Research Project Notes--
Eng 253/54, 276, and 278
Southern Literature, African American Literature, and Appalachian Literature, like other genres, offer a rich arena for exploring. This research project capitalizes on that wealth of information and offers you the opportunity to dive into an interest in the genre and develop your analysis of a particular aspect you find appealing or challenging.
This project holds three primary aspects. The first is your informal proposal that sets forth your idea(s) about the direction your research will take. This beginning step should clarify your specific area of interest and define the path you see yourself taking in order to develop that interest. Don't be vague in this writing--identify clearly a specific aspect/writer/concept/conflict that you see significant in the literature for this course. Your proposal should contain your topic area, the reason(s) you want to explore this interest, and possible sources that are available for your research. You will submit this proposal via Assignments Links and after instructor response/approval, you can begin the "meaty" step of the process--the research/reading. As an informal piece, this proposal should be a "response" and be at least 1 page in length (standard MLA format, 1" margins, etc...).
In this second step of the project, you need to keep a working bibliography that you will submit with your project. This list of sources details the works/articles/websites you've explored to gather more understanding about your particular topic. Keep this running list in a separate word document file that you will submit via Assignments Links, along with your final essay. This list does not have to be in alphabetized form, and I encourage you to have this file open when you are researching online so you can simply copy/paste the site address directly into your word document. This action will ensure accuracy on your Works Cited page (which should be alphabetized) when you use some of these sources in your essay. Be sure to include a brief description of the source (title and subject area) on your working bib. list so you'll know which source is which when you come back to it later. This working bibliography is part of your project and not an option in the final submission. If you do not have this list, points will be deducted from your overall grade as your project will be incomplete.
The last step is the actual essay itself. As you gather information, read, and respond to your sources, keep running notes/reactions to yourself. This record is invaluable when it comes to writing your essay. Some of you may use the note-card system or perhaps you're more a note/highlight/journal person. Whatever system works for you is fine. Just do this work as you read/research so you won't have to "redo" responses when you begin writing that first draft of your essay.
A little warning here as well--don't rely on your memory to go back and document your essay after you've written it. Use some notation (an asterisk or other symbol) to mark places that you need to add citation if you're not including that information as you write. Plagiarism, whether intentional or not, exacts a heavy penalty--and DSLCC has a firm policy on the consequences for plagiarism (See handout--"A Word on Plagiarism"). Be sure you give credit to your sources and don't overlook a need for citation. If you have questions about citation, see me or the A Center--we'd be glad to help you. Don't assume!
Your final essay, submitted via Assignments Links on the due date, should be in standard MLA format, 12 pt. standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, Trebuchet..), double-spaced, 1" margins, and clearly identified in the upper left corner with your name, class/section, instructor last name, and date. Minimum: 8 pages.
I will be glad to look at the first couple of pages of a draft to comment if you'd like for me to do so--and that draft should be sent to me at least one week before the due date of the project. Submit the draft in Digital Drop and then email me to let me know you'd like comments on it.