Honors American Literature Research Project Overview

Your research project will be a lengthy, detailed, independently researched and written essay based on approximately five months of reading, note taking, writing, research and discussion.

Your paper will focus on two major works by one American author selected from an approved list. Your goal is to create and argue a debatable thesis using primary sources (2 novels by your selected author) and secondary sources (at least 4 articles and essays -- not plot summaries or book reviews about your author's works). Your works cited page will have a total of 6 sources.

Guidelines

The text of your paper, not including a works cited page and bibliography, will be 8-10 pages typed, double-spaced, using 12-point Times font and traditional margins. Additional last pages of the paper are your works cited page and your bibliography. YOUR FINAL PAPER MUST BE SUBMITTED TO turnitin.com AND YOU MUST BRING A PRINT VERSION TO CLASS ON THE FINAL DUE DATE. A FINAL COPY INCLUDES BOTH AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY AND A WORKS CITED PAGE.

Secondary Sources

At least 4 secondary sources (articles written by critics and other literary scholars about your author's works) will be used in the body of the paper to support, expand on, and challenge ideas that you have developed through your own reading and writing. The source material, both paraphrased and directly quoted, will be cited according to MLA style's parenthetical documentation. The sources must be reliable scholarly sources (not summary material, ie. Spark Notes of Cliffs Notes, etc. or book reviews).

Citations

In the body of your essay, you will provide support of your ideas in the form of quotations, paraphrases, allusions, or other references to the various sources that you have explored. Each time you do so, you must cite the source by using the MLA parenthetical citation format. Be sure to get assistance from reliable websites regarding citations (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/, http://www.dianahacker.com) or class handouts regarding MLA.

Works Cited Page and Bibliography

At the end of your paper, attach a works cited page and a bibliography. Again, these are to be completed according to MLA format. The page will include only sources cited in the body of the paper. In other words, you will have a minimum of 6 sources (4 secondary sources + 2 primary sources = 6). Reminder: the works cited page is the last page of your paper and not a separate document.

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Deadlines

Select three potential authors / Friday, September 27th
Declare and receive approval of author and novels / Monday, September 30th
Novel #1 quotation response assignment / Friday, November 15th
Novel #2 quotation response assignment
Introductory paragraph
Annotated bibliography
Outline with works cited
First draft
Final draft