Research Project Guidelines Introduction For the final weeks of the semester, yo

Research Project Guidelines
Introduction
For the final weeks of the semester, you will work exclusively on your research project for the course. It consists of
three parts: the proposal, the first draft of a research essay, and the final draft of the essay.
Together, these three assignments are worth 40% of your final grade, which means failing to complete this project
will result in a failing grade for the course.
The Prompt
For the final research essay, you will be discussing the ways in which a primary source–one of the pieces of
literature–stands as a cultural representation of society as a whole. Please note: I realize that is a rather vague
prompt. The vagueness allows you, the writer, to take on the research essay as you want, focusing on the theme of
your choice and arguing its significance. More on this below.
To succeed at this assignment, you first need to choose your primary source. You can choose any of the literature
we have read this semester. To help make your choice, review your previous discussion posts and the video
presentations to choose a theme. You will argue how your selected literary piece focuses on your chosen theme and
how the work represents our actual society (past or present) as a whole (think historical context).
Because this is a research essay, you will also be required to have at least 4 secondary sources – one of which may
come from one of the video presentations (either your own or a peer’s). Your secondary sources have to come from
the library databases, and have to be scholarly, peer-reviewed sources. Rely on the research skills you learned in
your composition courses. Also, do not hesitate to reach out to one of the librarians for research help if you find
yourself struggling to find your secondary sources.
The Research Essay Proposal
At the start of this writing process, you’ll submit a proposal via a Quiz, which will prompt you to answer four questions
that help you establish your research topic and interests. You’ll select a primary source and theme, and you’ll discuss
the ways in which you believe the work represents society, past or present. You’ll also identify a source shared
through one of the video presentations related to your interests. And, you’ll discuss opportunities for research and
generate a list of search terms. This is essentially you pitching your ideas for the essay to me, so provide as much
detail as possible. Complete the Quiz on D2L by the deadline assigned in the Class Calendar and Due Dates.
The Research Essay First Draft
Conduct academic research on the library databases to find three to four scholarly sources. Then, complete a first
draft of the research essay. Please note: a first draft is the fully completed, first attempt at your essay that is in
working condition and makes sense as being in response to the guidelines for this essay – even if it’s in need of
revision and editing. Submit your draft to the appropriate D2L Assignment folder by the assigned deadline.
The Research Essay Final Draft
I’ll provide feedback for your rough draft, and you’ll consider my notes to revise and edit your essay before final
submission. You’ll need to submit the PDFs of your secondary sources with the final draft to the appropriate D2L
Assignment folder by the assigned deadline.
Presentation and Mechanics of the Research Essay
Your essay should adhere to the following guidelines:
● An essay that spans 1750 – 2500 words (7-10 pages of writing, not including the Works Cited page)
● Works Cited page (this is not included in the word count requirement, and it is not in a separate file)
● Adhere to MLA formatting guidelines; cite your sources by following MLA documentation standards
Please revisit syllabus policies for more information regarding submissions, late work, academic integrity, etc.
Sample Approach:
For this example, let’s imagine that John Green’s assigned video on “The Yellow Wallpaper” is actually one of your
classmates’ presentations, and let’s imagine that our hypothetical student decides to continue with Green’s
discussion of mental health in his video on Gilman’s story.
This starting point of inspiration for a research topic probably leads the writer to examine how Gilman explores the
theme of how medicine poses a danger to birthing parents. The essay would operate as a literary analysis for the
most part, focusing primarily on analyzing “The Yellow Wallpaper” to find specific instances in the story of how
medicine fails the protagonist in her postpartum state. Material from scholarly secondary sources would be woven in
throughout this analysis to support and further the writer’s discussion. These sources could provide additional
analyses of Gilman’s story or other works, or historical details of significance.
In perhaps the final couple of paragraphs, the writer would shift gears and explain why this analysis matters: While
the short story certainly has historical implications, Gilman’s story remains especially relevant today as a cultural
representation of American society since many birthing parents in the US frequently do not receive the medical
attention they need. This argument would be strengthened by the inclusion of material from scholarly secondary
sources that provides information, statistics, history, etc. to support this argument.
Please note: this sample approach is not available for use. Students must develop their own original topic
TOPIC CHOSEN: THE RETURN OF THE VICTORIAN WOMAN….WOMAN’S RIGHTS AND EQUALITY. BE SURE TO MEMTION ROE VS WADE TURNOVER.