history writing

In this class, we have explored the roots of five critical contemporary issues: Humans and the Environment, Globalization, Inequality; Ways of Thinking; and the Roots of a Contemporary Conflict. The four parts of the library research assignment challenged you to gather and analyze sources, develop a thesis, craft a bibliography, and outline your essay—all of which culminates in an essay tracing your topic’s deep historical roots and its global significance. Remember that your paper needs to have a contemporary issue, explore roots of that issue that pre-date 1940, and have a global component.

Structure:

Your paper should have an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs that advance your argument, and a conclusion. Your introductory paragraph should introduce the topic generally, and give a “roadmap” of the essay. It should end with a thesis that clearly states your argument. Each of the body paragraphs should advance your argument, exploring the historical roots of your issue in at least 2 different geographic areas and time periods, one of which must be before 1950. Papers that only address current events, or that only address one geographic location, will be marked down. The paper should end with a conclusion that brings the various parts of the essay together, particularly addressing the question of how an understanding of the past is important to understanding your issue in the present.

Format:

·      The paper must be at least 5 pages in length. It must be submitted as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file, through the dropbox on Blackboard. Papers that are not submitted on Blackboard, or that are late, will not be accepted.

·      The file naming format is: LRP- Spring 2017- [Section Number]- Your Last Name, First Initial (no period). So for example: LRP- Spring 2017- 19- Smith, J

·      You should not have a “cover” page or title sheet. Your name and section number should be in the top left-hand corner of the first page.

·      The font should be 12 point Times New Roman, with 1” margins (note that you will have to change the default margins in Word).

·      The papers should be double spaced, with only 1 double space between paragraphs (spacing should be consistent throughout the paper, not wider between paragraphs).

·      All pages should be numbered in the bottom right corner (you can use the “page number” under “Insert” tab in Word).

·      Do not use long quotations to fill up space, and there should be no block quotes. All papers should be thoroughly proofread, and have correct grammar and spelling. You should follow the Paper Checklist guidelines in your Course Reader.

·      Your paper should have a title, centered on the first page. Your essay should begin after one blank line below the title. The paper should be double-spaced line below (like this):

Title

[blank line]

            Beginning of essay, double spaced, with the first line indented 5 spaces (this is the standard Word formatting).

Citations:

Footnote citations be in Chicago style format (for more information, see the LRAs on Blackboard or the “Chicago Style Citation Guide” in your Course Reader). The final paper must also include a bibliography, which is located at the end of the paper. The citations and bibliography do not count as part of the 5 pages, so plan for the typed version of the paper to be about 5.5-6 pages minimum. Remember to correct any problems with the citations that your TA or I identified.

Sources:

You should have gathered many of the sources that you will use in the LRAs. So your bibliography will need to contain at least:

·      1 contemporary newspaper article

·      1 academic encyclopedia article

·      2 monographs

·      2 academic journal articles

·      1 pre-1950 documentary or non-documentary primary source

You may include additional sources, but your bibliography and topic should not have substantially changed since LRA #3. All of your sources must come from newspapers or new sites, educational institutions, scholarly or professional publications, or think tanks. Papers that include sources other than those listed above will be penalized. If you have any questions about whether or not your source is appropriate, talk to me or your TA.