Research paper

The Research Paper is a fundamental component of English 1023h. It provides an opportunity for students to develop and argue a significant critical idea of their own, one that integrates primary works (such as poems, stories, essays, plays and novels) and secondary sources. Honors English students will be expected to use library facilities to find printed sources, such as books, periodicals and microforms. They will also be expected to use electronic resources such as databases and other online sources appropriate to academic research. Students will be expected to document sources correctly and effectively, using MLA parenthetical citations format and a Works Cited list. 

In the Research Paper students should demonstrate an ability to narrow an area of interest to a manageable topic for research and to form an original thesis statement that considers meanings beyond such superficial ones, such as describing the plot of a story. The Research Paper should be clearly organized and have a discernible introduction, body, and a conclusion. It should demonstrate the fact that a research paper is not simply a string of quotations and paraphrases, but rather an argument in the student’s voice, driven by the student’s ideas. Students should regard the Research Paper not as a dry academic exercise, but rather as a chance to pursue a topic that truly has captured their interest and about which they want to learn more.

TOPIC: Disney’s affect on gender norms in today’s society