Students will be given the opportunity to do real research on any topic of their choice. However, guidance is necessary for the sake of the class as a whole, and also to ensure that the student finds this a rewarding rather than a frustrating experience.
It is for this reason that the first step in the
research process is the submission of a Research
Proposal. It will help you to focus on your topic, to
reserve it for yourself since there are between 70 to 100 students enrolled
in some of the Humanities courses, and get some advice and suggestions.
It will also start you off on the research method and introduce you to
the rigors of the format requirements.
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Different courses/teachers may require different formats. Welcome to the real world.
Written assignments in the Humanities must be typed, in MLA format, using in-text citations.
[This method of citing sources has replaced old-fashioned
footnotes with Latin expressions,
and super-scripted numbers.]
They must not contain editorializations. That
is, you are not to comment on the material
either openly, or by choosing adjectives or adverbs
that imply an opinion.
The style should be brief, clear and to the point,
and avoid "TV" language and expressions.
Do not use empty phrases like, In conclusion
... or We could say that ... .
Say what you have to say, avoiding the use of
would
and could for will and can as it weakens
your discussion or argument.
The typical research paper may seem to leave little
room for personal expression,
and that is true, as far as content goes.
The student must let the authorities speak for him or her.
It is in the choice of material and its organization
that the student's creativity is revealed.
Keep your initial question in mind (the answer
to it will be your conclusion) and
stick to the pursuit of its answer. Your are
a detective solving a case, or a hunter after prey.
The 1500-word limit does not include the title
page or the page of references.
By the way, neither of these, nor
the first page of the text should be numbered -
there appears to be an error in
the handbook published by Little and Brown.
The pages must be stapled together at the top
left-hand corner and not placed
in any sort of outer wrapping.
Here is the link
to the sample cover page.
Remember to change the course name, section,
title of the assignment,
and course designation numbers.
Keeping
track of information MLA
style:
State openly where and on which
page you got each idea or fact
by using a citation right after
it, eg. (Schwartz 124).
Citations form an actual part of the sentence;
if they come at the end,
the period goes after the closing parenthesis.
There is no internal punctuation.
Since the old-fashioned system was known as foot-noting,
sometimes a teacher will continue to use that
expression even though they mean
to ask for in-text citations. Whenever
a teacher says you need to have references,
they usually mean in-text citations and a
reference page.
Information is collected
and prepared for citing on small index cards,
one for each separate idea or fact.
You skim each document (article, book or web
site) using the index or
table of contents as a guide.
Do not forget to make an address card with
the essential MLA
information
for each source. If you take care to do
this correctly right from the start of your
search, you will be able to type up your reference
page just by
putting these address cards in alphabetical order.
When you find information you think you might
like to use,
write it down in your own words only one
fact or idea per card.
This helps you learn your subject as you go along
and it prevents plagiarism.
Notice that you must do this even if you are
not planning to use a quotation.
Mark each card at the top right, with a
code
such as a Roman numeral
corresponding to your source following it by
the number of the page OR
URL and date on which you found the fact.
Be careful choosing sites.
You will not be going back to the source again,
so make sure you can understand the
brief note you have written.
Using a photocopier is a waste
of time and money.
It fools you into thinking you have accomplished
something when all
that has happened is that you have pushed the
research further away
by one more step.
Making a copy is justified only to present a
graph or essential image.
In this rare case, make the usual "address" card
so you can cite the source.
Do not spend time making original
graphics; there is no place for them
outside arts and crafts classes. You may
use available images if words do not adequately
describe something. In those rare cases,
treat the image as any other information:
citation plus reference page item.
Direct quotations, ie. the exact words
of the author, are used very sparingly;
not more than once or twice. Short ones are set
off by quotation marks
followed by a citation; longer ones are set off
in an indented single-spaced
paragraph with the citation at the end.
To
teach is to learn: student teaching/seminar (formerly
'presentations'but not an 'oral").
This part of your project, which lasts between
10 and 20 minutes per person,
is not a show-and-tell
; it is not an essay read aloud.
Rather, consider that you are helping teach a
lesson on your topic.
Please do not be dismayed if I interrupt you,
write on the board as you speak
or ask you to go to another aspect of the
subject.
My intention is always to ensure that the class
is "getting it".
However, because of this, you really need to
know your subject.
You are expected to have help with recall by means
of large cards called cue cards (not the same as index cards for
research) and it is often helpful for us if you have an outline on the
board.
You are encouraged to use visual material but
only if it is truly useful.
It is rarely necessary for you to prepare visual
aids since there is a wealth of images* available.
Do not forget citations for visuals.
*Movie-type videos are rarely useful, and we should not show items for
which
we do not posess a copyright. See what is available in the Learning
Centre and also ask me.
This part of the research project is designed
to inform the class, to enable you
to gain some perspectives on your topic and also
to make us care about your topic.
Sometimes this is best done not by trying to
instruct us in your findings, but by involving us
in an activity of some kind.
This approach is especially useful for students
who do not have good mastery of English,
or who do not respond comfortably to interventions.
If you miss your scheduled week
for teaching, be prepared to step in
at any available spot. Due to the ever-increasing
class size, it has become very difficult
to permit any other solution.
There can be no teaching without fellow students
present.
Before
submitting any assignment
When
you receive the brief assignments back
they may have comments and suggestions which
you are expected to heed.
At that time you may discuss them with me, or
ask about the best method for the
teaching part of the project and whether I know
of any material that might be useful.
Also, notice if you have lost marks for errors
and ask about them if you are not certain
so that your work can improve.
The final 1500-word
term paper should address only one aspect of your topic.
If you are not sure how to approach it, ask your teacher.
It ought not repeat what you said to us in class, except for a brief
reminder of the
problem you have tried to solve.
It is due the last week of class. Keep a copy, in case you do
not pick it up next semester.
NB The Final Paper
may use sources such as items from the Web.
There is a special
MLA way to cite these electronic media.
If you have any questions, please bring them up in class or e-mail me