History 102: The paper needs to be on something that we will or have covered in class, and should be 4-6 pages (body of paper) long and needs to include an arguable thesis with body paragraphs that support and help you prove your point. You need to have at least 3 academic sources (no wikis, no encyclopedias) Academic papers are not book reports, biographies or a retelling of historic events. The introduction should state a position you have concerning a topic (like the reasons the North won the Battle of Gettysburg) and the body should show those reasons, backed up with support from academic sources. Papers that do not do this will receive grades of D or lower. If you need help in coming up with a topic or an arguable point, please let me know and I will be glad to help you.
The paper needs to be turned in through the assignment section for grading. If you use any of the information from your sources word-for-word, or if you paraphrase the material, you must cite the source by using intext citations (parenthetical citations/endnotes or footnotes) and a reference page. You must have citations in your paper and a reference/bibliography page. Having one without the other is plagiarism. Papers with any plagiarized material, even by mistake, will receive a grade of 0 and may be turned over to the admissions office at the discretion of the instructor.
The paper needs to be double-spaced pages of text (Times New Roman, font size 12) and you must consult a minimum of two academically credible sources. Bibliographies and citations will be in MLA, APA or the Chicago Manual of Style format. You can use any of these citation styles, but you have to stick to one. Papers that use multiple styles will receive a 0 for citations.
You can choose any topic you wish, as long as it pertains to the course. History 102 topics.