ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
1
English 202 Research Paper Assignment
Text: The research paper is a documented prose work resulting from an organized analysis of a subject. Your paper will examine a particular writer’s work. The book you have chosen to read will be the focus of your research paper. It is not a biographical sketch of the writer; however, you may include biographical information if it relates to your thesis. It is not a plot summary; I can read the book or play for that. Primarily, you are going to take a position about the work and use specific events or quotes from the work to support and explain that position. Your thesis statement will be based upon this position. In addition, you are going to examine what literary critics have to say concerning the work. You must read the work prior to beginning your research.
Format: Research papers must be typed and formatted according to current MLA documentation style. This includes using Times New Roman, 12 point font. You will be expected to list each of your sources in proper MLA format on the Works Cited page at the end of your research paper. You will also use proper MLA parenthetical internal documentation throughout your paper. The MLA Handbook is an absolute necessity. You cannot pass the research paper if your format is wrong!
Length: A minimum of five full pages of text (double-spaced). In addition, you will include a Works Cited page. You cannot pass the paper if you do not have the required length on the paper!
Sources: A minimum of six (6) sources is required. You must have four (4) secondary sources quoted directly in the body paragraphs (there should be at least 1 secondary source per main point). You cannot pass the research paper without including four secondary sources. The literary work you have chosen (novel or play) will count as a fifth source, the primary source. There are many sources available for literary research, and I expect you to use a variety of sources. You should use at least one article as a source, and you can have only one Internet source. Masterplots, Cliffs Notes, Spark Notes, eNotes, Grade Saver, Wikipedia, and Classic Notes DO NOT count as a source. This is not a comprehensive list. There may be other websites that you will not be allowed to use. Please consult me if you have any doubts about whether or not you should use a website.
Process: You will be expected to follow a guided process in your research and writing. I have designed the course to make it easier for you to write a research paper step by step. On the course syllabus, I have indicated dates when topics, thesis statements and outlines, and rough drafts are due. I will be maintaining a file which will indicate whether or not you have completed these steps. Any student who fails to follow these steps in a timely manner and does not indicate a work in progress will not be allowed to turn in a research paper.
Other guidelines to consider:
1 DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE and expect to do well on the research paper without having read the book.
2 Your first two assignments (worksheets #1 and #2) will be completed as we start our library time and will entail your getting to know your author, what critics say the themes of your novel are, and setting up a tentative thesis and outline.
3 Ultimately, your paper will focus on the themes within the novel. It will not be a biographical study or a summary of the plot.
4 Your two biggest enemies will be disorganization and procrastination.
Organization-Have the following materials with you at all times: research packet, handbook, primary source, photocopies of secondary sources
Staying on Schedule-You have been given a calendar with all due dates clearly marked. As you are working on your own in the library, you must be responsible enough to work at a steady pace. No late work will be accepted or checked for any reason. Early checks are always possible.
5 I will be in the library with you and available to help you when you need it. Openly communicating with me when you are having problems is essential. Ask me if you need help BEFORE you get behind.
6 On library days, you will check in with me at the beginning of the class and work the entire class period. DO NOT LEAVE EARLY. If I do not see you, you will be counted absent. During these “meetings,” I will remind you of due dates and other changes that may alter the schedule.
7 Don’t forget to bring your BPCC student ID every day that we are meeting in the library. Without it, you will have extremely limited use of the library’s resources.
8 Research papers (both the rough draft and the final draft) must be typed. Computer labs are located on the 2nd floor of the college library and on the 2nd floor of Building G. Because computer classes are taught in the computer labs, you will need to go by the location most convenient to you and find the posted available times for student use. Save your work on your disk. Computer problems and printer problems will not be accepted as an excuse for late work.
9 If you are concerned about your paper, I will be happy to check rough drafts more than once (I must check yours at least once in order for you to be allowed to submit a final draft). However, I will not check any research papers the week before they are due. If you want me to check the paper, you must see me before that deadline.
10 You have the option of reading a longer book for bonus on your research paper. If you read a book that is longer than four hundred pages, every fifty pages over that four hundred pages will earn you one bonus point added onto your final score. I must see the book to award any bonus points.
Tentative Thesis and Outline
1 The thesis is one complete sentence that addresses the themes, underlying meanings, and messages of the novel which can be proved using primary (the novel) and secondary (critical commentary) sources as evidence.
