Research Project
The research paper should present a thesis developed from one of the assigned topics. The research, in the form of direct quotations and paraphrases, should support your points, not dominate the paper. See additional tips for writing essays at the end of this handout.
Sources: You will be required to cite a minimum of four critical articles on your selection. These articles must come from literary journals and books either hardcover or electronic via GALILEO. No other internet sources will be accepted. Instruction in using GALILEO and other scholarly online sources will come at the research workshops. Make sure you read the actual article and not a synopsis or review of it. In addition, do not use reviews of the plays. These may be interesting but are not relevant to our objective here. Also, you will be expected to support your points with specific examples from the text of the play.
Text: Your paper should be 5-7 pages, typed (10 or 12 point Times New Roman font with one inch margins) and double-spaced with a cover sheet and Works Cited page and in MLA format. Papers shorter than four pages or longer than eight pages will not receive a passing grade.
Cover page: consists of your name, due date, course name and paper title.
Works Cited: a separate page at the end of the paper. Your Works Cited page should consist of the play you read and the critical articles you discuss (at least 5 sources in all). It will not count in the page total. All information should be in MLA format.
Do not write a summary of the play. The paper must demonstrate and will be graded on thorough knowledge of the selection, proper structure (unity, development, coherence), use of research material, citation mechanics, spelling, grammar, punctuation, correct citations adherence to MLA format and original thinking. Evidence of plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment. Students will submit both rough and final drafts to turnitin.com. All information about MLA can be found in the posted websites or examples. The project consists of several components due by the dates listed below.
All of the components below will be posted under the Assignments tab, with the exception of the rough draft and final draft, which are due to turnitin.com. More details about that are below.
Tentative Topic Due October 17 (2 points)
Topic, Thesis Statement, Outline Due October 20 (4 points)
Tentative Works Cited (MLA format) Due October 26 (4 points)
Rough Draft of Research Paper Due November 4 (10 points)
Final Draft/Final Project Due December 5 (80 points)
***I will be scheduling research paper workshops later in the semester. Attendance is HIGHLY encouraged. Students who attend the workshops on the average make 10 points higher on the project than students who don’t.
Links to electronic source material (secondary quotes) must be submitted to the professor via D2L or GHC e-mail. This is mandatory. I must have a way of checking your sources. Permalinks to the articles are usually the best ones to send. Check the links to ensure I will be able to open them. Copies of materials from physical books must be scanned, saved (or otherwise electronically saved) and submitted to professor via D2L. Instructional videos about how to do this will be posted. Copies of quotes from the textbook are not required.
Keep up with this schedule! Turning in the components a little at a time is effective, but only if you stay on track. Getting assignments to me on time is essential. I will need time to grade each one so you can get it back and begin work on the next portion.
Topic choices:
Other Research Paper Tips (IMPORTANT: THE PAPERS WILL BE GRADED WITH THE ASSUMPTION YOU HAVE READ AND ARE FOLLOWING THESE INSTRUCTIONS!)
Remember, the research should only supplement your own points and analysis, not make up the majority of your paper. The primary source is the textbook. Secondary sources are the books and journal articles you find to support your points.
The paper itself should follow this pattern:
If, after completing your first draft, you find the paper is short of the required minimum page total, add analysis, not quotes. Remember, the cover page and Works Cited page are not included in the page total.
Also, look at the GHC Writing Resources for other info. This is the only “textbook” information we have in English 1102 regarding the research paper. It is invaluable. Here is a link to that site:
http://www.highlands.edu/site/engl-1102-research-based-writing
Don’t write the paper first, adding quotes later. This makes the paper choppy.
Quotes of more than four lines are called block quotes. I have posted an example on D2L of how to handle them.
I have also posted a sample MLA citation sheet. Works Cited pages should be alphabetized, double-spaced and the second line should be indented. (Use the hanging indent feature under Indentation from the Paragraph section.) Do not number or bullet the entries.
I have also posted a sample research paper so you can get an idea of length, format, etc. You can also use it as a guide to parenthetical citations, Works Cited and cover page.
We have an embedded librarian in the course. Her name is Jeannie Blakely, and she will be providing mini-lessons on how to do the research searches. She has also created an assignment guide that can be accessed in this module.
The assignment guide will be your one-stop shop for a smooth research project experience. Ms. Blakely is your main source for questions about finding the required sources. You can e-mail her at jblakely@highlands.edu or via e-mail or chat on D2L. If you browse for recipients you will find her listed as Jean Blakely.
It’s important to stay on deadline with each of the components. Communication with me is key. If you encounter difficulties with any of the aspects of the project, let me know immediately.