A 10-15 pp. research paper in which you cite at least 6 secondary sources (target length for Senior Projects: 15-20 pp., citing at least 8 secondary sources; please note that the List of Works Cited page does not count as part of the target length).  While you will incoporate some secondary sources into your analysis,  the majority of your paper should be close reading and analysis of Chaucer's text(s):  typically, the total amount of citation from all secondary sources combined should not exceed the total amount of citation from the primary text(s).  Nonetheless, keep in mind that this is a RESEARCH PAPER; you are expected to cite the requisite number of secondary sources (critics writing ABOUT Chaucer) in support of various points in your argument. Failure to meet the research requirements will have a significant negative impact on your grade.

Please note that if you do not submit your paper prospectus in a timely manner, or if it does not follow the prospectus guidelines, the normally ungraded prospectus will count for 10% of your final grade, and the research paper's weight will be reduced to 25%. 

You will present your thesis and a summary of your evidence and conclusion to your classmates as a Final Oral Exercise, which typically takes place over an exam week dinner at Dr. Schwartz's home. (If we are unable to decide upon a date and time for the dinner, the Final Oral Exercise will take place during our regularly scheduled Final Exam time.)  Because the oral presentation is the culmination of the collaborative aspect of the seminar, your participation is  required, but it will be graded pass/fail.  (You can fail it only if you do not attend!) 

Students are encouraged (but not required) to write on the text which they present in class so that the oral presentation and the accompanying annotated bibliography double as initial research for the paper. Students wishing to write on a different text from the one presented in class can get a leg up on the research by consulting the reports filed in the class research archive by the student(s) responsible for presenting that work in class.  Students who intend to write on a work other than the one they researched for their oral presentation should meet with me to discuss possible angles and topics well in advance of the sixth week of class, when the Paper Prospectus is due.  Individual meetings will be scheduled in the weeks following the midterm exam to talk about the project outlined on your prospectus; this feedback is intended solely to improve the quality of your final paper.  Both the Prospectus and the Paper Preview section of the first midterm exam aim to ensure that you begin serious work on your research paper well in advance of the end of the quarter.

Use a standard 10-pt. or 12-pt. font (Times Roman or Courier preferred), with 1" margins on all sides. Do not use a title page.   At the top left of the first page, put your name, the class number , my name, and the date; on the next line, center your paper title (which should be in the same sized font as the rest of you paper and should not be underlined, in quotations marks, entirely in capital letters, or in a bold or italicized font; remember to capitalize your title appropriately).  Number pages starting with the second page of text using a header consisting of your last name followed by the page number. (You can insert page numbers automatically using the Header function in Word.)   Your paper should be double-spaced with the exception of indented block quotations, which I (unlike the MLA Handbook) ask you to single-space. Note that a paper submitted for this class should conform to these guidelines (not what you were asked to do in another class) e.g. for line spacing, indentation, documentation, the introductory paragraphs, etc. 

Prior to submitting your paper, be sure to PROOFREAD for spelling, punctuation, and basic grammatical errors, as well as for clarity (clearly stated thesis; logical development of argument; adequate and relevant textual support; solid conclusion.)  Consult the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST both BEFORE and AFTER completing your first draft, and make sure you do not commit the sort of mechanical and stylistic errors listed on the checklist!

At the end of your paper, include a List of Works Cited: complete, correctly formatted bibliographic citations for all secondary sources quoted in your paper (i.e. critical writings about the medieval text[s] you are writing on), listed alphabetically by author.  Include at least at least six secondary sources (eight for senior projects), of which at least one should represent each required type of resource and mode of access listed on the guidelines for the Annotated Bibliography and the Working Bibliography.  (Reminder:  the required types of resource are journal articles, essays in edited book collections, and full-length books by a single or joint authors; the required modes of access are hard-copy items from Cal Poly's print collections, items acquired through Link+ and through ILL, and electronically-accessed items from the Kennedy Library's subscription database collections.) Indicate the mode of access in parentheses at the end of each bibliographic citation (as on the Working Bibliography). Note that the critical apparatus in the Riverside Chaucer can count as a secondary source, provided that it is correctly documented (consult your MLA Handbook).  I will look for evidence that you have actually cited the items on your List of Works Cited in the body of your paper and that you have drawn upon them effectively to formulate and/or support your argument.  List of Works Cited entries should NOT be annotated.

