EN104 ENGLISH II/FAGAN

THE LITERARY RESEARCH PAPER

ASSIGNED:
MWF—April 6, 2011

DUE DATE:
MWF First draft, final draft, and electronic file due on Wednesday, May 11, 2011.

Reminder: Hard copies are due at the beginning of class and turnitin.com files are
due prior to the beginning of class on the date given above. Failing to submit all
copies when due will lead to late point deductions. Regarding above information,
please, keep in mind: NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE!!

Getting started…
Your literary research paper will be a paper of argument. You will defend your
interpretation of a text from one of the short story writers or poets found on one of
the following sites: www.poemhunter.com, www.poets.org,
www.poetryfoundation.org, www.bartleby.com, or www.americanliterature.com.
The text must be one that was not covered in class.

Begin by developing your own ideas about a particular aspect of the work. THEN,
research, seeking out literary criticism supporting your notions.

An overview of this assignment…

You will engage yourself in the process of literary research and write a 3-page
research essay in which you develop and argue a strong, succinct thesis. Your
research essay will be assessed for the clarity of argument, logical continuity, and
proper use of citations and documentation, as well as those qualities of essay writing
we have worked on (and you have been graded on in previous assignments
throughout the semester), i.e. content, clarity, structure, style, proper use of
grammar, punctuation, and mechanics, etc.

More specifically…
You will research and write about a short story or poem of interest to you (see
“Getting started” above), keeping in mind that you are writing a formal essay for an
intended audience (your instructor). Essentially, you will interpret a work, focusing
on a particular aspect of it, and include specific quotes from the text and from
UU

outside sources. In your essay, you will briefly state the focus of your paper
(including title of work, author, the crux of your interpretation—!!!!keeping in
mind how we attacked literary analysis in your two page responses!!!!) and argue
your interpretation, integrating the material found in your research into your own
ideas.

As mentioned, your written work will consist of three pages of text, and will follow
the MLA format, including proper citation within the text and a “Works Cited”
page at the end of the paper (which will list 3 sources--the 2 outside sources you used
and your online text from which story or poem came). You are to include a cover
page, as well. Thus, you will be submitting a total of five pages.

Your research will include a gathering of at least 4 outside sources; however, your
paper will only require you to use 2 of those sources. The initial 4 sources you find
will ensure that you will have the essential number of required sources when you set
out to write your paper. Often times, sources become arbitrary or inapplicable to
your argument as you begin to pull your paper together and refine it. In essence,
you will weed out of the 4 sources and find, the 2 best, or most relevant, sources
pertaining to your argument. (Again, these 2 sources that you end up utilizing in
your paper will be listed, along with your online text from which story or poem
came, on your Work Cited page.)

Your sources will come only from the Evans Library databases or Evans
Library/SUNY bookshelves. NOTE: This means that Web sites like wikepedia,
enotes, cliffnotes, or any sites intended as student “crutch” sources are NOT
acceptable. If you have a source in question, please, ask your instructor or a
librarian for a verdict on its legitimacy.

As mentioned above, when submitting your research paper, you will turn in your
first draft and your final draft to me. (Please, submit all material in a manila
folder.) You will also submit an electronic file through turnitin.com.

PLEASE REMEMBER: Plagiarism means passing off someone else’s

words or ideas as your own. Plagiarism of any kind will result in a
grade of “0” (ZERO) for this research assignment.

AND, AGAIN:

MWF First draft, final draft, and electronic file are due on Wednesday, May 11,
2011.

Reminder: Hard copies are due at the beginning of class and turnitin.com files are
due prior to the beginning of class on the date given above. Failing to submit all
copies when due will lead to late point deductions.

Regarding above information, please, keep in mind: NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE

MADE!!