ENG 112 Research Project ​ Annotated Bibliography=10% ([email protected]%ea.) Research Paper=15% Research Project Presentation=10% ​ This assignment is intended to familiarize you with engaging academic research. Through researching a particular topic that is recent and examining it from multiple perspectives you will create a fresh perspective and original findings that you can share with your peers and our college community. • Consider context. Make sure that you are clear about your purpose and assess who your audience is and might be in the future. • Make sure that your topic is something that you’ll be interested in and curious about. If you know a great deal about the topic you will be less likely to explore all of the perspectives that are being explored. You are also less likely to be biased when approaching the topic if it is unfamiliar to you. You will have FOUR options for your paper. Options: 1. Choose a topic relevant to the themes in the stories that we have discussed in class. The topic must be current. However, try not to choose a topic that will have very few sources for you to research. SOME possible options include, but are not limited to: a. Power b. Faith c. Guilt d. Remorse e. Gender Roles f. Surveillance g. Identity h. Race i. Tradition j. Authority i. Examples for the above include: 1. An examination of how power has been viewed throughout history 2. A discussion about tradition and how local traditions can help to define a community or culture 3. A discussion about authority and how it can and/or should/should not apply https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content-ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project-Spring%202015%281%29.doc 4/8/16, 8:16 PM Page 1 of 4 when thinking about universalism versus cultural relativism 2. Write an in-depth examination of one of the central issues in one of the stories that we have read. Some possible options include: a. What are some possible interpretations of the ending of "The Yellow Wallpaper"? b. What is the primary focus of "The Lottery"? (tradition, gender roles, authority, etc.) c. What is the primary reason for Othello's jealousy? d. What makes Iago such a successful manipulator? 3. Write about overlapping issues in two or more of the texts that we read this semester. Possible ideas include, but are not limited to: a. Write a paper in which you take a Feminist Theory approach to two or more texts we have read, such as "The Yellow Wallpaper," Othello, and/or "The Lottery." b. Write a paper that analyzes the narrator's role in a text. In such a paper, you might discuss the narrators in "Cask of Amontillado," "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," and/or "The Yellow Wallpaper." 4. Choose one of the stories that we have read in class and research how different literary critics have discussed the story under the veil of their approach. For example, research how feminist theorists, psycho-analytic theorists, queer theorists, etc., approach Othell ...

1. ENG 112 Research
Project
Annotated Bibliography=10% ([email protected]%ea.)
Research Paper=15%
Research Project Presentation=10%
This assignment is intended to familiarize you with engaging
academic research.
Through researching a particular topic that is recent and
examining it from multiple
perspectives you will create a fresh perspective and original
findings that you can share
with your peers and our college community.
• Consider context. Make sure that you are clear about your
purpose and
assess who your audience is and might be in the future.
• Make sure that your topic is something that you’ll be
interested in and
curious about. If you know a great deal about the topic you will
be less
likely to explore all of the perspectives that are being explored.
You are
also less likely to be biased when approaching the topic if it is
unfamiliar
to you.

2. You will have FOUR options for your paper. Options:
1. Choose a topic relevant to the themes in the stories that we
have discussed
in class. The topic must be current. However, try not to choose
a topic that
will have very few sources for you to research. SOME possible
options
include, but are not limited to:
a. Power
b. Faith
c. Guilt
d. Remorse
e. Gender Roles
f. Surveillance
g. Identity
h. Race
i. Tradition
j. Authority
i. Examples for the above include:
1. An examination of how power
has been viewed throughout
history
2. A discussion about tradition
and how local traditions can
help to define a community
or culture

3. 3. A discussion about authority
and how it can and/or
should/should not apply
https://learn.vccs.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-83699290-dt-content-
ri…NG%20112%20Research%20project-
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Page 1 of 4
when thinking about
universalism versus cultural
relativism
2. Write an in-depth examination of one of the central issues in
one of the
stories that we have read. Some possible options include:
a. What are some possible interpretations of the ending of "The
Yellow Wallpaper"?
b. What is the primary focus of "The Lottery"? (tradition,
gender roles, authority, etc.)
c. What is the primary reason for Othello's jealousy?
d. What makes Iago such a successful manipulator?
3. Write about overlapping issues in two or more of the texts
that we read this
semester. Possible ideas include, but are not limited to:
a. Write a paper in which you take a Feminist Theory approach
to two or more texts we have read, such as "The Yellow
Wallpaper," Othello, and/or "The Lottery."

