You have two kinds of final projects you may pursue: a) a “long” Yoknapedia entry (see Religion for a great example) or b) a traditional research paper. The deadlines and most of the process are the same; the difference is that the Yoknapedia entries will gloss a term using a wide array of secondary sources and moorings in Faulkner’s fiction, whereas the research papers will mount an argument that engages with one or more ongoing critical conversations in Faulkner studies and/or other fields. This distinction might be pretty subtle in some cases: ask me for advice if you’re not sure whether a topic is a good fit for the encyclopedia. In both cases, you will submit about 3,000 words, more or less, and have a generous handful (5-7) sources at a minimum. Here are the sub-assignments and deadlines:

11/5: Research question due (on blog)

Your question should define a topic: a research question aimed at one or more primary texts that relates them to some kind of cultural context.  It should be brief and pithy: about 100 words.  And it might include some ideas about research strategies: what primary texts you will engage, where you will look for secondary sources, etc. Here’s a pretty good example of a question, and here’s another one. And I’ve assembled a bunch of potential topics (some extremely broad and in need of sharpening!) here. For the Yoknapedia, check out the good old entry list for “long” ideas.

11/9: simple bibliography (on blog)

Following our Zoom with wonder-librarian Jennifer Newman on 11/5, you will compile a list of relevant sources for your project in MLA format on the blog, followed by a brief description (one paragraph or so) about your research process: what databases you consulted, what search terms you used, and so on. All projects will look different, but successful projects will have at least five sources that meet the criteria laid out in our library visit. I’ve compiled some items in an open bibliography and created a research guide: for the former, created on the bibliographic platform Zotero, feel free to borrow or just use for inspiration.

11/23: annotated bibliography due (on blog)

• at least 5-7 sources (depending on your project, might be “secondary sources” like journal articles and books from university presses or “primary sources” like Faulkner’s novels, letter, interviews, etc.).
• each source should have a sentence or two beneath it describing the argument of the source or otherwise explaining its relevance to the project. Here are two good examples.
• a brief paragraph describing your process: what you’ve looked for, what help you’ve gotten from the library, what some of your keywords/research questions are, etc.
• Don’t forget to look at the Zotero library I’ve put together.

11/30: optional submission of draft

• for traditional papers: some kind of draft, however rough.  It could be a nice-looking draft, a body without an intro, an intro without a body (but at least some detailed notes in an outline).  I’m not interested in having you tweak your writing process to meet my requirements; I am interested in your having a firm deadline to give me something to keep you from procrastinating.
• for Yoknapedia entries, the draft should still be in a word processor for ease of editing/commenting.
• this deadline is for your benefit and it optional: if you’d like me to read something, however, this is the last opportunity for feedback prior to the final deadline.

12/7: final project due by class time

• submit via Dropbox (research papers) or the Google Form (Yoknapedia)
• please come to the final class prepared to give a very brief (3 min) and informal reflection on your project: your argument, interesting aspects of the research process, something that didn’t go well but you learned from. No wrong answers; just an opportunity to share your work with all of us.