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Literary Research Paper

This eight-unit guide will help you conduct research and write an

effective essay in literature courses.

I. Getting from Topic to Thesis  

II. Visiting the Library 

III. Revising the Thesis 

IV. Taking Notes 

V. Creating a Work Cited Page 

VI. Avoiding Plagiarism and Use Quotations  

VII.  Writing the First Draft 

VIII.  Making Revisions 2

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I. From Topic To Thesis

Pat, the student who will be your guide, has been given a research assignment topic

from which she will create a working thesis.

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Table of Contents

1. Pat’s Assignment 4

2. Selecting a Topic 5-6

3. Creating a Thesis 7-8

4. Pat’s Thesis Question 9

5. Pat’s Tentative Thesis 10

6. Pat’s Next Step: Library Visit Unit II

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Pat’s Assignment Topic

Write a 7-9 page research paper that explores one aspect of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” State your thesis clearly and provide two or three supporting ideas.

Cite at least five sources using MLA format.

• Formulate a thesis statement.• Go to the library to do research.• Plan the essay in the form of an outline.• Write the essay and then revise it.

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Hysteria?The rest

cure?

Gothic elements

in the story?

The yellow wallpaper?

This is an interesting story, but which topic

to choose?

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The wallpaper has a special meaning—

there must be a lot written

about symbols in the story. . .

The wallpaper must be

important—it’s in the title. . .

The narrator sees a woman

crawling around in it.

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Ways to Explore a Topic

• Formulate a thesis.

• Make an outline of ideas to support the thesis.

• Cluster/map ideas freely.

• Do a free write to put some ideas in writing.

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What is a thesis?

A thesis asserts the point or makes the argument the paper will prove.

An effective thesis is an overall umbrella for all the ideas in the paper.

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How to Create a Thesis

The best way to create a thesis is to ask a central research question.

“What is the meaning of the yellow wallpaper?”

The answer to the question is the thesis.

Also see:

Professor Jonaitis/Davis’ From Topic to Thesis Purdue Online Writing Lab

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Pat’s Working Thesis

“The yellow wallpaper in Gilman’s story seems to symbolize repression of women...”

I need to do some research now!

On to the library!

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Pat’s “Scratch” Outline

Meanings of Wallpaper

• Wallpaper as Prison (physical)—kept in roomHusband as jailerBars

• Social RepressionNo relatives, friends or outside contacts

• Women expected to be domestic—marriage, home, children Wallpaper as domestic confinement?

• Narrator’s view of wallpaper—symbol of her resistance/insanity (?)

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Pat’s Free Write The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a prisoner in her own house. Her

husband is a doctor and he makes sure that the narrator follows the rest cure to help her

recover from a nervous disorder that is probably post partum depression. He doesn’t seem to

care about her as a human being. He treats her like a child and doesn’t value her opinions.

She is cut off from friends and relatives that she enjoys. He may think he is doing the right

thing, but he is really an abusive husband. The removal of all intellectual and social

stimulation is probably what drives the narrator crazy. Because she doesn’t have anything

else to do, she stares at the wallpaper until she starts seeing things. Obviously, the paper is a

symbol of her imprisonment by her husband, who represents the repression of marriage and

women’s social roles in the 19th century. Women could not vote and were expected to

marry and be wives and mothers, not work outside the home. They were stuck like the

woman crawling in the wallpaper. I would have probably gone crazy, too, if I had been in

that narrator’s position.

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II. Visiting the Library

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Pat’s English class visits the BCC Library to locate literary criticism on Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

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Table of Contents

Choosing a Topic 4-5Finding Literary Criticism 6Literature Resource Center 7Finding Books 8-9Gale Literary Index 11-12Finding Periodical Articles 13-17Web Sources 18-19Research Tips 20Useful Links 23

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Choosing a Topic

Read “The Yellow Wallpaper” carefully and make notes about what interests you.

– What are the main themes?

– What intrigues you about the story?

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Where do I begin looking?

I need to find some criticism to help me get started…

What if I write about the importance of the wallpaper in the story?

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Finding Literary Criticism

• Literary criticism can be found in journals, books, and in the Library’s databases.

• Look for an overview and criticism of the story in the Literature Resource Center on the Library Web site.

And/or

• Find books of criticism by using the Library catalog.

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Literature Resource Center

Literature Resource Center is a database accessed from the Full List of Databases on the Library Web site. The Literature Resource Center includes:

– Literary criticism and articles– Author biographies– Work overviews

To watch a short demo, click hereFor step-by-step instructions, click here

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Finding Books

Search for books in the Library catalog.

