HIST 21103 United States History I Research Paper Assignment INSTRUCTIONS: Choose one of the topics on the attached list, or a topic approved by your instructor, and write a research paper that discusses the significance of the topic in the American history. The research paper will be worth 100 points. A rubric is posted on the course in Blackboard for use in grading the assignment. Follow the specific instructions below in completing the assignment. The research paper should be submitted via Blackboard by the due date/deadline; failure to submit the paper by the deadline will result in a zero on the assignment. Papers should identify a clear thesis based on the prompt provided for the suggested topic and develop the thesis into a scholarly paper. For assistance, you may contact your instructor. Use the resources available to you in completing the requirements of this assignment! Minimum requirements for the paper: • Students are required to write a minimum of 5 full pages, not counting title page and Bibliography; please keep the essay to no more than 7 pages. Format: Doubled-spaced, typed, font in Times New Roman or Arial, size 12. 1-inch margins all around. Sources must be properly formatted. Refer to appropriate references for assistance in writing. Sites such as https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide- 1.html and https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cm os_formatting_and_style_guide/cmos_nb_sample_paper.html. may be excellent resources. • Your research paper will be scored using the Research Paper Rubric. Review this rubric carefully to ensure you understand how your work will be graded. • This project will require fieldwork – using the library, the Internet, etc. Sources must be cited. • Why are you required to write a paper? This exercise will give you the opportunity to become familiar with the processes of historical inquiry and writing (i.e. “How do we know what we know?”). Reading is a significant part of any historical project. After selecting a topic, you must include at least four sources. Please do not cite textbooks, encyclopedias, and the online encyclopedia Wikipedia or similar general information sites (such as ask.com or about.com). It is advisable to avoid using web sites that end in the suffixes “.com,” “.org” or “.net” altogether (conversely those ending in “.gov” or “.edu” are more acceptable). It is strongly recommended that you make use of academic history books available in your local public library system and articles accessible through Ivy Tech’s Virtual Library on Campus Connect. Suggestions for resources are found at the end of each chapter in your text. • Consider this project as an important reflection of your expertise and interest in the topic. 2 • Each student is responsible to submit a clear, concise and well-organized essay free of spelling and grammatical errors. • The paper must be an original work by the student for this course. Previously written papers will not be accepted. • The use of any form of AI is considered cheating and the student will earn a zero on the assignment. • You may not change your topic unless you get the approval of this change by the instructor of the course. • When you write your paper for this course you must use the Chicago Manual of Style Notes/Bibliography format for your citations. In the history and government fields you usually do not use MLA or APA, or any form of Author/ Date citation. You must use the Chicago Manual of Style Notes/bibliography citation style for your paper. • You must use the Notes/ Bibliography format, never the Author/ Date format. If you do not follow the citation instructions you will earn a failing grade on the paper. • The paper should be submitted to SafeAssign through Blackboard when the paper is submitted for grading. The assignment in Blackboard will contain more details. • The paper must have a title. • Your instructor is available to assist in developing the thesis for your paper and in providing technical assistance in writing the paper. You may use NetTutor, but don’t overlook your instructor as a source of assistan