Turnitin and Essay Planning Notes

Emma J. Horsfield

Critical and Cultural Studies L6: Degree Essay / Report

Module code: 6FTC1035

Turnitin Report

I have looked at how a Turnitin report works and as part of the activity below, read and analysed an essay as well and its basic structure for submission to this level of study.  The notes below will help to keep me focussed on these requirements with the Turnitin information aiding me for the next activity which will be to submit some of my work for a Turnitin report.

The essay in this activity features the following:

Cover Page: (large heading with Time Submitted, Submission ID, Word Count and Character Count in the footer

Title Page: Course code and name, Title of essay, Word count, Subtitles (or quotes), with College details, Tutor, Date and student name on bottom.

Footer on all sheets to contain ‘Degree Essay / Report’

Abstract Page:  Paragraphs of text as well as section on ‘Keywords’

Table of Contents Page: (divided into sections, e.g. Introduction, then other sections essay is divided into)

Section 1:

Introduction Page (1.1) General paragraph, then another heading with question (why relevant?) with paragraph of text and illustrations.  Other sub sections within section 1 to be listed as 1.2, 1.3 and so on. Table of relevant figures could be included for example.  Group illustrations for their relevance (e.g. a set of illustrations proving the same point or referring to the same aspect of an argument should be listed as 2.1, 2.2a, 2.2b etc.)

Define any new terms.

Where tables are used, list as ‘Table 1’ etc rather than ‘Figure 1’, together with title and source (Source:  Author name, title and page numbers).

Section 2 and subsequent sections to be divided up into similar areas (e.g. 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5)

Subsections: can also be divided up into further sections and will become: 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 for example)

Images to be cited:  Fig. 2.1:  Name of image, place (e.g. Boston), museum for example name (Source: soandso.com, 2012)

When mentioning figure numbers in body text put in brackets, e.g. ‘(Figure 5) refers to…’

Captions: (for example referring to benefits of subject matter can be contained in a box of different colour to provide reader interest)

For each new subheading, new figure numbers must be begun.  E.g. If we have already reached fig. 3.4 (that is figure 3, sub 4) under subheading 2 (with sections 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 etc), then we start a new subheading 3.1, the illustration figure number will be ‘figure 4’.

Page numbers must be included on all pages

Where illustrations are used to support the same argument, label as 3.2a and 3.2b (for example) as opposed to 3 and 4.

Each section should have introductory sentences to that section, as well as then addressing keywords and defining any terms.

Penultimate section: on what made me choose this topic.

Final section: Conclusion

Bibliography also in sections:

References

Date in brackets.

Web Sources (including all accessed dates)

List of Illustrations arranged by setting out the figure number first, for example:

Fig. 2.1b: Name (date) Title etc…

Turnitin Originality report: at the end of essay

Similarity index:

·         blue (no matching words)

·         green (one matching word - 24% similarity index)

·         yellow (25-49% similarity index)

·         orange (50-74% similarity index)

·         red (75-100% similarity index)

Sample essay for this activity showed a 21% similarity index.  This means the percentage of text which matches [best] sources in the Turnitin database.  The percentage number (colour coded as per above) for each section of the text where a match is found will show what percentage of the paper matches that source (e.g. 2%).  Clicking on this percentage will open up a box which displays the matching source within its context. 

Research so far: refection

I have very much enjoyed researching my theme as it is one l am personally very interested in and able to apply to my work and ambitions as an illustrator.  I am very happy with the availability of research material for inclusion in my report, and am also inspired by the level of academic interest in the study of pictures: particularly that of illustrations in wordless picture books.  The wordless picturebooks genre seems to be an increasing market as well as a universal one; which l would like to become more submerged in as l gain experience.

The process of activities dealing with the discovery and refinement of reference material, though feeling repetitive and tedious at times, certainly benefited my work for submission 1, by ensuring my focus remained on the most germane resources.  Although creating the annotated bibliography was much more time consuming than l anticipated l feel l managed my time well and located a number of relevant and important resources for my study.  I also purchased several books for use as reference in this module; which will also be useful later in my career.  I found the interaction with peers on the forum useful and took advice regarding certain reference material by peers, such as the article Wordless picturebooks: critical and educational perspectives on meaning-making (Arizpe & Styles, 2005). 

