Wonderful Words of Wisdom Library Wizard Let's Get Started....... Narrow your topic. Broad: James Baldwin's literary style Narrow: The black experience in America as depicted in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues. and Blues for Mr. Charlie. Find keywords that describe the information you need (names, people. events, etc) Use these keywords for locating information in the library catalog, electronic databases, and on the Internet. Keywords:  Use the author's name and/or the title of the work.

 

ASSIGNMENT

1. Your research paper will be no less than 8 and no more than 10 double-spaced pages (NOT including the Cover page, Acknowledgments page, Formal Outline and Works Cited pages). It will be on any LITERARY SUBJECT (author(s) or literary period) of interest to you. A literary subject is one you would cover in any literature course and find in any literature textbook.
   
2. Read pages 157 -210 in the handbook (Quick Access, 5/e) BEFORE you start work on the paper for information on how to write a research paper. You will need to do some preliminary research to help you narrow the focus of your paper. Obviously, one of your tasks is to get a very narrow focus for whatever subject you decide to research. (See, "Choosing a Research Topic" and "What a research question is" in the handbook, pages 158-160).
   
3. Decide on a subject, narrow the focus right away, and submit the following to me by Thursday, June 4:
   a) a one paragraph explanation of why you have decided on that subject and the Research question that your paper will provide the answer to.
   b) a Working Bibliography (list of print, On-line, and electronic sources on your topic. See page 167-168 in handbook)
   c) a research project plan (see page 161 in handbook- copy provided below for your use)
   
4. Submit a Formal Outline (pages 40-42 and 251) for your paper, including a completely stated THESIS (page 38-39), by Thursday, June 11
   
5. Use at least 8 SECONDARY sources: 4 PRINT and 4 ON-LINE ((ONLY professional/literary journals, library/academic data bases, and university or college web sites. NOTE: Wikipedia is NOT AN ACCEPTABLE source).
   
6. Use the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of documentation.
   
7. The final product should consist of a Title page (check course homepage in Web CT for proper format) , an acknowledgments page, an outline page, the body of the research, and a Works Cited page in that order. (Refer to the sample Research paper in the MLA section of the handbook, pages 251-272, for correct format for each of these). In addition, read Chapter 14 in handbook, "Writing about Literature" (88-100).
   
8. The research paper itself should consist of an Introduction with clearly stated thesis (page 38); Body or developmental paragraphs; and Conclusion.
   
9. The complete, next-to-final draft of the paper (TYPED, including everything from Cover Page to Works Cited Page) is due for a peer review BEFORE Thursday, June 25. You will forfeit ALL 100 points for the draft if you do not turn in the draft and Peer Review on this date. Turn in the draft AND the peer review you received for it no later than 10 p.m. Thursday, June 25.
   

NOTE: I will not read or grade this draft, only skim it to check to be sure that it's all there. The points you will receive for the draft are for completing it as required, with all parts included and the full length of at least 8 pages. You will forfeit the 100 points for this "next-to-final" draft if you do not turn it in with a Peer Review from a classmate before or on this date. For the peer review, arrange with another classmate the first week of class to exchange drafts via email, and use the handout, "Peer Review Questions for Research paper" in the Course Content/Course Handouts section. Also, use the Research paper Checklist handout to make sure that you have met the paper's format and style requirements.

The final draft of the paper is due Monday, June 29.

If you have any questions, be sure to check in with me at each stage of the major steps in the process: Finding and limiting your topic; Making a Working bibliography; Developing a thesis statement; Creating a structure (Outline); Drafting the paper; Revising the paper; Preparing and Proofreading the final manuscript.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (Sample)

I would like to thank Cheryl Mansfield-Egans, of the Lone Star Montgomery Library, for helping me locate information on the Internet and fellow classmates, John Updike and Katie Carpenter, for providing excellent feedback on my drafts. Their feedback allowed me to greatly improve the paper. I would also like to thank my family for being very supportive of me and for giving me the encouragement I needed at the times when I felt like giving up on the whole project. And, finally, I would like to thank my best friend, Sharon, for helping me decide on a topic for research and for getting me started. I most certainly could not have completed this project without the assistance of these wonderful people, and I sincerely thank them all.

RESEARCH PROJECT PLAN

Checklist and Date you expect to complete each activity:

Starting a Research Project
______________ Set up my research log (page 161)
_______________ Choose a suitable topic (page 158)
______________ Draft my research question (page 159)
______________ Making a Working Bibliography (page 167)
Finding and Evaluating Sources
______________ Decide what kinds of research I need to do (library, online, interviews, etc.)
______________ Locate and Evaluate sources
_______________ Take notes
_______________ Draft a preliminary thesis statement
_______________ Make formal outline for paper
Writing the Research Paper
_______________ Drafting my paper
_______________ Document correctly
_______________ Revise the paper
_______________ Edit and proofread the paper
_______________ Have next to final draft of paper Peer Reviewed
Thursday, June 4 Topic, Working Bib, Research Project Plan due
Thursday, June 11 Formal Outline Due
Thursday, June 25 Peer Reviewed Draft Due
Monday, June 29 Final Draft of paper Due

Each segment with bold header will occupy roughly one-quarter of the total time. The most unpredictable segments are the first two, so it's wise to get started early enough to accommodate the unexpected.

BOOKS

Wonderful Words of Wisdom Library Wizard Access the library Resouces.... Apply online for an Lone Star College System (LSCS) library card.   Use your card number to: Borrow books at LSCS libraries, Montgomery County libraries, and Harris County Public Library branches Request a book to be held for you at an LSCS library Access the online catalog from home. Access databases using your library card / student id Online books are available at Netlibrary An account must be created before accessing net library ebooks. Click on the "Create an Account" link on the web site.

