Posted: September 13th, 2017

Research Essay Guidelines for English 102

Research Essay Guidelines for English 102

The following guidelines should be followed when writing your research essay:

• Write a minimum of 10 pages, not including the Works Cited page
• Use a minimum of 2 – 3 stories (indicated by the theme you chose) from your DMWL as sources. Make sure to cite from these sources within the essay to support your ideas.
• Use a minimum of an additional 4-5 outside sources.
• Follow MLA format for the research essay and do a Works Cited page (see sample essay on pages 30-35 of your Hacker handbook. NOTE: The thesis for this sample essay appears on paragraph #2. Your thesis needs to be placed at the end of your introduction. Also go to Session #5 under Modules. Click on “MLA Guidelines.” Go to “Humanities” in blue and click on “Documenting Sources” to the right. Click on “MLA Manuscript Format”)
• Use an original title that reflects the essay’s content
• Use a clear thesis at the end of the introduction.
• Integrate quotes, summaries and paraphrases correctly (read pages 16-25 of Hacker handbook). Remember that the essay should reflect a balance between your own writing with some discussion of research throughout the essay to support your ideas. The essay should not be just a compilation of research without your ideas. The research should enhance our understanding of the stories; it should not be the centerpiece of the essay.
• Use MLA in-text parenthetical citations for sources correctly (see pages 16-25 of Hacker handbook. Also see Session #5 for “MLA Guidelines.” Go to “Humanities” in blue and click on “Documenting Sources” to the right. Click on “MLA in-text Citations” and look for the type of source you have and follow the format.)
• Document sources on the Works Cited page correctly (go to Session #5 – “MLA Guidelines.” Go to “Humanities” in blue and click on “Documenting Sources” to the right. Click on “MLA List of Works Cited” and look for the type of source you have and follow the format. See the sample works cited under Session #2 and the one on your Hacker book on page 35)
• Your writing should have few grammatical and mechanical errors. Make sure to proofread your work and/or see a tutor.

Demonstrate a proficient ability to write a coherent and organized research essay that incorporates
. It is your responsibility to read the lectures and required pages from Hacker to understand how to use MLA. If you have specific questions about using MLA, please email me or come to see me in office hours. You may also send a draft to me for review; however, you will need to send it to me via email by Friday, May. 23rd so there is enough time for me to respond. You can come to see me in person during office hours up to Thursday, May 29th.

If you do not cite your sources within the text of the essay and on the Works Cited page using MLA guidelines, you will automatically FAIL the research essay. I will not accept late essays. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns well before the due date. NOTE: Anyone who plagiarizes, either in whole or in part, will receive an “F” on the assignment. You will not be able to revise the essay. Make sure to cite your sources!!

Remember that the Research Essay is based on one of the themes you have chosen below:

The research assignment encourages you to explore the social, cultural and historical backgrounds of related readings from Discovering the Many Worlds of Literature. Although you have not done all of the readings, they are included here in this discussion. You will have to read ahead to familiarize yourself with some of the stories conntected to these themes. After you read ahead, you will see that we are exploring the following themes this semester:

1. Women’s struggles
2. Children’s worlds
3. Conflict, war, and violence

These three thematic clusters can also be conceptualized as variations on the interconnected themes of fairness, right conduct, and justice. Most of the assigned readings present situations and dilemmas the characters find difficult, even impossible to resolve. Sometimes the characters’ difficulties are self-inflicted, at least partly so. Sometimes they result from larger forces and systems of prejudice and privilege that cannot possibly be vanquished by individual characters.
For your Research Essay, you will choose related texts we are reading and discussing in this class from Discovering the Many Worlds of Literature. Determine what the texts have in common, and make that the focus of your research.

Here are some more specific options for each theme, each with some research questions that can guide your research into the backgrounds of the stories. Please choose one of the following options:

Theme 1:

Chopin, Devi and Ousmane present situations where women are victimized. In addition, the main characters sometimes find themselves blamed for their husband’s misdeeds. As you research and investigate these stories, you may want to use the following questions to aid you in your research: What gender prejudices do the stories expose? How are they different in each situation? What social and legal circumstances lead to these situations? How have they changed over time?

Research Prompt: How are the historical and social/cultural contexts similar and how do they reflect real circumstances in Chopin’s mid 1800’s Southern USA, Devi’s 1980s Bengal and Ousmane’s 1970’s Mali?

Make sure to include the following in your Research Essay:

1. Find out as much as you can about the situations and times/places that have inspired each of the stories.
2. Investigate as much historical and social/cultural information as possible that relates to the stories and include this in your discussion.
3. Investigate as much as you can about class, race, culture (including religion), and gender at these times and places and include this in your discussion.
4. Discuss each story and how it does or does not reflect real social and historical circumstances.

Theme 2:

The stories of Al-Shaykh, Kashkuli, and Salih are each set in an Islamic country, and the latter two deal with economic struggles. As you research and investigate these stories, you may want to use the following questions to aid you in your research: What Islamic influences can be found in each story? How are they reflected in the family relationships portrayed? How accurate is the depiction of economic struggle? How does poverty affect the child characters?

Research Prompt: How are the religious/cultural, social and economic contexts similar and how do they reflect real circumstances in Al-Shaykh, Kashkuli, and Salih?

Make sure to include the following in your Research Essay:

1. Find out as much as you can about the situations and times/places that have inspired each of the stories.
2. Investigate as much historical and social/cultural information as possible that relates to the stories and include this in your discussion.
3. Investigate as much as you can about class, race, culture (including religion), and gender at these times and places and include this in your discussion.
4. Discuss each story and how it does or does not reflect real social and historical circumstances.

Theme 3:

Miscommunication figures prominently in the stories Tan and Heker and is further discussed by Tan in her Essay, “The Language of Discretion.” As you research and investigate these stories, you may want to use the following questions to aid you in your research: What social and cultural influences contribute to these miscommunications? What deeper conflicts or fears may further impede communication between the characters due to generational differences?

Research Prompt: How have the generational, cultural and

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