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LitWiki:How to Contribute: Difference between revisions
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==Study Guides== | ==Study Guides== | ||
Most study guides will address a '''text''' of some sort, from {{c|Poetry|poems}} to {{c|Prose|prose}}, and even television shows and films. While there is no one correct way of writing a study guide, most will contain similar sections, listed below in a somewhat arbitrary order. You might begin by having a look at well written examples, like the Wikipedia entry for “[[w:Indian Camp|Indian Camp]]” or one of the [[w:Wikipedia:Featured_articles#Literature and theatre|featured articles in literature and theater]]. These are all good models for study guides. You might also see the [[w:Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels/ArticleTemplate|article template for books]] to give you an idea for organizing your study guide and a place to focus your research. Unless you are an experienced wiki editor, you might begin small by choosing a section of a study guide to '''research''', write, and edit. The following are various places ways to focus. | |||
===Annotated Bibliography Entry=== | ===Annotated Bibliography Entry=== | ||
An easy way to get started adding to a study guide is be contributing an annotated bibliography entry. Simply, this is using a template to add a secondary resource to a bibliography, followed by a couple of sentences that explain the significance of the resource. Bibliographies are staples of scholarly writing and give researchers a list of resources. Annotated bibliographies should be subpages of the study guides (e.g. ''Odyssey''/Bibliography) and bibliography entries are organized alphabetically by '''author’s last name'''. | An easy way to get started adding to a study guide is be contributing an annotated bibliography entry. Simply, this is using a template to add a secondary resource to a bibliography, followed by a couple of sentences that explain the significance of the resource. Bibliographies are staples of scholarly writing and give researchers a list of resources. Annotated bibliographies should be subpages of the study guides (e.g. ''Odyssey''/Bibliography) and bibliography entries are organized alphabetically by '''author’s last name'''. | ||
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First, locate a '''strong secondary source''',{{refn|See [[w:Wikipedia:Reliable sources|Wikipedia:Reliable sources]] for a thorough discussion about choosing reliable sources for research. Essentially, you should keep your sources to '''scholarly printed material''': books and journals. Occasionally web resources will work, like reviews and essays in magazines and newspapers and the infrequent web site, but mostly you will want to stick to those items you find in a library. Physically going to the library is the best way to uncover excellent sources, but increasingly full-text resources are available via university libraries. Either way, introduce yourself to a librarian to get the best sources.}} usually a book or an article from a scholarly journal—your university library is a big help here. Get the article and read it, taking notes as you go. Try to identify the critic’s main point(s) and write it in your own words. Once you have read the article, you are ready to write your bibliographic entry. | First, locate a '''strong secondary source''',{{refn|See [[w:Wikipedia:Reliable sources|Wikipedia:Reliable sources]] for a thorough discussion about choosing reliable sources for research. Essentially, you should keep your sources to '''scholarly printed material''': books and journals. Occasionally web resources will work, like reviews and essays in magazines and newspapers and the infrequent web site, but mostly you will want to stick to those items you find in a library. Physically going to the library is the best way to uncover excellent sources, but increasingly full-text resources are available via university libraries. Either way, introduce yourself to a librarian to get the best sources.}} usually a book or an article from a scholarly journal—your university library is a big help here. Get the article and read it, taking notes as you go. Try to identify the critic’s main point(s) and write it in your own words. Once you have read the article, you are ready to write your bibliographic entry. | ||
