Course Syllabus
LITT 2123: Introduction to Literary Research
Instructor: Professor Adeline Koh Tel: 609-626-6845
Email: Adeline.Koh@stockton.edu Office: K-125
Website: http://adelinekoh.org Twitter: @adelinekoh
Office Hours: T 9.30-10.30am, T 10.30am-11.30am
Course Canvas Website: https://canvas.instructure.com/courses/912386
Course Description: This course introduces students to the evaluation and use of scholarly electronic as well as traditional library resources for literary studies. Students conduct directed research in order to understand selected primary works within critical and cultural contexts. Developing your writing ability, particularly in the use and incorporation of sources, is an important course goal. Prerequisite: Open only to LITT majors and minors who have completed one literary interpretations course.
This course has two essential goals. Students should:
- Learn to apply course material (e.g., produce writing that demonstrates your ability to integrate effectively literary research methods, tools and texts)
- Learn to analyze and critically evaluate ideas (e.g., critically evaluate a range of literary research methods, tools and texts)
Other important goals for this course include:
- Developing skill in expressing yourself in writing (e.g., sharpening your critical writing and analysis skills, particularly in regard to your writing about literature and incorporating scholarly sources)
- Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the field(e.g., this course provides foundational knowledge for careers related to literary studies)
Required Texts
Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W.W. Norton (2006)ISBN-10: 0393924092. This text is also available at the following classes: CRIM 2141/001,GEN 2240/003, GEN 1120/002, GIS 3326/001, GSS 2121/006;008 & 011, LITT 2123/001
Hamid, Mohsin. The Reluctant Fundamentalist. Marina Books, 2007.
All other readings will be made available on Canvas.
Recommended Texts
The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (7th edition). 2009, ISBN: 9781603290241
Expectations and Policies:
Literary Research is a Hard Class with a Lot of Work, but is Ultimately Rewarding.
Literary Research is one of the most demanding courses in the Literature program. Unlike a typical literature class, where the bulk of the work consists of reading books and discussing them in class, much of the work of this course will take place outside of the classroom. Many of your assignments will require substantial time spent in the library and on-line doing research. You cannot complete this class successfully without spending many hours in Stockton’s library. You will also be asked to attend at least one event outside of class, and to make connections between literature, literary research, and the “real” world. You will need to plan your schedule accordingly, especially during the first half of the semester.
Understand that most of the assignments for this course cannot be done at the last moment. I intend to rigorously enforce the due dates in this syllabus, and will deduct points from late work. You will need to plan ahead. If you need extra help, ask for it.
Attendance
Regular attendance is expected in this course and it counts. You are permitted THREE absences for whatever reason; more than this and your final grade will be affected. Absences begin once attendance has been taken. Late entry to class and leaving class early will count as an absence. Emailing the instructor in advance does not mean that you have been excused. All absences have to be backed up with documentation in order to be excused.
Classroom Etiquette
I encourage active discussion of the ideas you will be learning in class. To faciliate this, all class participants are required to be civil to each other (and their instructor) during and outside of class. This includes all in-person and online discussions, as well as email and Twitter. If you disagree with a point made during class, turn your disagreement into a point for a discussion (e.g. instead of asking “do we have to do this?” ask “how would this help my learning?”) Being a constructive participant to class discussion will count towards your participation grade. Negative contributions that affect the classroom learning environment may lower your final grade.
For obvious reasons, please silence cell phones and do not text message, check email, listen to music, or surf the web during class.
Email Correspondence
Expect a turnaround of at least one business day for all email correspondence. (I check my mail regularly throughout the day, but never late at night, so trying to reach me at 2:00 am the day an assignment is due won’t be effective. Plan ahead.)
Late Assignments
I will not accept late work that counts towards your class participation grade. I may accept late major assignments, but will take points off.
Syllabus
The syllabus may change according to the needs of the class, and I will give you notice if it does.
Academic Honesty
All work that you turn in must be your own. Plagiarism (a form of academic dishonesty) includes, but may not be limited to, using all or part of a source, either directly or in paraphrase, either intentionally or unintentionally, whether that source is published, online, or from another student.
In other words, if you draw direct ideas and concepts from Sparknotes or various websites in constructing your work, but you do not cite these sources in any way, you have plagiarized, intentionally or unintentionally.
If this is the FIRST TIME you have been found to have plagiarized, you will receive an F for the assignment.
If this is the SECOND TIME, you will receive an F for the entire course.
In addition, in accordance with Stockton college policy, I will have to report all instances of plagiarism to the Provost of Academic Affairs. Students may be subject to discipline by the college, such as been placed on academic probation, or expelled.
For more information on Stockton’s academic policy, please refer to the Student Handbook: http://intraweb.stockton.edu/eyos/page.cfm?siteID=14&pageID=62
Assignments:
- Class Participation (includes in-class writing exercises): 20%
- Reference Resources (ungraded, but mandatory)
- Recognizing Scholarship Assessment (5%)
- Research Questions (15%)
- They Say, I Say Literature Review Assignment (10%)
- Citation Mechanics and other quizzes [announced and unannounced] (5%)
- Zotero Annotated Bibliography (20%)
- Workshop Participation (5%)
- Final Paper (20%)
Description of Major Assignments:
Class Participation: 20%
Includes active participation in class, in class activities and daily writing exercises.
