art 300 contemporary humanities

please see attachment below for guidance on how to complete this assignment. you will be able to pick your own topic to write on for this research  paper  that will consist of five parts. 

ResearchPaper Guidelines 1

The Research Paper for this course has five parts: the topic, proposal, sentence outline,
annotated bibliography, and final paper. The final paper will consist of a 2,800 word (eight page)
researched argument using a minimum of eight credible academic sources. Details of the paper
follow in the next section. Please note the module in which each portion of the assignment is
due.

Research Topic (5 points): Due by the end of Module 2
In four to six sentences, explain what you would like to research. Once this topic has been
approved by the instructor, you may begin on the rest of the assignment. You may choose any
topic so long as it relates to the fine or performing arts of the twentieth century. Once the topic
has been approved, you may not change your topic.

The best way for you to devise a topic is to pose questions about subjects that interest you.
Why do some of the female faces in Picasso’s paintings resemble African masks? Did
existential philosophy influence modern sculpture? What was so controversial about Bob Dylan
switching from the acoustic guitar to the electric guitar? What gave rise to the montage in film?
These are examples of questions or problems that can lead to a thesis. You should start out by
looking into the question you have posed. As you learn more, you should refine the question
until a developed problem is conceived. Ideally, your question will be interesting enough to birth
a sophisticated paper, yet narrow enough to be manageable.

Research Proposal (15 points): Due by the end of Module 3
Once the topic has been approved, the next step is to write a proposal of at least 350 words (1
page). The main purpose of this assignment is to allow you a place to demonstrate that you
have identified an issue worthy of consideration and that you know in which direction to take it.

In particular, the proposal should deal with the following:
 A description of the subject: You should briefly discuss the topic you have decided to

explore. Explain what is involved in this topic. Define clearly the framework. Focus on the
importance of this topic and on your rationale for selecting this topic. Explain how it ties-in
with one of the issues we will examine in the course.

 The research question: What is the precise research question you intend to answer in
writing your paper? What are the main elements of debate around this question? At this
stage, what is your position on this question?

 Identify four scholarly sources available on your subject. Which of these sources do you
think will be the most useful (and why).

The common pitfalls to avoid are to propose a question that is either too broad or too narrow, or
to suggest a subject that is merely descriptive or where the answer is self-evident and
universally agreed upon, or where there is too little scholarly literature available.

Sentence Outline (20 points): Due by the end of Module 4
An outline is a road map; it provides direction. A sentence outline, which is composed of
complete sentences, can be very helpful when writing an essay because many of the sentences
used in the outline can become the essay’s topic sentences.

Because this is a sentence outline, you should not write an outline whose entries are single
words, short phrases, sentence fragments, or questions. Every entry must be a complete
declarative sentence of the sort which might actually appear in your research paper.

Outline Format:
 Place the essay’s thesis statement at the top of the outline.

Research Paper Guidelines 2

 Most outlines contain three or four levels of detail (although more levels may be used if the
writer wishes).

 The format for this assignment uses Roman numerals for the main, or largest, divisions of
the outline (level one). Capital letters indicate the sub-levels of the main divisions (level
two). Arabic numerals indicate the sub-levels of the capital-letter sections (level three).
Lower-case letters indicate the sub-levels of Arabic-numeral sections (level four).

Outline Rules:
 The Rule of Pairs: If you have a I, you must have a II; if you have an A, then you must

have a B; if you have a 1, then you must have a 2, and so on.
 Different sections of the outline may have different levels of detail. Give each section the

amount of detail it requires.
 Indent each successive level of the outline three spaces, and maintain even internal

margins throughout the outline.
 Double-space between all headings in the outline (or double-space the whole outline and

triple-space between headings).

Sentence Outline Rubric
Category Points (4) Points (2) Points (0) Score
Thesis:

Does your first paragraph have a thesis
statement that answers the essential
question?

Does your first paragraph provide the
reader with a guide to how you will “prove”
your thesis in your body paragraphs?

Yes/Yes Yes/No
or
No/Yes

No/No

Topic Sentences of body paragraphs:

Do all of your topic sentences “prove” your
thesis or a portion of your thesis?

Are your topic sentences complete
sentences?

Yes/Yes Only some
Yes/No
or
No/Only
some Yes

No/No

Evidence:

Do you provide sufficient relevant evidence
to support each topic sentence in your body
paragraphs?

Is your evidence noted with brief bullet
points (not full sentences!)

Yes/Yes Too much
evidence/Yes
or
Not enough
evidence/No

Not enough
relevant
evidence
supporting
each topic
sentence/No

Conclusion:

Does the topic sentence of your conclusion
restate your thesis?

