Final Project
English 500

Assignment: Create a proposal and annotated bibliography for a larger paper.

• The proposal should frame a question or a define a problem that you want the paper to explore. The proposal must be 2-3 pages, and it should include the following:

  • Clearly identify a question or a problem.

  • Explain why this question or problem matters. Why is it important, and what are the stakes of your proposed intervention?

  • Name and briefly contextualize the most important primary texts you will work with to explore this question or problem.

  • Name and briefly contextualize the most important secondary texts you will work with to explore this question or problem.

  • What theoretical approach do you anticipate using to address this question or problem?

• The annotated bibliography should offer 600-1500 word summaries of at least 6 unique scholarly articles or books relevant to the project, though it could include more. You must find at least six of these sources through your own research beyond our course readings, and they must be indexed in The Modern Language Association Bibliography. The quality of the research will count in the final grade.

Strategies: The first challenge is choosing a problem or a question. You might focus on a work of literature, a position in criticism, or a theoretical concept. It should be in an area that you are interested in exploring, and that you hope might lead to future projects, interests, teaching etc.

Obviously, research is key. You will need to identify, read, and write about the major critical statements made in scholarly articles and books. You will need to understand who the major critics are, who is responding to them, what the theoretical issues are, and how the conversation has evolved over time. You will want to research well in excess of what makes it in the final annotated bibliography. The goal is to be an expert reader of this question or problem, and, moreover, to fully grasp its critical reception and major interpretations.

Format: Your paper should be neatly typed, printed single-sided, and use an elegant serif font (Times New Roman or Garamond are ideal). You should rigorously follow all MLA style guidelines for research papers, including page numbering, margins, paragraph spacing, and use in-text citation. The annotated bibliography must be properly formatted, and the entire paper must be double spaced.