Write a paragraph (at least six sentences) in which you describe your overall topic, your perspective on that topic, and your methodology in getting your perspective across.

For help in formulating your thesis statement, consult the Skidmore Guide to Writing.

You will have two opportunities to present your thesis before the class, once near the middle of the research process, and once at the end. The first presentation will demonstrate your current position, and where you hope to proceed from there. The second will summarize your completed paper at large.

Both presentations will be brief and to the point, and must be offered in a formal and scholarly manner. Students are encouraged to utilize some kind of visual aid, including handouts, Microsoft PowerPoint, or webpages. Your peers will grade both performances.

An annotated bibliography is more than simple a list of references. Rather, it is a catalog of your sources crossed with a summary of your reading. Each entry in your annotated bibliography should include the following:

• the complete citation of a source in a recognized bibliographic format;
• a summary of that source — its thesis and main ideas; and
• a critique of the source — how successful it was in getting its thesis across, as well as how it relates to your own thesis.

The annotations (the summary and the critique) should be at least a paragraph apiece. Your bibliography will grow in breadth and depth over the course of the term (note the three due dates).

More than a skeletal, line-by-line synopsis of your paper, but less than a full-fledged draft, the outline draft must illustrate your progress on the paper to date. Such drafts typically consist of paragraphs of rough prose, interspersed with one- or two-line headings that either introduce the main point of each paragraph or bridge the gap between two paragraphs.

Whatever the format of your draft, it should show a majority of developed and coherent ideas, and a minority of underdeveloped and vague ones. Sources should be cited throughout, as you will do in your final draft.

Both your instructor and your peers will comment on your outline draft, so be sure to make adequate copies.

Your final paper, approximately 20 pages in length and featuring appropriate citations of promary and sceondary sources, is due in class on December 12th. Remember that on this day you will also make a formal thesis presentation.