Mrs. Deborah Gandt-----English 11H

Name ____________________________ Mrs. Gandt
Date _____________________________ English 11H

RESEARCH PAPER
English 11 Honors

Here is your opportunity to become a minor authority on one aspect of an American author of your choice. You will also learn formal research paper techniques that you will use for this assignment and for assignments in your senior year and in college. Save all “how-to” handouts for future use. The assignment will receive 3 MAJOR GRADES: 1) content, 2) form and 3) preliminary steps. Therefore, in addition to the finished product, it is very important to do all preliminary steps on time and according to instructions. If you do so and follow all other instructions and guidelines this assignment can be easy and enjoyable.

THE ASSIGNMENT
Select an American author who you enjoy reading but who is NOT from the usual list of white, male authors. Let’s explore the diversity of America and its literature. You should seriously consider if your ‘Independent Reading’ author fits the following categories. Your author can be:
a) either male or female
b) a novelist, short story writer, poet, dramatist, or writer of non-fiction;
c) late 20th century.

THE THESIS
As you start to learn about your author, you will develop a thesis about your author and his/her literature. You will NOT just research the author’s life. Your Independent Reading book will be your primary source. Your THESIS STATEMENT may revolve around one of the following categories:
a) the ethnic characteristics of your author’s works;
b) a common theme in your author’s works;
c) a person or event that had a major influence on your author;
d) autobiographical aspects of your author’s literature;
e) an analysis of your author’s style;
f) etc.

TO BEGIN
Get an OVERVIEW of your author and his/her literature by using the reference works on Gale Group ,Scribner Writers Series, Literature Resource Center and Student Resource Center . Please see the library resources section at the end of the assignment.

a) Make certain at the outset that your author is AMERICAN and NOT too mainstream (TMI).
b) Then check that your author is not so obscure or modern that not enough has been written about your author and his/her works. If nothing has been written, you cannot do ‘research’.
c) If your author is very famous you will find that the wealth of information (TMI) is overwhelming and you may wish to switch to someone about whom less has been written.
d) Read several pieces about your author to begin to SELECT A THESIS relevant to your outside reading novel that will be used as a primary source.

SOURCE CARDS

IMMEDIATELY upon finding a possibly useful source, even a reference book or electronic source, record all pertinent information needed for your eventual Works Cited page. Put the information for ONE SOURCE and a CODE on each 3” x 5”card. Make sure the information on the card corresponds EXACTLY to the model of the same type as on your MLA STYLE SHEET so that you do not need to return to the library in order to complete your paper. Use the WMHS Information Center blog link and Noodletools and Citation Machine for proper format.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath (title underligned)

New York: Penguin Books, 1939.

WMHS book room
NOTE CARDS
Take all your notes on 3” x 5” index cards. Put only ONE IDEA on each card and ALWAYS include the page number and a CODE which corresponds to its source card. Be sure all QUOTES are EXACT but always take PARAPHRASED notes. These cards will later be rearranged by topic and finally into subtopics.

The Joad’s idealistic expectations


- Joads head to Ca. with high hopes
- But discover that for them
- “California is not a Promised Land but a man -blighted Eden.” 195

OBJECTIVES:
Ø Explore a topic about a modern author and his/her works.
Ø Become aware of and proficient in the selection and \use of the standard tools of research.
Ø To learn how to take careful notes.
Ø Carry to its conclusion a process of critical and logical thinking.
Ø Learn how to organize and report the ideas and information collected on a subject in the standard form expected in college writing.

CHECKLIST OF STEPS:
1. Planning the project Due:__March 4_____________
a. surveying the source material/ source cards
b. preparing for research
c. composing questions to be researched

2. Reading and note taking/ Due:_March11_____________
Note cards

3. Thesis statement Due:___March 14___________

4. Outline Due:___March 26___________

5. Rough Copy to be peer edited Due:____April 9___________
Works Cited Page
6. Type, revise and edit

7. Submit final paper Due: __April 14____________

Library Resources
Online Databases
Virtual Reference Collection

Scribner Writers Series
Thomson Gale Databases

Literature Resoruce Center (literary biography criticism)

Student Resource Center ( reference sources, journals and periodicals)
Online Catalog
(search for books in our collection)
Academic Integrity
(cite your sources)

Noodletools Citation System

Citation Machine

Citation Style For Research Papers

Please consult your WHMS Information Center worksheet for home access passwords