Project A. Classifying Ansel Adams's Works. Visual & Performing Arts Essay

I need a proposal before this Sunday, April 19
Proposal Due: 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on April 19.
First Draft Due: 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on May 10
Research Paper Topic and Resources: Propose an original research paper topic related to the history of photography since 1900 in a one- to two-paragraph statement, citing at least three major sources. See the Project A description for more details on completing this task.
Project A: Research Paper
Objective
Write a five- to seven-page research paper that demonstrates critical thinking on any topic of importance to photography since 1900, which will be submitted in three parts. At the end of Unit 4, you will submit a proposal comprised of a one- to two-paragraph description of your topic and a preliminary bibliography of at least three major sources. This is worth 5% of your final grade. At the end of Unit 7, you will submit a first draft worth 10% of your final grade. Your completed paper is worth 25% of your total grade and will be submitted by the end of Unit 9.
Papers must be submitted in Microsoft Word format, double spaced with one-inch margins, and typed in 12-point Times New Roman or similar font. You must also adhere to research paper guidelines outlined by your choice of the MLA, Chicago, or Turabian style manuals.
You are urged to utilize the Writing Assistance Center in Jen Library if you have experienced difficulties with writing in the past, or if English is your second language. If you are not a student in Savannah, Georgia be sure to locate similar academic resources in your college or community before beginning your research. Address your questions and concerns early. Research paper due dates will not be modified under any circumstance.
Process
Part 1: Research Paper Topic Proposal, due end of Unit 4 （April 19）
1. Start your research early! Visit your local library, college library, or bookstore. Browse their collection of photography books and periodicals for photographers, images, or photographic movements that interest you most. If you experience difficulty selecting a book that interests you, almost every library provides an interlibrary loan service that will allow you to borrow any book available in another library’s collection. Ask at the circulation desk for specific information about this useful service. Make note of the sources that interest you most because you will need to submit them with your topic proposal.
2. Continue your topic research online. A Google or Google Image search will pull up a surprisingly rich pool of content that you may use in your research paper, provided you properly cite each source. Search by photographer name, type of image, or photographic school or movement (e.g., Autochrome Photographs, Large-format Polaroid, Walker Evans, f/64 School, New Topographics, etc.). Google Scholar is another resource for locating preliminary information on your topic, although this search engine requires more rigorous criteria to be effective. Again, make a list of any sources that interest you to turn in with your proposal.
3. Write down any ideas that come to you as you browse a variety of sources. You may use any source, but you must include at least two books or periodicals other than the Internet and course text. Review your notes and highlight any topics that appear similar in content. This process will gradually narrow down your ideas to those that interest you most. Decide what the remaining topics have in common, and then write a single, focused topic sentence about that unifying idea. If the remaining topics have nothing in common, use the one that interests you most as your topic.
4. Using your notes, type a one- to two-paragraph summary of the topic of your choice. Your personal thoughts and opinions on the topic may be included, and are indeed encouraged provided they are supported in a well-reasoned, persuasive argument. Include a preliminary bibliography of at least three major sources that reinforce your ideas. Be sure to format your bibliography according to the style manual you chose from the aforementioned list.
5. Save your file as a Microsoft Word document in the following manner: Phot240_yourlastname_Topic.
6. Submit your topic proposal by the end of Unit 4.
Part 2: Submit Research Paper First Draft, due end of Unit 7 （May 10）
1. Choose your final source material, and write your bibliography.
2. Select the strongest images and quotations that support your argument, and make sure you have collected the appropriate information required to correctly cite each quote or photograph. See the example section at the end of these guidelines for a sample image with a properly formatted caption.
3. Scan or download any images cited, and insert them into your word document at the very end of your paper, after the bibliography. Do not forget to format the images to a suitable file format and resolution before pasting them into your document. 72 ppi JPEG images are preferred.
4. Create an outline of your argument. Having a basic structure for your paper planned in advance will allow you to sustain focus on your topic, and keep your argument on track if your thoughts begin to wander.
5. Create a captivating title for your paper that summarizes your thesis.
6. Begin writing the body content of your paper. Quotations are a great way to support your argument and lend your ideas authority, but remember to properly cite every source. Do not plagiarize! Plagiarism is a serious breach of academic regulations. Penalties issued in an instance of plagiarism include expulsion. Please review the section on Academic Integrity included in your student handbook for more information on plagiarism and its consequences.
7. Research papers will be graded with a careful attention to both content and craft, so keep your thoughts focused, concise, and to the point. Please observe the standard rules of English spelling, grammar, usage, and syntax. Resources such as A Short Guide to Writing About Art by Sylvan Barnet, The Elements of Style by Strunk & White, Criticizing Photographs, 4th Edition by Terry Barrett, and style manuals including the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers are very useful in addressing any questions you may have about form and/or style, and will help you put your thoughts in writing.
8. Do not rely exclusively on spellcheckers to proof your writing! Be sure to thoroughly proofread your paper several times, and it is recommended that you ask a classmate or acquaintance to proofread it as well. An extra pair of eyes is an invaluable tool in focusing your thoughts in writing!
9. Once your paper is thoroughly proofread, add your bibliography and images to the end of your paper and save it in a single Microsoft Word document in the following format: Phot240_yourlastname_Draft.