The best analogy to writing a good analytic paper is a lawyer arguing a case in court. Both lawyer and paper writer must build a carefully constructed argument to prove the validity of a debatable point. Your primary text is the client; your thesis about that text is the client's "plea" -- guilty or innocent of what specific charges. Like a good lawyer, you should begin with an opening statement (the introductory paragraphs) which fully articulates your thesisand suggests how you will structure your argument. While your introduction should not get into the specific examples you will discuss in the body of your paper, it should indicate what kinds of evidence you will use to make your case. You will support your thesis in the body of your paper by citing and analyzing carefully chosen passages from both the primary text(s) and from selected secondary criticism.

The first paragraphs of your paper should not only identify your specific topic, they should make clear precisely what you will argue ABOUT that topic.  They should not be merely descriptive (a statement of facts); they should articulate an interpretive position on a debatable point that can be supported with textual interpretation (and which could conceivably be argued another way).  The articulation of this position constitutes your thesis, the central message of your paper.

An example: "the satire of courtly love" or "misogynistic elements in the Nun's Priest's Tale" would be a fine TOPIC for a paper.  But simply stating that courtly love is satirized or that there are misogynistic elements in the tale is merely descriptive (there is no debatable point, and thus no interpretive thesis).  To move from a topic to an interpretation, you must explain who is doing the satirizing (the poet Chaucer? the Nun's Priest - narrator? the rooster Chauntecleer?  several or all of the above?); who/what is being satirized (silly courtly romances? silly women? women who don't believe in dreams? the Prioress? Lady Pertelote? pretentious men who strut around like cocks?); and why Chaucer and/or the tale's narrator may have chosen to incorporate satirical elements into the tale. Your introductory paragraphs should also make clear what message the satire is meant to convey to what specific audience (the reader/lister? the other pilgrims? the Prioress? all of the other pilgrims except the Prioress?)  This "what" and "why" constitute the interpretive thesis you will argue in your paper. To do all these things will doubtless take more than a single sentence -- it may take several pages (or at least several paragraphs).  We are not talking here about the kind of "thesis statement" you can boil down to a single sentence, as you were taught to do for a 5-paragraph essay (indeed, the sort of introductory statement you need to articulate more closely resembles the conclusion you were taught to write for a standard 5-paragraph essay). 

So, your introduction should do more than state your topic -- it should clearly state what interpretation you are defending and sketch out the parameters (but not the details) of the argument you will make to prove the validity of that interpretation.  (Save specific examples and quotation for the body of your paper.)  This information should NOT be saved for your conclusion or revealed gradually, one idea at a time, in the body of your paper -- it should be fully articulated UP FRONT, letting your reader know where the paper is going and how you intend to argue your case.  As you articulate your argument (a sort of narrative outline of your paper), make sure its organization is dictated by logic, not by the order in which passages or events occur in the text you are writing about. You should be able to generate topic sentences for each section of the completed paper, in order, from what you say in your introduction. Even if you do not include all this information in your introductory paragraphs, thinking through where you are going before you write will add clarity to your paper, helping you to set up a logically organized paragraph structure.  Clearly articulating the argument you intend to make will help your reader to see where your paper is going. 

NOTE: It can also be very helpful to include this sort of "roadmap" of your essay on in-class writing (e.g. the essay section of an exam), since doing so forces you to think through the logical structure of your argument rather than charging off in a wrong direction. 

