PAPERS:

The following are suggested topics for the research paper. Students may also pick a topic of their own having to do with Israel or Jordan, but they must have it approved by Mrs. Britt. BEFORE you choose a subject, do a search of the library databases to be sure you can find appropriate and comprehensive information.

1. writers or their writing (novels, poetry, short stories, plays)
2. an historical site (past/present/future) such as the Dead Sea, Massada, Petra, Aquaba/Eilat
3. agriculture
4. water
5. education
6. social services and medicine and health
7. technology
8. archaeology
9. economy
10. Bedouins
11. Dead Sea Scrolls
12. The Kibbutz system in Israel
13. military
14. trade
15. famous people from the two countries
16. history of the country (not from the beginning of time, but since a government was established

ENGLISH 1302 RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES
Deduction of Points:

1. If the paper is fewer than 8 typed pages, Mrs. Britt will take off one point for each page under 8 (Times New Roman, 12 point type, double spaced, one inch margins, MLA style, no cover sheet, citation page does not count in the 8 pages)
2. No typed citation page on due date (In progress, with a minimum of 8 sources)--minus 2
3. No notes on due date (not just hightlighted photocopies but written or typed notes)-- minus 2
4. No topic sentences and working thesis statement on due date--minus 3
5. Neither working citation page or notes (not photocopies) or workshop draft in final packet (in 9x 12 closed envelope)--minus 3
6. No complete, typed draft at workshop--minus 7
7. Sources:
   Students are NOT to use the WWW in general. They must use the Library Databases (over 100 full text databases) which have been prepared for students' use. These databases will provide academic, reputable sources. No books.
   No books.
8. Quotations: Use quotations only for the following reasons. Otherwise, paraphrase or summarize:
   1. The language of the quote cannot be changed without losing meaning.
   2. The authority of the person speaking is needed.
   3. The quote is going to be discussed in the essay.
   4. The words are offensive or problematic and the writer needs to distance himself or herself from the quotation.

ABOUT NOTES AND PLANNING

1. After students review the material they find on their subject, they should set up 5-8 categories (or subtopics) that they think they will use in their paper.
2. Assign each category a color of highlighter.
3. As students reread articles, they should highlight VERY SMALL portions of the text with the color highlighter of the category.
4. Assign each article a number or letter.
5. On ONE side of a page, divide the page into two columns.
6. In the left column, copy in quotation marks or paraphrase an item from one article, being sure to identify the article (by number or letter) and put the page number where the information was found (unless it=s an unnumbered web site).
7. Students may want to color code the passage with a slash of highlighter. Students may also cut out the passage and tape it in place. Students should note whether they will use the passage as a direct quotation (by placing it in quotation marks) or as a paraphrase (no quotation marks, but passage in their own words). Students may write P or Q to remind themselves what they wrote.
8. In the right column, students should write in their own words why this passage is important, what it connects to, in which major point they will use the information.
9. Leave a line between each entry.
10. As students are taking notes, they are actually composing much of their papers.
11. When they finish taking notes, they should cut each note apart where they left a blank line.
12. Make a separate stack for each of the categories (or subtopics). Put each note in a stack.
13. Pick up a stack of notes (with both paraphrases, quotations, and your connecting ideas) and organize them, blending the sources that say similar things or which disagree.
14. Write the paragraph(s) from that category (or subtopic), using more than one source in each paragraph.
15. Write an introduction and conclusion.
16. Reread your paper for coherence and transition. Revise.
17. Revise.
18. Revise. And continue to revise as needed.
19. Finally, edit and proofread. If students have any problem with sentence boundaries, homophones, word choice (such as prepositions) or other grammatical or syntactical areas, they MUST make an appointment in advance to spend time with a tutor to edit their paper. Do NOT let the tutor change the documentation, ideas, or use of source material, just their grammar and syntax errors.
20. Students will find that they spent more time taking notes than usual but less time composing the actual paper.
    Revised January 2004

COMMON ERRORS

Problems in papers Mrs. Britt has graded in the past that you should avoid in the research papers and in subsequent papers (Edit these out):

1. Word choices:
   --Never use the words "a lot" (often misspelled) because that phrase is vague and inappropriate.
   --Do not use oral filler words like "well" or "now."
   --Never use "this" alone without a noun explaining what "this" is.
   --Eliminate all uses of "it is" or "it was" (or other linking verb), rewriting the sentence with an active verb.
   --Rewrite any sentence that contains "there" plus a linking verb instead of an active verb with a real subject.
   --Do not use "in today's society" or other word wasting phrases which say little.
   --NO second person (you, your) is used in academic papers. Rewrite.
   --Avoid trite ending phrases such as "In conclusion" since the reader will quit right there.
   
