Need Writing Help 4/28

Topic Development

First, it's important to remember that your research paper should be an  argumentative  essay that makes a  specific claim about the literature on which you're writing. To help prove your claim, you should apply a specific literary theory to your chosen text(s).

Note: Keep in mind that this isn't an informative research paper, it's an  argumentative  one, meaning that you will be presenting persuasive evidence to your reader in order to support a stance you've taken on your chosen topic.

One way to break down this task is to pick your texts/topic and consider something that interests you about that topic. Developing a question, you can research and argue will give you a place to go as you develop your thesis. From there, you will find what literary theory works best to help you reach some conclusions about your question, which should lead you to your thesis. Below are two examples of a topic, a research question, a literary theory, and a thesis that developed out of them:

Example #1

Topic:  Star Wars

Literary Theory: Historical

Research Question: Is  Star Wars merely camp, or was it an important contribution to cinema?

Thesis:  Star Wars is the most important film of the 20th century.

Example #2

Topic: Hamlet

Literary Theory: Psychological

Research Question: Why is Hamlet so tormented?

Thesis: Hamlet experiences internal conflict because he is in love with his mother.

***Keep in mind (for Example #2):

· You would  not want to make an argument of this sort :  “Shakespeare's  Hamlet is a play about a young man who seeks revenge.”  That doesn't  say anything-it's basically just a summary and is hardly debatable.

· Remember, an analytical research paper isn't about  what happens in a story- it's about explaining  why something happens, its causes, its significance. Analyze, don't summarize.

· The  Hamlet thesis is debatable, controversial even. The rest of a paper with this argument as its thesis would be an attempt to show, using specific examples from the text and evidence from scholars, (1)  how Hamlet is in love with his mother, (2)  why he's in love with her, and (3)  what implications there are for reading the play in this manner.

HSE 480: Week 5 Case Study

In a 300-word case study, assess how the Cold War in the Middle East developed and the U.S. involvement that created dissent toward America. With all of the aid the U.S. gives to the Middle East does America have any true allies in the region? Explore the American-Saudi relationship.

Use specific examples from our textbook. Your case study should be supported with properly APA formatted references.

Your essay should be 300 words in length. At least 1 reference should be used to support your main points (the textbook).  Quoted material should be avoided. Instead, please provide paraphrased research to support your main points that are accompanied with in-text references. Be sure to follow APA formatting guidelines. Your paper should contain section headings. Ensure that you provide an overview of each of the essay questions, which should be organized by associated bullet points. 

7. Week 5 Case Study Rubric

CATEGORY	20 points	30 points
Word Count	The case study was between 250-300 words.	The case study was at least 300 words.
Content	Mostly assessed how the Cold War in the Middle East developed and the U.S. involvement that created dissent toward America. Some reflection on the American-Saudi axis was provided.	Fully assessed how the Cold War in the Middle East developed and the U.S. involvement that created dissent toward America. Fully explored the American-Saudi axis.
	10 points	20 points
APA Style	Uses APA formatting/style with only a few minor, infrequent errors	Uses APA formatting accurately and consistently
Mechanics, Grammar, and Proofing	Occasional minor errors do not distract the reader	Virtually free of mechanical, grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors

Week 5 Skill Building Activity

This week’s skill building activity has two main components. First, you’ll review your performance and grade feedback on a paper submitted earlier in the quarter. Then, you’ll develop a topic and thesis statement for your final research paper (due in Week 7).

Part I: Review and Revise (I WILL DO THIS SECTION) Look over either one of the Response Papers you’ve submitted so far in the course. Review your work and the professor's grade feedback (as well as any tutoring feedback you may have received from tutors), then discuss the following in paragraph form:

1. What did you do well? What aspect or aspects of your paper, in your opinion, were strongest?

2. What doesn’t work in your paper, and needs improvement? Or what could you improve on further-- even if this aspect was mostly adequate in your earlier paper?

3. Have you used the free tutoring service linked in online courses? If so, what was your experience like? If not, why not?

Part II: Topic and thesis Keeping what you’ve learned in the above exercise in mind, start to brainstorm a topic for the final research paper. Make sure to review the guidelines for the final research paper as well as the “ Topic Development” Online Learning Resource from this week.

1. First, base your choice of texts on the following:

· A topic focusing on at least 2 texts (but no more than 3) by different authors . All of the chosen texts must come from class-assigned literature unless given prior approval by the instructor. 

· A ROSE FOR EMILY: https://archive.org/stream/ARoseForEmily1930/A_Rose_for_Emily_djvu.txt

· Miss Brill: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1429/1429-h/1429-h.htm#chap09

· A topic focusing on at least 2 texts (but no more than 3) by the same author.  All of the chosen texts must come from class-assigned literature unless given prior approval by the instructor.

· (HANDS, ADVENTURE, MOTHER: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/416/416-h/416-h.htm#chap16)

2. Then, using the method outlined in the “ Topic Development” document in this week's Online Learning Resources, show what you plan to write about. Make sure to include:

· Topic and Literary Theory (the author[s] and works you plan on writing about, and the theory you plan to apply to the literature you've chosen)

· Research Question (the basic question that interests you about this topic, or the question your thesis intends to answer or address)

· Working Thesis Statement (the one-sentence, declarative statement that announces the hypothesis or purpose of your eventual research paper. Another way to think about it is like the proposed answer to your research question)

· Works Cited entries (supply the works cited entries for the literary works you've chosen to write about. These should correspond to the linked versions of the texts in class) 

Your finished response should be  at least 250-300 words  and include all of the items mentioned above.

__________________________________

Outside sources, if used, should be used sparingly and follow MLA documentation guidelines. Approved sources are restricted to assigned literature, resources linked in class, and scholarly articles within the school Library. 

	4 points
Instructions	Submission fully and accurately addresses all instructional requirements, to include meeting or exceeding required word count
Critical Thinking	Content is substantive, relevant, and organized; critical thinking is evident and proficient
MLA Documentation	Any required MLA documentation is correctly applied
Grammar/Mechanics	Submission is essentially free of grammatical/mechanical errors