Do NOT begin your paper with truisms, statements of personal philosophy, generalities, or examples from modern life; get to your point, which is an interpretation of the primary text(s) (i.e. the readings from the Canterbury Tales). You have a limited amount of space in which to make your case; don't waste it on a "hook."  (You already have my full attention.)  Do not provide a survey of secondary criticism. Do not pad your introduction with random "factoids" (i.e. accurate facts that are not directly relevant to your paper); rather, include only background information which is essential to your argument. Avoid using the first or second person (I, we, you) in constructing your argument, which should be presented as objectively as possible.  The implication of first-person references is that your paper is just a statement of  personal opinion, and thus no more valid than opposing opinions; why should the reader care what you think?  Instead, aim for a tone of objective neutrality, which is rhetorically more effective than a statement of opinion ("I believe"; "I think") in convincing the reader of the objective validity of your argument.

The body of your paper should consist of a step-by-step demonstration of the validity of your interpretive thesis.  Provide textual support and analysis to demonstrate the validity of each step in your argument.  Be sure to keep your paper analytic rather than descriptive. (A summary of events or list of examples is NOT textual analysis; you must have something to say ABOUT the examples you cite.) In addition to citations from your primary text(s), you should incorporate relevant support from secondary readings (criticism) to support your interpretive argument concerning the primary reading(s).

Provide a separate paragraph for each step in your argument, with appropriate transitions between them.  Order paragraphs according to the logic of your argument (not the order in which the citations occur in the primary text).  Or, if your paper requires the analysis of different kinds of textual evidence that do not have obvious logical connections between them, start with the most general, simple, obvious or concrete points and examples and move on to the most specific, complex, subtle and interpretive ones. 

Provide several pieces of carefully chosen textual evidence per paragraph (i.e.  in support of each step of your argument). Follow up on your citations with a line or two of interpretation before moving on to a new example or a new idea (opening a new paragraph).  Be sure to explain the relevance of the material you quote to your argument -- don't just stick it in and expect it to speak for itself. Textual evidence must be interpreted for the reader; be sure to indicate clearly its relevance to your argument.

To return to the lawyer analogy, citations from the primary text(s) and secondary readings (criticism) are the evidence which you are presenting in court; your analysis of those citations is the cross-examination of witnesses and/or interpretation of the evidence -- what will make or break your case.  If you don't make your points explicitly, they are not entered into the court record and cannot be considered by the jury (your professor) in deciding whether or not you have successfully defended your client (proven the validity of your thesis) -- nor can they be considered by the judge (also your professor) who assigns the final grade.

The least important part of an effective paper, the final paragraph can be short and sweet.  Use it to sum up your argument without going in to so much detail that you repeat the body of the paper.  Remind the reader of the debatable point you set out to prove and of the steps in the argument you have made.  The best conclusions also offer some final insight or twist, a new thought that  grows out of what you argued in the paper -- but avoid assertions that are so unconnected as to require a whole new paper to back them up.  Don't end your paper with a quotation -- it's your work, so you, not someone else, should have the last word.

All documentation should be in the form of parenthetical references immediately following citations in the body of your paper.  For primary sources, use an abbreviated title (e.g. "MT" for the Miller's Tale) and the specific line numbers quoted; for secondary sources, use the author's last name and the specific page numbers where the citation is found.  If you cite more than one secondary work by the same author, or works by two authors with the same last name, follow the author's last name with whatever information is necessary to identify the work from which your citation is taken (e.g. a first name or initial if you cite works by two critics with the same last name; the date of publication for two works by the same critic; an abbreviated title if you cite two works by the same critic which were published in the same year). 

Provide complete bibliographic citations for all secondary sources (works of criticism) which you cite on a list of Works Cited at the end of the paper.  (Obviously, this bibliography should include only works that you actually cite in your paper!)  Entries on the list of Works Cited should be alphabetized by author's last name; be sure that all entries are in correct bibliographic citation format (follow link for the basics; for fuller detail, consult your MLA Handbook). For primary texts (i.e. Chaucer readings), you will provide complete documentation in a footnote or endnote (as outlined below).

SECONDARY SOURCES:  Please note the following deviation from standard MLA citation format:  on the research paper submitted for this class, every parenthetical reference to a secondary source should include the last name of the author (as well as the page number[s] where the citation is found), even if you have name the author in the lead-in to the citation.  (Yes, I know it's not the standard practice -- but I'm the one grading your paper, so please follow my guidelines!)