Next, find the appropriate '''citation template''': [[w:Template:Cite book|book]], [[w:Template:Cite journal|journal]], [[w:Template:Cite magazine|magazine]], [[w:Template:Cite news|newspaper]], or [[w:Template:Cite web|web site]]{{refn|Web sites should be used sparingly as they (1) are often not credible, and (2) tend to disappear. If you think a web page would make a good source, look for two things: an author’s name and a posted date. If these are missing, you might want to avoid using the site as a source.}} will cover most of them.{{refn|See [[w:Wikipedia:Citation templates|Wikipedia:Citation templates]] for further explanation and a list of other source templates you can use.}} Templates provide an easy, consistent way to use sources. For example, this is the template for citing a book: | |||
<code><nowiki>{{cite book |last= |first= |author-link= |date= |title= |url= |location= |publisher= |page= |isbn=}}</nowiki></code> | <code><nowiki>{{cite book |last= |first= |author-link= |date= |title= |url= |location= |publisher= |page= |isbn=}}</nowiki></code> | ||
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===Plot Summary=== | ===Plot Summary=== | ||
Summarize the important plot points. | Summarize the important plot points in paragraph form. This is a “Cliffs Notes” version of the plot, or synopsis, that covers main plot points only, without commentary or analysis.{{refn|{{cite web |url=https://copywritingcourse.com/how-to-write-a-book-summary/ |title=How to Write a Book Summary, Step-by-Step (w/ Templates) |last=Glass |first=Mitch |date={{date|2019-09-30|MDY}} |website=Copywriting Course |publisher= |access-date={{date|2021-08-20|ISO}} }}}} Plot summaries should not be too long, but give the reader an adequate idea bout the narrative’s main events and characters. | ||
===Character Sketch=== | ===Character Sketch=== | ||
Describe the character and | Describe the character and his or her importance to the text. A sketch, or analysis, introduces the character to the reader by giving a brief overview of the character.{{refn|{{cite web |url=https://leverageedu.com/blog/how-to-write-a-character-sketch/ |title=How to Write a Character Sketch? |author=<!--Web team--> |date={{date|2021-04-16|MDY}} |website=Leverage Edu |publisher= |access-date={{date|2021-08-20|ISO}} |ref={{SfnRef|Leverage|2021}} }}}} Longer sketches might be their own sub-pages of the study guide. Use the {{tl|Infobox character}} and [[w:Wikipedia:WikiProject Novels/CharacterArticleTemplate|this page template]]. The template will give you an outline of details to consider when writing the sketch, but generally you might start with the character’s role in the work, including a physical description and background, the character’s main actions, and his or her personality, psychology, motivations, and relationships.{{refn|{{cite web |url=https://fictionfoundry.alumni.columbia.edu/character_sketch_template |title=Character Sketch Template |last=White |first=Ralph |date={{date|2014-08-14|MDY}} |website=Columbia Fiction Foundry |publisher=Columbia Alumni Association |access-date={{date|2021-08-20|ISO}} }}}} Remember, you want to provide a snapshot of the character to help readers visualize him or her and that answers some of the important questions about the character’s role in the story.{{sfn|Leverage|2021}} | ||
===Theme Exploration=== | ===Theme Exploration=== | ||
Identify and explain a theme of the text. | Identify and explain a [[theme]], or a main concern, of the text. First, do some research by finding a couple of strong secondary sources, like chapters in an edited collection (book) or articles in scholarly journals. You might even use the keyword “theme” while searching. Read the articles to get an idea of the themes in the work, and write a paragraph explaining how the theme operates in the text. Be sure you cite your sources correctly: add the source to the “works cited” section using the proper template and use shortened footnotes for in-text citations (see [[Help:Contents]]). For example, see “[[w:Indian Camp#Initiation and fear of death|Indian Camp]],” “[[w:To Build a Fire|To Build a Fire]],” and/or “[[w:The Man Who Studied Yoga|The Man Who Studied Yoga]]” on Wikipedia. | ||
===Symbol/Metaphor Analysis=== | ===Symbol/Metaphor Analysis=== | ||
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===Content Expansion and Revision=== | ===Content Expansion and Revision=== | ||
Nothing is ever perfect. Revise or add to any sections that need it. | Nothing is ever perfect. Revise or add to any sections that need it. | ||
==Literary Term== | ==Literary Term== | ||
Research and define a [[Literary Terms|literary term]] applicable to your course of study. | Research and define a [[Literary Terms|literary term]] applicable to your course of study. | ||
==Notes and References== | |||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
[[Category:LitWiki]] | [[Category:LitWiki]] | ||