RESEARCH PROJECT
Instructions and Assessment Rubric
* * * Be extremely cautious not to
plagiarize. Plagiarism on either the first or final draft can lead to a
grade of zero for that draft. See the syllabus for a definition of
plagiarism. Ignorance is no excuse.* * *
Assignment for Nonteacher-candidates (alternative to teaching package)
EN325 – Modern Grammar
Dr. Jeff Glauner
Students who are not intending to go into teaching may substitute for the required teaching package a 2000-word research project. This project will be a summary research paper detailing the development of English grammatical scholarship and teaching from the mid-19th century to the late 20th century. I expect you to seek out reliable sources for your research from libraries, internet, textbooks, etc. In part, this research project is a test of your skill and tenacity as a searcher for knowledge. The more thorough you are in your search and the more effectively you turn your research findings into a coherent and informative paper, the better your grade will be. The projects will be presented in three parts (i.e., prospectus and two drafts). Be extremely careful not to plagiarize your sources. Give proper scholarly credit for any word, phrase, or even any idea you derive from a source. Your voice should be the main voice of the paper. Your sources should be authoritative support for that voice.
The prospectus is to be submitted by the specified date in the syllabus. It contains the titles, authors, and dates of publication of major works upon which your project will be based and a brief statement of intentions for your project.
The first draft (2000 words minimum) is to be submitted by the specified date indicated in the syllabus. It must have a close relationship to your prospectus. It should have an effective opening paragraph that clearly states the paper's intentions and provides the reader with a fundamental idea of the directions your paper will take. It must have several paragraphs or groups of well-developed paragraphs, each thoroughly exploring a subtopic of your paper. In the end, readers should be satisfied that you explored your topic thoroughly, explained your ideas clearly, and presented conclusions that are supported by the content of your paper. This draft must include as its final page a bibliography or list of works cited containing at least six authoritative entries specifically cited in your paper; and you must cite your sources whenever it is appropriate using MLA form. Although you may list tertiary sources such a encyclopedias in your bibliography, they do not count as part of the six required sources. Internet sources are encouraged, but remember that they must meet tests of authority to be of much use to your discussion and you must have at least three authoritative sources that do not come from the internet. Citation of sources must reflect your general mastery of bibliographical form. You must use MLA style. This draft will be evaluated upon the above considerations, not upon its grammar, spelling, or punctuation.
The final draft (2000 words minimum) is to be submitted by the specified date indicated in the syllabus. If the first draft is excellent, the final draft might be no more than a carefully edited version of the first. You may, however, wish to do much more since it will be evaluated upon all aspects from focus to development to organization to sentence mechanics and punctuation. I encourage you to proofread your final draft with a friend or a tutor to ensure that you have discovered and corrected all mechanical errors.
Late submission of either draft without an excellent documented excuse will result in reduced credit. If, after the first draft, you decide to change your primary sources or to change completely the major focus of your project, you must start over with a new first draft.
Your prospectus is valued at 10% of the project grade. Your first draft is valued at 20% of the project grade. Your final draft is valued at 70% of your project grade.