2. Sentences:
   --All papers should be written in complete sentences. Any paper with four or more sentence boundary errors (fragments, run-ons or comma splices) will receive an F on the paper. Try to eliminate passive sentences (the subject of the sentence is not performing the action of the verb).
   
3. Use of sources:
   --Introduce your source the first time you use it in the paper, not in the first paragraph. You do not begin your paper with a list of all the sources you use.
   --In the first use of a source, include the author's full name and the title of the source. If there is no author, give the full title. (Example: "I Heard A Fly Buzz--When I Died" by Emily Dickinson describes the deceased lamenting her last moments.)
   --In subsequent references to the work, use the author's last name only in the sentence. (Example: Dickinson insinuates that even the best-planned death is not under human control.)
   --Do not hide the author's name in the parentheses, reducing the effectiveness of the authority of the source.
   --Frame your sources by starting the source with the author and ending with the parenthetical page citation. Think of this use as unlocking and opening a treasure chest, then relocking it when you finish. If you are using a web source, you will have the top of the frame in place, but your will not have page numbers. You must make sure your transition words let the reader know you have changed sources.
   --Never use a source without tying it to your paper with your own words. No single sentence will be only a quotation. I call these "floating quotes" since they seem to float into the paper and are unattached and can float out at any time.
   --Never place two quotations back to back without intervening words of your own. I call these "bumped quotes" since they bump into each other and like clouds, cause drops of rain or tears or red ink. The reader needs to see the connection you made between the sources in the sentence.
   --Four or more lines of quoted prose are indented two tabs from the left margin, but remain double-spaced. Do not use quotation marks.
   --Three or more lines of poetry are indented two tabs from the left and are put in the poetic form of the original.
   --Poetry is cited by line number, not page number.
   --When a quotation is altered, deletions are indicated by and ellipsis [. . . ] and additions are indicated by brackets [xxxxxx].
   --Do NOT alter lines of poetry or use one word from a line of poetry. The beauty and impact of poetry comes from the poet's use of spare, concise language that should not be altered.
   --If you use information that was quoted in the original text, enclose the material in single quotation marks inside double quotations marks: "He screamed, 'No!'"
   --If you are quoting an expert from your source who is not the author of the source, the citation reads this way: (qtd. in Brown 35).
   
4. Plagiarism:
   --Not giving credit to your sources, whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized, is plagiarism. Avoid this error. Deliberate plagiarism (buying a paper or copying someone else’s work) is grounds for academic consequences that you will not like. Do not risk your college career.
5. Synthesis:
   --Synthesis is making the sources blend by putting them in conversation with each other. Check for synthesis by looking at each body paragraph and making sure you not only have several sources supporting the topic, but that they are connected to each other and seem to relate to each other. Tie them together with your words.
   --The topic sentence should announce the topic, and support from multiple sources should support that topic. No source will appear in the topic sentence.
   --Citations from more than one source will appear in each body paragraph.
   --The sources do not appear in a list, but have some connection to each other.
   --The sources are not always used in the same order, but are blended at the appropriate times to support each other and the purpose of the paragraph.
   
6. Questions:
   --There are no stupid questions. Someone else probably has the same question but is afraid to ask. Not to ask is stupid.
   Revised December 2003

EDITING TECHNIQUES TO USE AFTER COMPLETING PAPER

1. Search your paper for the word "this." Be sure each use of "this" is followed by a noun. If you did not have a noun, decide what "this" refers to and add the noun.
   Examples:
   Would you like some of this? (this candy?)
   We found this worked. (this technique, this procedure, this method)
   
2. Search your paper for every use of the word there. Replace every use of the word when you used it as a subject of a sentence, clause or phrase. (If you have problems with homophones, search also for there, their, and they're)
   Examples:
   There are three things I like. (I like three things.)
   When I go to the beach, there are many shells on the sand. (When I go to the beach, I find many shells on the sand.
   He found there is a big obstacle to his passing the course. (He found a big obstacle that would make his passing the course difficult.
   There are some cartoons that are made for children. (eliminate "there are" and "that" to have a better sentence: Some cartoons are made for children.
   
