martin luther king, jr., “letter from birmingham jail”
You should begin your initial research about your chosen literature with some biographical information
about the author then begin to read as much analysis of your particular selection as possible. When you
are ready to begin writing your research paper, the biographical information should be very brief as an
introduction to your literature.
Keep in mind that the purpose of your paper is to critically analyze your chosen work, focusing on some
aspect of the overall work that helps to define and unify a central argument. Possible research questions
might include:
What is unique about the work that makes it worthwhile?
What technique(s) does the author use?
What argument(s) are central to this piece?
How effective are these argument(s)?
What is unique about the way the writer presents these argument(s)?
How do the writers techniques help define this piece as literature of importance?
These questions are not all inclusive but should serve as a guide as you are researching and reading.
Requirements
Your finished paper should adhere to the following requirements:
2000-word scope
One primary source (chosen piece of literature)
No less than three credible, academic secondary sources (research)
Correct use of in-text documentation and Works Cited page (MLA format)
Wikipedia and other WWW sources are not always reliable. You should be able to find biographical
information and some critical sources from the online library databases. Critical sources that you find
online should be from previously published articles in a reputable magazine, journal, or newspaper, and
can be found in an academic database.
The importance of a careful, methodical writing process should not be underestimated here. If your
research paper is not solidly grounded in each of these steps, your final product will be inadequate. Be
sure to use your instructor as a resource; contact him or her as needed during the formative stages of this
paper to insure that your work, albeit rough, is also efficient and substantial.
