COM 320, History of Film Fall 2016, Dr. Neuendorf Requirements and Guidelines for Research Paper

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1 1 COM 320, History of Film Fall 2016, Dr. Neuendorf Requirements and Guidelines for Research Paper Two drafts of a single research paper are required in this class. The proposal for the paper is due on Thursday 9/15/16 (Hardcopy in class); the first draft of the paper (minimum 1,200 words) is due on Thursday 10/13/16 (Hardcopy in class, & e-copy same day); and the final version (minimum 2000 words) is due on Thursday 12/8/16 (Hardcopy in class, & e-copy same day). Failure to hand in a proposal on time, or failure to obtain approval for a proposal, will result in substantial penalty. Also, failure to make changes from the first draft to the final version addressing instructor comments will result in substantial penalty. Each version of the paper should be typed, double-spaced, easily legible, free of spelling and grammatical errors, and should use page numbers and be printed on one side of the paper only. You should use APA (American Psychological Association) referencing style. You are asked to use both APA-style in-text citations (e.g., according to Smith (2003) ) and APA-style in the References page. (Please do not rely on Word or even the OWL web site to produce your references, as both may produce errors! See the last several pages of this handout for an example of a text page with APA citations, and an APA-style References section. Use these as you guide.) Version 1 of the paper needs to be a minimum of 1200 words, and Version 2 (final version) needs to be at least 2000 words. Word counts will be checked, and papers not meeting these minima will be rejected. The word counts do NOT include title page, outline, abstract (if used), or references. Plan on handing in both a hard copy in class on the due date, and an e-copy on the same day. Send your e-copy to Dr. Neuendorf, and to T.A. Carlina DiRusso (k.neuendorf@csuohio.edu and dirusso.carlina@gmail.com) on the same day. Please put COM 320 Paper in the subject line of the . For the paper, you need to do some library research, with a minimum of five scholarly sources cited in each paper. And, for each paper, you are expected to watch some film content outside of class, typically a minimum of four films (also to be referenced in the paper with a separate Filmography page). Be aware that the Cleveland State University Writing Center offers a wide array of services and materials. You may even ask a Writing Center tutor to review your paper. Check them out at: CSU Writing Center web site: For your paper, you have two choices: Type A or Type B: Type A is an analysis of some historic influence on a (potentially) contemporary filmmaker. Some filmmakers have cited important filmic roots that have been an influence on them be it a key filmmaker, a film movement, or a type of genre. The type of influence may be in terms of subject matter, stylistics, technique, and/or any other important elements of film. This influence needs to be explicitly acknowledged by the contemporary filmmakers. In a separate handout (available online),

2 2 you have been provided with a list of instances in which filmmakers have cited their historic influence(s) these are the only approved topics for a Type A paper. You must focus on just one influence, as this is a relatively brief research paper. So for example, if Wes Craven cites 12 different filmmakers who have influenced him, you need to pick just one. You need to need to view at least a 3 or 4 films that demonstrate the identified influence. For example, if you find that Quentin Tarantino cites Sam Fuller as a major influence, you need to watch a minimum of three films written or directed by Fuller. (Obviously, you must also be familiar with Tarantino s work.) Include a list of all films you consult/view for the paper on a page titled: Filmography Films Viewed for this Paper. The scholarly sources should focus on the historic influence. In some cases, you might also include one or two sources that focus on the contemporary filmmaker, but this should be the exception. For example, for the above scenario, you may find two books on Sam Fuller, and two journal articles on Fuller, and supplement these with one book on Tarantino. Use these sources to help make your arguments about the nature of Fuller s influence on Tarantino, citing the sources in the body of your paper and listing their full references on your References page (APA style). The organization of this paper should be represented via Headings and Subheadings within the body of the paper. These Headings and Subheadings should, in brief phrases, represent the main points and arguments you are making in the paper. And, these Headings and Subheadings should also be shown in an Outline on the first page of the paper. This Outline, which is not to be included in the word count, should guide the reader s attention from the beginning. Type B is any approved original analysis of the history of film prior to the 1960s. The level of analysis may be an individual director or producer, an individual performer, a film genre, a national film movement, or a theme (e.g., women's portrayals in German film in the 1920's; the Westerns of John Ford; the critical portrayal of politicians in film during the early sound era; the evolution of stopmotion animation through the 1960s). While there is no single format for this type of paper, it should not be a simple chronology of events, but rather an original analysis assessing the importance of your chosen director/filmic theme/movement/etc. to both the history of film and to the socio-political history of the world. That is, what were the real, lasting, vital contributions of this director/filmic theme/movement? (In terms of simple chronologies, it would be a good idea to include as an appendix any pertinent lists--e.g., the filmography of a director.) For this type of paper, you need to view a minimum of four films that represent your chosen topic, and, again, have five scholarly sources. Once again, include a Filmography Films Viewed for this Paper page, and a References page. The organization of this paper should again be represented via Headings and Subheadings within the body of the paper. These Headings and Subheadings should, in brief phrases, represent the main points and arguments you are making in the paper. And, these Headings and Subheadings should also be shown in an Outline on the first page of the paper. This Outline, which is not to be included in the word count, should guide the reader s attention from the beginning. Proposals-- I need to see a brief but specific proposal for your paper, due in class on Thursday

