As you conduct your research, you will be working to develop a set of sources to inform your paper. The point is not to find whatever random sources come your way first, but to find sources that will be most productive for the exploration you intend to pursue. The annotated bibliography will help both of us know that you are on track. You should include at least seven independent sources that you will use in your paper. These sources should include books, articles, and historical texts (in translation) and should cover the range of BEAM/T sources necessary to write a good paper. While it is fine to sometimes turn to an old source, you should be especially careful to try to find the most up to date research you can. Just as scientific knowledge grows and changes direction over time, so the humanities and social sciences do, too. So it is important to base your research on the current state of whatever field you’re entering. We’ll discuss that more in class.
In addition to a properly formatted bibliography entry (use Turabian for formatting), each item should be followed by a short paragraph that is both descriptive and evaluative: you will summarize the content and approach of the book, article, chapter from a book, website, work of art, etc., evaluate it as a source, and say something about how it serves your purpose in the paper.
We will spend practice writing some annotated bibliography entries in class (using our class readings) so that you have some experience with this before the bibliography is due.
When you submit the proposal and bibliography together, please include a tentative paper title at the top of the page. This will help me see whether the materials you have selected are appropriate for the project.
Your major project this semester is an 8-page academic research paper on a topic related in some way to the problem of embodiment in medieval culture, either in Europe or, as a point of comparison, some other part of the interconnected medieval world. Using the work we’ve done in class as a starting point, and paying careful attention to the function of your various sources, write a thesis-driven research paper. I will be looking to see that you base your arguments on the evidence you find in your sources, substantiating your claims with reference to specific exhibit sources. You should be sure to draw on the full range of sources we’ve discussed: Background, Exhibit, Argument, and Methodology or Theory. On the last type of source, remember that we often employ methodologies and theories without being aware that we are doing so. Make sure that you consider your starting assumptions and make them visible in the final paper. (8 Page Research Paper)
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