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ENG 111 & 112 Course Playbook

This playbook contains resources and information for ENG 112 students and faculty.

Preparing to Research

Before starting your work, make sure you understand the nature of the assignment.

  • Read the assignment instructions more than once, making sure you understand what's expected.
    • How many pages/words do you need to write? Your treatment of the topic you choose will need to fit the length of the assignment: if you have to write 10,000 words, you can write more about your topic than if you have to write 1000 words.
    •  If the assignment is a speech or presentation, how long does it have to be?
    •  Are there any guidelines about what kind of topic you can choose? Some instructors do not permit certain topics.
    • Are there any types of sources that are required? Scholarly articles, books, websites?
    • How many sources do you have to have, minimum?
    •  Is there research about your topic? Run a quick database search to see if there are sources about your topic.  Not every topic is of interest to researchers.
  •  If you have any doubts, contact your instructor.

Test Your Understanding