Use SUBJECT search to find criticism:Gilman, Charlotte

or use KEYWORD search:yellow wallpaper gilman

To watch a short demonstration click here.For step-by-step instructions click here.

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Pat prints out records for books of criticism, finds them on the shelves, and browses the tables of contents and indexes for ideas.

Pat finds several references to the symbolic meaning of the wallpaper in the books and in the overview from the Literature Resource Center.

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This isn’t as easy as I thought…

…but I’ll see what else I can find in the Library.

I think I’ll write about symbolism in “The Yellow Wallpaper” but can I find enough criticism on this?

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I’ll use the Gale Literary Index to find criticism in reference books and then look for some articles in databases.

I need more literary criticism on my topic.

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Gale Literary Index

•Gale Literary Index is an online index to criticism in reference books, most of them available in the Library. (Click here to see the list.)

• The Literary Resource Center contains some, but not all, of the criticism in the reference books.

To watch a short demonstration click here.For step-by-step instructions, click here.

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Periodical Articles

• Periodicals such as magazines, newspapers, and journals can be found in Library databases or in print.

• Databases may give full text, an abstract (summary), or just a citation of an article.

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Using Library Databases to Find Articles

• Go to the Library Web site (http://www.bergen.edu/library)

• Under Find Articles, click on Full List of Databases to see a list of ALL the databases.

OR

• Click on one of the Frequently Used Databases.

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Frequently Used Databases

These databases have articles on most topics, including literature:

Academic Search Premier

Academic Onefile

Proquest Research Library

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Database Search Tips

• Combine keywords using “and”.Example: gilman and yellow wallpaper

• Do not type whole sentences into the search box.

• Try different combinations of keywords.

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I’m finding articles in the database called Academic Search Premier.

I’ll scan the article titles and abstracts to find the ones that mention the symbolism of the wallpaper.

Database Searching

To watch a short demo of keyword searching click here.

For step-by-step instructions click here.

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Web Sources

The Web is not always a reliable source for literary criticism, but

• You might try the Internet Public Library’s links for literary criticism at http://www.ipl.org/div/litcrit/.

• If you use a search engine, carefully evaluate what you find. Google Scholar may retrieve more scholarly sources than other search engines.

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Who put this online? A professor or a student?

What is the Web site’s purpose? Are they selling me something here?

How does this information compare to what I found in other sources?

When was the Web site last updated?

Evaluating Web Sites

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Research Tips

• Keep track of sources used.

• Photocopy parts of the books used.

• Keep complete source information such as the author’s name, source title, place and year of publication for the Works Cited page.

• Follow the Citation Guides link on the Library Web site for help with citation formats.

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Need more information?

• Stop by the Reference Desk

• Call the Reference Librarian

201-447-7436.

• E-mail a librarian Ask-a-Librarian http://www.bergen.edu/library/ask

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Pat’s next step is thesis revision

Help! I found a lot of information at the Library!

Let me find a quiet place now…

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Useful Links

• Off campus access to the Library http://www.bergen.edu/library/remote

• Ask a Librarian http://www.bergen.edu/libray/askalibrarian

• Library Catalog http://www.bergen.edu/library/catalog

• Citation guides http://www.bergen.edu/library/citation

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III. Revising the Thesis

As Pat reads more about her topic, she comes to the conclusion the original

thesis needs revision.

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Table of Contents

1. Results of the Preliminary Research 3

2. Interpretations 4

3. Selected Interpretations 5

4. Revising the Thesis 6-8

5. Pat’s Next Step: Taking Notes 9

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Pat’s preliminary research shows…

There are at least ten different

interpretations of the yellow

wallpaper! I will have to decide which ones to

include!

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Interpretations Everyone

sees something different in

the wallpaper.

Symbol of mental breakdown.

Symbol of women’s

struggle for freedom.

Symbol of The Cult of

the True Womanhood Symbol of

the new mother’s

self-hate?!

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Pat selects three interpretations.

#1. Wallpaper as symbol of the confining roles that causes the narrator’s mental breakdown.#2. Wallpaper as symbol of social pattern of19th century women’s social and economic dependence on men. #3. Wallpaper as symbol of values women were expected to follow: the values of “True Womanhood” (pure, pious, submissive, domestic).

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She looks for a linking idea.

Wallpaper as symbol of “pattern” women’s social and political

dependence on men

Wallpaper as symbol of confining

values of “True Womanhood”

Wallpaper as symbol of narrator’s

mental breakdown

during the rest cure

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She finds a connection . . .

All three interpretations

all deal with the repression

of the 19th century woman.

And the narrator’s

response to it!

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and writes her revised thesis

The yellow wallpaper is used by Gilman as a symbol of the social and economic repression of the 19th century woman and her struggle to free herself.