2 Your preliminary outline must contain at least three major points, which will have at least two subtopics per main point. The more detailed an outline you can produce before starting your focused research, the easier your research will be.
3 You must have at least As and Bs for each topic (these will be your subtopics). If at all possible, make the As and Bs on your outline parallel to each other. This parallelism helps in the organization of your paper and adds to its structural strength.
4 Preliminary reading in critical sources is essential to this assignment. Ask yourself the following questions: Does your character(s) undergo a change as the novel progresses? From what to what? What causes the change? People with whom he/she comes into contact? Events that occur?
EXAMPLE:
Thesis: The Great Gatsby clearly depicts the death of the American Dream through the characters of Jordan, Daisy, Nick, and Gatsby himself.
I. Jordan
a. Dream
b. Death of Dream
II. Daisy
a. Dream
b. Death of Dream
III. Nick
a. Dream
b. Death of Dream
IV. Gatsby
a. Dream
b. Death of Dream
Where Do I Begin?
As you search for material for your paper, keep in mind what your author wishes to relate through his/her writing. Focus on this message and apply the message to your interpretation of the theme (the main idea) of the work.
Below is a partial list of common themes found in literature. Survey the list to see if any of these themes apply to the piece you have read.
Civilization versus Nature
Order versus Chaos
The Hero’s Journey
Rite of Passage (Separation/Transformation/Return)
The Epic Paradigm
Aristotelian Tragedy
Appearance (Illusion) versus Reality
Intent
The Role of Women
The Role of the Scop/Bard/Author
Prejudice
Forbidden Knowledge
Freedom and Responsibility
The Role of Nature
Literature as a Reflection of Society
Power Struggles/Who is in Control?
Class Struggle
How Do You Decide What to Write About?
Brainstorming! Think about these things:
1 First, did you like the book? Hate it? How did you feel about the characters? If you hate them, it can be even more fun to analyze them.
2 Do their actions reflect the words (in other words, are they consistent)? Or, do their actions reveal something more about their “true” character?
a. Do they reveal insecurities/fears?
b. Remember that people who seek to control others usually act this way because they are very insecure-they have to control their environment as much as possible because they feel a loss of control over their own lives.
3 Can you compare/contrast 3 or more characters in the book?
4 Is the author’s life reflected in his/her writings? Do the author’s fears, insecurities (consciously or otherwise) come out in the characters?
5 Do the characters discover/possess some forbidden knowledge-is there power in the secret? Who knows the secret?
6 Are characters who appear to be weak really the strong ones-the ones with the most power? Is there some sort of irony in who actually has the power?
7 Is there some discrepancy between appearance and reality?
8 What about archetypal motifs or images in the story?
a. A “wise old man” who appears just in time to help the hero (like Obiwan Kinobe)?
b. A “trickster” who serves as a foil to the hero (Satan in Paradise Lost)?
c. A “good mother” (Glenda the good witch of the North in The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, etc.)?
d. A “terrible mother” (the queen in Alice in Wonderland)?
9 Is there a “Hero Quest” (Braveheart, Disney movies)? A male protagonist who
a. Goes on a long journey
b. Experiences battles (real or symbolic)
c. Manipulates language (lies, jokes, motivates others)
d. Sacrificial death (real or symbolic)
10 Is there a “Hero Initiation”? A Rite of Passage story, a movement from innocence to experience? Forbidden knowledge?
a. Separation
b. Transformation
c. Return
11 Is anyone playing a game (real game, word game, mind game, or joke)?
12 Are any women characters empowered? How do the women manipulate the “man’s” system in order to survive?
13 Portrait of women: Are they seen as male, as well as other female characters, as “virgins” (above reproach) or “whores” (evil by nature)?
14 Are the men in the story held to the same standard (whether good or evil) as the women?
15 Is there anything unusual about the structure of the work? Are there stories within stories? Does it begin and end at the same place? Does it begin in medias res (in the middle of things) then return to the past?
Writing the Rough Draft
1 Do not begin writing your rough draft before you have completed reading your primary and secondary sources. You must have read your secondary sources and highlighted any information you intend to use in your paper.
