Spring 2015
Key Projects:
I. Independent research topic proposals, DUE: Friday. 2/13 or Friday, 2/20.
II. Independent research paper drafts, DUE: Friday, 2/27, or Friday, 3/6.
III. In-class research presentations, SIGN-UP in class; choose the date.
I. Independent research topic proposals:
A. Propose
a topic for an independent research paper and presentation in a
one-page document (2-3 paragraphs)
B. Purpose: Narrow focus of the topic of interest and research question.
C. In preparation for this proposal, begin
to research primary and secondary source materials on your topic; use
available resources in the library and instructor collections, as well as the library
access to online and inter-library resources; see instructor, as well as talk to the librarians, other
teachers, and/or family, who may be specialists in your area of interest for additional
help.
D. Proposal outline:
1. Provide a preliminary overview of
the historiography on this topic (analysis of the available secondary
sources on the chosen topic, e.g., nationalism in the Soviet Union)
2. State a preliminary thesis argument if possible.
3. Explain what you aim to
show through your research.
4. Comment on why you think your research is
important to the study of interwar history, i.e., the contribution your
research makes.
5. Include a working bibliography (MLA format) with two
separately identifiable lists of primary/archival (at least two), and secondary sources (at least one book and one vetted journal article, e.g., from JSTOR and/or Academic OneFile; see
Library resource guide for additional resources).
DUE: Friday. 2/13 or Friday, 2/20.
II. Key steps for independent research papers:
A. Archival research:
Purpose: Find direct forms of evidence in available archival collections, and use as the basis for analysis and argument in the final thesis paper.
- Identify and collect archival source
materials; keep in mind the variety of primary sources available, including texts (e.g., government documents, speech transcripts, letters, diaries), art, architecture, photography, music, dance steps, etc.
- Develop a framework for analysis;
contextualize the source (e.g., SOAPSTONE rubric: Speaker, Occasion,
Audience, Purpose, Subject and/or TONE); develop and refine for different types of archival source materials, e.g., textual analysis vs the analysis of music, art, photography, dance, clothing, etc.
- As research begins to include
more archival collections and readings from the available historiography (i.e., the
secondary sources), continue to compare findings from the analysis of
primary source materials with the historiography in order to develop working thesis further.
B. Historiography:
Purpose: Develop a command of available secondary sources, their arguments and evidence, and use in combination with available primary/archival research to formulate your own argument, and make your own contribution to what has been done on this topic so far.
- Provide an overview of what historians or other scholars have written
about this topic before, and clearly explain how your argument builds
on, challenges or synthesizes what has been argued before (dialectical
argument; 2-3 paragraphs).
- Make sure to clearly identify the author in text, and discuss their primary source evidence.
- Cite secondary sources used, MLA-style.
- Discuss any typical or conventional arguments that scholars have made
to answer this question, e.g (for example), the conventional arguments
that Reed mentions for how to explain the rise of European colonialism,
or that Bush presents to explain the effects of European colonialism.
- Note any limits or problems in these scholars’ arguments, use of evidence, etc.
- Pay attention to any possible counter-arguments, more recent research
(for example from Charles Mann's 1493) and what still needs to be done,
like synthesizing the research and arguments already out there,
resurrecting or testing an older argument, or introducing new primary
sources, and thereby new interpretations and alternative explanations.
- Take a look former 10th grade student research papers archived in the Haiku Learning website, and/or the paper collections available in the classroom, for examples and possible previous work on your topic.
C. Thesis: Finish by outlining and explaining what you plan to argue and show in
the rest of your essay, e.g., how your research builds on existing
arguments, OR the need for a synthesis that brings together all of the
older and more recent research and arguments to put together a fuller
explanation of the problem, OR an antithesis that uses more recent
research and your own efforts to refute a standing argument.
D. Format: For the
rough draft, write at least 5-8 pages (8-10 pages on the final draft)
on your research topic.
1. The introduction should
present the topic to the reader (assume your reader knows nothing!), and set up the grounds for your research and argument.
2. The second paragraph (and additional paragraphs if necessary) should provide an overview of the
historiography, i.e., what experts on your topic in the secondary
sources have already done on this topic, i.e., what they have argued
based on their research, then what might still need to be done on your
topic, e.g., rebut an argument, offer a new interpretation of available
materials on a given topic, synthesize available research to compile a
more comprehensive understanding of your topic, offer a new
interpretation of available primary sources, and/or make use of new
primary sources to revise our understanding of your topic, and outline
what you aim to demonstrate in the body paragraphs that follow (this
should also provide the basis for your thesis, i.e., the argument you
want to make.
3. Body paragraphs should
focus on key points you want to make in order to build your argument;
these body paragraphs should have a clear topic sentence that captures a clear point and should also make use of primary and secondary forms of
evidence and analysis to support those points. CITE primary sources used, MLA-style.
4. Conclusion paragraphs
should not simply sum up your research and reiterate the significance
of your findings in relationship to the scholarship, BUT also offer up a
last set of interesting thoughts stemming from your research.
DUE: Friday, 3/6.
III. Independent research presentations: Prepare
an 8-10 minute presentation based on your research for class.
Presentations should include an introduction to the subject of your
research and why you are interested in this topic, and then set up the
issue or debate at stake in your research. Next, the presentation should
provide a summary assessment of the scholarship/historiography, i.e.,
an overview of the secondary sources, key authors, arguments and their
evidence, what has been done, what needs to be done, a key debate, areas
for further research, how this then sets up your research and what you
aim to demonstrate through your research. Next, present at least one
primary source and offer an interpretation in support of your thesis.
Finally, discuss your conclusions and any further issues for
consideration stemming from your research. Be prepared to field
questions during a brief quest-and-answer session, and receive
constructive feedback from your peers and instructor in the end.
Consider use of handouts, materials objects, music, video, a brief
PowerPoint or Prezi presentation, etc. Make sure to choose a week and
day to present and discuss with the instructor.
