American Novel Research Project

  1. Purpose:
  1. To become familiar with the research process.
  2. To become an expert on at least one American author-- To be aware of the contributions of critics, historians, and philosophers in the study of literature.

II. Objectives:

  1. To research an American author and his/her novel.
  2. To research the time period in which the author lived and wrote.
  3. To evaluate possible sources of information for credibility and usefulness.
  4. To assess the effects of the time period/ author’s background on the author’s writing.
  5. To analyze and evaluate an author’s writing style.
  6. To synthesize informationabout author’s background, style and purpose and compose a thesis.
  7. To cite sources using MLA format.

III. Writing process: Writing a research paper involves the writing process much like any other writing

assignment. Research is done in stages.

III. Basic Research process:

1) Choose and read a novel from the American Literature novel list. Your choice must be from this

list. This is the easy part. You have already done this.

2) While reading, keep an author’s style journal. Write notes about the elements of style we

have discussed this year plus the style elements on the handout. Note patterns. What makes up your author’s style?

Start to notice this and take your notes in this direction.

3) As you read, think about possible research questions. Try some of the template questions below.

  • Did the author’s childhood experiences affect his/her attitudes/work?
  • How did the time period in which an author lived affect his work? What was happening in

art, music, culture and politics during the time the author lived?

  • How does ______(your novel) help us understand ______(an event, issue, or aspect) of American society?
  • How does ______(your novel) relate to the American Dream?
  • How has ______(your novel) led to societal reforms?
  • How did ______your novel) change the way Americans perceive themselves?
  • How did ______(your novel) play a role in the evolution of the _____ century or ____ decade?
  • How does __(your novel) relate to a particular cultural movement (Realism, Beat Period, Civil Rights, etc.)?
  • Why did (your author) respond to (an event, issue, aspect of American culture) as he/she did in (Your novel)?
  • Why did (your author) choose to address a particular event/issue/aspect of American society in (your novel)?
  • Why did (Your author) choose to use (a literary technique such as allegory or symbolism) in (your novel)?

4) Develop two research questions. (Based on the template questions or one of your own)

One of your research questions will be related to author’s biography and time period in which he/she wrote and the

other will be related to the author’s style.

5) Do preliminary research. Check things out! Is there enough information on your question or topic?

6) Evaluate the sources—Can you find good sources for this topic? Can you find 5-7 sources for this topic? If you

can, proceed. If you cannot, start again and think of another question.

7) Take notes on 4X6 cards or on Research Organizer Form or on Notebook paper (one-sided).

Take notes! This is how you help yourself to keep from plagiarizing.

You will also be using the novel notes you took as you read the novel.

8) Research the author’s biographical information, time period info about cultural, political, historical events during the

time of the author’s life or during the setting of the novel, and research literary criticism about the author and his/her

work.

9) Organize the material. Arrange your cards (notes) in a logical order. Arrange them in the order you

want the material presented in your paper.

***See essay outline information.

10) Put it all together—write a thesis statement, develop an outline. ***See essay outline information for model.

11) Write a first draft; follow the form of your outline.

12) Quote and cite correctly; use your words not the sources’. Weave the quotations with citations into your own

writing style. This part is really important. You want to make sure you cite any information you get from outside

sources; otherwise, it is considered plagiarism which is dishonest and will result in serious consequences. (Such as

zero on research paper, dean’s office referral)

12) Peer edit, proofread and revise.

13) Draft the final copy.

IV. Sources

  1. Finding and recording sources

There are many places to find sources. We will be using CLC volumes (Contemporary Literary Criticism) in our library. These are very helpful for articles on author criticism. You can go to the library or bookstore. There you can find books on your topic and use the bibliographies in the books you find to help you find other books. You can also find reference works to use there. One of the best sources is the Internet.

Internet Sources

  • The Internet Public Library is an excellent site for finding sources:
  • EBSCO and Gale Databases-we’ll get access information at our library.
  • (you need a Clark County library card to access)
  • You may not use Wikipedia, Spark Notes, Book Rags or other cites with no author listedas a reference for this project.
  • Generally .gov, .org and .edu sources are more reliable than .com.
  1. Evaluate the sources (This is an important part of this project)

Ask yourself the following:

  • Is the source authoritative? Is the information reliable? Accurate? Does the publisher have a good reputation? Does the site have an author listed?
  • Is the source unbiased? Does the source lack prejudice?
  • Is the source up to date? Check the date.
  • Is it written at an appropriate level? Make sure it’s not written for children.
  • Does the source come highly recommended? CNN, Discovery, PBS are examples of trusted names. Websites associated with colleges and universities are usually reliable as well.
  • Does the author have an accredited educational background? Is the author associated with other “experts” in the field?
  1. Prepare bibliography cardson back of 4X5 cards(or Research Organizer Forms or Notebook Paper)

Every time you find a source, make a card for it. Use the MLA format. That way you can find the

source again if you need it, and the source is all ready to be typed up for your Works Cited page at

the end of your project.

MLA citation info: *Yellow text book page 1291-2 –outdated—don’t use it.

*The OWL at Purdue

*

*Hacker MLA handbook (Hacker is the author’s name)

  1. Taking notes on front of 4X6 cards(or Research Organizer Forms or Notebook Paper)

Take 3 kinds of notes: direct quotations—repeats a source exactly with quotation marks uses

around the quoted material

paraphrase—states and idea expressed in a source but not in the same words—yes this still

needs to be cited with a page number.

summary—condenses an idea expressed in a source/same thing, fewer words-still needs citation

Use a separate card for each note. That way they will not get mixed up, and you can rearrange

them later as you write. Write the subject at the top of the card.

