Research-Based Literary Analysis; Or,
“Doing” Victorian Studies
The paper should be grounded in a close reading of the chosen text and a thorough analysis of the words on the page. You’ll also want to choose an interpretive framework that corresponds with the type of research question that you want to pursue. Finally, you’ll go to the library and look for sources to help you develop an interpretation of your chosen text. Instead of being a lone voice in the wilderness, this time you’ll be a voice that is entering a conversation about literature. The end result will be a 4-6 page research paper that is organized around your own original thesis and supported with your analysis of a chosen text, a primary source, and a secondary source.
Tips for success:
1. Formulate a research question to guide your investigation. We come to understand our world through questioning. Asking good questions, however, is a habit acquired over time. The modest research project you are about to undertake will give you practice formulating a question.
Here’s one formula for organizing ideas in order to pursue a research project effectively (from The Craft of Research by Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams):
While this formula certainly doesn’t exhaust the possible avenues of exploration for a given topic, it does accomplish three key tasks that are essential to beginning a research project: 1) it identifies the topic, 2) it identifies a question related to the topic, and 3) it motivates the question by indicating why it might be important to your readers.
** Tip: The answer to this question will likely be your thesis statement!
2. Find two sources to use in the paper.
* One must be a primary source (i.e., another work by the same author; another work by a contemporary; a historical document from the time period; a theoretical/philosophical writing that you’d like to use to shed light on the text; a painting)
* One must be a secondary source (i.e., an article or book by a scholar who has studied the text and provided an interpretation)—here, go for something recent, within the last 10 years or so!
3. Write your paper. In this 4-6 page paper, your goal is to provide an interpretation of your chosen text that is enriched by your independent research. In your paper, you should do the following:
• Clearly articulate a thesis that responds to a research question and communicates your position;
• Support your position with evidence that you have gathered and synthesized, as well as your close reading of the chosen text;
• Introduce and respond to positions that are different from yours, and include rebuttal when necessary;
• Show a constant concern for clear and cohesive organization, which includes writing paragraphs with identifiable topic sentences and transitional sentences;
• Incorporate quotations, paraphrases, and summaries of research smoothly with proper citations;
• Display a solid grasp of MLA citation style and include a Works Cited page; and
• Use a consistent voice and style that reflects a “student expert” ethos.
