Agenda Class #1 (March 14) :

1. Objectives
2. What information do I need to know for this assignment?
3. How do I find this information?
4. Work on assignment

Agenda Class #2 (March 16) :

1. Objectives
2. What information do I need to know for this assignment?
3. How do I cite sources for this assignment?
4. Work on assignment

​​​​​​Objectives Class #1 (March 14):

By the end of class, you will be able to:

1. Find the ENGL 0130 library course guide for this course
2. Review the assignment instructions
3. Find all required resources for this assignment

Objectives Class #2 (March 16):

By the end of class, you will be able to:

1. Review the assignment instructions
2. Complete Works Cited List

Assignment Reminders:

One Part:  Works Cited 

Topic: Choose a Canadian author from the list provided on the assignment sheet

Works Cited:  MLA 9th edition

1. Two (3) primary sources i.e., titles of novels, plays, memoirs or collections written by the author you
   are researching.
2. One (1) or two (2) encyclopedia entries about this author’s life and works
3. Six (6) secondary sources. 
   • A scholarly article from academic journals that comment on one or more of the works of this author.  (These cannot be book reviews).

How to Save this File to Google Drive:

1. Open Google Drive - you can get here through MyMRU or you can also access through your own personal gmail
2. Right-click on My Drive
3. Choose Upload a File (find your file on the computer)

Primary Sources

Something written by your author, such as a novel, poem, story, play, essay, memoir, or a collection of these.

Secondary Sources

Research and criticism about the primary sources, or about the author of the primary source.

Scholarly Articles and Books

• top research appears in peer reviewed journal articles, scholarly books, or individual book chapters
• include in-depth research, analysis, and criticism
• may explore topics about a single work, or about a set of works, or  an author’s works as a whole, or a particular literary theme

Reference Works 

• sometimes called background sources, includes encyclopedias, dictionaries, handbooks, or companion guides
• usually background or introductory information on a topic or person

Search #1 - Primary Sources

1. Find three (3) primary sources i.e., titles of novels, plays, memoirs or collections written by the author you are researching.
2. Add to the worksheet, include citation & permalink

Search #2 - Secondary Source (Encyclopedia)

1. One (1) or two (2) encyclopedia entries about this author’s life and works
2. Add to the worksheet, include citation & permalink

Scholarly Articles

• Often referred to as academic, peer-reviewed, or refereed 
• Written by experts in a particular field
• Keep others interested in that field up to date on the most recent research and findings. 

What is peer-review?

• When a source has been peer-reviewed it has undergone the review and scrutiny of a review board of colleagues in the author's field.  They evaluate this source as part of the body of research for a particular discipline and make recommendations regarding its publication in a journal, revisions prior to publication, or, in some cases, reject its publication.

General Characteristics

1. Author: Expert in the field
2. Review: Reviewed by other experts (peers)
3. Audience / Language: Written for scholars and students; uses academic language
4. Content: Original research and criticism; uses previous research literature for background
5. Citations: Always

Recognizing Journal Articles

What distinguishes a scholarly source from a popular, non-scholarly source?  Quickly skim the following sources.

Open Paragraphs Don't Always Have to Be Exciting: Non-Scholarly, Popular Source

“This Is Not Enough”: Gesturing Beyond the Aesthetics of Failure in Alice Munro’s “Material”: Scholarly Source (be sure to skim the Full Article via link provided)

Search #3 - Scholarly Articles (Secondary Sources)

1. Six (6) secondary sources.  These are to be a combination of:
   • A scholarly article from academic journals that comment on one or more of the works of this author.  (These cannot be book reviews)
2. Add to the worksheet, include citation & permalink

MRU Resources Available for MLA

Key example citations: 
A6, B1, B5, B6, C1
(Remember to apply rules for multiple authors and for online versions).

The example below highlights the common layout of publication information for an encyclopedia entry. 

Note that different databases or containers may display information in different places, and also that often much more information is provided than is required for citation.

This image highlights the common layout of publication information for a print book, as displayed in MRU's LibrarySearch results screens. For a book in hand, this information will usually be on the back (or verso) of the title page. 

Note that for ebooks, MLA also requires the titile of the database or second container.