Commodus as Hercules

Assignment: Writing a Research Paper for Art 1

Purpose:
To learn how to communicate a set of ideas based on a thesis of your choosing; find relevant sources, identify key pieces of information, assimilate the knowledge and integrate that information into a cohesive essay with correct documentation.

Skills:
Time management, organization of material, discerning relevance of material (is it a fact or opinion?), evaluating ideas, communication through writing, reading critically, working independently, and meeting deadlines.

1. Form a Thesis: A thesis statement is short and concise. It is included in the Introduction of the paper and tells the reader what the main point, idea, or central message will be in your paper.

Your thesis can be specific to the work of art and/or focus on historical context. You can focus on political, social, religious, or economic conditions of any time period covered in the class.

Narrow your thesis! This is only a 3-page paper and it would be impossible to write about the Roman Empire in only three pages. Narrowing your thesis is also a good challenge for your research skills.

2. Research: The paper further develops, supports, and explains the thesis by providing evidence and examples. The clearer the thesis statement is, the easier it is to research and write the paper. Research tries to get as close to primary sources as possible to get the most substantial supporting evidence.

Acceptable Sources: Long Beach City College Library Databases, for example, JStor. Most .edu sites are acceptable as are some museum sites, Khan Academy, Smarthistory, Encyclopedia Britannica, Art 1 textbooks, and/or any other scholarly publications.
Note: scholarly websites used must list the author, the title of the website, the source of publication, the date it was accessed and provide a complete link.

3. Organize: Search for the most relevant sources for your thesis, make sure they are complete, and keep them in one location. As your find sources, know that your thesis statement might change based on the sources you find. Verify any quotations used.

4. Write a draft: You can draft sections of the paper without knowing how it all fits together. Then work on transitioning the sections into a whole paper. Check that you’ve recorded the sources accurately in footnotes or endnotes.

5. Revise and edit: Allow enough time for this! Make sure the essay flows cohesively, check for repetitions and redundancies, check for grammatical errors.

6. Write the final paper: Include the bibliography which will list all the sources you read for your paper, even if you did not use the source in writing the paper. Turn your paper in by the due date.

Writing the paper:

1. 3 pages of text, roughly 250 words per page, double-spaced.
2. 12 pt., readable font (Times New Roman). Right, left, top, and bottom borders should be set at about 1”.
3. Number the text pages ONLY!! DO NOT number the title page, bibliography
4. Title Page: Include your name, course name, date, and title of the paper.
5. Four (4) sources must be used either by footnotes or endnotes.
6. Bibliography will list all sources read for the assignment.
7. Allow enough time!! The paper will probably take more time than you think it will. Expect that your topic and thesis will change somewhat during the course of your research and you will have to do further research.

Grading Rubric
A more complete grading rubric will be on Canvas
Title page – 5 pts.
Introduction – 5 pts.
Text – 60 pts. Graded on appropriateness of the topic, thesis statement, focus, relevant research to explain and support the thesis through evidence, transitions between paragraphs, paragraph structure, sentence structure, spelling, and consistency.
Conclusion – 5 pts.
Citations (footnotes or endnotes) – 10 pts. Graded on accuracy, format, and relevance.
Bibliography* – 10 pts. Graded on accuracy, format, and relevance.

Check class syllabus or Canvas for the due date. Late papers are accepted but marked down.

On reserve in the library: A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnet. There are many editions of this book and most will be helpful to all students.