cited
Under each citation, provide a one to two sentence justification of the choice to use that source
Reminders: You will have at least four sources (the reading from your textbook and the three required sources)
Outcomes: 1) demonstrate correct MLA citation style and 2) demonstrate that choices of sources are deliberate and effective
