History final paper

Each student will develop a final paper that explores in more depth some issue or aspect of the period in East Asian history that we cover in this course.  The final paper must develop from the final paper topic assignment turned in earlier in the semester. 

Specifications and format

·       Length: 1500-2000 words

·       The paper must be supported by a minimum of five appropriate academic sources (including the one from the topic assignment paper).  Appropriate sources include peer-reviewed journal articles (ask the instructor if you need help identifying these) and books written by experts in the field.  Websites and Google searches do not count and should not be used.

·       Provide a “works cited” with citations for each source that is used in the essay (as well as any other text or source that was used to prepare the argument). You do not need to put this on a separate page (save paper and put it on the last page of the text). There is also no need for a title page.

·       Citation format: All citations should use footnotes that follow the format established by the Chicago Manual of Style.  You will find the quick guide for this here:http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html

Expectations and Evaluation for All Papers

Your grade will depend on the following:

1. The strength and originality of your argument (This means that you should make sure you have a clear and identifiable thesis statement).

2.  The overall organization and coherence of the paper.

3. Your integration of specific examples to support your arguments.  Use examples from your sources and make sure you cite appropriately, even when you are not quoting directly.

4. Grammar and spelling—Make sure you proofread!