3 3 9/15/15 (Hardcopy in class). Please provide a short, typed or hand-written proposal, including a list of relevant films you have seen and/or plan to view. For Type A, be sure to indicate precisely which historic influence you will focus on (most interviews and other sources indicate multiple influences, but you need to concentrate on one). Based on your proposals, you will receive written guidance on how to proceed. Scholarly Sources--As mentioned above, you must use at least five scholarly sources for your paper. By use, I mean read the source, refer to the source in your paper in a relevant way, and cite the source using APA style. Use the accompanying list (Library Resources for Film Papers) as a start. Popular literature such as the magazines Time or Entertainment Weekly are not scholarly and can be used only as supplements (i.e., they do not count as one of the five). And, while I strongly urge you to start using the Internet Movie Database (IMDb-- it is not well edited for biographical or historical content and cannot be relied on as a primary, scholarly source. Use it to make links among films, auteurs, crew, actors, etc., and have fun with it. Just don t rely on it to be accurate with regard to facts about filmmakers. And typically, web sites are not scholarly sources. By scholarly sources, I mean academic books and articles in refereed academic journals see the attached list. These are sources that have been peer-reviewed and professionally edited. See the separate handout (online) called Searching for Scholarly Sources for a practical guide on how to use online searches to get scholarly sources. Your References section may (and probably will) include some sources that are not scholarly. That s OK. Just be sure that you have at least five that are scholarly. If you re having any difficulty finding appropriate scholarly (and optional non-scholarly) material, see your instructor. Dr. N has a large collection of film books at home, and a respectable film/video collection, and is happy to help whenever she can. Your T.A. can be very helpful, too. Some advice on how to approach reading an academic journal article from the CSU Writing Center: Start at the end, with the Discussion section. Here, the author(s) present their most comprehensive summary of the research article. Then, go back to the beginning of the article, to fill in the details. Citing material from the scholarly and non-scholarly sources is encouraged, but it must be done carefully, avoiding any appearance of plagiarism. The CSU Writing Center s web page on Plagiarism gives the formal definition. Remember that in APA style a paraphrasing requires a cite by name and date (e.g., (Smith, 2007)) and a word-for-word quote requires the use of quote marks in the text, and a cite by name, date, and page number (e.g., (Smith, 2007, p. 36)). Evaluation Criteria for Paper Your paper will be evaluated according to the following criteria: A. Quality of Research The scholarly sources selected and cited should be appropriate to the chosen topic. A minimum of five sources should meet the criterion of scholarly source. B. Substance Points/arguments made should clearly follow from sources (required scholarly sources and possible additional non-scholarly sources) and from observations made from film viewing. These points/arguments should be a blend of original thoughts and perspectives

4 4 presented in the scholarly (and optional non-scholarly) sources. The emphasis should be on analysis and synthesis rather than mere descriptions of plot, characters, etc. C. Form and Style The paper should be free of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors, with good sentence structure. The paper should follow a consistent format with regard to fonts, margins, and all other elements of form. Headings should be used, and should follow APA style (see the OWL web site). All sources (required scholarly sources, plus optional nonscholarly sources, and also films viewed) should be properly referenced in the text and fully cited on the References and Filmography--Films Viewed for This Paper pages, using APA style (see guidelines on later pages, plus see the OWL web site). The writing should be formal rather than informal style. The CSU Writing Center has a useful guide on Informal and Formal Style. D. Organization-- The structure of the paper should be well-organized, with logical flow and use of headings and subheadings throughout should guide the reader. The headings and subheadings should also be presented as an outline on page 1 of the paper. The following Grading Rubric should guide the writing of the paper: GRADING RUBRIC FOR COM 320 PAPER F Paper C Paper B Paper A Paper A. Quality of Research Scholarly sources Appropriateness of sources (Paper 1 only) Use of approved contemporary filmmaker interview B. Substance Resisting the use of unbacked personal opinion No scholarly sources are utilized No sources are utilized No interview is used The paper is completely the writer s opinion, unbacked by One or two scholarly sources are cited Scholarly and optional nonscholarly sources are mentioned, but are not integrated and properly cited in the text of An interview is used as the basis for the paper, but it is not from the class approved list Many of the points made in the paper are unbacked Three or four scholarly sources are cited, but their contributions to the paper are not clear Scholarly and optional nonscholarly sources are well cited, but their contributions to the paper are not clear An interview from the approved class list has served as the basis for the paper, but it is not clear which single influence has been focused on The writer s observations are mostly presented as careful Five or more scholarly sources are cited Scholarly and optional non-scholarly sources relate well to the chosen topic, and their contributions to the paper are clearly integrated into the paper s text An interview from the approved class list has served as the basis for the paper, and a single influence has been focused on All of the writer s observations are presented as cogent arguments, backed with

