American Studies 2014-2015: Research Paper

Yesterday (Wednesday) we provided this handout - an overview of the assignment. Make sure you refer to it as you move from your outline to your essay.

We also taught the use of footnotes - refer to this handout and the library website for details.

Lastly, to clarify, here is the schedule for the next three days:

For convenience, here are some key points to keep in mind as you write:

Requirements:

Your essay will have 1 inch margins and use Times New Roman 12 point font.
Instead of a page count (since footnotes can alter the amount of writing on a page) your essay needs to be between 1250-1750 words. This is the equivalent of a 5-7 page essay.
You will cite all sources with footnotes.
Your essay will include a Bibliography, including the historical sources you researched, articles you read, and the sources we provided to you.
Your essay will be thoroughly proofread, with special attention paid to the “inexcusables.”
**On Monday, February 23rd, you will have a complete rough draft. You need to bring in a printed copy of your essay. Please do not have your name on it - you will be anonymously reading on commenting on each other’s work.

Structure:

Each body paragraph focuses on a topic - a component of your argument
Begin with a clear topic sentence, asserting a component of your thesis
Include evidence from whatever combination of historical details and points from your articles necessary to make your point
Be sure all quotations are properly introduced, cited, and analyzed in terms of how they support the point of the paragraph
Organize the sequence of your paragraphs in a way that best supports and illustrates your point. You will be organizing the body of your essay around a series of assertions or points, not people or examples.

American Studies 2014-2015