Research paper – Calendar and guidelines

For 27^th October

In one or two paragraphs, define what particular aspect of your theme you have chosen to write about.

Additionally, give a preliminary bibliography with a few references, presented according to the MLA style. For at least 2 references you must indicate in a couple of sentences how you think the secondary source will help you write your essay. I must be able to see that you have at least partly read two secondary sources (in the case of a book, it may be just a chapter which is relevant to what you want to write about). (20% of your mark = 4 points)

10^th November at the latest

Send me the full reference (in MLA style) of the primary source you will use to illustrate and deepen your analysis in your research paper. Please note that if the source is not in the brochure, you must send me the primary source itself (or the link to it if it is on the web). If it is in the brochure, say so and give the page number (after the MLA style reference, add [in the brochure, p. …]).

You must explain in a couple of paragraphs why you think this primary source is interesting to analyse given what you want to do in your paper. 

This primary source can be taken from the brochure if we have not already studied it in class. I encourage you to contact me well before 10^th November so that you can use my feedback and advice when it comes to writing your research paper. If you wait until 10^th November, you won’t get my feedback in time for your paper. I therefore recommend doing this bit of the work for 27^th October (20% of your mark = 4 points)

For 17^th November

Hand in your research paper (60% of your mark = 12 points). Its length should be between 1300 and 1700 words (excluding the bibliography). Please use Times 12 with spacing at 1.5. The colour of the text should always be black. (No other colour anywhere, please!). 

Your research paper should be structured in the following way:

• An Introduction in which you define what your paper is about and what you want to demonstrate. You should also present the primary source you have chosen, making clear why it is useful for your demonstration.

• The body of your paper can be structured in various ways, but every section should include at least a short analysis of one or several particular aspects of your primary source. Whatever you use from secondary sources in the form of a quote or simply in making use of an idea you found in a book or an article must be referenced according to the MLA style. The MLA referencing system works in the following way: 

When you quote or refer to somebody else’s ideas in your paper, you insert a short reference with the page number in brackets, for example (Cottret, 45). If there are no page numbers, just give the author’s name. Each source, primary or secondary, you use in your paper must be listed at the end of your paper under the title “References.”

The use of somebody else’s words or ideas without giving any reference is plagiarism. Plagiarism in any form will be severely penalized.

• The Conclusion should restate the aims of your paper and evaluate the historical interest of your primary source to better understand the particular aspect of the theme you have been writing on.

Please note that in English there is never any space before punctuation marks but always afterwards.