Assignment: You will select a topic of your own history pertaining to the history of the United States from 1877 to the Present and write a five-to-seven double-spaced page research paper in which you present a historical interpretation of the topic.

You will submit an electronic version of your essay to Turnitin through Blackboard. You do not need to provide me with a hard copy.

The final essay will:

1. Have a clear thesis identifying the student’s argument about some aspect of United States History.
2. Develop clear arguments presenting your interpretation while drawing upon relevant and appropriate sources as evidence.
3. Draw upon at least four scholarly sources (articles and books), exclusive of any course materials (textbooks, videos, lectures, etc.). You must also locate and cite at least two primary sources within your essay. If you are having trouble locating relevant primary sources, please contact me.
4. You must locate the suggested book or article I list on your preliminary bibliography (Preliminary Essay Assignment #2) if I list one. You will lose points if you have not located the source and made some effort to use it in your essay.
5. Contain clear citations for any cited material. Students may use a citation format MLA
6. Include a bibliography providing full citations for all cited materials. The bibliography is exclusive of the 5-7 required pages of text. Be sure to include the bibliography with your essay even if it has not changed from the version you submitted for Preliminary Essay Assignment #2.
7. Follow the formatting guidelines listed below.

Evaluation: Papers will be graded on the following criteria: your thesis, the strength of the arguments in your essay, your usage of research and the quality of your sources, your conclusion, and your use of citations. In addition, I will be evaluating your paper for spelling and grammar, syntax and sentence structure, organization and paragraph structure (topic sentences, development evidence, transitions). I will be providing you with a rubric to show the exact point breakdown for each of the listed categories.

Guidelines for Research Essay

1. I will enforce the following page margins/font/page number requirements STRICTLY.  Make sure your computer margins are all set at 1”.  You MUST use Times New Roman 12 point font, and the paper MUST be numbered (either bottom center or top right hand corner).  Also, include your name in the numbering system (i.e.: Jones 2, Jones 3, etc.). You do not need to include a page number of the first page.
2. Do not “stuff” your first page with unnecessary information (your student ID number, meeting times of the class, my office number, etc.).  Your first page should begin thusly:

3. A cover sheet (title page) is not necessary and is exclusive of the 6-page minimum.

1. Use proper formal English.  Do not use abbreviations or contractions.  For example, do not use shouldn’t, isn’t, etc.  Spell out all words.  For example, do not use “vs.” as a substitute for “versus.”
2. Invent a title.  Do not write “Term Paper” or “Assignment,” for example.  Part of writing, whether it be creative or analytical, is to create a title that might actually make someone want to read the paper.  You can be clever, incorporate a theme from your research, or create any other relevant title for your paper.
3. Do not rely on the spell-check feature on your computer to catch all mistakes.  Misused words/awkward grammar often escape the spell-check feature.  Repeated grammatical mistakes will cost you points.  Read and re-read your paper several times to find mistakes.
4. LENGTH: The guidelines state that the paper should be 5-7 pages long.  To be considered five pages long, the fifth page MUST be a full page.  Any papers under five full pages will be marked down proportionately. Using narrow margins, larger fonts, or any other page stretching techniques to make your essay appear to meet the minimum length requirement will result in penalties to your grade.
5. SOURCES: Using the database subscriptions available to you at San Diego Mesa College, you are to focus your research on scholarly and primary sources. You may not include Wikipedia or similar websites (online encyclopedias) to help meet your source total. The main value of Wikipedia is in using the bibliographies for relevant entries to track down source material. While you may use the textbook, it also does not count as one of the four required scholarly sources.
6. WRITING GUIDE: Note that there will be a writing guide posted to Canvas. The writing guide will provide you with additional advice on how to write an effective essay. You should read through the guide before you begin writing your essay as it will help you avoid potential problems.
7. LATE PAPERS WILL BE PENALIZED unless you have clear documentation of your absence or other extenuating circumstances. Twenty-five (25) points will be deducted for each hour the essay is late. You may submit the essay at any point prior to the deadline if you have it completed.
8. It is a good idea to retain multiple electronic copies of important assignments so that you will always have a backup.  For example, you might keep a copy of your essay on a flash drive, on your laptop/desktop, and periodically e-mail the updated file to yourself. Computer crashes or other technical problems are not legitimate grounds for extensions.

12. Each student must present his/her original essay for evaluation. Violations of academic honesty will be reported to the student dean for appropriate action and will result in a grade of 0 for the assignment. This is a serious issue as submitting something another person wrote is equivalent to stealing from that person as you have taken their ideas and work without their consent.
13. Please note that this assignment accounts for a significant portion of your course grade, including the preliminary assignments. Students sometimes decide they do not want to write an essay and choose to skip the assignment. However, the loss of these points will have severe consequences for your grade.

1. Finally, allow yourself plenty of time to research and the paper.  Do not wait until the due date to begin.  “Midnight Specials” are usually pretty easy to spot, and often do not reflect the ability of the students writing them. In addition, do not wait until the night before to ask questions about the essay. If you are confused about any part of the assignment, it is your responsibility to seek help in a timely manner.