10. Submit your first draft by the end of Unit 7. Your draft will be critiqued and returned to you by the end of Unit 8.Part 3: Submit Research Paper Final Draft, due end of Unit 9 （May 24）
1. Carefully read through your critiqued draft and make note of any suggestions provided by your instructor.2. Make any changes you think are necessary to clarify your argument or to improve the quality of your paper’s craft. Contact your instructor immediately with any questions about your critiqued draft.3. Proofread your paper several times before submitting your final draft! Again, it is recommended that you ask another person to review your changes to your paper before submitting it for final review.4. Save your final draft as a Microsoft Word document in the following format: Phot240_yourlastname_Final.5. Your research paper final draft is due at the end of Unit 9.ExamplesResearch Paper Topic SuggestionsSeveral research paper topics are suggested below. You are welcome to select one of the following topics, combine several, or come up with your own original topic related to photography since 1900.• Choose any one photographer and discuss his/her work in detail. Concentrate on the work and its meaning rather than biographical anecdotes. Discuss this artist’s ideas, intent, style, subject matter, technique, etc. What did this artist do that was special or unique? How did this artist reflect his/her times?• Pick one U.S. and one European photographer from the first half of the 20th century. Compare and contrast the ways in which their work reflects U.S. and European Modernist concepts and ideals.• Discuss photographic Modernism as it developed in a) Europe, or b) the U.S. during the first half of the 20th century. Discuss some of the major photographers, the aesthetic and technical issues they dealt with, and how photography related to the other visual arts of the period.• Discuss in depth the work of any one of the FSA or other social-documentary photographers.• Discuss the evolution of the photo essay throughout the 20th century. Include in your discussion the major photographers, publications, publishers, picture editors, designers, etc., who influenced this important form of visual communication.• Discuss the Expressionistic trend in American fine-art photography after WWII. How was it an extension of what came before? How was it different? Who were its chief proponents and what were their aims?• How has the growth in university-level education in fine-art photography since WWII affected the discipline? Who were some of the innovators and what were some of the institutions and programs that had the most significant impact?• Discuss the impact of the 1959 U.S. publication of Robert Frank’s The Americans. What were some of the critical reactions to it? How was it innovative in terms of both subject matter and form? How did it influence subsequent photographers?• Discuss the Social Landscape aesthetic formulated in the 1960s by Lyons, Szarkowski, Winogrand, and others. How did they address the relationship between form and content? How do they define the medium of photography? How are their ideas similar to and/or different from those of the early Modernists and Expressionists?• Discuss the main reasons that many photographers of the 1960s and 1970s chose to depart from the straight image. How did this tendency relate to other contemporary and previous trends in the visual arts in terms of ideas, subject matter, and techniques? How did it relate to other trends in fine-art photography?• Discuss the interactions between photography and the Conceptual Art movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Who were some of the major artists? How did they use photographs in their work? What were some of their creative strategies? How did this movement affect more traditional fine-art photography?• Discuss the major artists and aesthetic trends in landscape photography since the mid 1970s. How is it different from traditional landscape photography? How has the use of color affected this genre?• Discuss the dramatic increase in the use of color since the mid 1970s. How do you account for this sudden color renaissance? Discuss the most prominent artists using color, and some of their creative approaches to both form and content using this aspect of the medium.• How is Post-modernism in photography defined? What are some of the major themes and artistic strategies? Who are some of the main artists associated with this movement and what is the nature of their work?• Speculate on the future of fine-art photography. Are we still in the Post-modern period? If not, how would you characterize the tone of the times? How is the digital revolution affecting traditional photography and creating new forms?Sample Image CitationFigures should be cited with all the information available about the specified work. This includes the artist, the title of the work, and details about the format and process of the work, if known. An example is:Figure 1: Thomas Demand, Archive, silver dye bleach print (Ilfochrome)face-mounted to acrylic, 72.4 x 93.7 inches, 1995.Project CriteriaResearch Paper Quality ChecklistIf you can answer “Yes” to the questions in the following checklist from Sylvan Barnet’s A Short Guide to Writing About Art, 7th edition, then you have written an excellent paper:• Is the title of the essay informative and interesting? Is it in the proper form?• Is the opening paragraph interesting, and by its end does it focus on the topic?• Is the work of art identified as precisely as possible (artist, material, location, date, and so on)? Are photocopies of works of art included?• Is the point (thesis) stated soon enough—perhaps even in the title—and is it kept in view?• Is the organization reasonable and clear? Does each point lead into the next, without irrelevancies?• Is each paragraph unified by a topic sentence or topic idea? Do transitions connect the paragraphs?• Are generalizations and assertions about personal responses supported by evidence—by references to concrete details in the work?• Are the sentences concise, clear, and emphatic? Are needless words and inflated language eliminated?• Is the concluding paragraph conclusive without being repetitive?• Are the dates and quotations accurate? Is credit given to sources?• Are quotations introduced adequately, so that the reader understands why each one is offered?• Are the long quotations really necessary? Can some be shortened (using ellipses to indicate omissions) or summarized in my own words?• Are the titles of works of art—other than architecture—in italics?• Are footnotes and bibliographic references in the proper form?• Has the essay been proofread? Are spelling and punctuation correct?Materials• You must have access to Microsoft Word.• You must have access to a basic inkjet printer. It is recommended that you print a copy of your paper at each point of revision and edit it directly on the paper before you make final changes to your Microsoft Word file.• You must have access to a scanner and/or image-editing program to prepare referenced images in digital form for inclusion in your final research paper.