Creating the reflective blog is a useful and ongoing method of refining ideas and developing critical thinking and l will dedicate time to this on a regular basis.  It is also an effective means of recording information, such as keeping details of reference material and highlighting how ideas develop and change.

Linking in the essay with practical work undertaken on the Final Major Project module means l can visualise my work in context and learn not just in theoretical ways but in practical ones too.  It also helps to keep my mind on the same theme so l can gain thorough knowledge in an area l have the most interest in, and wish to work in upon graduation.

Locating and reading much of the material found on my essay theme, has made me feel positive and enthusiastic about my work and future prospects.  I am keen to continue with my studies on this subject and am looking forward to working on the essay to develop my knowledge to a high standard.  I feel the skills and knowledge l gain from this will contribute greatly to my work, ethos and outlook as a professional illustrator and enhance my academic critical thinking.

Shortly, l will post my annotated bibliography which l will be referring to regularly while continuing with research for my final essay.

Research boundaries

Continuing with my research for my dissertation for Ba (Hons) Illustration l am now looking in more detail at possible sources l can use which are relevant to my studies and focussing on key words and phrases so l don't go off track.  I am finding that there is substantial information out there in terms of academic sources as well as many wordless picture book examples which l can use as examples in my essay.

I am interested in finding out to what extent and in what ways people can benefit educationally and emotionally from ‘reading’ wordless picture books.

I already know that wordless picture books are a useful reseaource in crossing language barriers and can thus be used by people from all backgrounds in a variety of settings.  Many wordless picture books also tackle issues which are sensitive or ‘difficult’ and also allow the reader to create the story themselves and apply it in a way which is personal to them.  They are also useful for developing the imagination, especially in children as well as their understanding of how to read a book in the physical sense (e.g. left to right, top to bottom, in our culture).  I have sourced a number of wordless picture books and will be looking at these in my research to use as examples to back up references from academic sources.

The aims of my research are to provide me with a broad academic overview of the ways in which wordless picture books can be used to enhance people’s lives and experiences as well as developing emotional and learning skills.

The main elements l find interesting about this topic are: the theme is directly related to the genre of illustration which l plan to work in; that is the genre of wordless picture books.  It also has a lot of scope to explore difficult and sensitive issues which are of great interest to me.  l would like to inject personal experience and emotional understanding into my work so that others can relate to it on a deeper level and thus empathise / sympathise with the main characters who will be the underdog / scapegoat / the outsider.  I want to give to protagonist the voice he / she has never had and for the reader to see that being different, for example, is not a bad thing.

Key words (and variations):

Wordless [picture books] (no text, picture book, wordless graphic novel)

Emotion (empathy, sympathy, feelings, psychological, psycho-analytical)

Education (learning, tuition, instruction, development, literacy)

Development (growth, progress, expansion)

Additional research interests:

Cross-cultural, linguistic, cross-generational, sensitive themes, psychological development

Possible academic sources l can use in my investigation for this essay:

Arizpe, E., 2014, Wordless picturebooks: critical and educational perspectives on meaning-making [online article] Available at: http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/76005/1/76005.pdf [Accessed 04 July 2016]

Evans, J., 1998, What’s in the Picture?  Responding to illustrations in Picture books.  London:  Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Louie, B., & Siershinski, J., Enhancing English Learners' Language Development Using Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 69, issue 1, July / August 2015, pp 103-111.

Lysaker, J., & Hopper, G., 2015, A Kindergartner's Emergent Strategy Use During Wordless Picture Book Reading, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, pages 649–657.

Nikolajeva, M., 2013, Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 67, Issue 4, December 2013 / January 2014, pp. 249-254.

Richey, V.H., & Puckett, K.E., 1992, Wordless/almost wordless picture books: A guide. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited.

Salisbury, M. & Styles, M., 2012, Children’s Picturebooks:  The Art of Visual Storytelling.  London:  Lawrence King Publishing.

Serafini, F., 2014, Exploring Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, Issue 1, September 2014, pp. 24-26.

Osbourne Williams, D., 1994, Every Picture Tells a Story:  The Magic of Wordless Books, School Library Journal, Vol: 40, Issue 8, August 1994, p. 38.

