![ENG 112 Research
Project
Annotated Bibliography=10% ([email protected]%ea.)
Research Paper=15%
Research Project Presentation=10%
This assignment is intended to familiarize you with engaging
academic research.
Through researching a particular topic that is recent and
examining it from multiple
perspectives you will create a fresh perspective and original
findings that you can share
with your peers and our college community.
• Consider context. Make sure that you are clear about your
purpose and
assess who your audience is and might be in the future.
• Make sure that your topic is something that you’ll be
interested in and
curious about. If you know a great deal about the topic you will
be less
likely to explore all of the perspectives that are being explored.
You are
also less likely to be biased when approaching the topic if it is
unfamiliar
to you.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/eng112researchprojectannotatedbibliography10emai-221030034728-ffd47ee9/85/ENG-112-ResearchProject-Annotated-Bibliography-10-emai-docx-1-320.jpg)
ENG 112 ResearchProject Annotated Bibliography=10 ([emai.docx
- 1. ENG 112 Research Project Annotated Bibliography=10% ([email protected]%ea.) Research Paper=15% Research Project Presentation=10% This assignment is intended to familiarize you with engaging academic research. Through researching a particular topic that is recent and examining it from multiple perspectives you will create a fresh perspective and original findings that you can share with your peers and our college community. • Consider context. Make sure that you are clear about your purpose and assess who your audience is and might be in the future. • Make sure that your topic is something that you’ll be interested in and curious about. If you know a great deal about the topic you will be less likely to explore all of the perspectives that are being explored. You are also less likely to be biased when approaching the topic if it is unfamiliar to you.
- 2. You will have FOUR options for your paper. Options: 1. Choose a topic relevant to the themes in the stories that we have discussed in class. The topic must be current. However, try not to choose a topic that will have very few sources for you to research. SOME possible options include, but are not limited to: a. Power b. Faith c. Guilt d. Remorse e. Gender Roles f. Surveillance g. Identity h. Race i. Tradition j. Authority i. Examples for the above include: 1. An examination of how power has been viewed throughout history 2. A discussion about tradition and how local traditions can help to define a community or culture
- 3. 3. A discussion about authority and how it can and/or should/should not apply https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content- ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project- Spring%202015%281%29.doc 4/8/16, 8:16 PM Page 1 of 4 when thinking about universalism versus cultural relativism 2. Write an in-depth examination of one of the central issues in one of the stories that we have read. Some possible options include: a. What are some possible interpretations of the ending of "The Yellow Wallpaper"? b. What is the primary focus of "The Lottery"? (tradition, gender roles, authority, etc.) c. What is the primary reason for Othello's jealousy? d. What makes Iago such a successful manipulator? 3. Write about overlapping issues in two or more of the texts that we read this semester. Possible ideas include, but are not limited to: a. Write a paper in which you take a Feminist Theory approach to two or more texts we have read, such as "The Yellow Wallpaper," Othello, and/or "The Lottery."
- 4. b. Write a paper that analyzes the narrator's role in a text. In such a paper, you might discuss the narrators in "Cask of Amontillado," "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," and/or "The Yellow Wallpaper." 4. Choose one of the stories that we have read in class and research how different literary critics have discussed the story under the veil of their approach. For example, research how feminist theorists, psycho- analytic theorists, queer theorists, etc., approach Othello. Discuss these various discussions and discuss which theory/criticism proves the most compelling and why. You should begin by locating abstracts published in professional journals. Read through several abstracts in order to determine what some of the most common perspectives might be. Next you will find full text articles and evaluate them for credibility, reliability and usefulness. Try to keep a neutral standpoint as you read through them and assess them only to determine if the sources are credible enough to include in your paper. Compile your research and synthesize a thesis that clearly states what you will report/your findings. Evaluate your own standing. Try to determine what bias you already carry and what biases are forming as you research. Being aware
- 5. of your biases and avoiding them in your research leads to good research that can be useful to others. Make sure that you check yourself while writing and ask for feedback on your draft so that you can make sure that your research is as unbiased as possible. Part I: Annotated Bibliography A discussion of your sources requires you to become familiar with a wide scope of literature written about a particular topic and evaluate how the literature fits into the larger discussion about the subject. You will look through scholarship on a topic, decide what is most important and write a review that characterizes it fairly and clearly. The objective of this assignment is to help you evaluate whether the work cited is relevant to a specific research topic or line of inquiry. An annotate bibliography is an alphabetized list of sources consulted in the research process. For each source, you will need to include: • A citation (MLA) https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content- ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project-
- 6. Spring%202015%281%29.doc 4/8/16, 8:16 PM Page 2 of 4 • An annotation Your annotations should include the following parts: Generally, annotations should be no more than 150 words (or 4- 6 sentences long). They should be concise and well-written. They should include: • Main focus or purpose of the work • Intended audience for the work • Usefulness or relevance to your research topic (or why it did not meet your expectations) • Special features of the work that were unique or helpful • Background and credibility of the author • Conclusions or observations reached by the author • Conclusions or observations reached by you • How you might use the source in your paper or why it won't work for your paper. Length: 8 annotations, typed.
- 7. Helpful notes to begin your work: • Research the topic. You may want to be thinking of a working thesis in order to help guide your research. An annotated bibliography asks the writer to look at a wide range of sources. While researching, evaluate sources for biases and credibility. Also, look for prominent authors, themes and ideas and start with five sources as examples to illustrate a specific trend. • Organize the draft. In an annotated bibliography, you should explain how a particular source suits your argument. Part II: The Argumentative Research Paper Your essay should include the following parts: • Introduction: Here you will introduce your research topic and provide your readers some background information. Make sure that you establish your credibility. You may want to introduce your topic by posing the research question and/or by discussing the main points you will illustrate in the paper.
- 8. • Body: Provide the reader with your assessment of the research you have done and the perspectives in your field that are taken and are affecting the topic. Integrate quotes and paraphrase your sources. Lead the reader through the path that you have taken in researching the topic. • Conclusion: Be original in your conclusion, offering your readers something to remember – something that leaves an impression on them. You may summarize what you covered in the paper, but make sure that isn’t the focus of the summary. Synthesize your conclusions to lead to an original idea or lead the audience to further questions for them to explore on their own. • Consistent Citation Style: Use correct MLA citations and conventions https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content- ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project- Spring%202015%281%29.doc 4/8/16, 8:16 PM Page 3 of 4 throughout the paper. Part III: The Presentation
- 9. • Instructions on the presentation will be given at a later date. https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content- ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project- Spring%202015%281%29.doc 4/8/16, 8:16 PM Page 4 of 4