Description and Purpose
The Research and Writing Portfolio (RWP) is a collection of exhibits built around a compelling research question that you propose and that will include
- A 15-20 item Working Source List (bibliography) derived from a well constructed research strategy (with a brief introductory note)
- A 10 item Annotated Source List, with items derived from the above
- An additional Summary and Response paper using one of the peer-reviewed secondary sources in the annotated source list
- An additional Orchestrating the Critical Conversation paper using 3 additional peer-reviewed sources from the annotated source list
- An additional Working with Theory paper designed to help you pursue an answer your research question.
You may use the RWP assignment either to help you develop a paper or project in another class you are taking this semester to begin a wholly new potential paper or project on a text with which you are familiar.
The purpose of the RWP is to reinforce and continue to develop skills in understanding and engaging with contemporary literary and cultural criticism, recognizing and employing theoretical approaches to texts, and entering into critical conversation surrounding literary and cultural texts. An additional element in this assignment is a focus on developing research questions, understanding research, and developing strategies for locating a range of high-quality and relevant sources.
The following course learning outcomes are reinforced in this assignment. Students successfully completing this course will be able to:
- understand and effectively practice basic rhetorical conventions of contemporary literary and cultural criticism.
- summarize contemporary scholarly and critical writing.
- understand the practice of criticism through the metaphor of conversation and demonstrate this understanding in their own critical writing.
- recognize a range of contemporary theoretical models for analyzing and interpreting texts and incorporate theoretical perspectives into their own writing.
- develop a research question and design and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research to answer it.
Elements of the RWP
Proposal (Posted as a Thread in the Week 10 Discussion Forum)
The RWP proposal is a completed questionnaire.
Answer each of the following questions as fully as possible:
- Will your RWP be based on a paper you are completing for another class or based on a project that you would like to complete at some point?If the former, what class? If the latter, what project are you interested in beginning?
- What is the research problem or research question that animates your paper or project?
- What is the project’s exigence? That is, what problem or issue does it address and clarify? What’s at stake?
- What do you find most exciting about this project? What do you find most potentially challenging?
Working Source List (Bibliography)
In this part of the assignment, you will demonstrate your skill in locating appropriate and useful resources toward an upcoming project in another class or, alternatively, toward an imagined project in which you are investigating a text or texts that has/have generated attention from scholars and critics.
You will provide this list of works in MLA format as a word document uploaded to the designated OAKS dropbox.
At the beginning of your bibliography, please offer a brief statement of around 200 words in which you discuss the method of your search and reflect on your process. Use the following questions to frame your reflection.
- What databases and sources did you use to locate items for your bibliography?
- Did you consult the library catalog as well?
- What were your your search terms?
- Did you find and follow any useful Library of Congress subject headings?
- Did you request any items from PASCAL or ILL?
- Did you make changes in your method as you went along? If so, what do you change and why?
- What did this assignment reveal to you about your level of skill as a researcher? In what ways do you think you need to improve?
- How did you use the BEAM framework to ensure a diversity of sources?
This portion of the assignment will not receive a grade, but is a crucial stage for successfully completing the broader project. How might you parcel out your 15-20 sources along the lines of the BEAM framework? As a rough estimate, aim for 3-5 “B” sources (background context); 3-5 “M” sources for theoretical background (I view these as providing a methodological / theoretical approach), and 10+ “A” sources focused more closely on the specific text and themes under discussion. You should not include your Exhibit (“E”) source on the bibliography.
Annotated Source List (Annotated Bibliography)
This part of the assignment asks you to further process a subset of the high-quality secondary sources you located and added to your working source list.
Instructions
For your annotated bibliography, you will select 10 of the sources contained in your working source list and annotate them in two ways:
- Provide an objective 2-3 sentence capsule summary of the work.
- Follow this more objective summary with a 2-3 sentence statement describing how you imagine the source will be useful to you in your actual project or an imagined project. Be sure to make use of Bizup’s BEAM scheme of categorizing the rhetorical use of the source.
S&R 2, WWR 2, and OCC 2
Your second S&R, WWT, and OCC, will be the substantially the same as your first versions of these assignment. For your OCC, however, you should employ three sources from your annotated source list, one of which may be your SRA source. These sources should be those that occupy the “A” in the BEAM typology–that is, articles that you work alongside as you make your point. Also note that these three projects should hold together more cohesively as your theoretical approach will likely find an echo in the articles you choose and the argument you hope to make.
Reflection
In a minimum of 750 words, reflect on your process as you worked on your Research and Writing Portfolio assignments and on your final products. The RWP is supposed to provide English MA students an opportunity to develop and demonstrate particular understandings and skills. In your reflection essay, please discuss how the various elements of your portfolio demonstrate the following.
- Your understanding of and effective practice of basic rhetorical conventions of contemporary literary and cultural criticism.
- Your ability to summarize contemporary scholarly and critical writing.
- Your understanding of the practice of criticism through the metaphor of conversation and your use of this model of critical practice in your own writing.
- Your ability to recognize a range of contemporary theoretical models for analyzing and interpreting texts and your incorporation of a theoretical perspective in your own writing.
- Your ability to develop a research question and to design and conduct appropriate primary and secondary research to answer it.
- Your awareness and navigation of certain disciplinary conventions and moves (transitions, quote integration, etc.)
- Your awareness of academic writing more generally in relation to Hayot, and also basic principles of good writing more generally.
Please be specific, and offer concrete evidence from your writing and research to illustrate your claims.
The Final Product:
Your final WRP project will be ordered as follows:
- Reflection
- WWT 2
- S&R 2
- OCC 2
- Bibliography (without annotations)