Assignment. Find a topic that derives from something we
have studied this year. Choose a major work or an author we have read, a
novelist, playwright, or short story writer.
Or choose a poem or poet we have studied. Consider literary theories, such as New
Criticism, Reader Response, or any that have derived from Deconstruction
Criticism. The topic should be suitable for a 5-7 page research paper using a
minimum of three legitimate outside sources.
Your paper must follow MLA guidelines for manuscript format and citation
conventions.
Getting Started. Begin with a topic that interests you. Then
follow a “true inquiry” process: ask a difficult question, offer a hunch or
hypothesis, test it and ask, What else do I need to find out? Then visit a school-sponsored site (e.g. Bloom or
Gale Group) or begin with a book or article.
The topic may be one that you have already thought about (female characters in Hamlet), or it may be a question you have not yet considered ( How
did a particular closed form – e.g. villanelle – develop over time?)
Read pages 2179-2184 in your textbook. This will give you an overview of what this kind
of paper entails. It also addresses
important issues like internet
reliability and plagiarism.
Review the hand out, “Sample Research Topics.” This will give you some idea of suitable
topics for this assignment. It may also
stimulate ideas of your own. Whatever
topic you choose must be related directly to this course; it should not derive
from a class you took previously (e.g., A.P. Language, 11 H, or 10H).
Work will be
submitted through Turnitin.com. Some will be done in school, though you
will have to do much of the drafting on your own time. Steps along the way will be graded. These
grades* will count for Quarter 4.
Suggested Information Resources:
Schedule.
Wed. May 13 Topic due*
Fri. May 22 Tentative thesis statement* and Preliminary
Works Cited due*
Tues. May 26 Rough draft peer review*
Mon. June 1 Paper due