Possible wordless picture book examples for reference:

Baker, J, 2010, Mirror, London:  Walker Books.

Briggs, R., 2013, The Snowman, London: Puffin Books.

Camcam, P., 2014, Fox’s Garden, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Cole, H., 2012, Unspoken: A Story from the Underground Railroad, NY: Scholastic Press.

Frazee, M., 2014, The farmer and the Clown, NY: Beach Lane Books.

Garoche, C., 2015, The Snow Rabbit, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Kim, P., & Sanchez, S., 2014, Here l am, London: Curious Fox.

Lawson, J, Smith, S., 2016, Footpath Flowers, London:  Walker Books.

Lehman, B., 2007, Rainstorm, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Pinkney, J., 2011, The Lion and the Mouse, London: Walker Books Ltd.

Tan, S., 2014, The Arrival, Sydney:  Lothian Books.

Villa, A, 2013, Flood, London:  Curious Fox.

Weisner, D., 1988, Free Fall, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Slight change of title

I'm still on the same theme but thought my title needed to be altered slightly to accomodate the different angles this could take.

·         Discuss ways in which wordless picture books contribute to educational and emotional development. (discursive)

I have chosen the above approaches because they highlight my main interests and aims for my illustration work and focus on the elements of learning and emotional responses to images in wordless books as well as to highlight the power of wordless picture books in visual communication.  The selected essay title is also open to analysis from a cultural and trans-generational point of view as well as being relevant to the work l am doing practically.  I am interested in ‘cross-over’ books and their appeal to wider audiences and hope my illustrated books will do that. 

The most relevant approaches other than the discursive angle, l felt were the evaluative and analytical approaches and the two questions l formed about wordless picture books transcending cultures and generations.  However I felt these questions would not be something which l could not find a conclusive answer to within the realms of this brief; and l may find that there may not be enough conclusive evidence in the forms of studies and surveys which would provide foundation for the argument.  The discursive approach and the refining of the theme and their contribution to emotional and educational development allows for a more open discussion of all my findings without the requirement of a conclusive answer which would be difficult to reach.  I have researched the subject and found several sources l can reference in my investigation and the theme is one which is becoming more and more studied.  Wordless picture books are also becoming more widely used and are very useful in educational and emotional development settings. 

The focus of my study is solely on the role of the illustrations and their sequencing in the book, as they are without text, and so diversions onto written storylines won’t occur.  The topic relates to my FMP module as l am creating outcomes for a wordless picture book which is a story l have written myself resembling Cinderella in some ways.  Wordless picture books and graphic novels is an area l also see myself working in after graduation.  The function and appeal of wordless picture books is therefore of interest to me personally and relevant to the project on my other module as well as correlating with my long term aims.

Possible sources l can use in my investigation for this essay:

Evans, J., 1998, What’s in the Picture?  Responding to illustrations in Picture books.  London:  Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Lawson, J, Smith, S., 2016, 'Footpath Flowers', London:  Walker Books

Louie, B., & Siershinski, J., Enhancing English Learners' Language Development Using Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 69, issue 1, July / August 2015, pp 103-111.

Nikolajeva, M., 2013, Picturebooks and Emotional Literacy, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 67, Issue 4, December 2013 / January 2014, pp. 249-254.

Salisbury, M. & Styles, M., 2012, Children’s Picturebooks:  The Art of Visual Storytelling.  London:  Lawrence King Publishing.

Serafini, F., 2014, Exploring Wordless Picture Books, The Reading Teacher, Vol: 68, Issue 1, September 2014, pp. 24-26.

Tan, S., 2014, 'The Arrival', Sydney:  Lothian Books

Osbourne Williams, D., 1994, Every Picture Tells a Story:  The Magic of Wordless Books, School Library Journal, Vol: 40, Issue 8, August 1994, p. 38.

Villa, A, 2013, 'Flood', London:  Curious Fox

The work l produce will look at the subject matter from a variety of angles and use examples in different learning settings, including in primary school or adult education, as well as looking at emotional development.  This will give a broader overview of the effect wordless picture books can have on the learner and how they can be used as a tool for those with English as a second language for example.  I will see where my research takes me and try to be as comprehensive as possible but concise at the same time, using validated examples for reference.

