The Research Paper:
This is not something to fear if you prepare early and keep thinking about work ahead of you as you read the literature selections. Subjects for literary papers should focus on primary material in the anthology and/or reserve material provided by the Instructor (that is, on syllabus material); however, student-suggested supplemental selections from outside the anthology may be acceptable pending Instructor approval. Information available on the various computer services is questionable (e.g., movie reviews, book reviews, lecture notes, etc. See above and below.). However, remember that full-image files in our DATABASE WAREHOUSE (formerly referred to as GALILEO) ARE ACCEPTABLE AS LONG AS YOU CITE THEM CORRECTLY IN THEIR ORIGINAL PRINT CONTEXTS. THIS MEANS CITING STABLE PAGINATION AT EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. If you see an article or book title that you do not understand, pass it by. When searching for topics, keep in mind that much of this material has been around for long, long time; thus, completely original insights might be difficult. Still, you can write a cogent, well-developed paper that effectively argues a point-of-view about material that to you is new and challenging with support and validation from both the text and from experts whom you cite correctly.
Block quotations in Research Papers should not exceed three (3) in number and should not needlessly “pad” the paper.
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Paper Format:
“All I know is what the words know, and dead things, and that makes a handsome little sum, with a beginning and a middle and an end, as in the well-built phrase and the long sonata of the dead.” Samuel Beckett
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“Writing is failure. Writing is not only useless, it’s spoiled paper. It’s perfectly good white paper that you mess up with and you spoil it and you fail. I learned to write predicating everything on failure.” Padgett Powell
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All papers written outside of class must be typed or created on a computer printer. Out-of-class material that is submitted in manuscript form will not be accepted. Essays will be submitted on standard, white paper. The ink must be black and dark enough for easy reading. Papers will conform to research paper style (MLA—Modern Language Association) as presented in English 1102. Double-sided work will not be accepted. Typed papers may contain neatly corrected typographical errors and/or neatly penned insertions. Papers generated from computer printers should take advantage of italic typefaces when necessary in MLA style but not esoteric typefaces, outlandish type sizes, bold type, or attempts at margin/spacing manipulation. Papers should not be punched, bound, folded, inserted in folders, or mangled. Papers that are marked “Resubmit” must be corrected in ink as indicated and returned immediately. In-class work marked “Resubmit” or “Pencil” must be corrected immediately. Unacceptable papers will not be graded and are worth no points.
IMPORTANT: Turn in two (2) copies of any SHORT ESSAY written outside of class.
One (1) copy will be returned with your grade.
