help with disc and res pap due in 48 hours

THE RESEARCH PAPER

- Choosing a topic (the novel or play you are going to read):

Choose something you like!

Before you narrow it down, look in the library and the Databases to see how much criticism is available. Be sure your novel is not too obscure.

- Choosing a subject (your thesis):

· Don't be too broad. The more focused you are, the better off you will be. You must have a clear thesis.

Example: discussion of themes of a work vs. one theme

· This is not a biography. You must focus on the work, not the writer.

· Good ideas: theme, symbolism, comparing/contrasting with another work by another author, character analysis, effects of a work on society, biographical parallel; also, think to yourself, “ Why would this person write this story? What is he/she trying to say about life or society?” (This can help you consider a theme to discuss in your paper.)

· If you like an author but aren't sure about what to write about, look up what major concepts/foci have been studied on that author's work.

· It must be something that you can find resources on.

- Doing your research:

· You will use a primary source (original work) and at least four (4) secondary sources (criticisms, etc., written about the primary source).

· Of the four secondary sources, you must be of different mediums (article, CD Rom database, book, etc.). They cannot all be the same type of source, and they definitely cannot be all from online sources. You can only have one Internet source (the databases do not count as an Internet source).

· For the most part, your secondary sources will be supporting your thesis. However, you may also use them to give background information or for refutation.

· You will make a copy of each of your sources. See the Research Paper Guidelines for help in what you will need to copy for each source.

The Thesis Statement:

· You should think of the thesis statement as the idea you are proposing. It is based on some interpretation that you are making about the primary source. From the beginning of your research, you may formulate a tentative thesis statement which you will later use, or you may even change it after you have started writing it.

· The thesis statement is the statement of an idea. It is not a question and should not appear in question form.

· The thesis statement should be a complete sentence. Don’t confuse your title with your thesis. Your statement must have a subject and a verb to form a complete thought. Likewise, your thesis statement must be only one sentence.

· The strongest thesis statement is specific, not vague and general. It is precise. It is stated in words that can only be interpreted in one way.

· A thesis statement should never be a simple personal response.

WEAK: Huckleberry Finn is a fascinating account.

BETTER: In Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn, the character of Huckleberry Finn can be seen as a symbol of the American spirit.

· A thesis statement should not be simply a fact; rather, it should be something that is arguable.

WEAK: In Jurassic Park, the dinosaurs destroy and kill man.

BETTER: In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton shows that when man tampers with nature, it can be self-destructive.

· A thesis statement is restricted. It is cut down in size to fit the scope of the assignment. For this assignment, it should be broad enough to be covered in five pages (vs. an entire book!), and not so narrow that after one paragraph you have nothing left to say!

The Outline:

· The outline is a summary of the points you are going to make in the body of your research paper. The body excludes the introduction and conclusion, so you will NOT have a Roman numeral indicating “Introduction” or “Conclusion.” This type of outline may be different from some you’ve done in your other classes, but it is the correct MLA outline for a literary paper.

· The format of the outline is as follows (an example can be found under Course Documents):

1. In the top right corners, you will have your last name and use lower case Roman numerals (for example, i, ii, iii) to paginate.

2. Type the word Outline in the center at the top.

3. Double-space the entire outline.

4. At the left margin, type the words Thesis Statement (italicize them), followed by a colon. Then, type out your thesis statement. Include the title of the work in your thesis statement.

5. Use upper case Roman numerals (I, II, for example), and beside each Roman numeral type the topic sentence for a body paragraph. Each one must be a complete sentence, and it must directly connect to an idea in your thesis statement. You WILL NOT type a Roman numeral and write “Introduction” or “Conclusion” beside it – don’t worry, I know you’ll have these in your essay!

6. Use upper case Arabic letters (A, B, C, etc.) for specific events, characters, etc., that you will use within that paragraph for your point. You do not have to use these if you would only have one (“A”). You will never include an “A” under a Roman numeral unless you have a “B.”

· There should be no quotes in your outline!

Documenting your research:

· You must document your sources. You will do this in two ways: within the text itself and on a Works Cited page.

Within the text itself:

· Using a set of parentheses ( ), you will usually have at least two pieces of information: the last name of the author or critic and the page of the book, article, etc., on which it can be found.

· If you use the author's name in the sentence or “tag,” you only have to put the page # in parentheses at the end of the sentence before the period (unless it is a block quotation).

· If you don't use the author's name in the sentence, you must put both the author's last name and the page number in parentheses at the end.

For an example, see the sample found in an MLA handbook.