Choosing the dissertation title

Having been in discussion with tutors from both my modules (Critical and Cultural Studies and Final Major Project) about the route l should investigate through my dissertation, as well as via discussions with peers, l feel my chosen topic certainly needs to reflect my interest in human emotion and how connections are made to wordless picture books.  Currently l am considering the title:

Discuss ways in which wordless picture books connect with human emotions and become trans-cultural and trans-generational in appeal.

Looking at the theme from the viewpoint of one which is: Multi-cultural, sociological, psycho-analytical, and psychological, theories l could employ in this essay could include:

Semiotic analysis:  What is signified by the signifiers in wordless picture books which connect or disconnect from certain age groups of cultures, are the signifiers universally understood to signify the same thing to each?

Redundancy and entropy:  What are the redundant and entropic features and is it right to assume that wordless picture books need a higher level of visual redundancy?

Iconography and iconology:  What are the motifs in the images and why were they chosen to represent the concept (considering the historical and cultural background of the image)?

Stereotypes:  Are these used prevalently in wordless picture books and how can they cross generational and cultural boundaries?

Metaphor and symbolism:  How can these be used effectively when targeting a trans-generational and trans-cultural audience?

John Berger’s ‘Ways of Seeing’:  How would Berger interpret the use of wordless picture books and their cultural and generational interpretations?

My main interest as a creative practitioner is to fully create my own wordless ‘crossover’ picture books (books which have intergenerational appeal but which may be defined as children’s picture books) which approach real life situations and problems and promote emotional responses in the readers.  The books will consider the young child in their presentation and subject matter but not be exclusive in targeting this audience.   l wish to engage a wider audience and one which can appreciate the illustration for the artistic value but also connect with the deeper meanings of the work.

Secondly, l am also interested in continuing with commissioned work from a commercial point of view and developing my experience in interpreting the texts of other creatives in an illustrative way.

Thirdly l am also interested in continuing my study of illustration as a means of communication and developing my rendering of the human form and facial expressions while continuing to develop my skills using a range of media.

These interests are reflected in my idea for theoretical investigation as outlined above, in the following ways:

·         I will further my knowledge and appreciation of the area of wordless ‘cross-over’ picture books, their appeal, their reach and longevity; an area which l hope to become more deeply involved in upon graduation

·         I will increase my critical analysis skills using the methods outlined above which will impact upon the outcomes l produce in my practical work

·         The themes of sociology, psychology and multi-culturalism are of great interest to me personally and l hope to reflect this in my practical outcomes to an extent which is relevant to the essay topic

·         Human emotions greatly interest me and as l particularly enjoy depicting human beings in my illustration work, l feel it is necessary to study this area as much as possible while also developing my skills at depicting these themes in my illustrated characters

My goals for writing the essay for this module are to:

·         Increase my knowledge about how people respond to visual texts and the impact it has upon them emotionally

·         Study the subjects of metaphor, symbolism and picture book codes and how they are used effectively in the rendering of wordless picture books

·         How effective wordless picture books are at crossing generational and cultural boundaries

·         To learn from my investigation and apply the findings to my own practical work

Tutor and peer feedback have assisted me in evaluating my ideas in the following ways:

·         The general consensus of opinion was that studying the subject of human emotion as well as wordless picture books were the strongest ideas with the most scope and potential for academic research

·         These two ideas were combined to create the essay route of investigation chosen

·         Both tutors liked the idea of studying the emotional responses to picture books; with Final Major Project tutor being keen for me to explore wordless picture books as this is the area l am currently working in my practical module

Critical and Cultural Studies: Three potential themes for dissertation

Critical and Cultural Studies

Three potential themes l have highlighted for my dissertation:

·         1.  ILLUSTRATING EMOTIONAL ISSUES IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS: How can emotional issues be addressed effectively in children’s literature without being too graphic or unnecessarily upsetting? (“Children are tough, though we tend to think of them as fragile. They have to be tough. Childhood is not easy. We sentimentalize children, but they know what’s real and what’s not. They understand metaphor and symbol. If children are different from us, they are more spontaneous. Grown-up lives have become overlaid with dross.” (Sendak, in Stopera, 2012).  How useful is this in tackling sensitive subject matter in the illustration of children’s books?

