From Amy Grey's handout of guidelines for History 106 Paper Two
Primary Source Paper Guidelines
This is your major paper and it should be your priority this semester. In your textbook or at an approved website, find a primary source document (or object, photograph, film, sound recording, etc.) to be the focus of your paper. Use your textbook and a journal article as context to help you analyze the primary source. In your paper, you will make an argument about the importance of the primary source and how it illustrates some aspect of history.
Remember the conclusions you came to when you looked at your own primary source documents. Consider these questions when you are planning your paper:
- What was the relationship between the author/creator of the primary source and the person, people, or events described? Was the author/creator actually there at that place and time?
- What was the author’s point of view about the events described in the document?
- What was the purpose for writing the document? Can you trust the author’s opinion about the events described in the document? Did they have an ulterior motive for portraying events as they did?
- What information does this document give you that it would be difficult to find anywhere else?
Paper Structure:
In this paper you will choose a book from the list (see Library Books tab), read it, and compare it to the readings from class this semester to analyze what has changed and what stayed (relatively) the same. You should make an argument about why you think that things changed or stayed the same. Did it have to do with the comparative values humans placed on particular habits, ideas, skills, or technology? Or was change driven by something outside of human culture, such as the environment?
- This is a formal academic paper and it should have a clearly articulate argument supported by evidence from your research.
- This paper is worth 275 points. Rough draft = 50 and final draft = 100. You will earn points for other parts as well.
- This is an 8-10 page/2000-2500 word paper, double-spaced, 12-point font.
- You must use FOUR sources to write this paper: 1. your chosen primary source, 2. our class textbook, 3. a book on a historical topic, and 4. your chosen peer-reviewed journal article/s.
- All of the books listed on the Library Books tab are examples of books that you might use for your research. These are NPC library books. You can order a book at the library website: https://www.npc.edu/library (Ask-A-Librarian or use the catalog - see the image below for directions on placing a hold through the Library Catalog.)
- You can choose any book that appeals to you even if it is not on this list.
- You can Ask-A-Librarian or place a hold through the library catalog to have the book shipped from any NPC library to the library that you use most often.
- Alternatively, you can find a book for free online at one of the free libraries listed on the Digital Books tab.
- All four of your sources must have an author. You may NOT use any online source, such as History.com, Biography.com or Wikipedia.
- Be sure to spell-check and edit your paper. You should read it out loud to catch any awkward phrases or run-on sentences.
- Tutor.com is available to help you edit your paper.
Possible primary sources:
A primary source is anything created or used by humans and specifically things that were created or used during the time under study. Or anything created by humans who were present during the time under study reflecting back upon that time or event.
- Documents (diaries, letters, manuscripts, government documents and official records, speech transcripts, interviews, poetry, fiction, interviews, autobiographies, biographies)
- Photograph, Films, or digital video (photographs, news film footage, recorded speeches, televised debates, music, advertising, propaganda)
- Physical object (artwork—painting, sculpture, tools, cooking or eating utensils, clothing, furniture, religious objects, hairstyles, political ephemera, jewelry, medical supplies, machinery, architecture, or any other human-made object)