· Notice that the parenthetical information comes before the period. The only exception to this rule is when you have a block quote, which is discussed just below.

· If you have two authors, you will indicate both authors, with the last name of both (example: Smith and Adams). You will put them in the order they appear on the text. If you have three or more authors, you will list the last name of the first author listed then put et al. (example: Alexander et al.)

· If the source you are using does not have an author, you will indicate the title of the source in the parentheses instead. If the title is an article or short story, put quotation marks around it. If it is a book, italicize it. Remember, whatever is indicated on your Works Cited entry first is what you will put in parentheses in the text.

· If the quotation is longer than four typed lines, you will block it. This means that you will indent ten spaces and type your quote. It should be double-spaced. An example of a blocked quote can be found in the MLA section of the handbook, or in the MLA handbook itself. Notice that this is the only time when the parenthetical information is after the period.

· You will document both direct and indirect quotes.

· Remember that you will use your primary source as much (if not more) than the secondary sources (the criticism). In fact, the novel or play you are writing about is your best source for your paper.

· Always use tag phrases to introduce your quotes (states, says, observes, etc.). There is a handout titled “Tag Words” that can help you in your Research Packet.

· If you are using an electronic source, you only have to put the author’s last name in parentheses.

The Works Cited page:

· For every set of parenthetical documentation, you will have an entry that matches up with it and gives more information than just the author. Therefore, you will have an entry for your primary source(s) and secondary sources.

· Is on a separate page at the end of your paper.

· Should be alphabetical. If you have more than one work by the same author, use the first main word of the poem, story, etc., for placement in the list.

· Is double-spaced.

· Know when to capitalize words, when to italicize them (it is what used to be underlining), and when to use quotation marks around titles. Reference your handbook for these rules.

· In this course, you have examples for entries for your Works Cited page. There are also examples in the MLA handbook.

· Some may use a volume from a series of criticisms, for example Twentieth Century Literary Criticism. These types of reference books are found in the library.

· Some of you will use the Gale Group or Infotrac (databases accessed from BPCC’s Library). For information on how to document these, refer to your handbook.

· Some of you may use the Internet. If so, BE CAREFUL! Make sure your source is reliable. If you are in doubt, ask me. If you use an Internet source (and you can only use one), here is how you should document it:

Author’s last name, first name. “Title of Article.” Title of Website. Sponsor or Publisher, Date of the latest update. Web. Date you accessed it.

(When you type in the dates, type the day, then a shortened version of the month, then the year, for example, 12 Nov. 2001.)

· If there is no publishing information, use these abbreviations:

n.p. – no place of publication given

Example: N.p.: University of Gotham, 1999 (shows no city was available for citation)

n.p. – no publisher given

Example: New York: n.p. , 1999 (shows no publisher was listed)

n.d. – no date of publication given

Example: New York: University of Gotham, n.d. (shows no date was available)

n. pag. – no pagination given

Example: New York: University of Gotham, 1999. N. pag.

· A Works Cited page is double-spaced. For each source, you must give basic publication information: the author (if there is one), the title, and publication medium information (the publishing company, place and year in the case of a book, the title of the journal, its issue date, and the pages the article spans if it is an article, etc.). New MLA-style documentation indicates that you also indicate the medium (Print or Web). For specific types of sources, use the MLA section of the handbook which gives examples of Works Cited entries for different types of sources.

· In accordance with the new MLA-style documentation, you will also include the medium of the source in the Works Cited entry. For an electronic source, you will type “Web” before the day you accessed the site. For a paper source like a book, you will type “Print” at the very end of the entry.

REMEMBER: If you use a source (whether it is a direct quote or you have paraphrased it) and you do not document it, you are plagiarizing. Trust me, you do not want to find yourself in this situation. If in doubt, document!

Writing your research paper:

1. Outline: should be typed and double-spaced

3. Essay: should be typed and double-spaced

Introduction: indicate the work(s) you will discuss, the author(s), and the genre.

· give any necessary background information

· have a clear thesis statement or purpose

· may be more than one paragraph

Body paragraphs:

· use topic sentences to guide your reader and help you stay focused

· use events, quotes from the text (primary source) to support your point for that paragraph(s)

· use secondary sources to further illustrate your point

· never end a body paragraph with a quote; you must connect the quote back to your point

Conclusion:

· reiterate your thesis

· make it relatively brief

· don’t identify any new points or ideas which prove your thesis

4. Works Cited Page: should be typed, double-spaced, alphabetical, hanging indent, and be sure you follow the correct format

Remember, I am here to help, so ask!