| HIST-120-03 Origins of Western Civilization ADMN 203 TThF 11:45AM 01:10PM | Go Back to the Syllabus | HIST-120-04 Origins of Western Civilization ADMN 220 TThF 03:35PM 05:00PM |
Primary Source Analysis / Rough Draft — Term Paper — Prospectus for Future Research
There will be three required writing assignments for this course. We will discuss them at greater length in class. Read the following instructions and bring any questions you have to class.
History is all about reading and writing. There is little point in reading the records of the past unless you are also able synthesize your understanding of these texts and communicate your understanding to others. At the risk of insulting your intelligence, let me just warn you that Grammar Counts. The issue is one of clarity and precision. If there is ambiguity in your sentences, let it not be by accident!
Standard typographic conventions will apply to all your written work, especially the term paper. Your work should be typed and double-spaced. You should use some standard typeface (preferably a serif font like Times-Roman) 10 to 12 points in size. Block quotations (if you use them) should be single spaced and indented on both sides. Do not use any folders or paper covers: simply staple your pages in the upper left-hand corner.
Appropriate citation is crucial. Quotation, paraphrase or reference without attribution constitutes plagiary and I will not accept it. Writing in history traditionally makes use of footnotes, but in-text citations are acceptable so long as they can be made precise. I don't care what format you use for citation (MLA, Chicago etc.) so long as it is consistent and fulfills the function of citation: It allows the reader to consult the exact reference intended, with as little fuss as possible.
Primary Source Analysis / Rough Draft. This is intended to be a brief (800 words) historical analysis of some primary source document. It should propose some arguable thesis concerning the document in question, and sketch out how that argument might be made. This paper, therefore, should include some bibliography indicating what additional reading might be appropriate, and how you will use it in order to make your case. Note that such additional reading for context, evidence and argument is a requirement of all three written assignments.
Any of the texts in the list of suggested subjects can serve as the basis for your analysis. You may, if you choose, write on virtually any primary source relevant to the chronological and geographical limits of the course. If you wish to use a source that is not on the list, or one not in the anthology Perspectives from the Past, you should check with me first.
This analysis can be approached in a variety of ways and is intended to be less formal than the term paper. But your analysis MUST formulate a thesis appropriate to the source, sketch out the argument you intend to make, and indicate the nature of the evidence you intend to use. This is an excercise in thesis formulation. This is a difficult task and we will discuss it further and try some exercises in class. Additional advice on thesis formulation can be found HERE. This analysis will be due in class Friday, February 6 (20% of the course grade).
Your term paper should run around 1500 – 2000 words. This paper is intended to be a critical analysis of a particular primary source document. It should identify a thesis which links the document to one or more of the larger themes of the course, and it should present a logical argument that demonstrates the validity of such a link. Your argument should persuade the reader that the primary source in question "means" what you say it does. Many of the primary source documents included in Perspectives from the Past: Primary Sources in Western Civilizations are only excerpts of longer works. To fulfill the requirements of this assignment you may have to find and read an appropriate edition of the whole work. Also, additional reading for context, evidence and argument will certainly be required, so you need to decide as early as possible what source you intend to write on.
A list of suggested subjects from Perspectives from the Past that I think would be appropriate for such an assignment has been provided, but any primary source document from the relevant periods is fair game if you clear it with me first. The term paper will be due on Friday, February 27. (20% of the course grade).
This should take the form of an annotated bibliography. Early in the quarter you should identify a subject area of personal interest. This historical topic can be anything at all that interests you. It should be as inclusive as possible but also clearly defined. It should be an historical theme that will continue to interest you long after you've finished this course. Some examples of such a theme might be:
Some of these examples are subjects that people have actually chosen in the past, and some I've invented. Once you have identified an area of personal interest, you should then begin compiling a bibliography of the works, both primary and secondary, that you think you will need to read in order to become thoroughly familiar with that topic. This will require some fairly sophisticated library research and we will have some discussions in class about how to go about such research.
In this prospectus you should list the sources you have found and read, and summarize or comment on their contents. You will also list sources you have learned of, but have not yet read. These you will annotate with some brief explanation of how you learned of them and why you think they will be important for your continuing education in this field. Try to get familiar with what the major issues are in your chosen field, who has written on them and what they've said. Of particular importance for this exercise will be bibliographic essays and book reviews in your subject area which can help you to summarize the state of current knowledge in the field.
Check HERE for an example of how a portion of your prospectus for further research might look. If you have difficulty identifying an area of interest for further research, come see me SOON! This assignment will require some library research and some reading in addition to the assigned materials. The prospectus should reflect the development of your thinking throughout the entire quarter so you should choose a topic as soon as possible The prospectus will be due no later than the last day of instruction, Friday, March 12. (20% of the course grade)