Women's and Gender Studies: Home

Identify and Develop a Topic

Selecting a research topic is much like deciding on a travel destination. Once you have narrowed your ideas to an interesting subject, write down a brief statement about this topic. For example: "Rock groups of the 60s, their popularity and major influence on the music industry."  Once the topic is selected, write down specific questions that you'll want to answer. The research process will drive your destination. Your original topic may develop into something entirely different. You may choose to follow an alternate path and go down a different road.

Find Background Information

After determining the topic, you can map out your route. You must identify the types of sources that will provide the information needed, then determine where to find these sources. Types of sources that should be considered include books, periodicals, the Internet, and other libraries (through interlibrary loan).

The key to finding books is the online library catalog called Discovery.  Search in Discovery by selecting a keyword that best describes your topic. You can also search by title, author, subject, or keyword. In addition to books, the catalog allows you to search for periodicals, government documents, audiovisual material, and Special Collections.   

 If you get lost during your sight-seeing trip, stop and ask directions. The following reference sources will be most useful to acquire quick answers to any questions you may have.

•  Begin with Encyclopedias, then to get off the main drag, use Subject Encyclopedias.

•  What does it mean?  Use a Dictionary.       

•  How much, how many?  Find Statistical Information.

•  Who?  Find Biographical Information.

•  How can I get in touch?  Use a Directory.

•  Where do I go from here?  Bibliographies.

Find Journal Articles

Periodicals include newspapers, magazines, and journals. They are published regularly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly. Journals are periodicals containing articles written by experts in a particular field of study. If the researcher wrote the article, is it a primary source. If reporters write the article, such as in popular magazines, it is a secondary source. Typically, journal articles contain extensive bibliographies that lead to additional sources.

Journal List - If there is a specific journal that you are looking for, this will take you directly to McFarlin's holdings.

Discovery - If there is a specific article that you are looking for, you can search Summon with that article's title.

Database List - If you don't have a specific journal or article in mind, then McFarlin's databases will allow you to search multiple journals with a keyword.

Critical Analysis

Critical analysis papers in women's and gender studies aim to develop students' abilities to think critically about gender-related issues, apply theoretical concepts, and articulate complex ideas effectively. These assignments help students move beyond surface-level understandings to consider the deeper implications and constructions of gender, sexuality, and related social categories across various cultural and scholarly contexts. By engaging in this type of academic writing, students learn to question assumptions, challenge dominant narratives, and contribute to ongoing scholarly discussions in the field of women's and gender studies. A critical analysis paper has several key elements.

 

Introduction and Thesis Statement

• An overview of the key elements of your paper.
• A thesis statement that has a clear, concise argument that presents the main point or perspective the paper will analyze and defend.
• The thesis should engage with feminist or gender theory and offer an original interpretation of the subject matter.

 

Theoretical Framework

• An overview of the relevant feminist, queer, or gender theories that will be applied in the analysis.
• The framework provides the lens through which the subject will be examined.
• This may include concepts like intersectionality, performativity, or standpoint theory.

 

Context

• Background information that situates the subject of analysis within its historical, social, or cultural context.
• Help readers understand the significance of the topic and how it relates to broader issues in gender studies.

 

Analysis

• A detailed examination of the primary text, issue, or phenomenon being studied.
• Breaking down the subject into its component parts and critically examining how they function in relation to gender, sexuality, power, and identity.

 

Application of Theory

Using concepts from feminist and gender studies to interpret and analyze the subject, revealing new insights or perspectives.

 

Intersectional Approach

• Consideration of how various social categories such as race, class, sexuality, and nationality intersect with gender in the subject being analyzed.
• Recognize how gender does not exist in isolation but interacts with other aspects of identity and social structures.

 

Engagement with Existing Scholarship

• A discussion of how the analysis relates to or challenges existing research and arguments in the field.
• Demonstrate the paper's contribution to ongoing scholarly conversations in women's and gender studies.

 

Evidence and Support

• Use textual evidence, data, or examples to support the arguments being made.
• Include quotes from primary sources, statistics, or findings from empirical studies.

 

Critical Reflection

• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of the chosen theoretical approach and analysis.
• Demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to engage critically with the field's methodologies.

 

Implications and Significance

• Discuss the broader implications of the analysis for understanding gender, sexuality, and related social issues.
• Connect the specific analysis to larger questions in the field.

 

Conclusion

Synthesize the main points of the analysis, reinforcing the thesis and offering final thoughts on the significance of the findings for women's and gender studies.