INSTRUCTION
FOR THE PAPER
For your Research Paper
in this course (due in week 7), you will investigate a topic related to a specific
course text, research and analyze that topic, and ultimately compose a
coherent and convincing argument that proves your thesis. This week’s
skill-building activity will help us get started on this project.
To begin, read the
Research Paper instructions posted in this week’s Online Learning Resources.
Next, choose the literary work on which you plan to focus. Then, select a
general topic or subject area within that literature; devise a research
question and working thesis statement that helps guide your eventual
research; write a paragraph that explains what you propose to do in more
detail; and provide the works cited entries for the literature you plan to use
in your paper. This activity will help provide a solid foundation for the
project, and your submission will allow me to provide useful feedback to you
once the activity is graded next week. (Therefore, be sure to check next week’s
grade feedback, as you may need to adjust or change your topic depending on
your feedback!).
Your completed response
should be at least 250-300 words and contain the following:
List the author name and
literary work you plan to write about.
Provide a basic research
question. This is the question you most want to answer as you proceed
in your research project. (Example Research Questions: What is
Homer saying in The Iliad about the suffering and loss in
war? What does The Iliad suggest about the role of women
in that time period?)
Provide a clearly-labelled working
thesis statement. This should be a one-sentence declarative statement
that clearly announces the purpose/intent of your eventual paper- what is
it out to prove in its argument? You might think of this working thesis
statement as a hypothesis, or a possible answer to your research question.
(Example Working Thesis Statement: Homer employs harmful
gender stereotypes in his depiction of women in The Iliad.)
Write a proposal paragraph in
which you explain why you are interested in this literature, what led you
to this topic, what you hope to learn as you proceed in your research, and
any possible challenges or concerns you might face as you work on this
project.
Supply the works cited entry
or entries for the literary work(s) you’ve chosen to write about.
These should correspond to the linked versions of the texts in
class.
Stories Read So Far:
The Aeneid (read books 1, 2, 4, and 6 only – I, II,
IV, VI)
Sun Tzu – The Art of War (chapters 1-3, 6-8, 13)
Plato – “Allegory of the Cave”
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Instructions for Research Paper (due in
week 7)
Below are the instructions for the
research paper assignment due in week 7. This week’s Skill-Building Activity
requires you to formulate a topic and working thesis statement for this
eventual paper, and the annotated bibliography assignment in week 6 will focus
on finding research that helps write this paper. See instructions below.
Instructions:
For your research paper due in week 7, you will write
a literary analysis (with a specific, creative, focused thesis and opinionated
argument) that meaningfully discusses one of the assigned readings this
quarter and makes a unified argument with specific assertions and
researched support. To support your analysis, you must use at
least four secondary sources from the GMC Library in addition to
the literary work discussed in your paper. The final paper must be at
least 1500 words in length (and no more than 2000).
Requirements:
Thesis/Analysis
Your
research paper must be a cohesive literary analysis of one of the assigned
readings.
Your
thesis statement must be clear, debatable, assignment-appropriate, and
supported throughout your paper.
Avoid
irrelevant biographical information or extensive plot summary. Your paper
should prioritize focused literary analysis.
Research
You
must use at least 4 secondary sources (in addition to primary
sources- the literature itself) that provide critical arguments about
the reading you’ve chosen. Research must come from class-provided
resources or relevant scholarly articles from GMC Library.
You
may quote, paraphrase, or summarize your sources, but don’t let your
research dominate the paper- you are the primary writer and thinker here,
not your sources.
Your
paper must be formatted according to MLA style.
You
must include proper in-text citations within the body of your paper when
quoting or paraphrasing primary and secondary sources.
You
must include a works cited page at the end of your paper. Your works cited
should include entries for both your research sources as well as the
assigned literature you’ve chosen to write about.
For more information about MLA style,
review the How-To Guide: MLA Formatting and Citations page linked in
class.
Grammar/Mechanics
All
written assignments should be mechanically and grammatically correct, with
proper punctuation.
Avoid
first-person point-of-view formal academic writing.
Take
time to edit and revise your paper as needed prior to submission.
Organization
The
introduction should name all relevant authors/works involved, and include
a clear, appropriate thesis statement.
Each
body paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that relates back to the
thesis. The information in each paragraph should relate to the topic
sentence.
The
conclusion should rephrase your thesis, summarize key supporting ideas,
and offer your final impressions and observations on the topic.
Bear
in mind that the structure of a paper- the thesis statement, the
introduction, and the conclusion- should all work together. Before you
begin writing, I recommend that you write an outline to organize your
ideas. Doing this should help you write a more lo;gical, well-organized
essay.
