ENGL 205 Literature Review ASSIGNMENT: 100PTS

ENGL 205 Literature Review ASSIGNMENT: 100PTS due 11:59pm on Monday, March 19th

(file must be in DOC, DOCX, or RTF format)

In preparation for your Research Paper, you will construct a Literature Review. The purpose of a Literature Review

is to assess what experts have already said about your topic, to get a sense of the conversation already taking place

around your area of inquiry. Your Literature Review will consist of a brief proposal followed by annotated

citations.

Use the research databases provided by the library. Consult the research librarians.

PROPOSAL:

A well-developed paragraph that names the texts being studied, the reason you are pairing the two texts (What are

the similarities between the texts that make them a good candidate for comparison?), a significant difference

between the texts, and your preliminary thoughts about what that difference might mean.

SOURCES:

Your annotated bibliography will include a total of 9 scholarly secondary sources analyzing the works you have

chosen or providing background for your project.

You should have 3 sources for Text A, 3 sources for Text B, 3 sources providing background/analysis of the

idea or topic the comparison is examining. For example, if I were writing a paper about Jacob and Arujuna, I would

have 3 sources about Genesis, 3 sources about the Bhagavad-gita, and 3 sources about the anthropological study of

ritual.

These sources will include at least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles over 9 pages long and at least 2 books or

eBooks1 (book chapters will count as PRJs). You may only use ONE article from The Explicator.

Please note that you will ultimately need to cite at least 7 secondary sources, plus your primary sources (the

literary works themselves) in your final research paper. You are NOT required to use any of the sources included in

the Literature Review in your final paper. Sometimes research ideas change during the writing process.

COMMENTARY:

After each MLA works cited entry, you will include a solid paragraph-long summary of the source and comments. The summary portion should identify the topic, main point, and general argument of the source. The commentary should indicate your thoughts about how the source will contribute to your project.

FORMAT:

• Page 1: After the heading (your name, etc), the Proposal.

• Each page after that should begin with an MLA Works Cited page citation for a source. After the citation,

include a solid paragraph-long summary of the source. Do not go onto a second page with your commentary.

• Sources should be in alphabetical order by last name of the author. (Just like in a Works Cited page.)

• Your final document should be 10 pages long: 1 page proposal and 9 citations/commentaries.

• The assignment will follow all other General Paper Guidelines (12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch

margins, running header, double-spacing, etc.) Please see the posted example.

1 The literary texts themselves do NOT count towards this requirement (they are primary, not secondary sources).