my topic:
The roles of women during the Civil War
Using the topic you selected from the list of research topics provided in this module, you will now write a Research Paper. Please note that if you do not select a topic from the Canvas List of Research Topics OR get something else approved by the instructor in writing, you could receive a zero for this assignment. Your paper can be in any format you would like. It can be written as a straight report, a fictional interview, a diary, a ghost story, a time travel novella, or even as an alien encounter. I encourage you to be creative. Regardless of what format you decide upon, in order to receive full credit, you must fully address the following points:
Give a brief summary of your topic. Be sure to put your topic into historical context. By historical context I mean, put your topic into a historical timeline. In other words, explain to me briefly what was going on before your topic happened. (For example, if your assigned topic was the Declaration of Independence, you would put it into historical context by briefly describing what led up to the writing of the Declaration by covering the events of the previous 50-100 years.)
Give an example of a popular myth or distortion about your topic. (For example, Columbus “discovering” America or the Americas being an unoccupied wilderness free for the taking.)
Lastly, you must provide an example of what you consider to be your topic’s most noteworthy contribution to American History. This could be something good or bad.
Addressing the questions above:
It is crucial that you clearly address all three portions of the assignment listed above. To help ensure that I do not miss points 2 (myth) and 3 (historical impact), I require that you highlight (like this green) the FIRST SENTENCE of both individual points in your paper. If you do not highlight this information you may not receive credit for addressing points 2 and 3. You do not need to highlight point 1 (historical context.)
Length and Formatting:
Paper Length: Your paper should be at least 1000 of your own words. Your works cited page, long or excessive “quotes” (exceeding 15% of the total paper), and, of course, plagiarized or A.I. content, will not count towards your overall word count.
Paper formatting: All papers should have a Title, be typed double-spaced, in 12-point type with 1-inch margins on all sides. If your paper does not comply with all of the aforementioned formatting criteria, you will have 25 points deducted. I expect lucid prose, correct punctuation, grammar, spelling, and organization.
Source Requirements:
You are required to use at least FIVE reliable resources in your paper (more are fine) — likely three of these will be the ones you submitted in your Annotated Bibliography. One of these must be a Primary Source, one must be a Scholarly Source, and one another Secondary Source. The remaining two are your choice but cannot be Tertiary or Quaternary Sources.
Work Cited page and in-text Citation Requirements:
Be sure to cite all outside resources correctly using MLA 8th ed. Your paper need include in-text citations ONLY FOR DIRECT QUOTES; writing that is paraphrased by you does not need in-text citations. Please note that the works-cited page does not count towards your total page or word count. (IMPORTANT: If you provide me with a partial citation on your work cited page, you will receive a zero for that citation.) Your in-text citations (for quotes) should be in MLA parenthetical citation format. Annotations are NOT necessary for your Works Cited.
Direct Quotes:
Direct quotes (with “quotes” and proper citations) from eyewitnesses are great to support your thesis, but they can be overdone. Fully 85% of your paper should be your own words, 90% is even better. Quotes exceeding 15% of the whole paper will not count toward the 1000+ word requirement.
