You should begin your initial research about your chosen literature with some biographical informationabout the author then begin to read as much analysis of your particular selection as possible. When youare ready to begin writing your research paper, the biographical information should be very brief as anintroduction to your literature.
Keep in mind that the purpose of your paper is to critically analyze your chosen work, focusing on someaspect of the overall work that helps to define and unify a central argument. Possible research questionsmight include:
What is unique about the work that makes it worthwhile?
What technique(s) does the author use?
What argument(s) are central to this piece?
How effective are these argument(s)?
What is unique about the way the writer presents these argument(s)?
How do the writer’s techniques help define this piece as literature of importance?
These questions are not all inclusive but should serve as a guide as you are researching and reading.
Requirements
Your finished paper should adhere to the following requirements:
2000-word scope
One primary source (chosen piece of literature)
No less than three credible, academic secondary sources (research)
Correct use of in-text documentation and Works Cited page (MLA format)
Wikipedia and other WWW sources are not always reliable. You should be able to find biographicalinformation and some critical sources from the online library databases. Critical sources that you findonline should be from previously published articles in a reputable magazine, journal, or newspaper, andcan be found in an academic database.
The importance of a careful, methodical writing process should not be underestimated here. If yourresearch paper is not solidly grounded in each of these steps, your final product will be inadequate. Besure to use your instructor as a resource; contact him or her as needed during the formative stages of thispaper to insure that your work, albeit “rough,” is also efficient and substantial.
Your choice should meet the following criteria:
You can summarize the topic for others fairly easily.
You can identify its main argument and purpose.
It’s intricate or detailed enough that different readers may have different perspectives.
It’s a choice you enjoyed reading.
The reading I chose to research on is “Hard Rock Returns to Prison” in the textbook, (Reading Literature and Writing Argument. Pearson Custom, 6th ed., 2017.Digital (REVEL). ISBN# 9780135473016.)