2 Make certain that your thesis and outline are working for you before you start writing.
3 Make certain that you have all sources in front of you as you are writing.
4 Your introduction should be one paragraph long. A research paper introduction and conclusion are a bit different from those in an essay in that they should not be imaginative. See the following page (page 10) for more information.
5 As you write, remember that your As and Bs (or 1s and 2s if you have them) will determine your paragraph breaks. Also, remember that each paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that corresponds with your outline and your thesis.
6 Each major idea (each paragraph) must have at least one critical source (one quote). Do not, however, end your paragraph with a quote. Also, remember that every quote has some method of introduction.
7 Discuss the events that occur in your novel in present tense. Anything that happened before the novel’s events is history and should be discussed in past tense.
8 Do not overuse any source. Five sources must be used, and they should be used as equally as possible.
9 Parenthetical documentation form must be exact. Page references in documentation must be accurate.
10 Direct quotes must be exact. Quote accuracy is of the utmost importance. If a quote’s wording seems odd, double check it.
11 Plagiarism is a failing offense, and it is against the law. Avoid plagiarism by documenting (giving credit) and using quotation marks when you use the exact words of a source or when you use an original/unique idea of a critic even if you’ve put it in your own words.
12 On your Works Cited page, include only the sources from which you have actually quoted (cited) or paraphrased. In other words, the names on your Works Cited page must correspond exactly to the names within your parenthetical documentation.
Research Paper Outline Suggested Components
I. Introduction Paragraph (1 of these)
a. Introduce your story and argument
b. Briefly discuss what influenced your author to write the novel you read
c. Discuss the critical or public acceptance of the novel at the time of publication
d. Explore your theme
e. End paragraph with thesis statement: must be a clear, specific argument (in one sentence), that includes three main points you will explore in the body paragraphs
II. Body Paragraphs (2 per main point-at least 6 body paragraphs total) FOR EACH MAIN POINT, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
a. First body paragraph
i. Begin with a topic sentence that introduces your main point
ii. Introduce a quote from your primary source (the book itself)
iii. Give the specific quote and correctly cite the page number
iv. Argue how this quote reflects/supports your main point
b. Second body paragraph
i. Introduce a secondary source quote (from a critic, not your book)
ii. Give the specific quote and correctly cite the page number and author (if you haven’t introduced critic’s name in the introduction of quote)
iii. Argue how this quote reflects/supports your main point
III. Closing Paragraph (1 of these)
a. Restate your thesis in different words but including your three main points
b. Discuss the impact of the novel on literature
c. Comment on the effectiveness/success/timeliness of the novel because of the elements you’ve discussed in the paper
d. Comment in its place in and impact in the literary world
Writing the Rough Draft
1 Do not begin writing your rough draft before you have completed reading your primary and secondary sources. You must have read your secondary sources and highlighted any information you intend to use in your paper.
2 Make certain that your thesis and outline are working for you before you start writing.
3 Make certain that you have all sources in front of you as you are writing.
4 Your introduction should be one paragraph long. A research paper introduction and conclusion are a bit different from those in an essay in that they should not be imaginative. See the following page (page 10) for more information.
5 As you write, remember that your As and Bs (or 1s and 2s if you have them) will determine your paragraph breaks. Also, remember that each paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that corresponds with your outline and your thesis.
6 Each major idea (each paragraph) must have at least one critical source (one quote). Do not, however, end your paragraph with a quote. Also, remember that every quote has some method of introduction.
7 Discuss the events that occur in your novel in present tense. Anything that happened before the novel’s events is history and should be discussed in past tense.
8 Do not overuse any source. Six sources must be used, and they should be used as equally as possible.
9 Parenthetical documentation form must be exact. Page references in documentation must be accurate.
10 Direct quotes must be exact. Quote accuracy is of the utmost importance. If a quote’s wording seems odd, double check it.
11 Plagiarism is a failing offense, and it is against the law. Avoid plagiarism by documenting (giving credit) and using quotation marks when you use the exact words of a source or when you use an original/unique idea of a critic even if you’ve put it in your own words.
12 On your Works Cited page, include only the sources from which you have actually quoted (cited) or paraphrased. In other words, the names on your Works Cited page must correspond exactly to the names within your parenthetical documentation.
TURNING THE PAPER IN
I TYPING
A Outline: Center the word Outline at the top of the page. Use a sentence outline, not a topic outline. Therefore, periods should be used. Align Roman numerals and As and Bs as shown. Capitalize only the first word of each topic and subtopic unless a proper noun is involved. Double space everything.