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Pat Is Ready to Take Notes

I’m ready to go back to the source materials to take

notes.

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IV. Taking Notes

Pat will take notes to find some supporting ideas for the thesis: The yellow wallpaper is used by Gilman as a symbol of the repression of the 19th century woman and her response to the society that confines her.

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Table of Contents

1. Frustration with Source Material 3

2. What to Mark in Source Material 4-5

3. How to Take Notes 6

4. Review Notes 7

5. How to Use Source Material 8-9

6. Useful Links 10

7. Pat’s Next Step: Works Cited Page Unit V

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…but where do I begin?I feel lost!

I have so much

information

Frustration is part of the process.

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To begin taking notes, use a pencil/pen to underline or write on the materials printed from books, library databases and websites.

Pay attention to:• information that supports the thesis,• titles and names,• interpretations by experts in the field, • quotable passages, and• passages that just seem important.

What to Mark in Source Material

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Now I understand

how to begin!

I think I need to do some writing.

I should look for information

that is connected to my thesis.

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How to Take Notes on Source Material

• Highlight or write on the source material.

• Create a reading response journal.

• Free write some of her` thoughts.

• Create note cards of important passages.

• Make/Revise an outline.

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Review notes.

But how do I take the material

from my notes and put it into

the paper?

Now that I’ve taken notes, I understand the critics’ ideas about symbolism

better.

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How to Use Source Material In-text

Direct QuoteThis is a word-for-word representation of the original passage in MLA format.

Example“True, she expresses love and concern for the baby, yet she is also solicitous toward her husband, and we know that behind this surface calm lies unconscious aggression. Is she similarly hostile toward her baby?” (Berman 199)

ParaphraseTake the original passage and put it into your own words. Make sure to represent all points and give the original author credit.

ExampleBerman argues that we know that she has unconscious aggression towards her husband and wonders if she feels aggression towards the child as well (199).

SummaryCondense all of the original information and then use only the main points.

ExampleAccording to Berman, the narrator’s loving concern for the baby may mask aggression as it does in her feelings for her husband (199).

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Pat is ready to create works cited.

I have lots of good source material to

use.

But I’d better review MLA format for

citations and Works Cited.

I have a lot of questions

about MLA format..

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These links are

really helpful!• Notetaking and Choosing Supporting Ideas

http://www.bergen.edu/owl

• Evaluating Content in the Source Materials http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_evalsource3.html

• MLA Format http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_mla.html

• Quotation, Paraphrase, Summary http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html

Useful Links

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Pat’s Outline

I. Intro – general statement about “The Yellow Wallpaper”Thesis statement

II. Wallpaper – narrator’s deteriorating mental state

III. Wallpaper – as “pattern” of social and economic dependence

IV. Wallpaper – as symbol of restraints of “True Womanhood”

V. Conclusion

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V. Creating a Works Cited Page

It is not an easy task to create a correctly formatted Works Cited page. Pat will give herself a lot of time to do it!

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Table of Contents

1. MLA Format 3-52. Example of a Works Cited Page 63. General Rules for Works Cited Entries 74. Works Cited Entry: Book 85. Works Cited Entry: Periodical 96. Works Cited Entry: Gale Literary Criticism Series 107. General Rules for Web Sources 118. Works Cited Entry: Web site 129. Additional Research Sources/Information 13-1410. Pat’s Next Step: Using Quotations Unit VI

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My professor says I need to use MLA

format when creating a Works

Cited page.

What is that?

What is MLA format?

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MLA Format

• MLA stands for Modern Language Association.

• MLA format, developed by the Modern Language Association, provides the style (page layout of the essay, header, quotations, Works Cited, etc.) most instructors in the humanities require for papers.

• However, there are other formats such as APA (American Psychological Association) or the Chicago Manual of Style. Each format has its own set of rules. For papers in literature you must use MLA format.

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Rules for MLA Format

• The bibliography is called “Works Cited.”

• Double space everything on a Works Cited page.

• Center the title Works Cited (no bold, italics, or underlining) and place it at the top of the page.

• Use a “hanging indent” after the first line of each entry.

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Works Cited

Berman, Jeffrey. “The Unrestful Cure: Charlotte Perkins Gilman and

‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.” The Talking Cure: Literary

Representations of Psychoanalysis. By Jeffrey Berman. New

York: New York University Press, 1985. 33-59. Rpt. in

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol.

37. Detroit: The Gale Group, 1991. 198-200.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wall-paper.” The YellowW

Other Stories. New York: Modern Library, 2000. Print.

OK: so what does it look like?

All text is double-

spaced, and there are no line spaces between entries.

