RESEARCH ESSAY ASSIGNMENT
The research essay comprises one of the most important aspects of the course and it must be based on scholarly primary and secondary sources. You must choose your essay topic from the list of questions found below. The essay must be typed, stapled, use double-spacing with one-inch margins, include page numbers and five to seven pages of text in length. It must contain
(a) an introduction with a thesis statement and a brief outline of the topics or points that you will discuss in the essay to support your thesis;
(b) the body of your essay that develops your argument and provides examples; and
(c) a conclusion that restates your thesis, expands on its relevance and where your work fits within the historical field.
It must include a title page and bibliography (i.e. not a "Works Cited" page) that lists four scholarly peer-reviewed books and/or journal articles as a minimum number of scholarly secondary sources as well as three primary sources(the primary sources are provided below as links, you can choose the other 4 secondary sources from the web).
Please use the past tense consistently when writing about past events and people, remember to use transitional phrases to connect your paragraphs together and to the thesis and avoid including too many quotes, instead rely on paraphrasing (with appropriate citations) to integrate specific examples into your essay to support your argument. You may also ask me to review your essay in advance, with enough notice, to give you suggestions for improvement in terms of argument, use of sources and/or presentation.
Please proofread your paper to correct errors and consult A Pocket Guide to Writing in History1for the proper format for endnotes or footnotes and the bibliography as well as the examples found below and sample bibliography posted on Blackboard. Please use only scholarly websites for sources, thus no Wikipedia or Encyclopaedia websites and you cannot use your textbook as a source for this assignment. Please use only the Chicago Style of citation (i.e. footnotes or endnotes) for your essay and you will be severely penalized if you use any other form of citation in your essay.
ESSAY TOPIC:
Qing China: Why were the Manchu able to conquer Ming China and with what effects on earlymodern China?