Industrialization of the United States

A Short Paper Assignment allows you, early in the course, to demonstrate your research skills to your instructor and to receive feedback that will benefit you when you write your research paper.

With this assignment, you will learn how to do proper and adequate research and write a short paper and prepare you for writing the research paper. This short paper is at least three complete 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 the Chicago Manual of Style format. Wikipedia, the course textbook, encyclopedias, and History.com and Bibliography.com are NOT academically credible sources. The short paper must be on a topic that is part of American History during the period covered by the course.

You may choose any topic that is of interest to you, but it must fit within the time frame of the course (1877 to the present). It is advisable to avoid overly broad topics - World War II in three pages would be very superficial, not really a research paper. American history, within the time frame of the course.

The short 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, you must cite the source by using endnotes or footnotes. If you read the information and write it in your own words and it is not common knowledge, then you must cite the source because you are paraphrasing someone's information.

The short paper must include a cover page with your name, course number and course title, instructor's name, and date. You must also include a bibliography at the end of your paper. While composing your paper, use proper English. Do not use abbreviations, contractions, passive voice, or first/ second person (I, you, we, our, etc). Before submitting your paper, check your grammar and use spell check. Remember, the way you talk is not the way you write a paper.