Overview
Part A: Proposal
Identify a topic of interest to you and relevant to the time period covered by this class, American History before 1877. After you have selected a topic, complete the following form.
- Select three related research questions and start your research.
- Formulate a thesis statement – a claim.
- Find three scholarly sources for your research. These should be primary and secondary sources. These should be formatted according to the style guidelines relevant to your discipline - APA Style
Please use the following format for this assignment and submit the proposal as a Word document.
Name:
Topic:
Research Questions:
1.
2.
3.
Thesis Statement: This is usually one to two sentences that summarizes the point of the paper. It states the argument of the paper and includes your conclusions.
Sources:
1. Proper citation according to MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style format: One paragraph summary including one weakness and one strength
2. Proper citation according to MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style format: One paragraph summary including one weakness and one strength
3. Proper citation according to MLA, APA, or Chicago Manual of Style format: One paragraph summary including one weakness and one strength.
Part B: Short Paper
Your topic must be the the same topic from your proposal.
This short paper is at least three double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Your bibliography and citations may be in APA, MLA, or Chicago Style format. Students majoring in history must use Chicago Style format.
The short paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, you must cite the source by using endnotes, footnotes, or parenthetical citations. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information.
The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). And finally, students are not allowed to use encyclopedias or Wikipedia.