History Research Paper Task

The final draft will take the research question and source materials generated in the proposal and annotated bibliography, and work this into an argumentative essay. Students are expected to improve on the research by filling gaps and answering important questions (pay attention to the comments and suggestions).

Students are expected to improve upon the material in the proposal and annotated bibliography. It is not acceptable to reuse large sections of the second assignment. This assignment is about synthesizing the different sources and using them to defend a specific point. You will use the evidence and ideas developed in the second assignment, but they will need to be reworked to serve a new purpose.

3-6 pages long: length is less important than having a clear and well-argued point supported by relevant evidence.

Formatting:

Double spaced, Times New Roman, 12pt font.
CMS Footnotes AND Bibliography (VERY IMPORTANT in order to avoid plagiarism). Do NOT annotate this bibliography.
Pages numbered with last name and student number.
SEPARATE Title Page, including the title of the essay, your name, student number, instructor name, course and date of submission.

Essential Writing Tips:

Do not try to include everything that is mentioned in the document. Part of the historical process is selecting and prioritizing the most important ideas and events.
Make sure to create an outline to organize your thoughts.
Always have an argument: what is your position on the relevance/importance of these documents, and why have you taken that position?
Focus on the sources and how they help us learn about the topic. Do not focus on describing general information about the topic.
Remember that the important content of the paper comes from your thoughts – explain your own interpretation of this historical artifact.
FOOTNOTE any citations, or where important information and ideas in the textbook or in the Encyclopedia are incorporated into your paper. When in doubt, footnote!
TIP: keep quotations to a minimum; use paraphrasing throughout, and only quote where the SPECIFIC wording of the author are REQUIRED to make your point.
TIP: try to separate sentences that contain research evidence that requires citations, and sentences that explain your ideas. This will make it clear what needs to be cited and highlight your original work.

Suggested Essay Format

Introduction: Frame your topic and your documents. What will this paper be working on? Finish with the Thesis Statement.
Second Introductory Paragraph: Brief description of your specific This should be the only place you discuss the topic itself.
Body Paragraphs: your 5-8 best ideas to explain your thesis.
Each paragraph needs a topic sentence that states exactly what you are saying in the paragraph. Support this with at least TWO references. Each reference should have a separate sentence explaining how it supports your ideas.
Conclusion: Restate your position (thesis) and summarize your argument (not the topic). Then you can mention any larger thoughts you have – how does it impact subsequent history, personal reflection etc.

FOCUS QUESTION:

Why does this group of sources contribute to our understanding of a specific aspect of European history? Why are they important?