Mr. Rodriguez

English II

Date Introduced: March14th for Per.2 and March 15thfor Per.5

Sources for the Research Paper: Due March22ndfor Per.2and March23rdfor Per.5

Assignment: Bring all three sources for your research paper to class onMarch 22nd for Per.2 and March 23rd for Per.5. This means you must gather all of the books and print out all of the journals, articles, literary criticism, and pages from the website and bring them with you to class for credit. Do not email sources to the instructor! Bringing all three sources to class is worth 30 points toward your research paper. Each student must have their own sources as no sharing is allowed!

Requirements for the sources:

  • You are required to have at least three different scholarly sources.
  • The sources must be found at a major library and include: books, journals, articles, and literary criticism. Warning: If you can’t find books at the library—no problem: You can find thousands of journals, articles, and literary criticism using the library’s database. The library won’t grant you access to use their database unless you are inside of their library or have a library member ID. Once you have access to their database, email yourself articles (usually in PDF format) and print them out to bring to class. 
  • No children’s books are allowed as a source!
  • One internet website is requiredas one of your sources (it needs to be a scholarly source—not Wikipedia), but you can only use one internet website as a source. This means that the other two sources must be books, journals, articles, or literary criticism.
  • You may not use the Amat Library for resources because it is extremely limited and one of the main purposes of this research paper is for you to learn and experience how to do research at a major library.

What is the first step?

The focus of this essay will be to explain how your poet is unique and different from other poets. To do this, you can research any number of the following things: his/her technique, style, unique perspective, themes, subject matter, or what the poet represents. Choose one poet from this list (other poets must be approved by instructor):

Denise Levertov
(United Kingdom) / Rabindra Nath Tagore (India) / John Donne (United Kingdom) / Dylan Thomas
(United Kingdom) / Gabriela Mistral (Chile)
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (United Kingdom) / Alfred Lord Tennyson (United Kingdom) / Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Russia) / Dahlia Ravikovitch (Israel) / Dorothea Mackellar (Australia)
Chinua Achebe(Nigeria) / James Joyce (Ireland) / Matsuo Basho (Japan) / Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina) / Pia Amor (Mexico)
Octavio Paz (Mexico) / William Butler Yeats (Ireland) / Margaret Atwood (Canada) / Pablo Neruda
(Chile) / Bei Dao (China)

Where should I go?

You can visit any large city public library, college, or university library. Most college and university libraries won’t allow you to check books out (take them home), but they may grant you access to their database and let you email yourself articles, journals, and literary criticism that you can print at home. You should call before you visit to get all the details. If you’re polite on the phone and explain that you’re a high school student doing a research paper, they will kindly help you. 

*Here is a list of major public libraries where you can get all of your sources

Anaheim Public Library / Glendora Library / Pomona Public Library
Arcadia Public Library / Los Angeles Public Library / Pasadena Public Library
Azusa City Library / Monrovia Public Library / Upland Public Library
Covina Public Library / Ontario City Library / Whittier Public Library
Fullerton Public Library / Orange County Public Library / Chino Public Library

What should I do when I get there?

Walk over to the information desk and explain (nicely) that you’re a high school student doing a research paper, and they will kindly help you.  Ask the librarian for help in using their database to findbiographies, autobiographies, journals, articles, andliterary criticism that will help you explain how your poet is unique and different from other poets.

***A good database that will help you is called the “Literary Resource Center.” Once you have access to the database, type the poet’s name and any of the following keywords: “technique,” “style,” “unique,” “different,” “perspective,” “theme,” “subject matter,” “sound device,” “represent,” “famous,” or “well known.” This will help you narrow your search.

Email yourself the articles you find and select PDF format (if available). Do not get a book with a collection of his/her poems because that won’t help you explain how your poet is unique and different from other poets.

Make sure to get quality sources (don’t just grab anything with the poet’s name on it) because you will use each source to build your research paper. Finding more than three sources is smart, just in case you discover that one or two of the sources aren’t helpful. If you’re checking out a book (taking it home), make sure to ask the librarian how to renew it because you’ll need to have it for approx. three weeks after April 20thto write your research paper.

Amat Sophomores: Welcome to the Research Process. Good Luck!