Essay Instructions: Research Paper on "Black Boy" written by Richard Wright
Research Guidelines
One Major Research Paper for World Literature II
(5-6 typed, 12 point, double-spaced, excluding end pages)
1. Read the work which you have selected after confirming title with the instructor; submit the thesis statement (focus of the research) and a working outline to the instructor for approval by the end of the second week.
*2. Interpret the selected work, selecting other critics who support your thesis / interpretation of the work. Remember to cite sources with page numbers within the text and list references on the "Works Cited" page, using the most recent MLA Style manual. WITHOUT THIS DOCUMENTATION, IT IS NOT A RESEARCH PAPER AND WILL BE ASSIGNED AN F.
3. Use 3-5 sources, exculding gereral dictionaries, encyclopedias, Monarch and Cliff Notes, Classic Notes, any other Study Guide. The work itself can be counted as one source. DO NOT LIST SOURCES ON THE WORKS CITED PAGE WHICH ARE NOT CITED WITH AUTHORS AND PAGE NUMBERS
WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE PAPER.
4. REMAIN OBJECTIVE IN YOUR INTERPRETATION; THAT IS, AVOID THE WE, YOU, I, PERSONAL REFERENCES. STATE FACTS, DETAILS, EXAMPLES TO SUPPORT THE THESIS TO ITS CONCLUSION.
5. USE QUOTATIONS SPARINGLY, AVOIDING LENGTHY ONES. USE THEM AND paraphrased information (cite these authors/page numbers IN THE TEXT, too) AS NEEDED TO SUPPORT YOUR MAIN POINTS, HOWEVER.
6. Thesis statement must be clear and focused and reflected throughout the paper to its conclusion. Avoid retelling the whole story, using only the parts of the plot necessary to prove the main points of the paper.
7. Assemble the paper with 2 top sheets: One with Thesis/Outline; the other with the 5-6 paragraph Abstract summarizing the research. Number all pages of the paper (top right), excluding the top 2 sheets and cover sheet, if used. The research paper itself must be 5-6 pages; page 1 does not need a number. See MLA style manual for placement of name and other information on page 1 (top left); cover sheet may be used, but is not necessary for a short research paper.
8. Check your paper against the outline; update outline if necessary, being sure that paper follows the format of Introduction with thesis at the beginning or end of the introduction, main points, and conclusion which reflects the thesis statement.
9. Revise and edit the research paper before the Final Draft.
10. Proofread the Final Draft; turn in.
*RESEARCH PAPERS WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION WILL BE ASSIGNED AN F. WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION (A LIST OF CREDITABLE SOURCES ON THE WORKS CITED PAGE AND CITATIONS OF THESE SOURCES WITHIN THE TEXT OF THE PAPER), IT IS NOT RESEARCH. INTERNET LIBRARY OR OTHER ACADEMIC SOURCES ARE VALID AND ACCEPTABLE, USUALLY; HOWEVER, BE CERTAIN TO INCLUDE BOOKS OTHER THAN THE TEXT OF THE TITLE AS REFERENCES. Include ONLY 1 copy of the text of the work being researched on the Works Cited page. For Internet sources include date of access.
EVALUATION OF RESEARCH PAPERS
The HOLISTIC grading method of evaluation will be used. This method counts content, clarity, organization, and style as 60% of the grade and grammar, usage, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanics of the anguage as 40% of the grade. Papers without in-text documentation will be assigned an F. Papers without documentation are NOT research.
A papers are those papers which have clear, well-documented, thesis statements that are supported to the conclusion of the paper, and that have few, if any, grammatical or sentence structure errors. A papers are free of
sentence fragments, comma splices, or errors in clarity.
B papers must also be well-documented through the conclusion of the paper, but may contain a few errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar--but NO sentence FRAGMENTS.
C papers are those papers which have clear, well-documented thesis statements, some errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar--but NO sentence FRAGMENTS.
D papers are those papers WITHOUT clear thesis statements and / or sufficient support of the thesis. These papers also may lack clarity and appropriate documentation.
F papers are those papers lacking in clarity, without clear thesis statements, almost entirely a retelling of the work itself with little or no interpretation and papers without in-text citation of at least three different sources which are listed on the Works Cited page. PLEASE see that the paper is appropriately documented. (See Research Guidelines above and the most recent copy of the MLA Handbook or a recent grammar handbook with the MLA style listed and illustrated.)
All papers are penalized for not following Guidelines for Research Papers. Papers should not be too short or too long. All parts of the assignment must be included: Thesis /Outline/Abstract/Works Cited;
as well as the paper itself.
