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History 138: Science in the U.S.
Moving Towards the Final Paper (Assignments)
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| Towards the
Paper |
A research paper has multiple steps.
You need to start on them before the paper due date. Your grade will
reflect all these assignments. |
First
Thoughts
(September 20) |
Write a paragraph with your first thoughts about the research
paper project. Tell me about your past experience, if you have any,
with research papers or other substantial independent writing assignments.
I am less interested in the exact number of pages you have written, and
more in your comments on the experience, your strengths and weaknesses,
and anything that you want to focus on this time (kinds of sources, improving
your writing, avoiding procrastinating, etc.). If you want, tell
me about possible topic areas you find interesting.
Then add a second paragraph reflecting on one of the sample
papers. Organize your comments around the questions at the bottom
of that page. Focus not on the content of the paper, but on how the
author went about constructing it.
Submit by e-mail by 6 p.m. Friday, September 20, to clcarson@socrates.berkeley.edu.
Send it in the body of the message, not as an attachment; I need
the information in a fileable form. (If your e-mail program or internet
service provider conventionally sends text as html attachments, then cut
and paste into the body of the message. Hotmail seems to be a particular
problem.) Include your name so I can identify you; ideally,
set the preferences in your software to put your name in the "sender" field. |
Paper
Topic
(October 4) |
Provide a one- or two-sentence description of your topic
(if you choose, a tentative title as well). If you are exploring
a number of topics, tell me what you are considering and why. Briefly
describe the sorts of sources you are looking for. Add more information
or include questions if you like.
Submit by e-mail by 6 p.m. Friday, October 4, to clcarson@socrates.berkeley.edu.
Send it in the body of the message, not as an attachment. Include
your name. |
Source
List
(October 28) |
Provide a list of your likely sources, broken down into
primary and secondary categories. For published material use proper
bibliographic format. Italics or underlining is not necessary in
the e-mail, but all other elements are. (A list of sources requires
bibliographic, not footnote or endnote format; see the guidelines.)
Annotate each source in one to three sentences: What kind of material
is this, what will it be good for, where is it located (e.g., library call
number) or how will you get hold of it. You do not need to have digested
it yet, but tell me how you expect to use it.
Submit by e-mail by 6 p.m. Monday, October 28, to clcarson@socrates.berkeley.edu.
Send it in the body of the message, not as an attachment. Include
your name and paper topic. |
Abstract
(November 6) |
Come up with a tentative paper title. Provide a one-paragraph
summary, in formal, polished prose, of your likely argument and findings
If you are not yet sure, give it a stab. You can use this as the
starting point for your paper's introductory paragraph.
Submit by e-mail by 6 p.m. Wednesday, November 6, to clcarson@socrates.berkeley.edu.
Send it in the body of the message, not as an attachment. Include
your name. |
The
Paper Itself
(November 25) |
The paper itself (9-12 pp.) is due at the beginning of
class on Monday, November 25. This is the Monday before Thanksgiving.
The paper must be typed, double-spaced in normal-sized fonts with reasonable
margins. It may not be submitted by e-mail or in any other electronic
form. Every day it is late will reduce its grade by 2/3 of a mark. |
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Back to:
History
138 homepage
Prof. Carson's
home page
Research
paper guidelines
Introduction
to the research paper
Constructing
a research paper
Finding
a topic and sources
Copyright © Cathryn Carson 2002 |