In addition to including the author's name in your parenthetical reference, always introduce your citations in such a way as to make clear whose words you are citing, e.g.

As Helen Cooper points out, "[Provide citation here]" (Cooper 27). 

According to Cooper, "[Provide citation here]" (Cooper 116-17).

PRIMARY SOURCES:  Include ONE foot- or endnote the first time you mention or quote from your primary source(s). The note should refer to the primary work by AUTHOR (if known) and SPECIFIC TITLE (e.g. Geoffrey Chaucer, The Miller's Tale, NOT simply as the Canterbury Tales or the Riverside Chaucer) and give full bibliographic information: the book title, editor, edition, publisher, place and date of publication, and inclusive page numbers for the text(s) which you are discussing. Your note should also explain the system used for parenthetical references, e.g.:

Chaucer as the narrator apologizes in advance for the crudity of the Miller's Tale, suggesting to the reader that if he finds it offensive, he should "Turne over the leef, and chese another tale" (MT 3177). [End of example.]

This parenthetical reference means that "Turne over the leef. . ." is quoted from line 3177 of the Miller's Tale in the Riverside Chaucer, the edition which you specified (and for which you provided publication information) in a foot- or endnote the first time you quoted from the text.

Punctuation with parenthetical references: note that in the above example, final punctuation for the quotation is placed after the parenthetical reference, rather than before the closing quotation mark. An exception: question marks or exclamation points which are part of the quoted passage remain within the quotation marks; in that case, the parenthetical reference would still be followed by whatever punctuation is appropriate to the construction of your sentence (period, colon, semicolon, comma), e.g.:

Allison asks Absolon, "Who is ther/ That knokketh so? I warente it a thief" (MT 3790-91). [Here, the final period of the quotation has been moved after the parenthetical reference.]

Chaucer the narrator warns that he may need to speak "never so rudeliche and large,/ Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe" (GP 734-5).  [NB: final punctuation of preceding citation follows parenthetical reference] In the interest of accuracy, therefore, he asks the readers to excuse any rough language he might use: [please do not skip an extra line before or after a single-spaced block quotation -- use normal double spacing]

Your analysis then continues, double-spaced, below the indented, single-spaced quotation. Note that for indented block quotations, final punctuation precedes the parenthetical reference; for quotations within the body of your text, final punctuation of quotation follows the parenthetical reference. 
 

• Be sure to consult the ESSAY EVALUATION CHECKLIST (which I will use in grading your papers) both BEFORE AND AFTER you begin to write.  Proofread carefully, and be sure that you do not make the errors included on the checklist!

 
• Please use underlining (not italics) for your paper (and all other work submitted in this class).  (And remember that you should never mix underlining and italics in the same piece of work.) 

 
• Don't forget to give your paper a title which identifies the authors or work(s) discussed and gives your reader some idea of what you are arguing (your thesis). Your paper title should not be underlined, but the title of most primary texts you refer to should be.  (Exception: the titles of individual lyric poems are enclosed in "quotation marks," not underlined.) 

 
• Avoid using the first or second person (I, we, you).  The implication of first-person references is that your paper is just a statement of  personal opinion, and thus no more valid than opposing opinions; why should the reader care what you think?  Instead, aim for a tone of objective neutrality, which is rhetorically more effective than a statement of opinion ("I believe"; "I think") in convincing the reader of the objective validity of your argument.

 
• Use the present tense in writing about literature.  The past tense is appropriate for discussion of historical context or to refer to events that occur before those recounted in the text, but keep discussion of what occurs in the text in the present tense. 

 
• As necessary, modify citations so that the quoted passages fit smoothly into the syntax of your sentences.  Be sure to indicate any changes in the citation using [square brackets], not (parentheses), since parentheses could be part of the material you are quoting.  Indicate any omitted words or lines with ellipses [. . . ].

Contents of this and linked pages Copyright Debora B. Schwartz, 1999-2012

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