*for extra Research Organizer forms:

Click “free materials”, then “research right”

VI. Develop an outline.

  1. Organize the information. Organize by topics. Arrange in an order that makes sense to you. Since this is just an

outline, words, topics or phrases will do.

b. Guidelines: 1) Begin with an introduction. Begin with general information that introduces your topic. What

kind of general information would help introduce your author and your novel?

2)Answer your research question, and change that into a thesis statement.

3)The thesis statement appears at the end of the first paragraph or second paragraph of the research paper. You will need a thesis for part I and a thesis for part II.

4)Organize the body.

Part I. Biography of author and his/her place in the literary movement of the time

(example: Mark Twain and the Civil War Era with Realism)

Part II. Analysis of one piece of the author’s writing, including your own

interpretation / evaluation and support of two or three critics for your

thesis.

5)End each part with a conclusion that restates your thesis and summarizes your main points in each part.

VII. Draft your paper. (first draft)

VIII. Get feedback from peers, from self. Revise.

IX. Write your final draft.

*Items due:*

____Novel choice contract due; book due in class due 3/1

____Author style journal / Reading response notes journal due3/16,17 / 2nd check for novel style notes 4/1,4/4

____Minimum 40 notes on 40 4x6 note cards (or Research Organizer Forms or Notebook Paper) Be able to show source.

You may use the same sources several times; these are the notes you will use to write your paper.

Research notes due 4/11,12—Don’t stop taking notes! Continue researching even after the due date.

____Outline that includes thesis (typed) due 4/26,27

____Research paper First Draft due (typed)5/4,5

____Final draft due 5/10,11(Accepted 5/12,13 for 75%, accepted 5/16,17 for 50%, not accepted after 5/16,17)

Note: The last page of this packet must be submitted to Ms. Reid. Do not lose it, or if you do, simply go tomy.ccsd.net to replace it. You may not turn in a paper without the rubric page.

How to Format Your Outline

NameLast name 1

Teacher name

Class

Date

Your Tentative Title

Thesis: Must include author, title, literary era of the piece, time period in which the piece was written, focus on the work itself (theme, purpose, style, etc.)

Example thesis: A popular example of Modernism, The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald’s portrayal of the American Dream during the decadence and materialism of the 1920’s American society. The author utilizes characterization and symbolism to show a “lost generation” who seeks but does not find the American Dream.

  1. Introduction Paragraph(s)
  1. If you have found the perfect quote or background info for your intro, record it here.
  2. Your thesis statement goes here.
  1. Biographical information regarding the author and the time period in which he/she wrote
  1. Information that pertains to the author’s place in this time period and its impact on their writing
  2. Influences (events, people/places lived) on the author’s writing
  3. Discuss the greater significance of this work to the realm of American literature and to society in general.
  1. Style: Discussion of what the critics have said—Summary, Interpretation and Evaluation
  1. Discussion of author’s style from your perspective
  2. Do the critics agree with you?
  3. Positive criticism
  4. Negative criticism
  5. Evaluation of criticisms overall
  1. Conclusion-Comment on the author’s impact on American Literature.

American Literature Research Paper Rubric

Student Name: ______period_____

Yes / No / Basic Requirements
1. Paper typed
2. Thesis clearly stated in intro and referenced in the conclusion
3. Correct documentation style used in text-MLA
4. In-text citations evident
5. Minimum 7 sources
6.2 CLC Sources / 4 database sources (Ebsco or GALE) / and the novel = 7 minimum sources
7. Works Cited accurate and correctly formatted
8. Paper written in 3rd person; content not personal essay but non-biased research
9. Paper meets minimum length standard (5-7 pages, excluding Works Cited page)
10.Includes both part I and part II

_____/ 10

4—Clearly a knowledgeable, practiced, skilled pattern

3—Evidence of a developing pattern

2—Superficial, random, limited consistencies

1—Unacceptable skill application

Use of Sources

Skill application demonstrates use which represents 

/ 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Researched information appropriately documented
Enough outside information to clearly represent a research process
Demonstrates use of paraphrasing, direct, and indirect quotations in in-text citations
Information connects to the thesis
Sources accurately match sources cited within the text
Use evidence and details from a variety of sources to support a thesis.

______/24

Content/Organization

Skill application demonstrates use which represents 

/ 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Introduction engaging and clearly defines thesis
Thesis is challenging and focused / includes author style & biography / time period
Clearly states the purpose of the report in the thesis statement
Develops the topic logically and include appropriate transitions.
Mixture of personal voice interwoven with research
Introduces in-text citations appropriately
Includes commentary / analysis after quotations, in-text citations
Conclusion thoughtful, engaging, and clear
Contain only accurate and relevant information.
Includes insightful analysis of novel and author
Uses literary criticism to support position—2 CLC sources

______/44

Mechanics/Usage/Spelling/ MLA Format

Skill application demonstrates use which represents 

/ 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Pagination (top right following last name)
12 point Times New Roman font and appropriate margins
Usage/Grammar/ appropriate words
Correct paragraphing
Written in formal style
Evidence of consistent and conscientious editing

______/24

Information Literacy

Skill application demonstrates use which represents 

/ 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Consistent Format MLA—in-text citations
Consistent Format MLA—Works Cited page
Evidence of thorough research (sources represent variety and types)
Documentation demonstrates conscientious application of citing ethics
Evidence of sorting and selecting appropriate material
Evidence of importance of author’s credibility and validity
Research information goes beyond surface information

______/28

130 possible Total Score: ______/ Grade: ______