CenteredTitle

“Hanging” Indent

More Rules for Works Cited

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• The author’s last name is usually first in a Works Cited entry, followed by the source title(s) and publication information.

• Place the titles of articles, short stories, book chapters, poems, and songs in quotation marks.

• Italicize the titles of books, plays, journals, magazines, newspapers, and films.

• Capitalize each word in titles, except articles, short prepositions, or conjunctions.

• Include publication medium (Print or Web) in each citation.

Works Cited Entry for a Book

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Elaine Showalter would disagree with the interpretation of the demonized baby that poses a threat to the mother, “in particular the weight gain that was considered an essential part of the cure was a kind of pseudo-pregnancy” (247).

Works Cited

Showalter, Elaine. A Literature of Their Own. Princeton: Princeton

University Press, 1998. Print.

In-text Citation

Works Cited Entry

Wow! Look at

the connection

!

Works Cited Entry for a Periodical Article from a Database

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In-text Citation

Roth, Marty. “Gilman’s Arabesque Wallpaper.” Mosaic 34.4 (2001)

145-163. Literature Resource Center. Thomson Gale. Web.

27 June 2006.

Jonathan Crewe claims that “the exasperating effect of pattern wallpaper

on invalids was a medical commonplace of Gilman’s time” (qtd. in

Roth).

Works Cited Entry

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Works Cited Entries for the Gale Literary Criticism Series

Treichler, Paula A. “Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in ‘The Yellow

Wallpaper’.” Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature 3.1-2 (1984): 61-77. Rpt. in

Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Paula Kepos. Vol. 37. Detroit: The Gale

Group, 1991. 188-194. Print.

Hedges, Elaine R. “Afterword.” The Yellow Wallpaper. By Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

1973. New York: The Feminist Press, 1973. 37-63. Rpt. in Twentieth- Century

Literary Criticism. Ed. Dennis Poupard. Vol. 9. Detroit: The Gale Group,

1983. 105-107. Print.

Follow the examples below to cite material from the Gale Literary Criticism Series. The first example shows how to cite material originally published in an article; the second illustrates how to cite material reprinted from books:

Rules for Web Sources in Works Cited

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• All Web sources need two dates: the date that the Web page was last updated and the date the information was accessed from the Internet.

Works Cited Entry for a Web Site

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Deborah Thomas notes that in Charlotte Gilman’s view, “women

were constricted to the set parameters that men determined. . .

[and] conditioned to accept these boundaries and remain in

place, in the private sphere.”

Thomas, Deborah. “The Changing Role of Womanhood: From True Woman to

New Woman in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.” American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. Florida Gulf Coast University. September 1997. Web. 26 June 2006.

In-text Citation

Works Cited Entry

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Additional Research Sources

• Lecture or Speech

• Chapter in a Book

• Newspapers

• Interview

• Television or Film

Hmm… what if I am

using something else as a research

source? Yes, something like this…

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For More Information

Visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab for more information about formatting various Works Cited entries in MLA format at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_mla.html.

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Now I need to learn how to use the

information from my sources in my paper.

How can I use quotations and avoid

plagiarism?

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VI. Using Quotations

And Incorporating Sources without Plagiarism

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Table of Contents

1. Defining Plagiarism 3-42. More Information about Plagiarism 53. Three Steps to Using Quotations 7-94. Signal Words 105. Examples 116. Signal Phrases to Introduce Quotations 127. “Short” vs. “Long” Quotations 13-148. Avoiding “Dropped” Quotations 15-169. Direct Quotation vs. Indirect Quotation 1710. Pat’s Next Step: Final Draft Unit VII

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PLAGIARISM IS AN ACT OF FRAUD! IT INVOLVES STEALING SOMEONE’S WORDS

AND LYING ABOUT IT AFTERWARDS.

Wow! I have to learn more about what

plagiarism is and how to avoid it!

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Definition of Plagiarism

According to BCC Catalog’s Statement on Academic Integrity, “Plagiarism is defined as the act of taking someone else’s words, opinions, or ideas and claiming them as one’s own” (43).

Examples given in BCC Catalog: Instances when a student• Knowingly represents the work of others as his/her

own

• Represents previously completed academic work as current

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More Examples of Plagiarism

• Submits a paper or other academic work for credit which includes words, ideas, data or creative work of others without acknowledging the source.

• Uses another author’s exact works without enclosing them in quotation marks and citing them appropriately

• Paraphrases or summarizes another author’s words without citing the source appropriately.

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Plagiarism Links

• http://plagiarism.org/research_site/e_what_is_plagiarism.html

• Turnitin.com at http://www.turnitin.com/

Students have to check their papers carefully to avoid

plagiarism!

