Research Project.

Your research project for this course will give you an opportunity to take some of the ideas that we will be talking about in class and explore them in greater depth. My only requirements are that the project consider connections between gender and painting in tenth- to fourteenth-century China. You might choose to investigate a single artist's body of work, the activity of a particular patron or collector, or a group of paintings with related themes. I encourage you to come talk to me about possible project topics. (Note that you should turn in a proposal for your topic on Monday, Sept. 23, and that you should turn in an annotated bibliography of your sources on Monday, Oct. 21. These will not be graded per se, but I will look them over and give you my comments.)

For the research stage of the project, I suggest that you consult the Art Index (an online database on the Library's web page, http://academic.hws.edu/library/erc.html, under "Find Articles"), as well as the Bibliography of Asian Studies Online (the link for this is included on both course web pages). Note: for both of these online resources, you must be connected to the HWS campus network. Don't overlook the books on reserve for our course at the Library (not only their contents but also their bibliographies), as well as resources that I suggest in footnotes on your daily handouts (typically beginning "Want to know more…?"). At the moment there is not much out there specifically about gender and Chinese painting, so you will have to piece things together from a variety of sources that discuss art, history, literature, philosophy, religion, etc., much as I am trying to do in class.

You will present your research in two parts.

Part I (20% of final grade) will be an oral presentation in the last two weeks of the course (precise dates to be assigned later). This presentation should be approximately 20-30 minutes in length and should include slides. This will give you a chance to share your arguments about your topic with the class and to get feedback on your work from me and your classmates. It will also give you an opportunity to polish your oral presentation skills. See pp. 2-3 for tips on oral presentations.

Part II (30% of final grade) will be a paper, due Dec. 19 at 11:30am, in which you present your argument and your conclusions. The paper should be about 4500-6000 words (roughly 15-20 pages) and it should be properly illustrated. Remember to refer to the notes in your syllabus about appropriate formats for written work and about plagiarism. If you need more information about how to write an art history paper, I recommend looking at Sylvan Barnet's A Short Guide to Writing about Art, with editions published in 1981, 1985 and 2000. (The 1985 edition is in the reference section of the Library.) If you have further questions about writing research papers, you might visit the HWS Writes website (http://academic.hws.edu/hwswrites/).

Tips for Oral Presentation

Preparation:
* Think about how to make your research accessible to everyone else. By the time of your presentation, you may know more about this material than anyone else in the room (even Prof. Blanchard!).
* Check the Visual Resources Collection in 201 Houghton House (http://vrcart.hws.edu/vrc/welcome.html) to see if there are slides of the paintings you are discussing, at least two weeks before your talk. If not, you can have slides made (either copies of Prof. Blanchard's slides or copies of images in books), but this must occur in consultation with both Prof. Blanchard and the slide curator, Kathryn Vaughn, and the process requires two weeks.
* Write a draft of your talk, with notations about where the slides go. This draft should state clearly what issue you are addressing or what argument you are making about the work. Make your draft as engaging as possible-remember that what is appropriate for formal written work often does not work for more informal oral presentations.

The presentation itself:
* Decide whether you will read your draft or work from a bulleted list or index cards. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. If you are reading your paper, you are better able to control the length of your presentation (10 double-spaced pages equal 20 minutes and 15 double-spaced pages equal 30 minutes), but your presentation may be less lively, and you will need to take steps to prevent that in the draft itself. With a bulleted list or index cards, you may not be able to judge the length of your presentation so precisely and you may need to practice more, but your presentation will probably seem more spontaneous and engaging. (Note that art historians presenting their work orally usually read drafts of their work.)
* Practice your talk, with the slides, more than once. Use a tape recorder or get a friend to serve as your audience. The best place to practice is in an empty classroom at Houghton House or in room 214 with the slide viewers.
* Come to class early on the day of your presentation in order to put your slides in the slide carousel and learn how to use the projecting equipment.
* Give the name of each slide you show. Make sure you have something to say about each slide. You should be very familiar with your material, especially the visuals.
* Do not hand out photocopied images of the work you are discussing or pass around books. It is impossible for your audience to follow your presentation while they are passing around this material.
* Speak slowly and don't be afraid to repeat important points.
* Speak loudly. The projecting equipment is noisy.
* Try to ask questions to make sure your audience understands what you are saying. Even "can you hear me?" is a good question.
* Breathe and try to relax. Remember everyone else has been or will be in your shoes. (If you are shy, like Prof. Blanchard, you might think of yourself as developing a "performance persona." The earlier you can do this the better.)

Audience: your job is to listen carefully and ask intelligent questions, or at least make encouraging nods. Don't talk amongst yourselves when someone is giving a presentation-it is very unnerving for the speaker.

Oral Presentation Self- Evaluation

(with thanks to Prof. Jo Anna Isaak for sharing hers; I have modified it slightly)

These questions are designed to help you improve the quality of your oral presentation and to assist you in all your future presentations.

1) What issue did you address in your presentation?

2) Why was the artist or issue you chose to work on of particular interest to you?

3) Did you consult with your instructor about your topic before you began?

4) How did this consultation take place? Did you make an appointment with your instructor for a consultation during regular office hours or was it a few rushed questions before or after class?

5) Were you able to undertake independent research on your topic?

6) Did you check to see that the slides you wanted were available in the Visual Resources Collection? If they weren't, did you arrange to have slides made?

7) How much time did you spend in the Visual Resources Collection?

8) Did you submit a draft of your talk to your instructor?

9) Did you practice your talk orally, with the slides, before presenting it to the class? What did this practice involve?

10) Did you show your instructor what slides you planned to use a couple of days before the presentation?

11) Did you come to class early on the day you were scheduled to give your presentation?

12) Did you speak up and make your points clearly?

13) What would you do differently when you do your next presentation?