Research Methods Always ask a reference librarian!

Topics for Discussion: The first paper assignment Critical Articles How to find them How to read them Conferences Due Dates

The Paper Assignment. You are being asked to write a paper the way that most every English scholar writes papers and articles. This happens in a few big sections. 1. Introduction (1 paragraph) 2. Summary of Scholar A (1 paragraph) 3. Summary of Scholar B (1 paragraph) 4. Synthesis (1 paragraph) 5. Analysis (many paragraphs, the rest of the paper!)

The Paper Assignment, cont’d. MLA formatting. Check Chapter 12 of the Harbrace. Look at the example essay in the Harbrace and copy his formatting. Monkey see, monkey do. See the fine folks at the Writing Center or speak with me. The basics, though, are 1” margins, double- spacing only throughout the paper, no extra formatting to the text, and a TNR or similar font.

Basic terms. Librarian. ASK FOR HELP! Scholarly Journal Critical/Scholarly Article Research Databases – contain thousands of articles covering many different subject areas. Full-text English Databases MLA – the most comprehensive database! Project Muse JSTOR Arts and Humanities

Finding the databases. Go to the library homepage ( Click “Alphabetical list of databases.” Click the letter. Search the database.

Three ways to get your hands on a scholarly article. (1) Full-text? Download and print the article! (2) Not full-text? Search for the title of the journal in the library catalog. If it’s there, then go to the second floor, and find the corresponding bound copy of the journal. Find a nice library person to help you use the copiers, and copy the article.

Three ways to get your hands on a scholarly article, cont’d. (3) Not full-text? Go to “A-Z Journal” on the library homepage. Search for the TITLE OF YOUR JOURNAL to see if a different database has it as full- text. If yes, then search for your article in that other database’s holdings! You will have to search for the article often times by the year of publication or by the volume and issue number.

Reading a Critical Article. Remember, you’re writing a critical article. A critical article has the same sections that your paper has, so be on the look out for this as you’re reading these articles. 1. Introduction 2. Critical Summary (critical or historical) 3. Method 4. Analysis

Reading a Critical Article, cont’d. After the introduction, in the critical summary, a critic will show you what other people have said about the text he’s writing about. (paragraphs 1 and 2 in Bullock’s article) Two approaches – critical or historical. Be aware that this section usually happens early in a critical paper, and is of no use to you, unless you’re going to take issue with the critic’s approach.

Reading a Critical Article, cont’d. The next section that you are looking for is a method paragraph. (paragraph 3 in Bullock’s article) Like your synthesis paragraph. Here, the critic will say something like “In this essay, I will show/prove/argue that…” (thesis!) The critic is going to tell you what he will argue and how he will argue it. This is very important for your purposes! This will be your anchor for the paper, the part of the paper that you can refer back to whenever you get lost in an argument.

Reading a Critical Article, cont’d. The last big section of a critical article is like the last section your paper: analysis. In the analysis section, the critic will just argue about the text or texts that he’s writing about. This is the part of the article you want to spend the most time with because the analysis section contains much of the information that you will use for your critical summary. What you want to watch out for is when a critic will refer to those other critics he might have brought up in his critical summary. Be aware of this sneaky little move scholars like to do.

Reading a Critical Article, cont’d. If a critical article does not only focus on the text you’re writing about, this does not make it useless. Be creative with how you work this articles into your arguments. If the article talks about many of the author’s works, focus on the parts that discuss your text. If the article speaks about a critical consensus about the author’s work but does not include your text, then try to determine if the text that you’re working with fits into that consensus. Remember, not all critics will follow this same outline, but a majority of articles are written in the same ways. 1. Introduction 2. Critical Summary (critical or historical) 3. Method 4. Analysis

Conferences. Before the paper. Think of the conferences as preemptive feedback. Before you even start writing your first draft, you will have a chance to ask me questions about the direction you wish to take with your paper. We will review the articles, and I will be happy to clarify anything that is confusing in the articles. We will also discuss the direction you are planning to take with your paper, and I will also help you fit the scholarly ideas into your own paper.

Conferences, cont’d. What to bring? Do not use this time as research troubleshooting time. You will bring the articles that you have found in your initial research. You will have read these articles and will be able to discuss those articles in the conference. Do not use this time as research troubleshooting time. If you come to the conference unprepared (without at minimum three articles, some sort of argument outline, and the text you will be using), you will not receive credit for the conference: no participation grade and one absence.

Deadlines and such. No class on Friday February 23 or Monday, February 26 – we will be meeting in conferences. The paper is due to InSite on Friday, March 2 by midnight. No late papers are accepted. The mid-term is on Wednesday, March 14 (quotation identification and short answer) and Friday, March 16 (major essay). The study guide will be posted to the class website shortly.

Review! Research databases? Paper due-date(s)? Scholarly articles? General sections of a critical article? Librarian? Sections of the paper assignment? Late papers? Consequences of a late paper? Mid-term study guide?