Research paper #2 - American Musical Theatre Fall 2010

RESEARCH PROJECT #2

Assignment will be explained in class Monday, October 18. Do not begin until the assignment has been explained to you.

As you work on this assignment, check in with me as you go along to be sure you are on the right track. You can do this before or after class, or by email or phone.

Monday, October 25. Submit your topic area and list of articles located with titles and dates.

Monday, November 8. Research paper is due.

Overview of project

The emphasis of this work is on the research itself and where it takes you. After reading a series of articles from the New York Times archives about one theatre-related issue, you will integrate the facts you learn with what you know or can discover about the time in history when the articles were written. You will describe what you read and place it into context. Finally, you will summarize your own conclusions about what you have read. This assignment requires you to think logically and relate what you learn to what you already know. It will demonstrate your understanding of the interrelationship between theatre and society.

PROCEDURE:

1. Search for a topic with the Periodical Index for the NY Times.

Choose any year. Locate the Periodical Index for the NY Times for that year. (Big book)

Do not skip this means of research. Searching online will not work for this paper. I guarantee it.

2. Open Index to the section on Theatre. (These are alphabetically listed.)

Each listing there gives a brief description of the article as well as its location.

The date, section, page, and column are given to assist you in locating your article.

For example, in the 1994 book you find an article regarding giving Tony Awards for Off

Broadway shows. The end of the abstract gives this: My 22 A 14:1. That

means you will find this article in the May 22 issue, Section A of the paper, page 14, Column 1. The book you are looking in tells you the year. It may run over to another page, and, of course, you will notice that it says “cont. p x” .

Keep track of the location and bibliographic information about the articles you read.

3. Search for an issue which is covered by a minimum of four (4) different articles on four different dates. It will be an issue of some controversy and the articles will indicate varying opinions about it.

Try to locate the earliest article in the series about the issue. You may need to look in the prior year to find information about the background of it.

Locate the article which seems to end the series or describe the resolution or outcome to the controversy. You may need to look in the following year to find this. There are some issues which simply do not resolve and they fade away without coming to any conclusion.

This is the most time-consuming portion of this research project. Writing the paper itself is easy.

4. How to Access your articles in the New York Times.

On computer. Historical articles from the New York Times are in the CCC library

databases on computer.

Follow this path:

http://clintoncc.suny.edu/

Click Douglas Library in Academics section on the left of the screen.

Click Find Articles, in center column.

Click Online Newspapers >> ProQuest Historical Newspapers

Click Clear all databases at top, then Pro quest historical New York Times at bottom.

Check the box to locate articles with full text.

Enter the exact date of your article in the next search screen. You have this from the

search of the periodical index volume.

5. Read the articles you find thoroughly. You may want to print them.

6. Submit your findings and your analysis in a paper. Typical length of paper is 2-3 pages.

Follow this format:

Define the issue you are concerned with.
Give background on what started it all.
Identify all the parties involved. Think broadly here.
Describe the point of view of persons or organization cited in the articles.
Give the pros and cons of the issue from the perspectives of the parties concerned.
Give details of the controversy resolution or conclusion.
Important!!—Express your feelings, opinions, and concerns about what you read.
Include a full Bibliography of your source articles. You may attach article copies to your paper; however, it is not required and will not affect your grade. Even with copies attached, you must include a formal bibliography.