How to write a formal analysis

Formal Analysis Paper

FORMAL ANALYSIS CHECKLIST

This does not need to be turned in with your assignment, but failure to meet any of the following criteria will result in the dropping of half a letter grade (meaning 5 points) for each omission (with only the exception of plagiarism – see the syllabus policy):

FORMAT

____ It must have a word count of between 750 and 1000 words WITHOUT PICTURES, FOOTNOTES, TITLE PAGE OR BIBLIOGRAHY, OR YOUR NAME/DATE/CLASS. Your paper will be marked down if it is not the required length.

____ It must be typed in Times New Roman 12 pt Font.

____ It must have one-inch margins on all four sides.

____ It must be double spaced.

____ No extra space between paragraphs. (In Word, highlight all of your text, go to Paragraph, then click the box next to “Don’t add space between paragraphs of the same style.”) Indent the beginning of each paragraph.

____ Title specific to your paper, that expresses the ideas about which you write in the text, not the name of the assignment (for ex., not “Writing Assignment 1” or “Formal Analysis Paper”). No title page required. You may put your name at the top of the first page.

____ Introductory paragraph with thesis statement and brief description of work of art.

____ All paragraphs include topic/introductory sentence, information relating to that topic, explanation or details, and concluding sentence.

____ Concluding paragraph summarizes your important points without simply repeating what you’ve already said and without introducing new ideas that you haven’t discussed.

GRAMMAR/STYLE

____ It must not contain more than 3 major grammar or punctuation errors (including plurals, possessives, semicolon and comma use, use of adverbs v. adjectives, verb conjugation, incomplete sentences, pronoun use, not using contractions, appropriate capitalization, etc.). If you have questions pertaining to grammar issues, you should consult The Elements of Style, which is available online at the following site: http://www.bartleby.com/141/ . Also, you can go to the Writing Center for help. For more information see http://www.coastal.edu/writingcenter/

____ Do not use first- or second-person personal pronouns, such as “I” and “you” (or me, my, mine, your, we, us, our…) or “one”

____ Do not refer to the viewer; anything you describe will be stated from the viewer’s point of view, so this is not necessary. For example: “the viewer sees…”, “one notices that…”, “it can be seen that…”, “when looking…”, “the audience…”, “the eye notices that…,” “looking at the painting…,” “are visible,” “it looks like…,” “at first glance,” “based on observations,”etc.

____ Keep verb tense consistent in your paper and when discussing works of art (usually use present: i.e. “The painting is…The figures in the painting show…”)

____ No conversational language, for example: “gives off,” “sticks out,” “vibe,” “guy,” “laid back,” “looks to be,” “kind of,” “sorta,” “grab,” “looks okay,” “looks weird,” “relatable,” “how come,” “builds off of,” “impactful,” “shows up,” “way too…,” “have a feel to them,” “big on,” “ditto,” “back in the day,” “genius” used as an adjective, etc. Try to sound art historical.

____ If you discuss a specific work of art, you must provide: 1) the name of the artist, spelled correctly; 2) the title of the work, italicized; the first time you mention the work, give the date the work was created (in parentheses after the title is fine).

____ If you refer to an artist, use last name, not first name.

CITATION (you do not need to do any research for this paper, but in case you do use something from an outside source)

____ All citations cited using Chicago style footnotes or endnotes. (See links on Moodle for guidelines, or see the Chicago Manual of Style in the library. You must give the exact page number for each citation, not a range of pages. Each footnote has a separate number; do not repeat numbers.) If you use text or information from uncited sources it is PLAGIARISM and may result in an FX grade for the class.

____ All citations/quotes contextualized, not just dropped into the paper as independent sentences.

____ Citations used to quote the artist or theoretical ideas; facts rephrased in your own words BUT STILL CITED. (For example, this should be rephrased: The painting “was completed in the nineteenth century in Barcelona.”1 This quote should be rephrased in your own words. BUT: Monet said, “When you go out to paint, try to forget what objects you have before you.”2 These are Monet’s own words, so it’s good to cite them exactly. Give specific page numbers.

FINAL REVIEW

____ Proofread for spelling and grammar issues.

____ Re-read assignment directions before submitting final copy.

____ Upload the paper to Moodle Turnitin. You do not need to submit a hard copy.

____ No text or information from outside sources has been used. If you use text or information from uncited sources, it is PLAGIARISM and may result in an FX grade for the class. If you cite any information, use Chicago style citation: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

____ The paper must be turned in by time scheduled on the due date. Anything submitted afterwards will not be accepted. NO EXCEPTIONS.