Research Essay (assignments 1 and 2)

The objective of the assignment is to produce a research essay examining any  theme or problem during World War One and is to be completed in two steps.  The final essay will be marked for depth and sophistication of research as well as for the overall quality of writing.  The core of this essay must be based on primary sources.

You may choose any topic related to the war.  It can focus on a single country or it can be comparative in nature.  For the purposes of this essay, some topic areas will not be permitted:

For the purposes of this assignment much of the primary material around which the essay is built can be found on the internet.  Links to some of the most useful source sites will be available through the  resources link at the History 482 homepage.  These  are meant only as a starting point for your research.   Primary sources are to be the core of the paper and must represent a substantial proportion of the material used in the final paper.  You will however also need to use a range of secondary sources to create a theoretical or contextual framework to tie the primary material together and to help substantiate the arguments made.  The final assignment is divided into two parts, each with separate requirements and due dates.  For ease of consideration and reference, the two parts will be considered as separate assignments.

*****Important Note on Internet Sources*****
Due to the varying quality of internet sites and the difficulty facing students of distinguishing credible from non-credible internet sources, internet sites may ONLY be used for primary materials for the research paper.  No secondary or interpretive  materials from the internet will be permitted for the essay.

Assignment #1

There are two requirements of the first assignment: a) provide a clear, well defined thesis statement for the final paper and b)  discuss some of the research to be incorporated into the final paper.  This assignment is to be 750 words in length.

a) Thesis Statement (200 words)
In your essay you must have a well defined thesis, or argument, throughout the final paper.  In this first assignment you must indicate the argument  you will make in your final paper.  Your final essay is not to be a narrative of events or a retelling of a story.  You must take a stand and argue a point of view in your essay.   You need to indicate the purpose of your paper.  What will it achieve or demonstrate?  How will it expand our understanding of some aspect of the inter war era.? Only by reading a range of sources can you achieve a sense of the issues involved and create a strong argument which reflects the complexities of the topic and the period.  The thesis can make or break the final paper and thus requires some thought.  Good research will be wasted on a pointless or superficial argument.  You must also be certain to define the parameters of the paper ( ie geographic, chronological, etc.) and justify the use of those parameters.

b) Research Discussion (300-400 words)
This is to be a discussion of the source material which is to be used in the final essay.  In doing so:

This is not to be a mini-essay, but instead a discussion and analysis of the source material in relation to the thesis and the overall objectives  that you have indicated for the  final paper.  

 
Assignment #2
This is to be the full research paper which builds on the argument and material presented in assignment #1  .  The final essay will be marked for depth of research, sophistication of argument, and quality of writing.  Correct bibliographic and reference forms for history are required.  The final essay is to be 2,000 words in length, +/- 5%.    

There are some restrictions as to what sources may or may not be used in the writing of the paper, in addition to the restriction on internet sources above:

  Be certain that you are familiar with the due date policy.

  Assignment Due Dates: