Your research paper will be an argumentative essay that makes a specific claim about one or more of the course readings. The claim must incorporate a specific literary theory discussed in class. Support this claim and argument in a well-developed, well-written, and well-organized essay of 1500-1800 words and must successfully use at least three (3) critical secondary sources.
1) Clearly answer one of the three prompt options from above
2) Clearly state which story(ies) and/or author(s) you are analyzing in the introduction of your paper
3) Your analysis must contain at least one direct quote from each of the sources listed in your Works Cited page
4) You must clearly incorporate and define one Literary Theory/Criticism
5) You must have at least THREE (3) secondary scholarly sources (the stories you are analyzing (primary sources) do not count towards this requirement, but must also be included)
6) The secondary sources must be scholarly
7) Your finished Research Paper must be at least 1,500 words but no more than 1,800 words
Additional Rules:
1) You must use proper MLA formatting (including Works Cited page and in-text citations)
2) Do NOT use a citation generator; always check citations against the OWL guidelines
3) You may not use Wikipedia, Sparknotes, Gradesaver, or similar sites as a source
4) You may not go over of 20% similarity according to Turnitin; Your work will be flagged for possible plagiarism
5) When using any of the stories as a source, you may only use the PDF version given to you in the Moodle resources entitled: Reading Preparation: Use these PDFs for citation purposes.
6) Use only third person point of view to discuss literature. Do not use first person or second person pronouns. This is a research paper, not an opinion piece
7) -10 points per day late
Structure:
1) The introduction paragraph should include a clear thesis statement. It should also clearly identify the title of the literature you’ve chosen to write about, as well as the author’s name.
2) Each body paragraph should have a clear topic sentence that relates back to the thesis. The information in each paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.
3) The conclusion paragraph should restate the thesis, summarize the main points of your argument, and offer some closing context or insight regarding your topic.
4) Mechanics, Grammar, and Punctuation.
5) All written assignments should be mechanically and grammatically correct, with proper punctuation.
6) Use third-person person point-of-view in order to maintain objectivity. Other general writing tips are located in this week’s “How to Write a Response Paper” resource.
Topic:
Argumentative Research
Topic: Government Control
Literary Theory: Marxist literary theory
Research Question:
Is the government control of individuals justified?
Argumentative Thesis:
The government is not justified in its own actions towards individuals.
The topic Story is: “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut
Professors notes on topic above:
Good start. Your thesis statement is missing several pieces, but I can cobble together what you are getting at.
I recommend: Using the Marxist Literary Theory, the use of government mandated handicaps in Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Bergeron” created a class system based on control on its citizens.
PS: keep in mind that the Handicapper General did not wear handicaps. Also, this story is a criticism of McCarthyism, NOT Communism.
Use these for assistance
https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/revising-and-editing-a-research-paper/
Did I review my professor’s feedback over my topic idea (from week 5) and the annotated bibliography (from week 6)?
______ Did I review the Research Paper Instructions (in week 7) before submitting my paper?
______ Does my paper meet the length requirement stated in the instructions? Does it meet the minimum research requirement stated in instructions (3 or more research sources, which does NOT include the literature itself)?
______ Is my paper in MLA format (12 Times New Roman, Double Spaced, Headings and Centered Title on page 1)?
______ Does my introduction clearly establish the literary author(s) and work(s) involved, and provide a clear thesis statement?
______ Does my research paper make an argument about a literary text (ie, does it argue for an interpretation of one or more literary works? Is it an actual argument that includes critical thinking and analysis of the literature itself, and not just a plot summary, author biography, or history/sociology paper that fails to specifically analyze the literature)?
______ Do I support my opinions/ideas frequently with qualified research or direct textual evidence? At the same time, do I also make sure not to rely too heavily on sources to do all my thinking/writing for me? (Pro tip: as a rule of thumb, I recommend keeping direct quotations brief, restricting them to 1-3 lines, and to average about one quotation per paragraph tops, in order to avoid over-reliance on others’ work. Remember that paraphrases of others’ ideas ALSO requires in-text citations, but cited paraphrases allow you to retain your writing voice).
______ Did I remember to use quotations/paraphrases/in-text citations when using research sources in the paper, and/or when quoting from a literary text?
______ Are all the sources listed on my Works Cited page clearly mentioned in the paper itself? Are all the sources mentioned in the paper itself listed somewhere on the Works Cited page?
_______________________________________________________________
Also, some friendly reminders concerning how the annotated bibliography and works cited pages differ:
-The annotated bibliography (from week 6) is NOT a direct substitute for a works cited page at the end of the research paper that you’ll submit in week 7. You still need a works cited page on the last page of the research paper; however, this works cited page at the end of your research paper will ONLY list entries for the sources you used in the actual paper, and it will NOT include any annotations (the paragraph summaries under each source) that you wrote for the annotated bibliography assignment in week 6.
-The sources on the works cited page can be different than the ones on the bibliography (in other words, you may have added or changed sources since then if necessary, but you proceed at your own risk when doing so).
-Primary sources (the stories, plays or poems you wrote about) should be included on the works cited list, but they do NOT count as part of your research requirement (so on the works cited page, you’d have all the secondary sources needed to meet the research requirement PLUS entries for the stories/poems/plays you wrote about).
