Analytical Research Paper/Can of Mystery
It’s about to get real weird in here! Canofmystery.blogspot.com
Peer Review Draft of Annotated Bibliography Due: Friday, Nov 1
Annotated Bibliography Due: Monday, Nov 4
Peer Review Draft of Informational Article Due: Monday, Nov 4
Informative Article Due: Tuesday, November 5, by Midnight!
Mini-Annotated Bib Due: Friday, Nov 8
Analytical Paper Proposal: (for the paper we aren’t actually writing): Monday, Nov 11
Requirements for Annotated Bibliography:
5 Sources
Proper MLA format plus annotation for each source
DO NOT need to be scholarly/peer reviewed sources
Submit through Blackboard by due date
Requirements for Informative Article:
Title
400-800 words
At least one image or video (properly attributed and cited)
List of works cited (properly attribute all works used)
At least one hyperlink
At least 3 useful links for further research
Five tags (to help viewers look up articles)
Submit through Blackboard by due date
Requirements for Mini-Annotated bibliography:
3 SECONDARY sources
Proper MLA format plus annotation for each source
MUST BE SCHOLARLY/PEER REVIEWED SOURCES
Submit through Blackboard by due date
Requirements for Analytical Paper:
Use the form I supply to answer questions about the paper you would have written.
Submit through Blackboard by due date
Description:
This project might seem a little strange at first, but bear with it. We have a few types of writing to do to complete the project. We will be starting with an Annotated Bibliography which will help you gather sources. You will then be writing an informative article that will be posted publically to the CAN OF MYSTERY website. Finally, you will be writing a proposal for an analytical research paper which will not only provide your audience with information on an unusual subject, but will require your analytical skills to connect your topic to a larger idea, or concept.
This series of assignments helps us practice the research process step by step and will introduce you to skills and tools that will be useful to you throughout your college career and later in your professional fields.
Subject matter:
Audience:
Your audience is almost assuredly unfamiliar with the topic of your paper. You will have to think carefully about how to present them detailed information, and guide them through your take (analysis) on the topic. The topic for our article is the entire world, so keep that in mind…I suppose.
Sources:
Sources are going to be vital in obtaining information on your subject, and may be important sources of controversial information. However, you must consider the validity and the datedness of the resources, especially when dealing with web sites. We want to use the best sources available! (Use MLA format for citations, abstract and annotated bibliography). Think outside of the box. There are videos, web pages, newspaper articles, history books, encyclopedias, related topics and the like, all of which could help you gather information on your topic.
Note: Lack of a works cited page and/or citing sources incorrectly in-text in any of these assignments is considered plagiarism and will have serious repercussions on your grade.
Annotated Bibliography:
An annotated bibliography is one step in the research and completion of the paper (in other words, although it is turned in separately and counts as a separate assignment it will be on the same topic and works to gather sources for our project). An annotated bibliography is an alphabetized list of sources compiled for use in a research paper or project. It looks very much like a normal works cited page, except that following every citation is a short paragraph which summarizes the source, its intentions, primary audience, unique properties, and relevance to the topic at hand.
Detailed instructions for our anno. bib. are on the Annotated Bibliography instructions sheet given to you in class. A copy is on Blackboard.
Informative Article:
We will be posting our informative articles to canofmystery.blogspot.com . Using your research provide basic information about your “weird” topic to your audience. We will have plenty of opportunity and instruction on locating valuable resources, and formatting the article. We want some continuity between our articles, so that the blog looks cohesive. You will be emailing me your work and I will be posting your entries, all you have to do is write them, provide me with links and information, so those of you who are not so great with computers don’t have to worry as much.
Analytical Research Paper Proposal: Originally, we were scheduled to complete a 3+ page analytical research paper, but the hurricane threw a wrench in our plans. So, instead of writing the full paper, we’re just going to write a proposal for the paper we would have written.
Analysis has to do with your interpretation of something. It centers on a concept. A concept is a big thing, an idea. There are concepts about truth, life, death, triumph, defeat, beauty, ugliness, fate, free will, human nature, humanity, love, hate, evil, right, wrong, wisdom, foolishness…those are huge things, and the list could go on indefinitely. YOUR TOPIC IS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING! Could your topic be an example of some bigger concept? Does it talk about obsession? Or greed? Or curiosity? Or optimism? Or permanence? Or love? Or faith? Or dedication? Or perseverance? Or ingenuity? Or imagination? Or hope? Or desire? Does it discuss some fragile human need to believe the unbelievable? What does it say about those things? Is there some message or lesson that this topic could potentially teach others about those larger concepts? THESE TOPICS have to say something, and so do you! Take a stance, tell me what you see, and then prove it by providing connections and explanations. Be patient teachers for your audience.
In your analytical research paper proposal, you are not permitted to argue whether something does or does not exist, or whether a belief is ridiculous. DO SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING. TAKE THE LESS OBVIOUS APPROACH.
In order to complete the analytical portion of this paper we MUST use some HEAVY critical thinking skills. I am asking you to think…something SO HARD TO DO that most people go their entire lives not really doing it. You are not those people. You are thinkers. Thinkers don’t quit.
Mini Annotated Bibliography:
In order to help you with your analytical research paper, you need some academic sources. Usually these sources come from areas of history, psychology, sociology, communications, and philosophy. I would like you to use scholarly/peer-reviewed sources for this. You only need to complete two annotations. These annotations should be posted to a forum on Blackboard’s discussion board, so that you can provide your classmates with some help if needed.