RESEARCH PROJECTThis is the major assignment of the class. You will select a specific
topic related to South Asia before 1800 and write an essay
based on primary and secondary source research.
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1. Preparing an Annotated Bibliography
The first step in the research project is to select a topic and begin to
locate relevant sources. By the middle of the semester you should have chosen
your topic and identified the primary sources and most of the secondary
sources that you will use. Having done this, you will submit a 1-2 page
annotated bibliography listing the sources you have collected that you
plan to use for your research paper. This assignment
will not be graded. It is intended to help the instructor track your progress and,
if necessary, assist you with any problems in identifying and obtaining
sources or research materials.
In your annotated bibliography state the specific topic of your paper,
along with the main historical question or questions that you want to ask as
part of your argument. Then list separately the primary sources you plan to use followed
by secondary books and articles, each with a brief, one-line description
of its contents and usefulness to your research.
The annotated bibliography is due at the beginning of class on Friday, 10 March.
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2. The Perils of the Internet:
The enormous volume of information now on the Internet has been both a
blessing and a curse to those doing historical research. Many websites,
especially official sites of libraries and archives and those that reproduce
historical documents, are excellent. However, since just about anyone can
create his or her own website, there is little quality control over
information placed on the Internet. Unlike most books and articles,
websites can present information and views that are usually able to
bypass the judgment of discerning publishers, editors, and peer reviewers. Consequently,
many historical sites are amateurish, polemical, and factually
unreliable. As you do your research, keep a healthy skepticism about
information that comes from the web.
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3. Sources and Citations:
Since this is an essay based on historical research, you must use footnotes.
Do not use endnotes or parenthetic citations. You must also include a full bibliography
at the end of the essay with primary and secondary sources listed separately. In your footnotes
you should provide a full citation when you first refer to a source and then an abbreviated citation
for every subsequent reference to that source. There are several different
styles of footnoting and you may choose whichever one you want, but be consistent.
You must account for all your sources, even quotations from one author embedded
in the writing of another. If you have any questions about proper citation practices please speak with the instructor or
consult the College's Academic Integrity Policy
and The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition) for further guidance.
For primary sources you should consult the Watzek Library History Research Guide.
In addition to books, academic journals often contain the most recent research and developments within specialized fields of
study. JSTOR and other electronic journal databases will prove useful in identifying
scholarly articles relevant to your topic. Current and recent volumes of the following journals are maintained on
the shelves in Watzek Library and may also prove useful in your research for this project:
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American Historical Review
Contributions to Indian Sociology
Diaspora (Journal of Transnational Studies)
India Briefing
India Today (old & new series)
Indian Economic and Social History Review
Journal of Asian Studies
Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History
Journal of Islamic Law and Culture
Journal of Modern History
Journal of Social History
Modern Asian Studies
Past & Present
Postcolonial Studies
South Asia Research
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4. The Essay:
Your essay should be 10-12 pages of text and it must have a title. All pages must be doubled-spaced,
numbered, and must use standard fonts and margins. The
narrative of your essay (the presentation of facts or historical chronology)
should be structured around an argument or thesis. It is not enough merely
to relate facts that are already known or retell a familiar historical
tale. The most important objective of your essay is to present an original
argument, theory, or analysis that is supported by a critical approach
to your sources. Keep in mind that you are writing this essay mainly
for yourself rather than for your instructor. Pick a topic in which you are truly
interested and that you think is important for your own understanding
of premodern India.
Research for the essay should center on a few primary sources (original
documents, artifacts, or images from the period that have not been interpreted or edited by other
scholars) as well as drawing upon a variety of secondary sources (books or
articles written about your subject). While the primary sources should be
the focus of your argument, the secondary sources will help you get a sense
of how your argument compares to those of other scholars. As you begin your research you
might consult the Watzek Library
History Research Guide. Additionally, your
essay must conform to the following specifications:
 All pages of text must be double-spaced using a standard font (the most common is Times New Roman, 12-point font size). Images and the bibliography do not count toward these page limits.
Pages must be numbered. If you include a separate title page (optional) this page should not be numbered. Page 1 is the first page of text.
Margins must be 1" at top and bottom and left and right.
The bibliography should list primary and secondary sources separately. As you know, this distinction is not always clear so this may involve some judgment calls on your part.
Bibliography entries should be single-spaced and all lines after the first line of an entry must be indented 0.5"
Quotations longer than 3 lines or 30 words (whichever is longer) should be inserted as block quotations. The entire block quotation is single spaced and set in from the left margin 0.5" (the same as the indentation of a new paragraph). Block quotations do not need quotation marks.
All citations must be footnoted. All footnotes must be single-spaced and may be between 11- and 12-point font size. The first mention of a source requires a full citation while mention of that same source in subsequent footnotes should be given an abbreviated citation.
Section headings within the body of the essay, if these are used, should be in bold or italics so that they stand out from the text.
In writing and revising your essay you should consult the History
Department Writing Guidelines and Grading Standards. Additionally, you might find a visit to
the Lewis & Clark Writing Center and the following reference works helpful:
The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition)
Strunk & White, The Elements of Style
Wilson Follett, Modern American Usage: A Guide
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Finally, be sure to edit and proofread your essay thoroughly before
submitting it. Poor syntax or structure and excessive errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar will
lower your grade.
The research essay is due by 11:59 pm on Monday, 24 April.
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