3. Search your paper for every use of the word "it" as a subject, followed by a linking verb (usually "it is" or "it was"). Replace the verb and make sure you have a clear antecedent for "it" or replace "it" with a noun.
   Also, linking verbs are also called helping verbs. They do not show action. Try to use them as little as possible and rewrite your sentence with action verbs. Here is the list of linking verbs:
   Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, beenM
   Has, have, had, do, does, did
   Shall, will, should, would
   May, might, must, can, could
   Examples:
   It was a dark and stormy night. (The night seemed dark and stormy.)
   I thought it was a dog. (I thought a dog was creeping toward me.)
   Tell me it is true. (Tell me I am wonderful.)
   
4. Search for "you" and "your" and rewrite the sentences in first or third person (no second person in academic papers).
   Example:
   You have to be crazy to study English. (I had to be crazy to be an English major.)
   
5. If you have any homophone difficulties, search for homophones. Common errors are there/their/they're; your/you're; its/it's; our/hour/are; bare/bear; hear/here; and many others.
6. Look at your transition, both between paragraphs and within paragraphs.
7. After your have finished these revisions, run spell check and grammar check on your paper. Do not believe that the "checkers" are always correct, but consider what they are finding and decide whether or not to edit that paper. If you are unsure about a message, ask me or a tutor.
8. Check your punctuation.
9. Check every sentence in your paper, making sure you have no sentence boundary errors (fragments, run-ons, or comma splices). If you cannot edit for sentence structure yourself, be sure you have set up an appointment with a tutor before the day the paper is due.
10. Proofread one more time, looking for careless errors, before you turn the paper in.

EXPLICATION ESSAYS

For each unit, Love and Friendship and Art and Life, , students will be writing an explication of ONE piece of literature from the unit. Mrs. Britt suggests that students write about one of the pieces they present in class since they will have already worked on understanding that piece. An explication is a complete unfolding of a work for a reader. . The guidelines for writing an explication are found in Clarke and Clarke’s Chapter 3, pages 37-56. The students’ notes for the oral presentation are the beginning of the process of explication, but after we discuss the piece in class students will be able to unfold the piece of literature in writing--explication.

Mrs. Britt expects an explication to be approximately 3-4 pages long. It will introduce the piece of literature in the first sentence (including the author) and may contain quotations. Because students are writing about one work of literature, they do not need a citation page. The explication will have a thesis and topic sentences, as do all essays. Students will give the paper a title, not the title of the piece of literature they are explicating. We will not have a workshop on the explication, but students may get together with other classmates outside class to help each other, and they are always welcome to have a tutor check their work for grammatical/syntactical mistakes. Students may come by Mrs. Britt’s office during my office hours with questions (or make an appointment with her in advance for a time not my office hours). Student should use the same list of “common mistakes” and “Editing Techniques” that they used for their research paper.

DOCUMENTED ESSAYS USING THE TEXT MATERIAL
(POSITION PAPER)

In a 4-6 page essay, students will take a position about an idea they found in the Love and Friendship Unit or in the Life Passages Unit. Students are writing a paper about this theme, not the literature itself. Some points to examine which might help students find a focus are the characteristics that determine a person’s identity (Love and Friendship) or how Life Passages influence each other (Life Passages). Students are NOT writing about the literature , but about the theme. As always, students’ understanding or insight on the subject matter is welcomed if their experiences will help enlighten the reader about their understanding of the source material, but their experiences will mostly appear in the introduction and conclusion. Students will need a citation page and in-text references (parenthetical citations).

Students will not write any summaries. They will not compare two or three pieces of literature. Students are writing about ideas, not sources. They will never say “In the Love and Friendship Unit....” or “In the literature...” or “Authors writing about Life Passages suggest....” Students are writing about a topic and the pieces of literature are the support. Students will not talk about characters but about people because they are supporting their idea with “snippets” from the sources. If students are using ideas, we don't need to know everything that happened in a work. Students will not summarize the work or paraphrase the quotations. The theme or motif the students choose will lead them to synthesize (blend) source support as illustration and examples and explanations of their conclusions about their motif.

Students should use several sources of support in each body paragraph (that means at least three and fewer than all of them). Students are writing a research paper in which we have all done the research together (class presentations) but they chose the subject of the paper. Their sources are already provided (the literature we read and analyzed in class).

Students’ thesis statements will present the motif (not a grocery list of topics), and they will have topic sentences that are subtopics of the theme. They will give the idea first, then support that idea with the quotation from the source (short, but lots of them). At the end of the paragraph, students will write a sentence or two that ties the paragraph together, providing closure on that point and transition to the next point. Students should not alter lines of poetry. They should not include “floating quotes.” Make sure the quotations are complete, not incomplete thoughts, and be sure they make sense. Cite accurately. Students follow the same citation guidelines that they did in the research paper.

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR POSITION ESSAY