This PowerPoint will help you as you research one of the major authors of the Appalachian region.

1. WritingforENGL 205
TheMajorAuthors
Assignment

2. The paper is
NOT:
• An Annotated Bibliography
• A summary of each
individual source
• A book review

3. The paper IS:
 First and foremost, a synthesis of multiple
resources guided by the fundamental
question: What do we know or not know
about this particular issue/ topic/ subject?
 How well you answer this question depends
upon:
 the thoroughness and effectiveness of
your search for information
 the quality and reliability of the sources
you choose
 your ability to synthesize the material,
relating research studies to one another
and to your own thesis or purpose

4. Identify the
author that
you will
research:
 Select an author fromAppalachia.
 Familiarize yourself with the author and
the subjects that the author explores.
 It is important to know the topic well
 The latest research and works
 Any arguments or debates regarding
the author and subjects
 How the author and subject
influenced the socio/cultural
environment of the region
 Read, read, read!

5. Take notes
as you read
 Decide on a note-taking format and
be consistent in how you record
notes.
 Note key ideas, statistics, etc., that
you may want to use in the
introduction to your review.
 Select useful quotes that you may
want to include in your
review.

6. Note
Strengths &
weaknesses
 Your role as a researcher is to evaluate
what you read, so that your work is not
a mere description of different articles,
but rather a critical analysis that makes
sense of the collection of articles that
you have found.
 Note the strengths and weaknesses of
the authors’ work.

7. The
introduction
to the
research
essay
should
include the
following:
 Identification and explanation of the
author and the topic he or she
writes about most often.
 Why the author and topic are
important
 Any necessary background
information
 A description of the time frame,
location, etc.

8. The body of
the
essay should
include:
 Multiple sources, including academic
articles, works of fiction, nonfiction, or
creative nonfiction written by at the
author
 Obviously, the name of the author,
the author’s connection to Appalachia, a
biography of the author, and a picture of
the author
 The relevancy of the author and any
works discussed. Which, if any, of the
works are considered classic?
Controversial?