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How can I find out how to use my source materials and cite them correctly in

MLA style?

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Three Steps to Using Quotations

• Introduce

• Cite

• Analyze

What does introducing, citing, and analyzing

look like?

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How to Introduce, Cite, and Analyze

Elaine Showalter would disagree with the interpretation of the demonized

baby that poses a threat to the mother; using a feminist approach, she

emphasizes the social and economic conditions that bind women and drive

them into insanity. According to her, the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

is “a woman driven mad by her enforced confinement and passivity” whereas

the rest cure “is a sinister parody of idealized Victorian femininity: inertia,

privatization, narcissism, dependency. In particular, the weight gain that was

considered an essential part of the cure was a kind of pseudo-pregnancy”

(247). The narrator is on the brink of insanity not because of her own

weakness of any kind, but because she is driven into insanity by

unreasonable and unfair expectations.

Introduce

Cite

Analyze

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Signal Words to Use

Acknowledges Comments Describes Insists Responds

Adds Compares Disputes Maintains Reveals

Admits Concludes Emphasizes Notes Says

Agrees Concedes Endorses Observes Shows

Argues Confirms Finds Points out Suggests

Asserts Considers Endorses Postulates Thinks

Believes Contends Grants Predicts Warns

Claims Declares Illustrates Refutes Writes

Denies Implies Reports

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Examples

• Showalter emphasizes the social and economic conditions that bind women and drive them into insanity (247).

• Paula A. Treichler, on the other hand, explains that Gilman skillfully uses the wallpaper as a metaphor for women’s discourse (188).

• Treichler observes that…

• Deborah Thomas notes that in Charlotte Gilman’s view, “women were constricted to the set parameters that men determined. . .[and] conditioned to accept these boundaries and remain in place, in the private sphere.”

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Useful Phrases to Introduce a Quote or Paraphrase

• Showalter argues that

• Showalter points out that

• Showalter emphasizes that

• Showalter interprets ___ as

• Showalter describes ___ as

• According to Showalter,

• In Showalter's words,

• In Showalter's view,

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How do I know the difference between a long vs. a short

quotation?

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Short vs. Long Quotations

Whereas the wallpaper can be interpreted as a

reflection of the narrator’s individual struggle,

the wallpaper pattern can also be seen as the

“pattern” of the social and economic

dependence of women, or even as prison bars

that confine women to the domestic sphere.

Paula A. Treichler views the woman in the

wallpaper as a slave in the domestic sphere. She

argues that “the yellow wallpaper represents. . .

the “pattern” of social and economic

dependence which reduces women to domestic

slavery. . . all women” (190).

The narrator writes about her discovery that not one but many women are hidden behind the pattern:

Through watching so much at night, when it

changes so, I have finally found out. The front

pattern does move--and no wonder! The

woman behind shakes it! Sometimes I think

there are a great many women behind, and

sometimes only one and she crawls around

fast, and her crawling shakes it all over.

(Gilman, “Yellow ” 16)

A quotation is “long” if it is more than four lines.

Block Indent (Hit “Tab” twice)

Notice difference in period placement

between short and long quotations.

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What is a “dropped” quotation?

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Avoid “Dropped Quotations”

“I never saw a worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling, flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin” (Gilman, “Yellow” 5).

The narrator asserts, “I never saw a worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling, flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin” (Gilman, “Yellow” 5).

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Direct Quotation vs. Indirect Quotation (Paraphrase)

The narrator states, “It is dull

enough to confuse the eye in

following, pronounced enough to

constantly irritate and provoke

study, and when you follow the

lame uncertain curves for a little

distance they suddenly commit

suicide-plunge off at outrageous

angles, destroy themselves in

unheard of contradictions” (Gilman,

“Yellow” 5).

Direct QuotationThe wallpaper is dull and ugly, but the

narrator watches it closely for extended

periods of time. The unruly pattern

reflects the narrator’s own confused

mental state as she follows its

unpredictable paths that suddenly come

to illogical endings. (Gilman,“Yellow” 5).

Indirect Quotation

Indirect quotations (paraphrases) must

be cited!

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Hooray! I know how to use my sources! Now it’s time

to write the final draft!

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VII. Writing the First Draft

Pat will now write her actual first draft from thesis to conclusion. This will be a

difficult, but satisfying,task.

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Table of Contents

1. Pat’s Roles as Research Writer 3-62. Audience Awareness 73. How to Start 8-94. Writing the Body 10-155. What the Conclusion Does 166. Review the First Draft 177. Pat’s First Draft 188. Pat’s Next Step: Making Revisions Unit VIII

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Pat’s Roles in Writing Her Paper

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Pat as a Seeker of Truth

What does the yellow wallpaper

symbolize and what message

does it give to the reader?