Is your topic sentence a complete sentence?

. Yes/Yes Yes/No
or
No/Yes

No/No

Mechanics

Spelling and Grammar

0-2 minor
grammatical
or spelling
errors.

A few (3-5)
minor
grammatical
or spelling
errors.

Some (6-10)
grammatical
or spelling
errors.

Total Points (Out of 20):

Research Paper Guidelines 3

Five Criteria for Evaluating the Credibility of a Source:

Guide for Internet Sources

from Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources by Andrew Harnack and Eugene

Kleppinger: Bedford/St. Martin’s, Boston, 2000.

1. Authorship – who is the author and what are his/her credentials?

2. Publishing Body – the pb is the server on which the file is stored. The server cannot guarantee

reliability of the information that is posted.

3. Objectivity/Knowledge – seek out other sources to see if the author has considered enough

alternative views. Is there evidence to support the claims being made? Is the tone

professional?

4. Accuracy or Verifiability – Hypertext is helpful in this area. For example, an author quoting

statistics from another Internet source will often include a direct link to that source.

5. Currency – this refers to the history of publication and any revisions. When was the site last

updated? Is the information still relevant?

Annotated Bibliography (20 points): Due by the end of Module 5
You will eventually need eight sources (at a minimum) for the research paper, but at this point
only four sources are required to complete the annotated bibliography portion of this
assignment. For each source, you will need to write a brief annotation- three to four sentences
that summarize the information found in the source and a statement of how it will be useful in
your paper – following MLA style. These four sources should be alphabetized according to the
last name of the authors.

Here’s a sample entry for an annotated bibliography:

Hayakawa, S. I. “The Case for Official English.” A Meeting of Minds: A Brief Rhetoric for

Writers and Readers. Eds. Patsy Callaghan and Ann Dobyns. New York: Pearson

Longman, 2004. 446-452. Hayakawa argues strongly for a Constitutional Amendment

making English the official language of the United States. He is disturbed by what he

sees as catering to immigrants who refuse to learn English. He is especially tough on

Hispanic leadership in the U.S., claiming that they are encouraging people to speak

Spanish and not learn English. As one of the most vocal advocates of the English Only

movement, Hayakawa’s piece will be an important representation of that position.*

*Entries should be double spaced and all lines after the first in each entry should be indented
1/2″.

While using Google and other general search engines will likely result in some useful sources,
the student will need to go beyond what these search engines can provide. The majority of a
student’s sources cannot come from general web pages; however, should the student wish to
use the internet, he or she should follow the criteria listed in the textbox below for evaluating a
credible source. The student is urged to make extensive use of the school library. A section on
library holdings and services follows later in this syllabus.

Research Paper Guidelines 4

Research Paper (100 Points): Final paper due by the end of Module 7.

The best papers are not surveys of historical data, but arguments. That is, they stake out a
thesis (a conclusion or historical argument) and try to support it. Arguing a point provides focus
for your paper; it engages you as the author and challenges you to think critically.

Formatting basics:
 The minimum word count must be at least 2,800 words of text, not counting title or

bibliographic information.
 The paper should have a title page, on which appears the title of the paper, your name, the

course number, the professor’s name, and the date.
 Double-space the text, and use a simple font, such as Times Roman 12 point.
 Number the pages.

Quoting sources in your paper: Most often, you should paraphrase materials from other authors,
making sure to cite your sources appropriately according to MLA guidelines. Sometimes, when
the original words of another seem particularly poignant or important, the student will want to
present those words directly to his/her reader; however, the student should do this only
sparingly and should always cite the material.

When quoting others, any words of another author are placed between double quotation marks,
exactly as they appear in the original. Do not put between quote marks any words that do not
appear in the original.

You should never simply drop a quotation into his/her paper. Quotations must be integrated into
your prose. You should always introduce the speaker to your readers so that everyone will
know who is being quoted.

Please note that each of your essays must be submitted to the Assignment Box in order to
receive credit for your work and before a grade will be assigned. (This Assignment Box maybe
linked to Turnitin.)

Turnitin is a plagiarism identification service that can also assist students with term paper
reference methodology. The Turnitin tool compares your writing against all published sources
and also checks against previous classes’ written work(s). Source match cannot be more than
10%. Also, see the Academic Honesty section of this syllabus.

The research paper is due no later than Sunday 11:59 EST/EDT of Module 7. Late papers will
have one letter grade deducted for every 24 hour day that the paper is late.

