This collaborative project is assigned midway through the term. Thus far, we have spent the first part of the class becoming intimately familiar with the language of literary analysis. We are now moving into a section of the course devoted to research. This project seeks to present the class with an opportunity to conduct research on a literary topic in a way that emphasizes the creative aspects of literary research--and, hopefully, to make research less intimidating and more exciting!

Most students are overwhelmed and intimidated by the prospect of "conducting research"--it seems so formal, so distant, so difficult. But we all do research every day. Perhaps not on explicitly literary topics, true, but we do research every day nonetheless. You're doing it whenever you look up some fact on Wikipedia, and you're doing it when you use IMDB to find out what else your favorite actress has appeared in.  In fact, whenever you think critically and deliberately about something, especially when you have to evaluate or analyze, you're doing a form of research. Research is about discovering something new. If you think about the word itself, "research," you should notice that it contains two parts--the prefix "re-" and the root "search." What does this tell you about research? What does it mean to search again?

This project has a variety of discrete components. Be sure you read through everthing before you start!

1. We'll be using this wiki space to create what amounts to a hypertextual research archive, so one of the first things we'll need to do is learn what a wiki is and how to use it. Then, be sure you've read all about the project on these wiki pages, and check out the sample I've provided. Once you've done that, you're ready to move on to the fun parts!
2. Read and reread the text; mark it up; ask questions of it. Read it critically and actively. Read with a pencil in your hand!
3. Plan: Each student must contribute five explication annotations and one entry for an annotated bibliography, in addition to the other research components. Keep this in mind when you're re-reading--make sure no one is overlapping on explications!
   • Each student will be contributing five entries on the text itself. These entries should explicate the particular elements of the text, as we've been doing in the first part of the course. You may contribute any combination of annotations on metaphor, simile, metonymy, motif/image cluster, theme, tone, mood, irony, ambiguity, or characterization. Each annotation should be a paragraph in length, well-organized with a topic, body, and conclusion sentences. It should use the literary term correctly, show where the element is, and explicate how it works. Each annotation should use direct quotes and MLA-styled parenthetical citation.
   • Each student will be contributing one annotation on a critical secondary source of his or her choice. Find an article about the text (or some aspect of it) that interests you, read it, and create an annotated bibliographic entry on it for inclusion into the project. These annotations will appear in the "Bibliography" page.

    

   What Kind of Information Will We Research?

    

   As a class, determine what kind of information we'd like to research. Some possible research kinds include: biographical information, allusions, illustrations, references in later texts, and historical contexts, among others. Be creative! Your research should be informed by your reading of the text--when you were engaged in active reading, what questions did you ask of the text?

4. Write your five explication annotations and link them to the specific moments in the text. Consider them as in the first draft stage--you might find an interesting point to incorporate in your later research, and you'll definitely need to revise. But it's important to get started; keep in mind that wikis can easily be updated!
5. Plan: Determine what else you want to learn about the text. You might also consider what other readers would like to know; since this will be a publicly accessible project, other students might use it for their own research! [More Info]
6. Divide the work: Who will be doing what kind of research?
7. Determine how you're going to go about your research. [More Info]
8. Begin compiling your research. Take extensive notes, and keep track of your sources!
9. Plan: Determine how you'll add your researched annotations to the text. While the five explication annotations should be linked to specific moments in the text, your other research may not be so easily incorporated. [More Info]
10. Begin annotating the text. [More Info]
11. Workshop all your annotations. [More Info]
12. Finalize the project by proofreading, editing for style, checking documentation, and adding links to other useful pages.
13. Create your author profile, so later readers can learn about the folks who put this project together, and congratulate yourself!