104

Pat as the Project Director

I decide how to organize the

interpretations of the symbolism and what

quotes and facts I will bring in to provide

proof.

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Pat as a Trial Lawyer

• The tone of her argumentative paper is serious, confident, persuasive. Click for brief discussion of “tone” from the video English Composition.

• Pat presents proof objectively, avoiding “in my opinion” or “I think.” Let the proof speak.

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Audience Awareness

• Guide the reader through the points of the argument step-by-step. Imagine the reader as a person who is following the argument.

• Provide analysis/ explanations and use transitions to keep the reader from getting lost.

• Persuade the reader by understanding and anticipating his/her feelings, questions or objections.

107

Body or Introduction First?

• It is often a good idea to write the body paragraphs first and come back to the introduction later.

• Since Pat has an idea for her introduction, she will start there.

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I think I’ll start by giving some

background about the story to prepare the reader for my

thesis.

108

Writing the Introduction

• State general background information or definitions of terms readers need to understand.

• Use a quotation to spark the reader’s attention

• Place the thesis at the end of the first (or second)paragraph

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Writing the Body

• Focus on the points in the outline.

• Write a sub-thesis that summarizes each point.

• Add specific proof (facts, quotes) to support each point.

• Write up each point in one or more paragraphs.

110

Pat reviews the working thesis and outline

I. Wallpaper as a sign of mental deterioration (see Roth)

II Wallpaper as pattern of social and economic dependence (Berman)

III. Wallpaper as symbol of values of True Womanhood (Welter; Berman; Showalter) and as metaphor for women’s response to repression (Treichler)

IV. Conclusions

Thesis: In all of these interpretations, the wallpaper is a symbol of the repression of the 19th century woman and her response to the society that confines her.

111

Pat’s research notes provide support for each point.

• For notes typed on computer, cut and paste relevant material into the outline.

• For notes on note cards, arrange proof (facts, quotes, paraphrases) in numbered “Topic Piles” which correspond to the points in the outline.

112

Now Pat will take each main point in her outline and from it create a sub-thesis

sentence to provide the overview of the paragraph or section it begins and then add

her supporting proof.

113

• Help the reader following your argument by starting each paragraph or section with a sub-thesis idea that provides an overview of the content and relates back to the main thesis.

• Make the sub-thesis sentence an analytical or critical statement, not just a fact.

• Break paragraphs when needed. (A paragraph should not be longer than ¾ page)

A sub-thesis idea is key.

114

Pat writes her body paragraphs.

Pat’s Sub-thesis sentence for Body Paragraph I: (Sub-thesis) The wallpaper becomes the

narrator’s focal point.

Supporting proof:• (Quote from YW 5) “It is dull enough to confuse the

eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study . . .”

• She watches it for long periods of time.

• (Quote from Berman 199) Wallpaper’s “unheard of contradictions” and chaotic pattern reflect narrator’s confusion about the contradictory forces in her own life “her need for security yet fear of dependency and entrapment.”

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Finally, the ConclusionThe conclusion of an argument should review the main points, confirm the thesis, and leave the reader with a clear sense of what has been proved.

•Do not introduce any new ideas in the conclusion.

•Sum up the points made.

•Restate the thesis idea.

•Leave the readers with something to think about.

I did it! I’m done!

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First Draft Rules to Remember

• Be sure the thesis is clearly stated at the end of the first (or sometimes second) paragraph.

• Be sure points are organized logically and have sufficient proof.

• Give each paragraph/section a sub-thesisand pay attention to paragraph structure.

• Provide transitions where needed.

• Make the first draft as correct as possible in sentence structure, grammar, spelling.

• Make sure citations are in correct MLA format.

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Pat’s First Draft

Revision is the last step in writing a research paper.

I’ve got to sharpen my

thesis!

That first paragraph looks too

long.

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VIII. Revising the Research Paper

More than proofreading More than correcting grammar

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Table of Contents1. On Revision 3-52. Steps of Revision 6

A. Thesis Statement 7-9 B. Coherence, Order of Ideas,

Support Material 10-12 C. Introduction and Conclusion 13-15

D. Editing - Vocabulary, Clarity, 16 Spelling, Grammar, Mechanics

E. MLA Review 17

3. Pat’s Revised Paper and Grade 18-19

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Put the paper away for a day

Click for short video on revision from English Composition.

ZZZZ. ZZZZ.ZZZZ.

I’m tired. I can’t look at this paper any more.

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Pat really liked putting the paper away— too much!!

But

Revision won’t happen without her.

