- The standard academic Research Paper
- 2,500-3,000 words (around 8 to 10 double-spaced pages), not including the Works Cited
- Must include a Primary Source
- Must include 5 to 7 Scholarly Secondary Sources
- MLA Format (12pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, no title page
- You will choose a topic and a primary source to build an academic research paper. **On the last page of this document, there are a list of movies that portray classically recognized myths—this is a good place to start!** You may also select a short story, a novel, etc. for your primary source. The primary source could even be a song (the musical Hadestowncomes to mind)! However, your primary source *must* present a recognized myth. It might be a retelling of a myth, discuss a myth, or consider a myth in a new way, but your primary source must incorporate mythology in the spirit of our course (i.e. Mythology in Motion).
The research paper will have a clear thesis statement and will use research strategies to present an argument and original analysis. If you are struggling to start, it is helpful to outline paragraphs that offer claims, evidence to support the claims, and then your own original analysis, which should explain how the evidence negotiates your claim. Your original analysis is the most important part of your paper, as this is where you build on past scholarship to contribute something new to the field of research.
The 5-7 secondary sources must be scholarly, but they may range from journal articles, books/book chapters, statistical and case studies, etc. You can sort the results from our online library system using the “Scholarly & Peer-Reviewed” filters. Your secondary sources should be positioned in such a way that they facilitate and enhance your argument regarding the primary source that you chose.
Essays are expected to be polished, edited, and free from typographical mistakes when they are handed in.
primary sources
Odysseus:
Uliisses (1982)
Ulysses (1955)
The Return of Ulysses to His Home (1973)
O Brother (2000)
Gladiator (2000)
The Revenant (2016)