5 5 Blend of original and source-based points and arguments Analyses and syntheses rather than descriptions of film content C. Form & Style Grammar and spelling APA referencing Filmography Formal writing style outside sources or carefully constructed arguments The paper fails to present either original or source-based points/arguments The majority of the paper consists simply of plot synopses of one or more films Grammar and spelling errors are found throughout the paper No referencing is included No filmography is included Style is wholly informal and/or personal personal opinions (e.g., I liked it a lot ) rather than arguments The paper presents either original or source-based points/arguments, but not both Synopses of film plots constitute a substantial portion of the paper, and take up valuable space that could be used for analyses Grammar and spelling errors are numerous enough so as to distract the reader, making the content difficult to digest In-text citations and a References page are used, but APA style is not used OR APA style is attempted but there are many errors No filmography is included Style is uneven a arguments, with a few personal opinions included; use of first-person is avoided The paper presents some original and some sourcebased points/arguments, but they are not linked Descriptions of film content are mixed with analyses, but the two are not wellintegrated The writing is generally free of grammar and spelling errors, but the work is not clearly proofread In-text citations and the References page show an attempt to master APA style, but there are a number of errors A filmography page is included, but the list is incomplete Style is formal but not easily precise observations and scholarly sources, rather than unbacked assertions of opinion; no use of first-person statements The paper presents a nice balance of original and source-based points and arguments, which are wellintegrated Descriptions of film content are sufficiently informative for a reader who has not seen the content, and sufficient to support the analyses being made, but do not extend to the level of plot synopsis There are few if any grammar and spelling errors; proofreading is apparent In-text citations and the References page demonstrate perfect or near-perfect APA style A full filmography of all film content that was accessed by the student for the writing of the paper is included as a separate page (APA style or approved abbreviated style) Style is professional formal and accessible

6 6 D. Organization Use of headings Outline on page 1 Transitions between sections No headings are used No outline is attempted No transitions between sections mixture of formal and informal Headings are used but do not communicate to the reader what the important information is in the section, and no APA style is used An outline on page 1 is actually just a list of thoughts with no meaningful order and no subhead structure Transitions between sections are used occasionally understood by the reader Headings relate to the content of the sections, but are sometimes vague or confusing, but do use APA style An outline on page 1 gives a general idea as to the organization of the paper, but some ideas are unclear Transitions are used throughout, but do not well integrate content from one section to another Headings are succinct summaries of the most important point in each section and use the APA style An outline on page 1 gives a clear but succinct roadmap to the reader as to the organization of the paper Transitions between sections are used throughout, and successfully integrate content from one section to another

7 7 LIBRARY RESOURCES FOR FILM PAPERS SCHOLARLY SOURCES 1. Scholarly books Many books will count as scholarly sources. Unless the book is a chatty biography or autobiography, it s likely to be considered scholarly check with your instructor to be sure. Books on individual films, directors, and genres are on the 3rd floor of the CSU Library. Also, the Cleveland Public Library has an excellent collection. 2. Scholarly journals--good sources All articles appearing in the following journals count as scholarly sources. For other journals, check with your instructor as to whether they count as scholarly. JOURNAL NAME Cahiers du Cinema (French) Camera Obscura Canadian Journal of Film Studies Cinema Cinema Journal Critical Studies in Media Communication Criticism Early Popular Visual Culture Film and History Film Criticism Film Culture Film Heritage Film History Film Quarterly Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media Journal of Communication Journal of Film and Video Journal of Popular Culture Journal of Popular Film and Television (formerly Journal of Popular Film) Journal of Visual Culture Jump Cut Literature/Film Quarterly Mass Communication and Society (formerly Mass Comm Review) Media, Culture and Society Media Psychology Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts Quarterly of Film, Radio & Television (formerly Hollywood Quarterly) Quarterly Review of Film and Video (formerly Quarterly Review of Film Studies) Screen Velvet Light Trap Visual Communication Visual Studies Wide Angle