Click for brief video on ideas for revision from

English Composition.

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Pat comes back to the paper ready to actively revise.

Does the paper make

sense?

How will another reader

respond? What doesn’t

sound “quite right” ?

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Steps of the Revision ProcessLook at the whole paper.

• Revise in parts Focus on the thesis statement, coherence, order of ideas, and support material. Review the introduction and conclusion.• Edit the paper in detail.• Check current MLA format.

For information on how to prioritize revision: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_hocloc.html

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• The thesis statement answers the research question.

• It is concise and specific.

• It controls the evidence/support used in the paper.

Click for a brief video giving advice on the thesis statement from English Composition.

Focus on the thesis statement.

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Pat’s Original Thesis

“The symbolic yellow wallpaper in Gilman’s story offers multiple interpretations.”

All of them relate to the

relations between men and women.

I’ll include the specific

interpretations I’m discussing.

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Pat’s Revised Thesis

Critics have interpreted the yellow wallpaper in many ways. Three

popular interpretations of its symbolism show the tension of sexual

politics between men and women in nineteenth-century America:

(1) the wallpaper as an expression of the narrator’s deteriorating

mental state (2) the wallpaper as a “pattern” of social and

economic dependence which reduces women to domestic slavery,

and (3) the wallpaper as a symbol of the confining values of the

ideal of “True Womanhood.”

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Reread the essay for coherence.

• There should be a logical flow of ideas within the paragraphs and from one paragraph to

the next.

• There should be clear transitions between

paragraphs.

For more information on coherence, check this site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/general/gl_cohere.html

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Review the order of ideas.

The ideas don’t flow smoothly. I need to move

this paragraph. And, this information is not relevant to my thesis. It

should be deleted.

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Review support material.

Click for video clip on reviewing source material from English Composition.

Yes, my support is effective. I back up every point I

make with relevant material.

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Sharpen the introduction.

Click for video clip from English Composition.

The introduction is too long--maybe some

of these details belong in a body

paragraph.

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I’ve almost finished… But…

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Polish the conclusion.

• An effective conclusion gives the reader a sense of closure.

• It leaves the reader feeling the paper has come to a logical end.

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Final Editing

• Proofread for the types of errors frequently made such as run-on sentences, fragments, subject-verb agreement and typographical errors.

• Remember spell-check checks only the spelling. It does not check to see that the correct word is used.

• Check vocabulary to see if the most appropriate word or phrase is selected.

• Review for clarity and conciseness.

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Review MLA format.

Check the rules for documentation and for the Works Cited page.

For more information on MLA guidelines, visit this site: http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/

writing/mlaguide.html

or the BCC Library’s Citation Guides http://www.bergen.edu/library/pages/2306.asp

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Click for video to review ideas for revision from English Composition.

I did my best!I hope I get a good

grade.

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Pat’s Grade

Well done, Pat! A thoroughly researched, well organized and well-written paper!

Here is Pat’s grade. A

How to Write an A+ Research Paper

• STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPIC• Choose a topic which interests and

challenges you. Your attitude towards the topic may well determine the amount of effort and enthusiasm you put into your research.

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• Focus on a limited aspect, e.g. narrow it down from "Religion" to "World Religion" to "Buddhism". Obtain teacher approval for your topic before embarking on a full-scale research. If you are uncertain as to what is expected of you in completing the assignment or project, re-read your assignment sheet carefully or ASK your teacher.

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• Select a subject you can manage. Avoid subjects that are too technical, learned, or specialized. Avoid topics that have only a very narrow range of source materials.

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• STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION• Surf the Net.• For general or background

information, check out useful URLs, general information online, almanacs or encyclopedias online such as Britannica, or Encarta, etc. Use Search Engines and other search tools as a starting point.

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• Pay attention to domain name extensions, e.g., .edu (educational institution), .gov (government), or .org (non-profit organization). These sites represent institutions and tend to be more reliable, but be watchful of possible political bias in some government sites.

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• Be selective of .com (commercial) sites. Many .com sites are excellent; however, a large number of them contain advertisements for products and nothing else

• Learning how to evaluate Web sites critically and to search effectively on the Internet can help you eliminate irrelevant sites and waste less of your time.

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• To find books in the Library use the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog).

• Check out other print materials available in the Library:

    • Almanacs, Atlases, AV Catalogs    • Encyclopedias and Dictionaries   

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• • Government Publications, Guides, Reports    • Magazines, Newspapers    • Vertical Files    • Yellow Pages, Zip or Postal Code and Telephone Directories

• Check out online resources, Web based information services, or special resource materials on CDs:

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•   • Online reference materials (including databases, e.g. SIRS, ProQuest, eLibrary, etc.)    • Wall Street Executive Library    • Index to Periodicals and Newspapers (e.g. MagPortal.com, OnlineNewspapers.com, etc.)   