Research Paper Guidelines 5

Research Paper Rubric
Criteria A

Exemplary

B
Good

C
Acceptable

D
Unacceptable

Purpose The writer’s central
purpose or argument is
readily apparent to the
reader.

The writing has a clear
purpose or argument,
but may sometimes
digress from it.

The central purpose or
argument is not
consistently clear
throughout the paper.

The purpose or argument
is generally unclear.

Content Balanced presentation
of relevant and
legitimate information
that clearly supports a
central purpose or
argument and shows a
thoughtful, in-depth
analysis of a significant
topic. Reader gains
important insights.

Information provides
reasonable support for
a central purpose or
argument and displays
evidence of a basic
analysis of a significant
topic. Reader gains
some insights.

Information supports a
central purpose or
argument at times.
Analysis is basic or
general. Reader gains
few insights.

Central purpose or
argument is not clearly
identified. Analysis is
vague or not evident.
Reader is confused or
may be misinformed.

Organizatio
n

The ideas are arranged
logically to support the
purpose or argument.
They flow smoothly
from one to another and
are clearly linked to
each other. The reader
can follow the line of
reasoning.

The ideas are arranged
logically to support the
central purpose or
argument. They are
usually clearly linked to
each other. For the
most part, the reader
can follow the line of
reasoning.

In general, the writing
is arranged logically,
although occasionally
ideas fail to make
sense together. The
reader is fairly clear
about what writer
intends.

The writing is not logically
organized. Frequently,
ideas fail to make sense
together. The reader
cannot identify a line of
reasoning and loses
interest.

Criteria A
Exemplary

B
Good
C
Acceptable
D
Unacceptable

Tone The tone is consistently
professional and
appropriate for an
academic research
paper.

The tone is generally
professional. For the
most part, it is
appropriate for an
academic research
paper.

The tone is not
consistently
professional or
appropriate for an
academic research
paper.

The tone is
unprofessional. It is not
appropriate for an
academic research
paper.

Sentence
Structure

Sentences are well-
phrased and varied in
length and structure.
They flow smoothly
from one to another.

Sentences are well-
phrased and there is
some variety in length
and structure. The flow
from sentence to
sentence is generally
smooth.

Some sentences are
awkwardly constructed
so that the reader is
occasionally
distracted.

Errors in sentence
structure are frequent
enough to be a major
distraction to the reader.

Word
Choice

Word choice is
consistently precise and
accurate.

Word choice is
generally good. The
writer often goes
beyond the generic
word to find one more
precise and effective.

Word choice is merely
adequate, and the
range of words is
limited. Some words
are used
inappropriately.

Many words are used
inappropriately, confusing
the reader.

Grammar,
Spelling,
Writing
Mechanics
(punctuation
, italics,
capitalizatio
n, etc.)

The writing is free or
almost free of errors.

There are occasional
errors, but they don’t
represent a major
distraction or obscure
meaning.

The writing has many
errors, and the reader
is distracted by them.

There are so many errors
that meaning is obscured.
The reader is confused
and stops reading.

Length Paper consists of at
least 2,800 words.

Paper is 2,800 words. Paper is short of the
word count by 100-
350 words

Paper is short of the word
count by 350-600 words

Use of
References

Compelling evidence
from professionally
legitimate sources is
given to support claims.
Attribution is clear and

Professionally legitimate
sources that support
claims are generally
present and attribution
is, for the most part,

Although attributions
are occasionally given,
many statements
seem unsubstantiated.
The reader is

References are seldom
cited to support
statements.

Research Paper Guidelines 6

fairly represented. clear and fairly
represented.

confused about the
source of information
and ideas.

Research Paper Rubric cont’d.
Quality of
References

References are
primarily peer-reviewed
professional journals or
other approved sources
(e.g., government
documents, etc.). The
reader is confident that
the information and
ideas can be trusted.

Although most of the
references are
professionally
legitimate, a few are
questionable (e.g., trade
books, internet sources,
popular magazines, …).
The reader is uncertain
of the reliability of some
of the sources.

Most of the references
are from sources that
are not peer-reviewed
and have uncertain
reliability. The reader
doubts the accuracy of
much of the material
presented.

There are virtually no
sources that are
professionally reliable.
The reader seriously
doubts the value of the
material and stops
reading.

Use of Most
Recent
Edition of
the MLA
Style
Manual

MLA format is used
accurately and
consistently in the paper
and on the “Works
Cited” page.

MLA format is used with
minor errors.

There are frequent
errors in MLA format.

Format of the document
is not recognizable as
MLA.