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HIST 457: HISTORY OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES
Prof. Steven E. Harris
Paper proposal instructions
I. Basic instructions: Your task is to write a 2-3 page proposal for your final paper. This assignment is very similar to the paper proposals for HIST 299/485, so you should first consult the History Department’s guidelines on writing paper proposals: http://cas.umw.edu/historyamericanstudies/history-department-resources/proposals/.
Your main tasks are to introduce the conspiracy theory you intend to study for the research paper; state the main question or problem you intend to examine; discuss the ways scholars have already studied the topic and what’s new about your approach; and propose a working hypothesis in response to your question/problem. You must also discuss the kinds of sources you will use and provide a bibliography.
The conspiracy theory you choose must be approved by me. No one may work on a conspiracy theory someone else has already chosen.
II. Other requirements and resources:
1. Deadline: Monday, February 20, 12pm. No e-mailed copies. Everyone will give a brief 5-minute presentation on his/her proposal over the next two classes.
2. Paper title: You must include a title for your paper proposal. “Paper proposal” is not a title. Once you have written your paper, think of a title that reflects what you intend to research.
3. Page length and technical requirements: Your proposal must be 2-3 pages (not including the bibliography), with 12-pt. font, double-spacing, and one-inch margins. It must include your name in the top right hand corner of the first page (no title page needed). You must include the title for your paper below your name, but it must be centered. Remember to include page numbers, but not on the first page.
4. Bibliography: Your bibliography must be part of the same document as your paper proposal and its pages numbers must continue in the sequence of the proposal’s page numbers. Your bibliography should start on a new page. Do not include your name. The first page of your bibliography should be titled “Bibliography” or “Working Bibliography” (minus these quotation marks). Center this title. The first page does not show its page number.
Follow Turabian’s rules on writing your bibliography. Note that each bibliographical entry is single-spaced, while there is a double space between two entries. Provide separate sections for primary and secondary sources.
5. Footnotes: Follow Turabian’s rules. Note that individual footnotes are single-spaced, while there is a double space between two footnotes. Footnotes may be written in either 12-pt. font or 10-pt. font. The space taken up by footnotes does not count toward the page limit. To make sure you have not exceeded the page limit, convert footnotes temporarily into endnotes. See also: http://cas.umw.edu/historyamericanstudies/history-department-resources/quotations-footnotes-and-endnotes/.
6. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation: It is tremendously important that you use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your paper. Do not depend upon your computer to catch careless errors; your computer will fail you. Instead, ask someone to proofread your writing and read over your paper yourself several times to eliminate all errors.
7. Use of the past tense and present tense: When discussing what people did and said in the past, historians use the past tense. This holds true in a paper when one discusses past events. However, there is more flexibility when discussing what historians have written. In this case, we typically use the present simple (e.g., “In this book, he argues that Stalin created Socialist Realism.”) or the present perfect (e.g., “She has written a book that has changed our understanding of Stalin’s role in Soviet history.”) We use these tenses because the assumption is that historians’ works constitute an on-going project of research and writing.
8. Passive voice vs. active voice: Historians typically prefer to use the active voice instead of the passive voice whenever possible. This is especially true when it is clear who or what is doing or saying something. In cases when this is not clear, the passive voice may be appropriate.
9. Plagiarism and Honor Pledge: As stated in the syllabus, plagiarism will not be tolerated and any violations will be reported to the Honor Council. If you take someone else’s ideas or words and present them in your paper as your own (i.e., without proper acknowledgement of the author), you will have committed plagiarism. If you are unsure about what this means, please do not hesitate to ask me for further clarification. Asking someone for help in proofreading your paper and critiquing your ideas is highly encouraged. However, another person cannot write your paper for you. This is unauthorized assistance and an honor violation. Include the Honor Pledge and sign it on the last page of your paper.
10. Writing Center: Use the resources of the Writing Center to improve your writing on this and other papers. Schedule appointments well ahead of the paper deadline. Visit their site at: http://www.umw.edu/cas/writing/default.php.
11. Grading criteria: Your paper will be graded according to the following criteria:
a) content (50%), including the main elements of the proposal outlined above
b) grammar, spelling, punctuation; active vs. passive voice; verb tense (25%)
c) form, structure, and clarity in your writing (25%), which includes technical criteria (e.g., page length, font size, spacing, footnotes), good organization of your paper, and clarity in your writing.