Research Paper (ENG 102/Bailey-Kirby)

Research Overview

You can find an overview of how to do research for your project here. It contains all the basic information you may need. For more detailed information on how to find a specific sources (e.g. article, book, etc.) see the other tutorials in this guide.

RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES

DIRECTIONS: You will write a literary analysis research paper, and your main objective will be to analyze any one of the reading assignments from the semester. The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Odyssey, Antigone, The Bhagavad - Gita, The Pillow Book, The Prince, Inferno, Hamlet, and Don Quixote.

You will need to analyze a theme that we discuss in the course and how it is conveyed through the element(s) of Literature, such as Character [Protagonist vs. Antagonist or Round/Dynamic vs. Static/Flat]; Setting; Symbolism/ Symbols; and/or Irony, etc.). See instructor’s study guide on each reading for a more comprehensive review of themes, symbols, characters, etc. besides this brief list below to help get you started.

Example Themes:

· The theme of “pride” in Antigone.

· The theme of “duty” in The Bhagavad-Gita

· The theme of “madness” in Hamlet. · The theme of “salvation” in Dante’s Inferno. · The theme of “honor” in Don Quixote. · The theme of “mortality/death” in The Epic of Gilgamesh

This research paper will also be shared with your peers in a creative, visual, and engaging final presentation, and there are separate guidelines for this final presentation that your instructor will provide for you.

REQUIREMENTS: Read the criteria listed below carefully, in order to understand the expectations for this literary analysis research paper.

· Your paper must be double spaced with one-inch margins and use a legible font style like “Times New Roman” (size 12), and it should be a minimum of 1,000 words (approximately four typed pages), and it should provide an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Of course, the paper can exceed 1,000 words.

· Your paper must state and underline a thesis statement in the introduction that the instructor will approve weeks before you submit your essay as she helps you with determining your topics, so you select a reading that you will enjoy discussing and analyzing in a research paper. aim for well-developed paragraphs for the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.

· Your paper must include a “Works Cited” page for all of your sources at the end of your paper in the MLA 8th format as well as provide parenthetical citations in the actual paper whenever you quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize from the primary source and the secondary sources. It will list your ONE primary source and three secondary sources.

· The paper must use at least three quoted/paraphrased passages in the paper as evidence from the work of poetry, fiction, or drama (ONE PRIMARY SOURCE) from the course that you are analyzing. In other words, each body paragraph should have at least one quote/paraphrased passage as evidence to support your analysis. Of course, you can include additional passages from the literary reading/primary source as evidence.

o Note: You should quote, paraphrase and/or summarize a minimum of THREE times from the work of poetry, fiction, or drama in the course on top of the THREE quotes from your secondary library sources discussed below. Even if you are borrowing the ideas from another source or even putting it in your own words (paraphrasing/ summarizing) without giving the original source credit, it is considered plagiarism, so you must credit sources properly in the MLA format. See the CSN policy on plagiarism in the course syllabus to avoid this penalty.

· The paper must include a minimum of three secondary sources from the library, in which you will be required to quote, paraphrase, and/or summarize from each of them at least once per paragraph. You are permitted ONLY ONE BLOCK QUOTE, so do not rely on chain-linking lengthy block quotes to write your paper because you are supposed to use your own words for the main content of this paper; hence, analyze, interpret, and evaluate the original text before writing the essay on your understanding of the reading before you add the sources.

o NOTE: You should support your thesis with evidence from the original text while the secondary sources will lend authority and credibility to your analysis of the material. Your secondary sources must be legitimate, academic references, such as Literature Criticism Online, Literature Resource Center, Academic Search Premier, ProQuest: Literature & Language, EBSCO, JSTOR, etc., but your primary source is one of the works of fiction, poetry, or drama from the course’s reading assignments. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA, SPARKS NOTES, CLIFF NOTES, OR OTHER NON-ACADEMIC SOURCES IN YOUR ESSAY!

· Your research paper also needs to be written in a formal voice. (Do not use first-person “I/we/us/our” or second person “you,” and avoid the use of slang terms or contractions like can’t, ain’t, or don’t, etc.). Furthermore, late papers automatically receive a late grade of “F”, so see the policy on late papers in the syllabus. Therefore, plan your schedule carefully as not to leave yourself with no time to complete the paper by the due date or to simply write it at the last minute. You should ask your instructor for help by scheduling an online meeting and/or work with on