Locate Books in Horizon, the Online Catalog
Do a Keyword search in Horizon to find books about your author in the five college libraries (Montgomery, Kingwood, North Harris, Cyfair, and Tomball) as well as the Montgomery County Public Library System, and theharris County Public Library branches. 

        Blues for Mister Charlie / James Baldwin.    PS3552.A45 B5 1985
        A rap on race / [by] Margaret Mead [and] James Baldwin.    E185.61 .M42 1972
        Early novels and stories / James Baldwin. PS3552.A45.A6 1998
        Collected essays / James Baldwin. PS3552.A45.A16 1998

 Reference Books are a good starting point because they give you an overview with more broad, general information.

       Ref PN41.D5  Dictionary of Literary Biography, v.249.
       Ref PN3335.S5 Short Story Criticism, v.33.
       Ref PS153.N5.O96 Oxford Companion to African American LIterature.
       Ref PS153.N5.B556 Black Literature Criticism, v.1..
       Ref PS153.N5.A344 African American Writers (Scribner Writers Series), v. 1.

To find articles in books, search the library catalog using "Combination Search" form the toolbar..
       On separate lines use:
            Keywords from your book or story title
            Your author's last name
           " Criticism" as a search term

MLA International Bibliography  indexes articles in books as well as journals.  It may be the only place to find information on some of these works.  Be sure you use the book title, not the article title when you check the library catalog or NetLibrary for the book.

NetLibrary is a good source for electronic books online.  These books may also appear with other search results in the NHMCCD Catalog.

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JOURNALS

Wonderful Words of Wisdom Library Wizard Find Articles ...... To find articles in newspapers and journals, use your library card to login to the following databases. Articles not available in full text can be obtained thru interlibrary loan from another library. Plan ahead to use interlibrary loan because the turn around period can take weeks. Contact the Reference Librarians for more information.

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Accessing Databases from Off-Campus

In order to access the databases from off-campus you must possess a current, valid library card. Apply online for an LSCS library card.  

The database links below will direct you to the EZProxy authentication page of the LSCS Libraries:

On the EZProxy Authentication page, enter your library card /student id barcode number, without spaces.

Literature Resource Center - A full text database, this includes:

• Scholarly journal articles.  Be sure the article is complete.
• Essays from literary criticism books
• Articles from Reference Books

• Check the LSCS catalog to see if we subscribe to the journal.
• Check the A to Z Electronic Journal List to see if the journal is full text in any of our databases.
• If the article is not available by any other means, request it through Interlibrary Loan. Books or articles not available at any of the LSCS libraries may be requested via Interlibrary Loan. These requests are handled by the District office. You will be notified by phone when the material is received. Interlibrary Loan is a service for LSCS students, staff, and faculty. There is generally no charge for this service.

Academic Search Complete - A general database that includes literature, this often covers different journals than ProQuest.  Use Peer Reviewed.  Most recent articles are full text.

Biography Reference Bank - A full text database with articles about the author.  Contains literary criticism for some authors under the More Information link.

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Web Sites

Wonderful Words of Wisdom Library Wizard Find Internet Sites.... People can place information onto the Web whether or not they know what they are talking about.  Because of this, the information you find on the Web may not be correct.  You can determine if you have found accurate, reliable information if you evaluate it according to the criteria below. Authority / Credibility The information should be from a knowledgeable, trained, experienced expert you can believe and trust. Examples : Credible:  Health Insurance Market Reforms Not Credible:Dihydrogen Monoxide This site is a parody and completely bogus. Dihydrogen Monoxide is water! Accuracy / Content The information should be free of typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors.  It should be factual, logically arranged, and easy to read and follow.  Sources of information should be stated or properly cited Examples: Accurate: The Titanic Casualty Figures Not Accurate:  Feline Reactions to Bearded Men Another completely bogus site. Timeliness / Currency You should be able to easily find the dates on which the information was created, first placed on the Web, and most recently updated.  The information should not be obsolete. Examples: Current: The World Factbook Not Current: Search Engine Sizes Bias / Objectivity The information should be impartial and not attempt to promote an agenda. Many advertisements are biased. Examples: Biased: RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company Not Biased:  American Lung Association Appropriateness The information should suit your needs and adequately cover the subject. You should be able to tell if the Web site is complete or still under construction. Examples: Appropriate: Counterterrorism Information Not Appropriate for College:  The Dr. King Timeline Page

Great Writers on the Internet  - LSC-Montgomery library web page on individual authors
Internet Public Library - An index of online literary criticism
Project Gutenberg - Great books online
University of Virginia Library Scholars' Lab - e-Books online, including Palm downloads.

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Recommended Videos

 

Wonderful Words of Wisdom

Plays        

Hamlet

Antigone

A Doll's House

The Glass Menagerie

DVD (2007)	DVD (2003)	DVD (2003)	DVD (2002)
DVD (2004)	VHS (1992)	VHS (2000)	VHS (1994)
DVD (2001)			VHS (1988)
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VHS (1991)
VHS (1987)

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Wonderful Words of Wisdom

Short Stories   

Barn Burning

A Rose for Emily

Cask of Amontillado

DVD (2004)	VHS(1982)	DVD (2004)
VHS (1980)		DVD (2002)
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		VHS (1987)
		VHS (1982)

Click one of the blue links for availability, then come see us in the library!

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Style Guides / Plagiarism

MLA Style Guide for Print Sources LSC-Montgomery Library guide

MLA Style Guide for ElectronicSources LSC-Montgomery Library guide

Plagiarism | How to avoid plagiarism.

REMEMBER, the expert on this paper is Professor Kusi-Mensah.

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