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I am currently only seeking help with the 2 page proposal portion of this
I am currently only seeking help with the 2 page proposal portion of this analytical research paper assignment. Below are the instructions for the entire paper so that you understand what needs to be contained within the research proposal. I was hoping to use the Arnolfini Double Portrait by Jan Van Eyck as the artwork, and something relating to how it involves/portrays social class, wealth, etc. I am open to other artworks and topics though if you have a better idea or more specific knowledge on something else. Note that it must be from the Renaisance time period (roughly 1400-1600).
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The capstone assignment for this course is an analytical research paper. An analytical research paper is an evidence-based research paper that combines your own original ideas and analysis of a topic with information gleaned from conducting primary and secondary source research. Note that, in contrast to other types of research papers, your goal for this assignment is not to summarize information. Instead, you should make a sustained and original argument.
(Links to an external site.)
The exact topic for the paper is yours to choose, for the most part. In fact, it will be up to you to develop a specific topic and research questions. There are only three restrictions for what you can choose to write about.
You must choose one work of art from the Renaissance (North or South) and center your analytical work on this artwork. In other words, the paper should focus on one work of art as opposed to a series of works or the overall career of an artist.
You must formulate an original argument about your artwork and how it relates to its historical and cultural context.
You must develop your argument by using both primary and secondary source material.
A research project is a major undertaking that requires mastery of several different skills. For that reason, the research project assignment has been broken down into five different steps for this course: the proposal, the progress report, the rough draft, the peer review, and the final draft.
Formatting note: All assignments for the paper project should be written in 12 pt. Times New Roman font. All margins should be one inch all around. This requirement is in place to make sure that everyone is held responsible for the same amount of written work. Don’t accidentally write more or less than you have to!
Research Paper Project Assignments
There will be five “sub-assignments” for the research paper project. The Requirements for each one are detailed below. While this might seem overwhelming at first, keep in mind that the paper has been broken down into these components to help keep you on track and make sure that any one component does not ‘make or break” your grade for the final paper assignment. Be sure to read the instructions carefully. With the exception of the peer review and the final draft, you will automatically receive full points for these assignments provided that you follow all of the directions!
1) The Proposal (1-2 double-spaced pages, due by the end of module 3)
Your proposal will give a brief overview of the topic you research, what you have already learned about it, and how you plan to conduct the entire project. It should be in essay form and do the following:
1) Identify the image you will be focusing on
2) Identify your topic. This should be narrow enough to be suitable for a final paper of 8-10 double-spaced pages.
3) Identify a source that helped you arrive at your specific topic. Then, explain how you plan to use or interact with the source in your final paper. This plan will likely evolve as you work. This component is just meant to demonstrate the validity of your approach and your familiarity with some scholarship.
4) Identify two research questions. Like your topic, they should be specific enough to be appropriate for an 8-10 page paper. Avoid broad topics like “Why did Michelangelo prefer to depict men?” and also very narrow topics like “What does the teapot mean in the Merode altarpiece?” If you are not sure how to develop a research question, consult the “Choosing a Research Topic” lecture in this module.
5) Briefly discuss how you plan to start answering your research questions.
6) Include a bibliography listing at least three scholarly sources you have already consulted. Note that tertiary sources (online or physical encyclopedias) and websites, generally, will not count towards this requirement.