HIST/LAS 3401W (FALL 2009): PAPER GUIDELINES

The papers should not be simply book reports or summaries, but rather your analysis of a given topic. You should pose a thesis statement at the beginning, follow through with an argument supported with evidence from the readings and lectures, and come to a resolution at the end. You are required to draw from at least one primary document in addition to other readings and lectures.

Refer to your “Reading and Analyzing Historical Documents Handout” (also available online: http://www.hist.umn.edu/hist3401/primarysources.html).

Tips on coming up with a strong thesis statement:
The suggested topics are just that: topics. It is up to you to come up with a specific focus and thesis statement, that is to take a position on a debatable issue. For example, in a comparative analysis, a thesis statement should be more than "there are similarities and differences;" rather, it should tell us which are the key ones and why they are significant. The thesis provides a map for your paper; having made a claim, you have to find evidence and build a coherent and organized case to prove it. Once you have finished a draft of the paper, revise your thesis as necessary to reflect ideas that you may have developed in the course of your writing. It is often at this point that you can turn an “average” thesis into an insightful one. Your thesis should be highlighted in bold font on the paper.

For example, in a paper on: “In what ways did the cultural and historical background of the Iberians affect their first contact with Native Americans in the Caribbean, and how did this initial experience set a pattern for subsequent conquest and colonization both there and on the mainland?” (1) “I will examine the historical background to the Iberian colonization of America” is a topic but not a thesis. (2) “The growing religious orthodoxy in 15th-century Spain influenced the subsequent colonization of the Americas” is an average thesis statement, but it is fairly obvious and lacks specifics on the how and why of this influence. (3) “The process by which Spanish monarchs had both sponsored military leaders in the Reconquest against the Moors while gradually centralizing their own power provided a model for similarly rewarding the dangerous expeditions of conquerors in America while still extending royal authority to that continent” would be a more thorough and nuanced thesis. (Of course there could be other equally strong thesis statements for the same paper topic.)

Format:
Papers should be 5 pages (with page numbers in upper right corner), typed, 12-pt font Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.  So that papers can be graded anonymously, leave your name off the title page, and include it as a separate page at the end of the paper. Make it clear when you are presenting someone else's ideas. Rephrasing an author's point by changing a few words is still officially plagiarism. (See the professor or T.A. if you have any question about what constitutes plagiarism.) In history, we use footnotes or endnotes (Chicago style) to cite references as well as a bibliography or “works cited” at the end. For information on how to format notes and bibliographies, see A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, pp. 96-133.

Feel free to discuss your papers at any stage in the writing process (but not at the last minute) with your T.A., Professor Chambers, or with the Writing Tutors at the Writing Center (For office hours: http://writing.umn.edu/sws/appointments.htm). Also refer to A Pocket Guide to Writing in History and other online writing resources linked from the course website.

Research Paper Option:

If you have a strong interest in a topic we will not be covering in the course or want to research a topic we are covering but in greater depth, you may choose to write one research paper of 10 pages instead of the two short papers. If you choose this option, read Chapter 5 in Rampolla.

Keep in mind that the research option is more work, and you must meet the following deadlines:

Oct. 15: research paper proposal (250-300 words) and bibliography*

Nov. 3: revised proposal, and revised and annotated bibliography (See Rampolla, 29-31).

Nov. 19: thesis, 500-word abstract, and outline

Dec. 1: first draft

Dec. 15: final draft

*Note: your bibliography must have at least 8 items (this may include a few pertinent readings from the course) and must include at least one primary source and at least 2 journal articles; it may not include textbooks. To search for appropriate articles and books on your topic, we recommend the following indexes from the library website (http://www.lib.umn.edu/articles/indexes.phtml):

Handbook of Latin American Studies
Hispanic American Periodicals Index
Historical Abstracts
Academic Search Premier

Grading

Grading will be according to the following scale: A (93-100), A- (90-92), B+ (87-89), B (83-86), B- (80-82), C+ (77-79), C (73-76), C- (70-72), D+ (67-69), D (60-68), F (0-59).

We will use the following criteria in evaluating the papers:

THESIS/ARGUMENT:

• Clarity of thesis statement
• Originality of thesis statement
• Extent to which the argument is developed
• Degree to which the argument is convincing

EVIDENCE:

• Appropriate use of supporting evidence from primary sources
• Appropriate use of supporting evidence from secondary works
• Degree to which author acknowledges and counters possible evidence against argument
• Accuracy of historical information

ORGANIZATION:

• Clear and precise introduction and conclusion
• Degree to which the argument flows logically throughout; transitions
• Clarity and appropriateness of topic sentences and degree to which each paragraph supports the main argument

WRITING:

• Overall clarity: word usage, sentence structure, grammar, etc.
• Spelling and proofreading
• Use and proper formatting of notes and bibliography
• Correct formatting: 5 pages, 12 pt. Times New Roman font, page numbers, staples, paper title, name at end

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Last updated October 1, 2009
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