B Page One: Type your last name and page ½” from the top on the right hand side. Skip an additional half inch and type your heading on the left side. On the next line type your title centered on the page. The title of your paper should contain either the title of the novel or of a main recognizable character. It should also convey the aspect of the novel on which you’ve focused. A colon works nicely for this:
The Grapes of Wrath: Biblical Principles in Action
The Member of the Wedding: A Study of Adolescence
The Great Gatsby: Chasing the American Dream
Religious Symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath
Silas’ Redemption
Ethan Frome’s Sin
You will use a 1” left margin, a 1” right margin, and a 1” bottom margin. Double space everything.
C Subsequent Pages: Name and page ½” from the top on the right; come down an additional ½” before beginning the text. Use a 1” left margin, a 1” right margin, and a 1” bottom margin. Double space everything.
D Works Cited: Name and page ½” from the top on the left; come down an additional ½” and center the words Works Cited. Do not underline, italicize, bold, or change font of these words. Follow these rules also: alphabetize entries, use a hanging indent, double space everything, list only the sources cited in the paper. NOTE: The form must conform exactly to MLA format.
II FORM
A Typos count against you. Proofread again and again. Have someone else proofread for you.
B There should be no written-in corrections. Nothing should be written in.
C Neatness counts. Show me that you care about this project.
III PHOTOCOPIES
Copies must accompany every source that you use in your paper. There should be at least one secondary source per main point. You cannot pass the research paper without including four secondary sources. Likewise, you cannot pass the research paper without including copies of your sources exactly as I specify below. Highlight quotes on copies. Staple each source separately. Guidelines for copies of sources:
Primary Source (the novel or play that is the focus of your paper) – copy only the title page and copyright information (usually found on the back side of the title page).
Secondary Sources (literary criticism of the primary source):
Gale Group, Infotrac, or Internet Source – print out the entire article
Printed article (includes reprinted articles in reference books such as Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, forewards or afterwards, and books that have individual chapters written by different authors) – copy the entire article and the title page and copyright information from the reference book it is in
Book – copy the title page, copyright information, and only the page or pages you have used (cited) in your paper
IV TURNING THE PAPER IN
A I must have a hard copy of the paper and your sources in order for you to pass the paper. You will still submit the paper through the option in Canvas as well. You have two options: You can either drop off your envelope or mail it. If you bring the paper to campus, you will turn it in to Building G, Room 113. If you mail it, the package must be postmarked by the due date of the paper, and the mailing address should look exactly like this:
Ms. Jessica Cobbs
Bossier Parish Community College
Liberal Arts Department
6220 East Texas Street
Bossier City, Louisiana 71111
All hard copies must be dropped off by the due date of the paper or postmarked by the due date of the paper. Any hard copies submitted after the due date will be accepted for three days after the due date of the paper (with a letter grade point deduction per day that the hard copies are late). Anything turned in or postmarked after that three days will result in the final draft of the paper not being graded.
B Buy a manila envelope. If you mail the envelope, then you will address it using your full name and address. If you deliver the envelope to campus yourself, on the top left corner of the envelope, write the MLA heading you use for all essays:
Name
Ms. Cobbs
English 102-802
Date
C Buy a folder. Put your PAPER-CLIPPED FINAL COPY in the right pocket in the correct order (thesis/outline, paper, Works Cited).
D In the left side, put the following:
1 Copies of your sources stapled separately (You cannot pass the research paper without including copies of your sources)
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is intentionally or unintentionally giving the impression that words or ideas from another source are your own. In other words, plagiarism is academic dishonesty and carries severe penalties in all colleges and universities. Students who plagiarize will, at minimum, receive a zero on that paper. On the second offense, students will fail this course and can also be dismissed from the institution. Also, state and federal laws impose severe fines and/or imprisonment for plagiarism.
How can you avoid plagiarism?
This is a simple process if the writer is aware of what should be documented or what does not have to be documented. Note the following:
1 Common knowledge items do not have to be documented. To be common knowledge, information must be well-known to a general audience. For example, America claimed its independence in 1776. This is a well-known fact; therefore, it needs no documentation.
