Mastering Primary Source Analysis: A HIST 104 Research Paper Guide

Paper Assignment HIST 104, Fall 2021 Matthew Whitlock Requirements The purpose of this research paper is to teach you how to research, analyze and interpret primary documents and present your ideas in a coherent manner. You are required to write a paper based on primary sources, found on Blackboard. These primary documents are imperative to historians, as they are generally first-hand account of events, issues or debates in U.S. history. Listed below are three topics that you may choose from in order to write the paper. You only need to choose one topic. Read each of the primary documents listed under that one topic carefully and make sure to perform background research on the area in order to completely understand the topic. Then, incorporate at least two secondary sources, which are analyses written by historians or other scholars. These sources may include books, journal articles and chapters in books. As I have mentioned in class, Wikipedia is unacceptable, as well as answers.com and other websites falling into the same category. These do not meet the standards of history. The easiest method of attaining journal articles is through J-STOR and Project Muse, located on ODU’s Library website. If you have any questions concerning the quality of your secondary sources, please email me. The body of the paper should be three-to-four pages, with 12-point font size, preferably Calibri or Times New Roman and one-inch margins on all sides. The paper should be double-spaced. Remember that I was in college and I know ALL of the tricks, so don’t try to pull a fast one on me! You are required to provide a cover page, consisting of the paper title, course number and title, and your name. It is not necessary to repeat everything on the cover page on the first page of the essay because you want to take up space. It is also necessary to provide a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources used in researching and writing the paper to be included at the end of the paper. Even if you only take one sentence from a book, you MUST provide the information as to where you procured the sentence. Two copies of this paper are required. An electronic copy must be uploaded to Safe Assign in the Assignments folder on Blackboard before the beginning of class by 11:59 pm on Monday, November 22. Failure to turn your paper in to me during class and on Safe Assign will result in penalties. Papers turned in within 24 hours of the de