Develop the focused thesis in an organized essay that flows in a logical presentation.
Support the focused thesis with both the primary source(s) and secondary scholarly sources.
Utilize the scholarly research, completed for the annotated bibliography assignment, to support the focused thesis.
Incorporate and cite scholarly sources using MLA format.
Create a researched essay focused on one or more of the course’s assigned readings.
What is a Research Paper?
In this class, the research paper is defined as a literary analysis, a paper that explains and interprets a specific idea about one of the texts assigned in the course. The goal of this assignment is to argue a particular point of view that will broaden and deepen an understanding of your selected text. Therefore, your objective is to support a thesis, a focused argument with evidence. Your interpretation addresses meaning in the work itself, but your paper must be developed and supported with evidence from the text you have selected, the primary source, and also from secondary sources, scholarly articles and books.
Most of your research will have been completed with the Annotated Bibliography Assignment. However, you do not have to use all the sources you cited in this bibliography, but you may need to add new sources, depending on your paper’s focus. You can learn more about conducting research here.
Requirements for the Assignment
Your essay will propose a central idea (thesis) that is supported and developed with several body paragraphs that grow systematically out of the central idea. Everything in the essay must be directly related to the central idea and must contribute to the reader’s understanding of that central idea.
Both the primary source, the selected text, and secondary sources are required to support the thesis.
Four to seven secondary, scholarly sources are required. Do not use unreliable online sources, such as Wikipedia or SparkNotes. Only scholarly sources are accepted.
The final paper will be five to seven pages in length, not counting the Works Cited page.
Everything in the paper, including citation and the Works Cited page (see attachment for an example), must follow current MLA guidelines. For specific information on how to use MLA format, please see The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and The MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing if available. The OWL at Purdue, the online writing lab, is another excellent source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
The final paper will be typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins. Use a 12 point font, such as Times New Roman, and black ink.
Submit your paper as a Word document; do not put your paper in an adobe PDF file.
The final paper will be well organized, cohesive, and grammatically/ mechanically correct.
Give your paper a title.
The final essay will be graded using the Essay Grading Rubric.
The final essay must be submitted through the course’s Assignment tool.
Checklist for Writing an Effective Research Paper
Is the topic you have chosen to write about manageable for the length of the paper you are writing? Is your focus too broad?
Does your first paragraph introduce your topic, name the writer and the work, and explain your purpose or thesis?
Is your thesis clear? Does it state the central idea of your essay? Do you thoroughly explain your purpose and define all your terms?
Have you used terms, including literary terminology, correctly? Have you defined all the important terms?
Is your paper organized in a way that your reader will be able to follow your argument?
Are your developmental paragraphs unified (everything in the paragraph relates to the topic of the paragraph) and coherent (everything in the paragraph is arranged in a logical order)?
Does your paper flow? Have you used transitional words where necessary within each paragraph? Are there transitions linking all the paragraphs of your essay?
Have you used adequate support for your points, including a brief summary, paraphrase, specific details, and direct quotations? Have you explained why you are using them and how they support your central idea?
Do you have enough scholarly sources?
Have you integrated quotations effectively into your paper? Make sure you introduce the quote properly and put it in context. After you put in the quote, explain it to your reader.
Have you used correct grammar and mechanics? Do you have run-ons or fragments? Too many short, choppy sentences? Do you have ambiguous pronouns?
Do you use MLA format properly? Do you have a Works Cited page?
Have you given your paper an appropriate title? Does your title describe your approach?
Have you used all the correct literary conventions? Did you avoid the use of first person? Did you use present tense?
Due Date:
The deadline to submit your Final Researched Essay Assignment will be outlined in the course Calendar.
See the Engl 2131 Recommended Scholarly Resources.pdf in the Course Resources folder for a complete list of compiled articles.
Please use MLA 8th ed for citation. See MLA 8th ed Disclaimer.pdf for information about why eCore has decided NOT to require the addition of web address and notations to the Works Cited entries in the paper. Instead, you are asked to follow the format of the entries we have provided for you in the Scholarly Resources.