4. b. Write a paper that analyzes the narrator's role in a text. In
such a paper, you might discuss the narrators in "Cask of
Amontillado," "What You Pawn I Will Redeem," and/or
"The Yellow Wallpaper."
4. Choose one of the stories that we have read in class and
research how
different literary critics have discussed the story under the veil
of their
approach. For example, research how feminist theorists, psycho-
analytic
theorists, queer theorists, etc., approach Othello. Discuss these
various
discussions and discuss which theory/criticism proves the most
compelling
and why.
You should begin by locating abstracts published in
professional journals. Read through
several abstracts in order to determine what some of the most
common perspectives
might be. Next you will find full text articles and evaluate them
for credibility, reliability
and usefulness. Try to keep a neutral standpoint as you read
through them and assess
them only to determine if the sources are credible enough to
include in your paper.
Compile your research and synthesize a thesis that clearly states
what you will
report/your findings. Evaluate your own standing. Try to
determine what bias you already
carry and what biases are forming as you research. Being aware

5. of your biases and
avoiding them in your research leads to good research that can
be useful to others.
Make sure that you check yourself while writing and ask for
feedback on your draft so
that you can make sure that your research is as unbiased as
possible.
Part I: Annotated Bibliography
A discussion of your sources requires you to become familiar
with a wide scope of
literature written about a particular topic and evaluate how the
literature fits into the
larger discussion about the subject. You will look through
scholarship on a topic, decide
what is most important and write a review that characterizes it
fairly and clearly.
The objective of this assignment is to help you evaluate whether
the work cited is
relevant to a specific research topic or line of inquiry.
An annotate bibliography is an alphabetized list of sources
consulted in the research
process. For each source, you will need to include:
• A citation (MLA)
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• An annotation
Your annotations should include the following parts:
Generally, annotations should be no more than 150 words (or 4-
6 sentences long). They
should be concise and well-written. They should include:
• Main focus or purpose of the work
• Intended audience for the work
• Usefulness or relevance to your research topic (or why it did
not meet your
expectations)
• Special features of the work that were unique or helpful
• Background and credibility of the author
• Conclusions or observations reached by the author
• Conclusions or observations reached by you
• How you might use the source in your paper or why it won't
work for your
paper.
Length: 8 annotations, typed.

7. Helpful notes to begin your work:
• Research the topic. You may want to be thinking of a working
thesis in
order to help guide your research. An annotated bibliography
asks the
writer to look at a wide range of sources. While researching,
evaluate
sources for biases and credibility. Also, look for prominent
authors,
themes and ideas and start with five sources as examples to
illustrate a
specific trend.
• Organize the draft. In an annotated bibliography, you should
explain how a
particular source suits your argument.
Part II: The Argumentative Research Paper
Your essay should include the following parts:
• Introduction: Here you will introduce your research topic and
provide your
readers some background information. Make sure that you
establish your
credibility. You may want to introduce your topic by posing the
research
question and/or by discussing the main points you will illustrate
in the
paper.

8. • Body: Provide the reader with your assessment of the research
you have
done and the perspectives in your field that are taken and are
affecting the
topic. Integrate quotes and paraphrase your sources. Lead the
reader
through the path that you have taken in researching the topic.
• Conclusion: Be original in your conclusion, offering your
readers something
to remember – something that leaves an impression on them.
You may
summarize what you covered in the paper, but make sure that
isn’t the
focus of the summary. Synthesize your conclusions to lead to an
original
idea or lead the audience to further questions for them to
explore on their
own.
• Consistent Citation Style: Use correct MLA citations and
conventions
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throughout the paper.
Part III: The Presentation

9. • Instructions on the presentation will be given at a later date.
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