8 8 Sample Text Page with APA Citations Bond Girls, Shaken and Stirred: A Content Analysis of James Bond Films For the past five decades, film audiences have been treated to the action packed adventures of James Bond films. Every couple of years or so, a new Bond film will surface and, as Gilligan (2005) noted, the media frenzy that surrounds these occurrences has become as predictable as the films themselves. The fictional British spy James Bond was initially created for Ian Fleming s espionage novels, which experienced popularity in the 1950s. Espionage, innovative gadgets, alcoholic beverages, fast cars, a demonic villain and a plethora of attractive women were instrumental in molding the Bond formula that eventually matriculated from print to celluloid (Brosnan, 1972; Pfeiffer & Worral, 2000). There are now twenty Bond films, with the release of Die Another Day (Broccoli et al., 2002). The James Bond franchise is perhaps one of the most successful film series in cinematic history (Bond is forever, 2002). The Bond phenomenon continues its popularity in spite of the deluge of competing male action hero films. This enduring affection for James Bond transcends the appreciation for spy games and illustrates the films appeal as a cultural mainstay (Bond is forever, 2002). Bond is depicted as a fantasy figure, his magnetism and male prowess illustrates an idealized view of masculinity (Carpenter, 2000, p. 190). As noted by Brosnan (1972), Bond films provide a guilty pleasure for adults that include dazzling distractions including the trappings of wealth and beautiful Bond girls (Bond is forever, 2002, p. 3). It appears as if Bond fans never tire of the venerable 007 character, and anxiously await the return of their favorite hero. The ongoing appeal of the fantasy world represented in these films relies heavily on the attractive female counterparts of the Bond character. The female characters portrayed in Bond movies have always been pivotal to the story line and tone of the films. Every Bond film has a leading Bond Girl, that is, a woman with an adventurous nature, cunning attributes, and a sense of self-assurance whose names - Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder, and Holly Goodhead, for example, are as interesting as the characters they portray (Rubin, 2003). Bond Girls, a now pejorative term in itself, often play independent, highly intelligent roles... (etc.)

9 9 Sample APA References Section References Bandura, A. (1971). Social learning theory. New York: General Learning Press. Banerjee, M., Capozzoli, M., McSweeney, L., & Sinha, D. (1999). Beyond kappa: A review of interrater agreement measures. Canadian Journal of Statistics, 27(1), Bartels, A., & Zeki, S. (2005). Chronarchitecture of the cerebral cortex. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal B Society, 360, Bartels, A., & Zeki, S. (2004). Functional brain mapping during free viewing of natural scenes. Human Brain Mapping, 21, Bond is forever. (2002). Sight and Sound, 12(11), 3. Brabazon, T. (1999). Britain s last line of defence: Miss Moneypenny and the desperations of filmic feminism. Women s Studies International Forum, 22, Broccoli, B., McDougall, C., Waye, A., & Wilson, M. G. (Producers), & Tamahori, L. (Director). (2002). Die another day [Motion Picture]. United States: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Brosnan, J. (1972). James Bond in the cinema. Cranbury, NJ: The Tantivy Press. Carpenter, R. (2000). Male failure and male fantasy: British masculine mythologies of the1950s, or Jimmy, Jim, and Bond. James Bond. The Minnesota Review, 18, D Abo, M., & Cork, J. (2003). Bond girls are forever: The women of James Bond. New York: NY, Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Dodds, K. (2003). Licensed to stereotype: Popular geopolitics, James Bond and the spectre of Balkanism. Geopolitics, 8(2), Frey, L. R., Botan, C. H., & Kreps, G. L. (2000). Investigating communication: An introduction to research methods (2 nd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Gilligan, H. (2005). James Bond will return. Retrieved from

10 10 Girls, The. (n.d.). Retrieved from Jenkins, T. (2005). James Bond s Pussy and Anglo-American cold war sexuality. The Journal of American Culture, 28, Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In J. G. Blumler & E. Katz (Eds.), The uses of mass communication: Current perspectives on gratifications research (pp ). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Keysers, C., Wicker, B., Gazzola, V., Anton, J., Fogassi, L., & Gallese, V. (2004). A touching sight: SII/PV activation during the observation and experience of touch. Neuron, 42, Lisanti, T., & Paul, L. (2002). Film fatales: Women in espionage films and television, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. Murray, S. (1988). Bond age women. Cinema Papers, 67, Neuendorf, K. A. (2002). The content analysis guidebook. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. Pfeiffer, L., & Worral, D. (2000). The essential Bond: The authorized guide to the world of 007. New York: HarperCollins. Rubin, S. J. (2003). The complete James Bond movie encyclopedia. New York: McGraw-Hill. Spotswood, S. (1998). The real James Bond: Ian Fleming s vision. Cinefantastique, 61, Thompson, M. A., & Gray, J. J. (1995). Development and validation of a new body-image assessment scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64(2),