Core Humanities Seminar, spring 2002
Paper 2

This mini-research paper will give you an opportunity to explore the context of one of our texts (or performances). Each of you should have chosen a topic related to Franklin and/or colonial America, Douglass and/or abolition, or Schubert and/or the Philadelphia Orchestra. In today’s Quest workshop, you will have a chance to begin your research and look for sources. You should use at least three different kinds of sources in your paper, a book, an article from academic journal, and an on-line resource. (You are, of course, not limited to three sources, and may use more.)

Keep in mind that research is a process of exploration, and often involves blind allies, detours, and byways. Sources that look great at first may not pan out, and even useless sources may point you in helpful directions via references and bibliographies. You may, in other words, need to look at several sources to find one that is useful.

It can be helpful in doing such historical and contextual research to look for points of contention between historians, differences in interpretation, places where scholars disagree. As you read around, try to focus in on one of the situations, events, or moments that generates a lot of discussion. These are often the most interesting topics, the ones that have engaged the greatest number of people. Such debates and arguments are excellent ways to frame and organize a research paper.

Sources should be cited in the following way (MLA style). If you quote an author, "blah blah blah" (Scherer, 187), use this form of internal citation. At the end of the paper, then, list the works you’ve cited in a Works Cited page. Here is the MLA format for citing various kinds of sources, websites, journal articles, books, and essays in books:

"History of the Philadelphia Orchestra," http://www.philorch.org/fs_poa.htm.

Innuarto, Albert, "The Philadelphia Sound," Opera News 63 (1999): 108-12.

Kupferman, Herbert, Those Fabulous Philadelphians: The Life and Times of a Great Orchestra (New York: Scribner, 1969).

Scherer, Barrymore Laurence, "The Sawallisch Era," in The Philadelphia Orchestra: A Century of Music, ed. John Ardoin (Philadelphia: Temple Univ. Press, 2000).

Papers should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, in a standard font, with standard margins, etc. Title pages are not necessary. They are due in class Wednesday 2/27.