The aim of the course is to provide the students with the skills that are necessary for conducting individual scholarly research and presenting its results satisfactorily.
The course consists of two components: a) tools and sources for carrying out research: specialist bibliographies, reference sources and digital databases; the ability to select and concentrate on specific topics; assessment of reference material; plagiarism vs. allusion, paraphrase, quotation, and reporting; planning the outline; preparation of working bibliography; thesis statement; note taking; presentation of final paper according to the format adopted by the department; b) presentation and writing skills, comprehension of sophisticated critical texts; current literary terminology; familiarity with basic theoretical approaches.
Vertical Tabs
Course Learning Outcomes
| Learning Outcomes | Program Outcomes | Teaching Methods | Assessment Methods |
| 1) To conduct individual and original research. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
| 2) To select an appropriate focus. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
| 3) To consult print and electronic media. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
| 4) To evaluate sources. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
| 5) To gain familiarity with methodologies of text analysis and their practical application, and the critical terminology used in scholarly texts and articles. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
| 6) To acquire the skills necessary for oral and written presentation of research papers. | 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 | 1,2,3 | C,D |
Course Flow
| COURSE CONTENT | ||
| Topics | Study Materials | |
| General Introduction; aim and scope of the seminar; methodology and material | ||
| Guided Library Tour: research facilities, access to electronic databases | ||
| Tools of research: Information on specialist bibliographies and reference sources. | ||
| Evaluation of assignments and seminar discussion. | ||
| Brief seminar presentations of topics selected | ||
| Research methodology; evaluation of sources; placing the research topic in a scholarly context; | ||
| Current literary and cultural trends; adoption of a particular theoretical viewpoint and method of treatment | ||
| Comprehension of sophisticated critical texts; current literary terminology | ||
| Preliminary discussion concerning the Term Paper; revision of the information given in the MLA Handbook on the preparation of the topic statement; working bibliography and working outline | ||
| Seminar discussion and shared evaluation of progress made so far | ||
| Taking notes from primary and secondary sources; analysis and evaluation; | ||
| Writing skills: importance of writing clearly and correctly with proper indication of the sources used; whether the material is paraphrased or quoted. | ||
| Presentation skills: documentation, final bibliography, format, other items such as notes, glossaries, and indexes may be added if relevant | ||
| Students’ presentations | ||
| Students’ presentations and final shared overview | ||
Recommended Sources
| RECOMMENDED SOURCES | |
| Textbook | MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th edition, The Modern Language Association of America, New York, 2009 |
| Additional Resources |
Peter Barry, Beginning Theory, Harvester, 1995
Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism, ed. V. Leitch, Norton 2001 Literary Theory: an Anthology, eds. M. Ryan and J. Rivkin, Blackwell, 2004, 2nd ed. Raman Selden, Practising Theory and Reading Literature: An Introduction, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1989 Gregory Castle, The Blackwell Guide to Literary Theory, Blackwell, 2007 Raman Selden, Peter Widdowson, Peter Brooker, A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory, 5th ed., Pearson, 2005 A practical reader in contemporary literary theory, eds. Peter Brooker and Peter Widdowson, Pearson Education, 1996 Richard Harland, Literary Theory From Plato to Barthes, an introductory history, Macmillan, 1999 M.H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, New York: Harcourt and Brace, 1993 Chris Baldick, Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms, Oxford U.P.,1996 Martin Gray, A Dictionary of Literary Terms, 2nd ed., Longman, 1992 |
Material Sharing
| MATERIAL SHARING | |
| Documents | List of critical terminology |
| Assignments |
1st Assignment: Topics and issues assigned by the instructor for bibliographical research in designated sources
2nd Assignment: choice of topics for student research (ref. MLA Handbook for selection of topic) 3rd Assignment: identification of an article preferably published after 2000) related to your topic; its synopsis (with an outline of main arguments in the format shown in the MLA Handbook); analysis and evaluation 4th Assignment: oral presentation of a summary of the final Term Paper, accompanied by a brief written text including the initial topic statement, working outline and working bibliography to be distributed among the seminar participants. 5th Assignment: first draft of final paper |
| Exams | |
Assessment
| ASSESSMENT | ||
| IN-TERM STUDIES | NUMBER | PERCENTAGE |
| Presentation | 1 | 30 |
| Assignment | 1 | 30 |
| Final Paper | 1 | 40 |
| Total | 100 | |
| CONTRIBUTION OF FINAL PAPER TO OVERALL GRADE | 40 | |
| CONTRIBUTION OF IN-TERM STUDIES TO OVERALL GRADE | 60 | |
| Total | 100 | |
Course’s Contribution to Program
| COURSE'S CONTRIBUTION TO PROGRAM | |||||||
| Program Learning Outcomes | Contribution | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |||
| The ability to apply knowledge of English and world literature and social sciences to topics including culture, society, ethics, politics etc. | X | ||||||
| The ability to review, analyse and apply the relevant literature. | X | ||||||
| The ability to carry out interdisciplinary reading and analysis. | X | ||||||
| The ability to utilise the basic concepts and issues of literary theories in developing life strategies | X | ||||||
| Awareness of professional ethics and responsibility | X | ||||||
| Effective communication skills. | X | ||||||
| A sufficiently broad education to understand the global and social impact of literary movements. | X | ||||||
| An awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and the ability to put it into practice. | X | ||||||
| A knowledge of issues in contemporary literature and of the cultural issues of the period. | X | ||||||
| The ability to use sources and modern tools in order to carry out research in the areas of literature and aesthetics. | X | ||||||
ECTS
| ECTS ALLOCATED BASED ON STUDENT WORKLOAD BY THE COURSE DESCRIPTION | |||
| Activities | Quantity |
Duration (Hour) |
Total Workload (Hour) |
| Course Duration (Including the exam week: 15x Total course hours) | 15 | 3 | 45 |
| Hours for off-the-classroom study (Pre-study, practice) | 15 | 5 | 75 |
| Presentation | 1 | 20 | 20 |
| Final Paper | 1 | 35 | 35 |
| Total Work Load | 175 | ||
| Total Work Load / 25 (h) | 7.0 | ||
| ECTS Credit of the Course | 7 | ||