Reference Resources: The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize you with the Stockton Library and the wide variety of reference materials available to you. Successful completion of this assignment will also help to prepare you for the Individual Research Questions you will be given later in the semester. You will print out a packet (located on the Course Content page in Blackboard) that lists a wide variety of reference resources. You will then locate those sources in the library and online and record information about them for your own future use.
Recognizing Scholarship: Using intrinsic clues (such as information about the author, publisher or journal as well as the quality of writing and research itself) you will answer a series of questions on the merits of the texts as scholarship.
Research Questions: You will receive up to 5 research questions in this very important assignment. You are expected to spend extensive time in Stockton's library, including but not limited to on-line databases, tracking down answers. Most of the questions cannot be adequately researched using the web. If you do find answers using the web, you are required to verify the answer using the resources of the Stockton library. Failure to verify web answers with print/database sources will result in points being deducted. You will submit answers and a thoughtful description of your research process in a well-written format. Students frequently ask whether this research can be completed at local town libraries. The short answer is no. Other college libraries will provide many of these answers, but most local libraries do not have the reference sources or academic focus needed to complete research of this sort.
Citation mechanics quizzes:
I have put on the course Canvas website a citation mechanics quiz. You can re-take the quiz and must score more than a 90% by March 26.
Further Instructions on the following assignments will be given out later in the semester.
They Say, I Say Literature Review Assignment
Zotero Community Annotated Bibliography Assignment
Workshop Participation
Final Paper
Week 1: Overview and Introduction to Reference Resources
Tues Jan 20 Class overview.
Thurs Jan 22 Read: Chapter One: “Research and Writing.” MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.
Pp. 3-50. Article available on Canvas.
In class: Introduction to writing research papers.
Reference Resources Assignment given out.
Start working on Reference Resources assignment
Week 2: Reference Resources and Research Questions
Tues Jan 27. Film viewing: Militainment.
Thurs Jan 29. Introduction to Online library databases, Zotero and Twitter.
Reference Resources assignment due in class.
Research Questions Assignment given out.
Week 3:
Tues Feb 3. Watch on streaming and live-tweet: Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear and the Selling of
American Empire.
Thurs Feb 5. Presentation by Campus Center
Due by 2.20pm: 1 page report on progress on research questions assignment.
Week 4: Reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Tues Feb 10. Read: Reluctant Fundamentalist Chapters 1-6
Thurs Feb 12. Activity: How to Diagram a Scholarly Essay
Week 5: Reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist and the Imaginative Geography of 9-11
Tues Feb 17 RESEARCH DAY--1 page report on progress on Research Questions due.
Thurs Feb 19 Read: Reluctant Fundamentalist Chapters 7-12
Week 6: Reading The Reluctant Fundamenalist: Whiteness and Masculinity
Tues Feb 24.
Read:
Thurs Feb 26. Read:
Week 7: Reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist: The “Worlding” of the American Novel.
Tues March 3. Read: Leerom Medovoi. “Terminal Crisis?” From the Worlding of American Literature to
World-System Literature. American Literary History. 23.3 (2011), 643-659.
Thurs March 5 RESEARCH DAY.
Research Questions Assignment Due on Canvas by 2.20pm.
Week 8
SPRING BREAK
Week 9: Recognizing Scholarship & They Say, I Say
Tues March 17 RECOGNIZING SCHOLARSHIP: How can you tell the difference between peer
reviewed/scholarly and popular sources? Discussion of How to cite in MLA Style, Plagiarism, How
to Start Working on your Annotated Bibliography. Review guidelines on MLA format in Hacker, pp
378-404
Thurs March 19. Read THEY SAY, I SAY, chapters 1-3.
Week 10: They Say, I Say.
Tues March 24 Precepting Day, No classes.
Thurs March 26 RESEARCH DAY. Recognizing Scholarship Assignment Due on Canvas.
90% or better in citation mechanics quiz due by this date.
Week 11: Zotero Annotated Bibliography Annotations #1 Due
Tues March 31 Read: THEY SAY, I SAY, chapters 4-7
Wed April 1. Precepting.
Thurs April 2. RESEARCH DAY. Zotero Annotations #1 due.
Week 12 They Say, I Say
Tues April 7 Read THEY SAY, I SAY, chapters 8-11.
WED APR 4: precepting
Thurs April 9 RESEARCH DAY.
DUE ON CANVAS by 2.20pm: Template for “They Say” side of scholarship on The Reluctant Fundamentalist you have read.
Week 13. Zotero Annotated Bibliography Annotations #2 Due.
Tues April 14 RESEARCH DAY Zotero Annotations #2 Due.
Thurs April 16 RESEARCH DAY They Say, I Say Literature Review Final Assignment Due
(Details given out closer to the date.)
FRI April 17: LITT BASH
Week 14: Workshops.
Tues April 21 WORKSHOPS: Sample Theses and Paper openings.
Thurs April 23 WORKSHOPS: Draft Workshop. Complete draft of final paper due.
Week 15
Tues April 28 WRITING CONSULTATIONS WITH PROF KOH
Thurs April 30 FINAL PAPER DUE, AND CELEBRATIONS
LAST DAY OF CLASSES: Friday May 1st
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|