DOING RESEARCH AT UNIVERSITY LEVEL: HOW TO APPROACH ITProf. Cecilia Kennedy, M. A.Prof. Ximena Maceri Why engage in research?Chance to look further into your field of interest/ specializationOpportunity to learn the fundamentals of doing scientific research and what it implies In our case: Analyse literary works within the framework of different literary theories May present your work in public or publish it. Publishing and delivering papers in public is relevant in Higher Education Contributes to our professional development

Research Proposal Meaning: Format to be presented to the Department and University in order for the research to be approved Contents: Research field/area: English and Northamerican Literature Title: Regaining the Silenced in Toni Morrisons Beloved.Rationale for the research: exploraring the resources employed by Toni Morrison when relocating the silenced voice of the Afroamerican community in the second half of the 19th c, by means of symbols, images, tropes and linguistic structures. Aims: Research Proposal AIMS: Explore why Morrison wrote in 1980 a novel set after the American Civil WarExplore themes common to the feminist literary tradition as well as the linguistic structures present in the text.Generate new ideas around the reading of literary works and put together a common reading methodology for the benefit of the teachers and their professional training, as well as of students in generalPlace the English Department in the field of academic scientific research, by means of the creation of a teaching body specialised in their area, with a yearning for professional development through research.

Research Proposal Methodology and research design: Four-part project: extracts of the novel will be analysed in each case, which will be seen under the light of the literary theories serving as theoretical framework.1)Definition of the following terms and concepts: feminism, feminist literary theory, feminist writing , ecriture femenine and the dfference among them. As a conclusion we will decide which concepts will be put to use in the project.2)Research related to: a) Toni Morrisons social context and its impact on the novel Beloved, b) histrical context of the novel and the social implications for its characters, how the narrative explores their social realities. 3)Issues related to female writing, which are dealt with originaly in the light of the theory (maternity, mental/psychological instability in mothers , racism , oppression) 4) Linguistic Structures : Analysis of linguistic structures and of how Toni Morrison subverts traditionally pre-established concepts structurally and the notions underlying these subversions.

Research Proposal Bibliography: specify the type of material you will resort to Expected results Person in charge of the research team and members: number of participants, whether they belong to UCA, estimated hours devoted to the project, teaching position Research Proposal Schedule: different stages of the projectEstimated time to complete the research (These last two items may suffer modifications in the course of the work, which can be clarified in the anual progress report)Progress ReportsEvery year you should submit a report detailing the work carried out: whether you gave talks or published papers related to the project whether the approach or subject of your research has varied Lets take a look at example of 2012 report 2013: we submitted the papers presented

In our case: Meeting of Teaching Body of the Department of Modern Languages Paper delivered by Prof. Ximena Maceri at FAAPIPaper delivered by Lic. Karina Cicero and Prof. Ximena Maceri at UBA Filosofa y LetrasMaterial: How to find it UCA library databases: JSTOR and EBSCOWeb searches: google scholar Academic sites: university websites, course materials Academic articles found online Libraries: Lincoln Library (next to ICANA) : you may become members http://www.bcl.edu.ar/ AACI Library : you may become members

How not to misuse the web Source: (provided by Lic. Karina Cicero)INTERNET DETECTIVE: http://www.vtstutorials.ac.uk/detective/goodbadugly.htmlHow/ When to meet?Since meeting face to face is difficult we exchanged mails, talked through skype, exchanged material through google drive. Read each others papers and gave feedback by mail The Future We plan to change our research topic for 2015In order to do so we need to submit a report containing the new proposalOur intention is to look into a topic related to English Literature, since we have been working on Northamerican Literature so far The main theoretical framework will change, since we had resorted to African American Feminist criticismLiterary theories we could employ:Narratology as basis for the analysis of narrative Feminist criticism: any of its strands Psychoanalytic criticism: Freud, Lacan or French feminists Structuralism Postmodernism Post-structuralism Deconstruction

Something to check at UCA Convocatoria a becas de perfeccionam acadmico e investigacin: see when this usually takes place