EFFIE PAPANIKOLAOU INTRODUCTION FOR FACULTY TO THIS LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT In the Center for Writing Excellence/CELT Workshop on Improving Student Writing in Content Courses, I initially wanted to work on restructuring my assignments for my undergraduate majors course (MUS 311/312), but I found myself thinking about and working on the graduate music research course (MUS 621). Possibly the change occurred because the latter is more writing-intensive and oriented. I already had a pretty detailed assignment sheet that described the process toward the final project of the semester, including a presentation and submission of a 15-page-long research topic. I amplified my instructions to include even more details, and structured it in a way that reflects a logical process of topic selection, initial research, note-taking, draft-writing, to the final class presentation and preparation of the paper. Because of the nature of the course, I have to make clear that writing skills are graded. They have to be able to do footnotes, bibliographies, reviews, abstracts, etc., in correct bibliographic format. So I’m not so much interested in their original thoughts, but rather in their ability to accomplish decent research techniques and writing skills. I decided to incorporate all these ideas, under different headings and paragraphs, into the assignment sheet. The major change came from reading Bean’s* position on the word “outline” and how it should be replaced by the word “prospectus.” Not having been educated in the U.S. until my graduate years, I had missed the negative connections that students might have made with the use of the word “outline” in their high school education. It was an invaluable lesson to me, especially because I used the word “outline” and demanded that my students use that specific format in that part of their process. Instead, I made it an option: I still ask for an outline, and provide a sample of the format, because I believe that it is very helpful for the way some students need to structure their thoughts; but I also make it an option for them to write a prospectus (3 pages) that will include more or less the same information but in a less structured manner and with more freedom to incorporate changes. Additionally, I took the advice of one of my colleagues at the workshop to move the presentation days earlier in the semester, instead of having them during the last two weeks of classes, when everything else is also due. It will work just as fine, and maybe even better in terms of the time they will be given after their class presentation to incorporate any changes—suggestions that may come as a result of their presentation-- into their final paper. All the steps in this assignment are very clearly and specifically outlined because students who enter the Master’s program in Music Performance have very little or no experience with academic work, and I found out that they need all the information they can get—and even then, they need to read it many times to understand it completely. I truly believe that this is a much better assignment than the original one. The content has not changed, but the process is a lot more comprehensively presented. I value the end result (long paper with bibliography) a lot, but they must realize that the process is also invaluable to them—a process that they will need to master and use again, especially for their Master’s thesis. *John C. Bean. Engaging Ideas: The Professor’s Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. EFFIE PAPANIKOLAOU LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT FOR STUDENTS
MUS 621, Fall 2003
Graduate Research in MusicProf. Eftychia Papanikolaou
Final Project: Presentation and Term Paper
The final project for this course, as outlined in your syllabus, will be a 15-page-long research paper, with appended bibliography, which you will present in class prior to its due date. The entire process and end-results will constitute 35% of your final grade. The goal you should set out for yourselves in completing this assignment is three-fold: 1. To become acquainted with the library and its reference – including on-line – materials. 2. To learn about issues in music research and develop your ability to think critically and evaluate the sources. 3. To demonstrate a refined writing style, as a result of goals met and skills acquired throughout the semester. You have to be able to synthesize your sources, make concrete arguments, and present the state of research with a final conclusion. This project does not have to be an original research; your final paper has to exhibit a thorough understanding of previous research on the topic and pose the potential and importance for future research. The timeline and due dates for the preparation of this project are as follows: 1) September 1: Choose a topic for your final project. DUE in class Narrow it down as much as you can. Make it relevant to your interests in your performance area and choose a topic that you really would like to work on for the next four months. You do not need to come up with an original thesis; instead, concentrate on a topic for which a lot of literature already exists. You are required to meet with me prior to making your decision, even if you are absolutely certain about the topic you have chosen. Declare your intention, a thesis about why this is an important topic, and what you would like to accomplish/prove by this research in an one-page abstract. Remember that all written work submitted during the semester must be double-spaced and proofread! 2) September 1-10: Research your topic. In the library: books, articles, thematic catalogues, scores, etc. On-line: Worldcat, RILM, Music Index, Humanities Index, etc. 3) September 10-15: Read your sources and evaluate them. Take down notes; evaluate the relevance of your sources as well as their accuracy/usefulness; locate biases and conflicting and/or controversial opinions. Make sure that you include any such aspects of your research in your final discussion. 4) September 30: Prepare an annotated bibliography (sample page attached). DUE in class [5%] The bibliography should be in alphabetical order. Make sure that you have included at least 10 books, 5 journal articles, and 5 articles in collections of essays. Depending on your topic, you should also list scores and recordings separately. Use correct bibliographic format. Below each source write an annotation regarding its content and usefulness for your project. Be as specific as you wish; writing specific ideas and even page numbers of places you need to review or quote may prove to be extremely helpful later on. 5) October 15: Submit a three-page prospectus of your project. DUE in class [5%] This is NOT a rough draft, but an outline of your paper. You may use the specific format indicated on the attached page. Make sure that you include at least one meaningful statement for each point (I, a, i, 1, etc.) that summarizes as accurately as possible what you intend to write/analyze/focus on in as specific an order as possible. Include the revised and edited bibliography (without the annotations). Whether you decide to use the suggested format or not (especially if you are still in the discovery stage, and you will formulate concrete arguments only later on), make sure that your 3-page prospectus addresses clearly all of the following questions: • What is the topic and which angle do you intend to address/explore in your research? Make it as specific and as narrow as you can. • What is interesting/important about your topic? Are there are problematic areas in your research? What is the state of research to date? • What are some of the key points that you will focus on later on? • What are some of the main arguments/controversies surrounding your research topic? 6) November 1: First draft – 2 pages. DUE in class [2,5%] Prepare a first draft of the first two pages of your paper for peer review. Make sure that those two pages include the introduction to your topic, stating your main thesis. Include footnotes in correct format. 7) November 3: Second draft – 2 pages. DUE in class [2,5%] Incorporate revisions from the peer review and submit a second draft of the first two pages for review by me. 8) November 5-25: Class presentations of final projects. [5%] You will have 30 minutes to present in class the topic you have researched. Use handouts, music, overhead, or any other equipment you may find useful. The last 15 minutes of the class will be devoted to questions and discussion.
9) November 20: Third draft – 5 pages with bibliography. DUE in class [5%] Incorporate further revisions of the two-page draft, and submit it with 3 additional pages. These five pages should constitute the first five pages, as they will appear in your final paper. Include footnotes in correct format and append the revised and edited bibliography.
10) December 10, first day of exam period: FINAL PAPERS DUE IN MY MAILBOX! [10%] Incorporate all the revisions, including any that may have resulted from your presentation and subsequent class discussion. Edit and proof-read your paper one more time before turning it in. As a general rule, you should use direct quotations from your sources very infrequently; you may summarize/paraphrase or refer to a source without having to quote it. If and when you need to use a direct quotation, use it constructively by building an argument around it, or by using it as a point of reference for your discussion. Your final paper should include: a title page, at least 15 pages (numbered) of your research, bibliography (numbered), and optional appendices with graphs, iconography, or music examples.
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