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• • Answers.com - an online dictionary and encyclopedia all-in-one resource that you can install      on your computer free of charge and find One-Click Answers quickly.    • Encyclopedias (e.g. Encarta, Britannica, Canadian Encyclopedia, etc.)       

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• Subject Specific software (e.g. Discovering Authors, Exploring Shakespeare, etc.)

• Read and evaluate. Bookmark your favorite Internet sites. Printout, photocopy, and take notes of relevant information.

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• As you gather your resources, jot down full bibliographical information (author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, page numbers, URLs, creation or modification dates on Web pages, and your date of access) on your work sheet, printout, or enter the information on your laptop or desktop computer for later retrieval.

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• If printing from the Internet, it is wise to set up the browser to print the URL and date of access for every page. Remember that an article without bibliographical information is useless since you cannot cite its source.

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• STEP 3. STATE YOUR THESIS• Do some critical thinking and write

your thesis statement down in one sentence. Your thesis statement is like a declaration of your belief. The main portion of your essay will consist of arguments to support and defend this belief.

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• STEP 4. MAKE A TENTATIVE OUTLINE

• All points must relate to the same major topic that you first mentioned in your capital Roman numeral.

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I. INTRODUCTION

• -Example of an outline:Example of an outline: (Brief comment leading into subject matter - Thesis statement on Shakespeare)

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II. BODY

• - Shakespeare's Early Life,• Marriage, Works, Later Years • A. Early life in Stratford • 1. Shakespeare's family • a. Shakespeare's father • b. Shakespeare's mother

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• 2. Shakespeare's marriage• a. Life of Anne Hathaway• b. Reference in Shakespeare's

Poems

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• B. Shakespeare's works • 1. Plays • a. Tragedies• i. Hamlet • ii. Romeo and Juliet • b. Comedies• i. The Tempest• ii. Much Ado About Nothing

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• c. Histories • i. King John • ii. Richard• III. Henry VIII

• 2. Sonnets• 3. Other poems

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• C. Shakespeare's Later Years• 1. Last two plays • 2. Retired to Stratford• a. Death• b. Burial• i. Epitaph on his tombstone

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III. CONCLUSION

• A. Analytical summary• 1. Shakespeare's early life • 2. Shakespeare's works• 3. Shakespeare's later years • B. Thesis reworded• C. Concluding statement

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The purpose of an outline

• The purpose of an outline is to help you think through your topic carefully and organize it logically before you start writing.

• A good outline is the most important step in writing a good paper.

• Check your outline to make sure that the points covered flow logically from one to the other.

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• Include in your outline an INTRODUCTION, a BODY, and a CONCLUSION. Make the first outline tentative

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• INTRODUCTION - State your thesis and the purpose of your research paper clearly. What is the chief reason you are writing the paper?

• State also how you plan to approach your topic. Is this a factual report, a book review, a comparison, or an analysis of a problem?

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• Explain briefly the major points you plan to cover in your paper and why readers should be interested in your topic.

• BODY - This is where you present your arguments to support your thesis statement. Remember the Rule of 3, i.e. find 3 supporting arguments for each position you take.

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• Begin with a strong argument, then use a stronger one, and end with the strongest argument for your final point.

• CONCLUSION - Restate or reword your thesis. Summarize your arguments. Explain why you have come to this particular conclusion.

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STEP 5. ORGANIZE YOUR NOTES

• Organize all the information you have gathered according to your outline. Critically analyze your research data. Using the best available sources, check for accuracy and verify that the information is factual, up-to-date, and correct. Opposing views should also be noted if they help to support your thesis.

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• This is the most important stage in writing a research paper. Here you will analyze, synthesize, sort, and digest the information you have gathered and hopefully learn something about your topic which is the real purpose of doing a research paper in the first place.

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• You must also be able to effectively communicate your thoughts, ideas, insights, and research findings to others through written words as in a report, an essay, a research or term paper, or through spoken words as in an oral or multimedia presentation with audio-visual aids.

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• Do not include any information that is not relevant to your topic, and do not include information that you do not understand. Make sure the information that you have noted is carefully recorded and in your own words, if possible.

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• Plagiarism is definitely out of the question. Document all ideas borrowed or quotes used very accurately. As you organize your notes, jot down detailed bibliographical information for each cited paragraph and have it ready to transfer to your Works Cited page.

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• Devise your own method to organize your notes. One method may be to mark with a different color ink or use a hi-liter to identify sections in your outline,

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