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Academic
Papers and Literature Reviews in the Humanities
English, History,
Foreign Language, Philosophy, Religion, |
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The type of primary sources you analyze varies by discipline:
- Why does a Modernist religious poem seem to be more about doubt than faith?
- What is the significance of an historical event?
- What political strategy was effectively utilized by a dictator?
- What are the various causes of poor quality drinking water in a particular region?
- How does a particular court decision shaped subsequent social life?
- How does a native culture views rituals of marriage, the effects of suburban sprawl on the economic conditions of the inner city?
Oftentimes the literature review assigned in the sciences will take the form of the academic paper in the humanities, in which you synthesize secondary sources on a phenomenon and argue something about the topic (example outline), with the exception that you use the citation style dictated by your discipline. If you are assigned a literature review, be sure to ask your professor the form it should take.
The key element of the humanities styled academic research paper is analysis of primary sources.
You will need to perform some analysis before you can develop a thesis or do any writing.
However, your analysis will develop as you write about your primary sources.
So leave plenty of time for revision and do not get too attached to your preliminary thesis.
The best papers evolve in a flexible manner as your analysis of the texts or social issues deepens.
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