2 Original ideas do not have to be documented. Many times during research, a student will formulate an original idea or opinion concerning a topic. When this happens, the material needs no documentation.
3 Critical comments must be documented. These are ideas and theories taken from other writers. They do not originate with the writer of the paper.
4 Direct quotes must be documented (even if it’s only a few words). It is often necessary or appropriate to use material or statements verbatim from a text. This material must be put in quotation marks and documented. It is essential to copy the quoted material exactly as it appears in the text.
5 Paraphrased statements must be documented. When the writer uses the ideas of another writer and puts these ideas in his or her own words, the material must still be documented. IMPORTANT NOTE: Simply rearranging the order of the words or replacing one or two words with your own still constitutes plagiarism.
6 Statistics or numbers must be documented.
Paraphrasing
In order to avoid plagiarizing, a student must learn to paraphrase. A paraphrase precisely restates in YOUR WORDS the written or spoken words of someone else. A paraphrase is your wording but not your thinking. A paraphrased idea must be documented even though it’s not quoted directly.
Guidelines for Writing Paraphrases
1 Say what the source says, but no more.
2 Reproduce the source’s order of ideas without having the source in front of you.
3 Use your own words, phrasing, and sentence structure to restate the message.
4 Read your sentences over to make sure they do not distort the source’s meaning.
5 Document carefully. You are required to give the source of any paraphrase, just as you do for quotations.
Examples
The following example badly plagiarizes both the structure and the words of the original quotation by Jessica Mitford in Kind and Unusual Punishment:
ORIGINAL: The character and mentality of the keepers may be of more importance in understanding prisons than the character and mentality of the kept.
PLAGIARISM: But the character of prison officials (the keepers) is more important in understanding prisons than the character of prisoners (the kept).
The next example is more subtle plagiarism because it changes Mitford’s sentence structure, but it still uses her words.
PLAGIARISM: In understanding prisons, we should know more about the character and mentality of the keepers than of the kept.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM IN PARAPHRASING
The plagiarism in the above examples can be remedied two ways: Mitford’s exact words can be placed in quotation marks, or correct paraphrasing can be used.
QUOTATION: According to one critic of the penal system, “The character and mentality of the keepers may be of more importance in understanding prisons than the character and mentality of the kept” (Mitford 9).
PARAPHRASE: One critic of the penal system maintains that we may be able to learn more about prisons from the psychology of the prison officials than from that of the prisoners (Mitford 9).
Form and Punctuation for Documentation
After a direct quote:
…in the lives of Daisy and Tom” (Eble 319).
After paraphrase:
…in relation to Fitzgerald’s career (Poupard and Persons 146).
After a long quote set off from the text:
…according to the history of the Jazz Age. (Turbin xii)
When critic’s name is mentioned in text:
Malcolm Cowley strongly suggests that this is true “when discussing Gatsby and his relationships in relation to the American Dream” (50).
When you use more than one book by the same author:
…as Nick comments throughout this incident” (Eble, F. Scott Fitzgerald 14).
…which is Gatsby’s particular brand of dishonesty” (Eble, Hemingway 85).
When you use a book by two authors:
…and had a profound effect on his life” (Baker and Cole 138).
When you use a book by three or more authors:
…are bound to produce new forms of subjectivity” (Henriques et al. 275).
Tag Words
Verbs used to help weave quotations into your writing are sometimes called “tag words.” A number of these words have rather specific meanings, while others are appropriate in most situations. Choose the ones that fit your context from the following representative word list:
1 affirms
2 alleges
3 announces
4 argues
5 ascertains
6 asserts
7 believes
8 cites
9 claims
10 complains
11 concedes
12 concludes
13 contends
14 deduces
15 demonstrates
16 describes
17 disagrees
18 emphasizes
19 explains
20 explores
21 finds
22 grants
23 implies
24 informs
25 insists
26 maintains
27 notes
28 observes
29 offers
30 offers another view
31 points out
32 proposes
33 protests
34 queries
35 questions
36 quotes
37 rails
38 reaffirms
39 recalls
40 recommends
41 reflects
42 reiterates
43 repeats
44 reports
45 reveals
46 says
47 shares
48 shows
49 speculates
50 states
51 stresses
52 submits
53 suggests
54 supposes
55 takes exception
56 tells
57 thinks
58 volunteers
59 writes