Preparing a Textual History

You will conduct research to trace the publication and printing history of your chosen text. Textual research is an important area within English Studies. You will then organize and present your findings in a Power Point or Prezi presentation. You will email the presentation to me. Later in the semester, you will also present your research in front of the class.

Click on the links below to read two outstanding examples of textual scholarship. Although these do not follow the format you will use for your Textual History Presentation, they do show the kinds of information included in works of textual scholarship.

                    Textual History of The Sun Also Rises 

                    Textual History Research on Canterbury Tales

The following questions will help you get started and guide your research:

ü  When was the text first published and by whom?

ü  Were there additional printings? Has it been republished in other editions?

ü  Was if first available in hardback?

ü  When did the first paperback edition arrive?

ü  How many different editions can you locate on WORLDCAT? 

ü  Was it ever out of print?

ü  Were there printings in countries other than the one of its origin?

ü  Has is ever been serialized?

ü  Is the text found in another media form? 

ü  How many copies have been sold?

ü  How many were printed and/or sold originally? 

ü  Did the author have any problems getting the work published?

ü  Has the work ever been banned?

ü  How much does a first edition sell for now?

Answer as many of these questions as possible. If you cannot find this information, at least comment/speculate on the absence of this detail and suggest some reasons for it.

Research Tips:

Ø  Begin your research with a search of the UTA library online catalog, PULSE.

Ø  Try a database search using WORLDCAT , AMAZON, and Bookfinder.com

Ø  Use printed reference material from the second floor of the UTA library.

Prepare a summary of your findings using an approved visual medium.  When using Power Point, you must follow the style conventions for this form of presentation. When placing text on the slides, use space to set the bits of information apart. In Power Point, you should have no more than 4-6 bullets or chunks of information per slide. You should have at least 20 slides to properly report your research. If you use another visual medium, you must first receive approval fro the format from me. Then,you must fully utilize the graphic, image and/or photo tools in your project. Visual projects are evaluated on visual aesthetics and content. Make sure you cite the sources of your research on each slide. You may use one parenthesis at the bottom of the slide and include all sources for the particular slide in this parenthesis.

A works cited page or slide prepared according to MLA guide is required