Essay III: Analysis

Requirements:
MLA Format: 12pt Times New Roman font, 1” margins, double-spaced with MLA heading, header, and annotated bibliography
Proposal Length: 2 full pages (it is best to carry over onto the next page)
Annotation Length: 150-200 words each
Sources: Use at least six sources
Final Draft Due: 31 March by the beginning of class
Submission: Submit file as .doc or .docx only under the appropriate assignment block on Blackboard.
Essays not meeting the requirements will not be graded and must be resubmitted, and will be considered late for purposes of grading and revision.

Assignment: As the final essay in this course will be an academic research paper on the topic of your choice, it will require you to not only choose a topic of some interest on which to base your argument(s) but will also require extensive research in order to support your claims. Consequently, Essay III will take the form of a proposal for Essay IV, in which you outline the topic, begin to form a coherent argument about the subject, and provide an annotated bibliography that will serve as introductory research to help you step towards the writing of Essay IV. The first section of Essay III is the paper proposal (2+ pgs) that identifies your topic, formulates a thesis statement based on the available research, and contains a brief discussion and pertinent citations from the information you have found so far on the topic. This should argue why the perspective you plan on using in the final essay is valid and how you will go about writing it.

The second part of the project is the annotated bibliography of sources you have found. This bibliography must include at least six valid sources. Each source should have a proper MLA citation and, at least, one or two paragraphs of summary and annotation. A good summary should identify the author’s thesis, contain a concise description of what the source is about, discussion of the major support points of the thesis, and contain a judgment of the value of the source (and why).

These sources must be a combination of books, newspaper/magazine articles, academic journal articles, and online sources. The topic you choose may dictate that you will rely on more of one type of resource in Essay IV. If you cannot find certain types of resources on your topic, please discuss it with me immediately. The research librarians may also be able to direct you to alternative sources you may not otherwise consider. Unfortunately, if you cannot locate sufficient legitimate resources for your topic, you will have to find a new topic to research. No exceptions.

As always, all sources must be credited using MLA in-text citations and accompanied by a Works Cited page.