The theme relates to my own practice as this is an area l seek to become engaged in upon graduation.  I wish to explore the ways in which children’s books address emotional issues and how effective or not different approaches are.  This l can apply to my own practice because l plan to produce my own books on these themes.  Although a genre of books in the last decade or so has emerged to tackle issues often considered as being ‘modern problems’ such as divorce, single gender relationships or bullying for example, I feel children’s emotional issues are overlooked in the main, with most picture books aiming at the fantasy genre.  Although there is clearly a well deserved and necessarily place for fantasy themed picture books, children have many of the emotional issues that adults do, and books addressing these complex issues need to be readily available to enable children to talk about their problems or get help dealing with them.  These books can also be used by adults to help them view their own childhoods in a more reflective manner, which can help them in dealing with their own issues.  Pros in studying this theme include it being directly related to my own interest in this genre and its relation to my practice with the cons including the lack of ‘upsetting’ examples as opposed to ones that are more sensitively illustrated.  So how would l approach this?  Would l need to compare ‘sentimental’ picture books with those addressing more serious subjects?  This would mean l would be comparing two very different themes aimed at possibly two audiences.  Although sensitive themes can be touched upon in many books, even of the fantasy genre, as sub plots for example, they are often too subtle to be able to provide a suitable comparison.  This theme offers a wide range of sources but it would be difficult to pinpoint a specific angle to take on this and decide what exactly l could conclude from the study.

·         2.  WORDLESS VS. TEXTUAL PICTURE BOOKS? Are wordless picture books or those with text more or less effective at communicating the required message to the target audience?

I have spent a while writing stories for children and studied the ways in which stories use structure, prose, poetry and rhythm so help the story flow and keep children engaged, and found this very useful in seeing how successful picture books work and why ‘unsuccessful’ ones don’t work.  Writing the story l wanted to tell helped me to realise that, in fact my story didn’t benefit from the words and that the story could best be told solely by using pictures.  I found many examples of wordless picture books and graphic novels from which l can draw inspiration and these will help me in analyzing the theme should l choose this topic for further research.  Wordless picture books are successful (when done well), in communicating to a larger audience as the reader doesn’t have to be able to read words or understand the language in print.  However careful consideration must be given to the illustrations and how they tell the story, and whether they are clear enough to the ‘reader’.  Producing a successful wordless picture book is, for this reason, l believe much more of a challenge than producing one with text.  l would also argue that a higher level of redundancy over entropy needs to be used in order for the reader to gain a fuller insight into the unfolding events.  Pros of studying this theme include being able to directly relate it to an area of interest l have in creating my own wordless picture books, and cons being possibly that there are many more primary sources available for textual picture books than of wordless ones.

·         3.  MOTHERS AND HOW THEY ARE DEPICTED IN CHILDREN’S BOOKS:  Using various methods of critical analysis (e.g. redundancy and entropy, iconography and iconology, sterotypes etc.) the essay will look at the role of mothers in children’s books and how they are presented / illustrated to children, and how this relates to the wider ideological view in society.

It could be argued that our society reveres mothers and views them as being icons of selflessness and sacrifice where her children are concerned.  However many victims of abuse or neglect from their mothers are well aware that this is a fallacy; an ideology ingrained in society which is rarely challenged.  Looking at stereotypes here, as well as binary opposites and ideological inference can help to identify where these ideologies came from and how they can be confronted.  Children’s books, l believe invariably show mothers as being tender, loving and caring beings who would do anything for their children, but is this just a necessary ‘comfort blanket’ for adults and for children? and should ‘new versions’ of mother be allowed to emerge?  Where mothers are seen as being bad, they are almost always described as ‘step’ mothers (e.g. Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, etc.) which again, while stereotyping mothers positively, categorises step mothers in a negative sense.  Pros of this theme include being able to critically analyse using a variety of methods of deconstruction and theories as mentioned above which can also be applied to my Final Major Project module which has reference to this issue in the illustrations.  Cons of this theme could be difficulty in reaching conclusive answers about whether the mother stereotype should be challenged / changed, as if this hasn’t happened already, we don’t know whether it will be successful or not.

So now l need to decide which of these l can relate most to my own practice as well as which l feel has most potential for research.