Research assignment history
Research Assignment #1
For this assignment, not only would I like you to seriously consider your research paper topic, but
start considering your approach to writing this paper. What types of sources you will be using.
For example, if you decide to write about the Haitian Revolution during the early 19th Century,
where would you begin? How and why the revolution began are important factors to consider as
you explore why it was so significant, not just as a historical event, but also how this impacted
other social, cultural, and political changes throughout Latin America. For something like this,
sources vary far and wide from letters, paintings, speeches, pamphlets that address other themes
such as racism, slavery, revolution, gender, public sphere. These are just some examples of what
you could do with a topic like the Haitian revolution. There are many more topics, so go through
your textbook carefully when selecting a topic from one of the chapters.
You are free to pick a
topic of your choice, but DO NOT pick a topic that goes past 1970 (for the sake of the length of
the class). Other topics include, but are not limited to: Simon Bolivar, Mexican Revolution,
California Mission System, etc.
What I need from you:
Please submit a write up (
between 1-2 pages!!
) on what your research paper will be about. This
is not the research paper you will submit, but a well thought out proposal for what your paper will
be about. Both Research Assignment 1 & 2 are assignments built into the paper (or to make the
paper flow more smoothly). Give me a clear idea of what your paper will be about, what you
hope to uncover or answer as you write it, and possibly what kind of sources and evidence you
will be using and working with. This corresponds to some of the Student Learning Outcomes
(SLO’s) I have included in the syllabus this semester.
**This research paper must incorporate both primary and secondary sources. There are various
primary sources within the textbook that you may consider using, which is fine. Be sure you are
able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
Any
secondary source
is how historians and scholars have written about a specific
topic/theme/time period
. This includes books, journal articles, and monographs. Please note that
you will likely find primary sources within the secondary literature, which is why it is important
to visit libraries and digital collections from academic databases and institutions. All of this will
consist of some preliminary research and possibly a visit to your closest library. I would highly
recommend that you consider research and writing about a topic or theme that is of interest to
you. Please be mindful of the time period I would like you to work with. Please submit Research
Assignment #1 via Canvas. Not all topics will be approved because some may lack historical
focus. This has happened in the past, let’s not repeat it (pun intended). I will send you a follow
up, giving you the approval, or may make some suggestions for you to consider as you move
forward in this writing process. Any comments or suggestions I make regarding this proposal is
intended to strengthen the quality of your work, and/or narrow the focus if your topic is too
broad, or similar to someone else’s. To avoid students writing their papers on the same topic, the
sooner you submit your proposal the more likely I am to approve it without major suggestions.
Avoid taking the shortcut, and please submit original work. I will submit assignments via
turnitin.com to check for originality and /or detect plagiarism. Turnitin.com is quite effective
when it comes to checking for online plagiarism, or info that is taken from papers submitted
online.
Important
:Keep in mind,
you must submit
Research Assignment 1/Proposal for approval and to move to
the next stage of the research and writing process (Research Assignment 2).
Students will not get
credit for their research paper without submitting both assignments.
Recommend Watching:
Video Link on Primary/Secondary Sources: