Fall Research Paper

Purpose Research a topic and develop a thesis driven essay defining and proving the topic’s impact on some aspect of European culture. Not an informational report. Argue how your topic is historically significant and prove that argument with concrete factual support.

Topic vs. Question Your topic is a noun or phrase Marie Antoinette the 100 Years’ War Fascism Your question should be a complete sentence. Lets look @ a few past examples

Focus Too broad a topic means only covering the surface of that person or issue The Russian Revolution would be too big to manage in a reasonable length paper Focus on one issue within that topic How did Tsar Nicholas’ policies contribute to the Russian Revolution?

Type of Questions: Reference Reference questions are typically answered with known facts or statistics. You will likely have to ask some reference questions in your research. Ex: "What percentage of drug-related crime in 1999 was committed by dealers, not users?"

Type of Questions: Report Review or report questions are typically answered with what is generally known about a fairly narrow topic. Ex: “How did the original thirteen colonies become the United States?”

Type of Questions: Research Research questions are open-ended. They require a variety of accumulated information from different sources to develop an answer, and the student is required to draw his or her own conclusions. Ex: "How does Hawaii's location and climate affect its economy?”

Some ways to begin a research question Why… How… What are the effects of… What are the consequences of… Contrast (then & now) What was the influence of ___ on ___?

What does a good research question look like? A good thesis question may result from your curious observations of primary source material, as in: "During World War II, why did American soldiers seem to treat Japanese prisoners-of-war more brutally than German prisoners-of-war?" Or, good thesis questions may challenge accepted wisdom, as in: “It is commonly believed that the Middle Ages in Europe were a dark and unrefined period for Western civilization; is this inaccurate?" Finally, a good thesis question may complicate a seemingly clear- cut topic, as in: "Puritans took Indians' land for wealth, but were psychological factors involved as well?"

Thesis-Driving Paper A thesis-driven paper makes an arguable claim and defends it. Do not confuse a research paper with a report: you need to offer a thesis about your topic and then present evidence and analysis that provides support and explanation.

Thesis Construction Thesis statement tells your reader what to expect It is restricted, precisely worded declarative sentence that states the purpose of your essay, the point you are trying to make

Thesis Structure WHAT + HOW + SO WHAT HOW + WHAT + SO WHAT WHAT: the topic (addressing the question) HOW: Your argument WHY/SO WHAT: the significance of your idea in terms of understanding the history/narrative as a whole, how your argument impacts something (answers the extremely important “so what?” question).

Did Jackie Kennedy have a lasting impact on the role of the first family? As a cultural icon, Jacqueline Kennedy redefined the traditional public yet passive role of First Lady by working to restore the White House mansion and allowing the family to take precedence over pressing political issues.

How did art reflect the changes in Renaissance European society? Art and architecture during the Renaissance reflect the ideals of humanism, a popular intellectual movement that emphasized classical learning and human potential and achievement, leading to a drastic stylistic shift from art previously created in the Middle Ages.

What factors lead to Lenin’s involvement in the Russian Revolution? The injustice in Lenin’s life paralleled the conditions in Russia, fueling Lenin to lead the revolution that would change the face of Russian politics.

How did Bismarck normalize discriminatory ideals in Germany? During his term as chancellor, Bismarck normalized discriminatory ideals among Germans through his frequent repression of minorities, instigating the large-scale deterioration of German social values towards cultural intolerance.

How was the power struggle between Thomas Becket and Henry II an example of church and state tension? The power struggle between Archbishop Thomas Becket and King Henry II represented the greater tensions between the Church and State in the 12th century, delaying secular progress that ultimately led to a religious victory.

The Bad Too broad The Renaissance sparked in European minds the transformation of artists into individual achievers and artwork into a form of expression.

The Bad Too specific The pentathlon event was one of the original events from the Ancient Olympics and remains as a part of the Modern Olympics representing, as it has changed over time, the change in what society thinks is most important in athletics.

The Bad Too obvious Leonardo’s masterpieces of art and science contributed heavily to the success of the Renaissance, and as well as becoming the base for modern inventions, his contributions earned him the title of a true Renaissance man.

The Ugly: Un-provable The bombing of Pearl Harbor indirectly caused the Cold War because it drew America into WWII, creating two superpowers that split Europe between two new factions.

The Good Specific and provable The injustice in Lenin’s life paralleled the conditions in Russia, fueling Lenin to lead the revolution that would change the face of Russian politics.

The Good Dissent and large scale protests on the part of the German people in response to the oppression and injustice they experienced under communist rule, as symbolized by the Berlin Wall, impacted Gorbachev’s policies in a way that ultimately led to the demise of the Soviet Union.

Things to avoid: Topics very hard to argue i.e. people’s attitudes changing, hypotheticals, conspiracy theories etc. If you can plug in another topic into your thesis and it still makes sense, it’s too broad

Give it a short name that will help you quickly remember what this notecard is about Paraphrase the quote or describe the image in your own words. If you write in complete sentences, you could copy & paste from here into your essay. You always need this filled out Copy in quotes or images from a source here. Try not to copy large chunks of text. Pull quotes that you could ideally use for your essay. Critical Commentary/ Analysis How does this source help answer your research question? This is not your random mindless opinion on the source/author. Research Note Cards