A guide to the "Project Proposal and Calendar" assignments due at the end of Week 6

1. Designing a Research Project
Sunday, October 23, 11

2. The “standard model:”
Ignore the paper until it’s almost due.
Panic.
Spend 5 to 6 hours writing it the night
before.
Turn it in and heave a sigh of relief.
Sunday, October 23, 11

3. On Procrastination:
Fear of the unknown and the unclear
Not laziness, but lack of understanding
Keeps us passive until adrenaline shakes
us into action
Sunday, October 23, 11

4. Defeating Procrastination:
Figure out what you don’t know
Answer your biggest questions
Set step-by-step goals
Always do the next possible step, even if
you don’t know what comes next
Don’t try to accomplish a big project in one
chunk.
Sunday, October 23, 11

5. The “Project Proposal:”
1. Read the Research Project Assignment closely and carefully.
2. Answer these questions:
1. What possible topic are you thinking of exploring for the research
paper? (Note: at this stage, these topics may be as developed or
undeveloped as you prefer).
2. How do these topics seem to connect to the ideas present in Berger,
Barthes, and/or Sontag?
3. How much, if anything, do you already know about your project?
(Note: It’s OK if you know little or nothing about your topic!)
4. What kind of evidence do you think you will have to collect?
3. Plan out a Calendar of goals and work times to get you up to the first
draft.
Sunday, October 23, 11

6. The “Project Calendar”:
Week by week, plan out these things:
General goals: what do you have to
accomplish this week?
Specific tasks: what exactly will you
spend your time doing?
Work times: when will you do it?
Sunday, October 23, 11

7. A Sample Calendar:
Week 7: 31 Oct to 4 Nov
—Goals: Final topic choice. Majority of research completed.
—By Friday the 4th (or Sunday the 6th):
——Decide on a narrow, specific topic.
——Come up with a list of 3 or 4 questions I have about that topic, to
help motivate my research.
——Find at least 15 good sources I can use for my topic.
—Work Times:
——Tuesday 12:00 - 4:00
——Wedensday 3:00 - 6:00
——Saturday 2:00 - 5:00
Sunday, October 23, 11

8. A Sample Calendar:
Week 8: 7 Nov to 11 Nov
—Goals: Reading, outlining, and brainstorming. Working outline
completed.
—By Friday the 11th (or Sunday the 13th):
——Read all sources completely. Save at least 1 to 2 quotes from each
source in a working outline.
——Decide on a working argument based on what I have read so far.
——Make sure I have sources from Berger/Barthes/Sontag that help to
prove my argument.
——Make sure I meet with a librarian and chat over email with Ian about
my topic and my evidence.
——Turn in a working outline by the 8th, or (if that’s too ambitious) by the
11th
—Work Times:
——Tuesday 12:00 - 4:00
——Wedensday 3:00 - 6:00
——Saturday 2:00 - 5:00
Sunday, October 23, 11

9. A Sample Calendar:
Week 9: 14 Nov to 18 Nov
——Goals: Complete the first draft of the paper. Let my friend / teacher /
group member see it before I turn it in. Find more sources as needed.
—By Friday the 18th:
——Turn all quotes in the outline into quote sandwiches.
——Rearrange the quote sandwiches and add transitions.
——Write an intro and a conclusion.
——Give paper to [X] for more feedback.
——Do extra research (if needed) to add more proof.
——Turn in to my Dropbox folders before midnight.
—Work Times:
——Tuesday 12:00 - 4:00
——Wedensday 3:00 - 6:00
——Friday 6:00 - 11:00
Sunday, October 23, 11

10. Notice:
Nothing here is very polished or formal.
The format is very flexible.
The main purpose is to help you plan your
next few weeks.
Sunday, October 23, 11