I. Research writing project calendar and due dates:
Week 4: Library Tour of
Research Facilities, Source and Scholarship Collections, initial research, book and source selection, 9/4-7.
Week 4: Topic proposal, a 3-5 sentence proposal concluding with a research
question, and book review selections due
at end of week, 9/21.
Week 7: Book Review Draft due at end of week, 10/12.
Week 9: Book Review Final Draft due at end of week, 10/26.
Week 11: Independent Research Project
Outline, Preliminary Thesis Statement &
Annotated Bibliography, 6-8
sentences that summarize the state of the scholarship on a specific topic from two
secondary sources and assesses the value & limitations of at least two
primary sources that support
your thesis; due by Thurs, 11/8.
Week 13: First Draft, 3-5 pages w/ peer editing, due by Wed, 11/21.
Week 15: Final Draft, 5 pages, double-spaced minimum; must include footnotes
and bibliography; due at end of week,
12/7.
II. Assignment Descriptions:
Research Proposals: write a
one-page document that includes a 3-5 sentence paragraph, and proposes an initial topic and problem
of interest, e.g., Asia/China and the latest research on the extent and impact of the Ming Dynasty's Treasure Fleets, Early Modern
European fashion and the politics of design, a political and social history of
chocolate, the latest on pirates and empire, English folkways and modern
sports, etc., along with a meaningful research question about your topic, and a
comment on why you think your research is important to the study of world
history in our class.
Book Reviews: write a 2-3
page review of a book chosen specifically to begin the research process for your research topic. Hopefully,
choose a book that interests you about your topic. Make sure to read the
introduction and get to know the author's intentions in writing the book; focus
then on reading an interesting and hopefully important chapter of the book.
Take notes on what strikes you about the book, how it is written, what one can
learn from it, if the author(s) successfully accomplished what they set out to
do, and/or any questions, comments or criticism you might have. Begin to look
through the book reviews featured online, especially the New York Review of
Books (http://www.nyrb.com) to start.
Outline and compose first draft for peer and teacher review and further
revisions.
Papers: write at
least five pages on a topic from roughly 1500 to 1815. See guiding questions, weekly reading questions and
additional topics in the full independent research guide posted in the class readings on the right to start brainstorming. Meet with instructor to discuss.
Presentations:
Prepare an 8-10 minute presentation on the topic of your presentation,
including the development of your initial research
question, a summary assessment of the scholarship, i.e., secondary sources, and the effective
use of some of primary sources in support of your thesis. Consider use of handouts, materials
objects, a brief PowerPoint presentation, etc. Choose a week to present and discuss with the
instructor.
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