This week the class will discuss how one incorporates evidence found through library research into a coherent paper. A researcher sometimes faces a superfluity of information, so the question is which is important to include and what can safely be left out.

• How does one make an effective argument?
• When is it appropriate to quote?
• How does one decide when to place information in the text or in a footnote?
• How does one cite a variety of sources?

Structure of a Research Paper

Introduction: The introduction is best written when you have pretty much finished your paper. It should hook the reader in with something small, but fascinating and expand from there, letting the reader know the scope of the paper and the issues which will be discussed.

Background information: Some background information is necessary to lay out for the reader so that they will be able to understand your argument. Only provide what is necessary. Do not try to retrace the history of the world, the very beginnings of Christianity, etc. For example, if you are writing on the misericords in Exeter Cathedral, you should provide background on the liturgy and church services which demanded that the monks stand, necessitating the use of misericords. Explain why the demands of the liturgy changed. Do not explain how plentiful the forests were in medieval England.

The argument: For example, "The stained glass windows in Trinity Chapel at Canterbury Cathedral were directly influenced by the cult which focused on St. Thomas Becket's blood relics." There is a lot of information which needs to be explained. What are these windows? Where are they located? What is the cult of St. Thomas Becket? Why did it focus on blood reliquaries? Why and how can you link the windows and the cult together? Your writing should be based on answering many questions and explaining your thesis clearly.

Tips for writing a good research paper

• Avoid jargon at all costs
• Try to avoid quotes for the most part.
• Put the information into your own words and then cite your source in a footnote.
• Notice that scholarly articles use quotes sparingly and with great impact.
• Put information that is interesting and pertinent in some way, but is not directly part of your argument into a footnote.
  For example: "Window n.III of Trinity Chapel dates to 1213-16."

  You can put in a footnote how scholars have arrived at that date. Or

  "Misericords were carved out of wood rather than stone because of the availability of that material in great quantity."

  Here you would footnote how you know that so much wood was available.

• Remember to cite a primary source here if possible.
• Make sure your paragraphs have transitions between them, lead the reader from one section of your paper to another.

Citing Sources: There are many different ways to cite sources. The field of Art History uses footnotes. These footnotes allow for short bibliographic listings and tangential discussions. In this class, we will be following the Chicago Manual of Style for the citation format. There are two copies of the Chicago Manual in the library. One copy is located on the Ready Reference shelves next to the 'Ask Us Desk' (2nd floor Chalmers) and the other copy is on the reference shelves outside of Carmen's office in the Music Listening Room (3rd floor Chalmers).

ASSIGNMENT

Please turn in four pages of your paper in progress in which you incorporate a variety of sources and cite them correctly.