Research Project Tips
Steps in the Project
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Choose area of interest
Do some initial research to narrow your focus
Create paper proposal
Begin in-depth research into topic
Create annotated bibliography
Revise citations and find additional sources as needed
Take notes on sources
Create initial thesis statement
Continue research/notes and revise thesis as needed
Create outline
Research any missing pieces and revise outline as needed
Write draft
Revise and expand draft
Edit and proofread
Create title page and works cited page
Turn in final research paper
Present your paper to the class
Choosing a Topic
• Think about what areas or issues of American
history interest you
• Read list of possible topics, browse topics in
U.S. History in Context database, and flip
through textbook to get ideas
• Do initial research on Internet and databases
to narrow topic
• The narrower, the better
Research Paper Proposal
• A research proposal explains what you want to
research
• Your proposal will be a 200-300 word
paragraph that includes:
– Description of topic
– Why its worthwhile and interests you
– What you plan to focus on
– What you already know / what you need to find
out
Research Proposal Example
For my research paper, I will be researching the Exodusters. The
Exodusters were African Americans who moved to the West after
Reconstruction ended. They moved to the West, and especially Kansas, mostly
because they believed they would have better opportunities for advancement
there than in the South. This is an important topic because it highlights
America’s history of racial discrimination and promotes the idea of the West
being a great place of economic and social opportunity. More specifically, I
want to look into the experiences of the Exodusters in the West. I want to find
out how they were treated, and maybe examine if they were treated better
than African Americans living in the South in the late 1800s. I know that blacks
in the South were not able to fully exercise their political rights, had few
economic opportunities, were segregated from whites, and were often
exploited, beaten, and lynched by white supremacists. If I focus my paper
around this comparison, I will have to find information about the
discrimination against blacks in the South. I will also have to find information
about Exodusters’ relationships with white settlers, if the West developed laws
imposing racial segregation, and how economically successful African
Americans were in the West. If this comparison is too daunting, since I would
be basically researching two topics instead of one, I could just focus on why
Exodusters left the South or on how they were treated in the West.
The Research Process
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Look for books and other print sources using the MHS Library catalogue
and databases
Look for reliable web resources, possibly using Google Advanced Search
and Google Scholar
Look for additional print sources in the Abbott Library catalogue, the
NOBLE catalogue, and its subscription databases
Possibly request books through inter-library loan
Read and take notes on sources
Find more sources to address issues that arise when reading your
sources, creating the outline, draft, etc.
Continue reading and taking notes on sources
• Remember: You need at least 5 sources- 2 of which must be print, 2 of
which must be primary sources, and 1 of which must be full-length
Catalogue Search for Books
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To search for books at MHS, go to Marblehead HS web site  HS Links  MHS
Library  Search Our Online Catalog
– Search for your general topic first under Keyword, possibly under Subject
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To search for books at Abbott Library or other town’s libraries, go to Abbott’s
website (abbottlibrary.org)  Online Catalogue  NOBLE CATALOGUE
– Search for your topic in Keyword or in Topic
– First search items in Marblehead, then “View Entire Collection”
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After search, read item records to see if it will be helpful
– Is the item is in/out?
– Note subject terms & call number
– Read summary
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Can compile a temporary list of resources
– In the MHS catalogue, use “+” button to save to temp basket (to print Click “Temp
Basket”  Click Printer Icon  Select “Bibliographic Format”  File  Print )
– In NOBLE, click “Add It To My List” to save to list
Databases
• Not websites, but compilations of print sources available to
library patrons
• Most helpful in gaining background info on a topic
• Databases through MHS Library
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US History in Context (mostly encyclopedia articles)
Biography in Context (short bios)
Annals of American History (mostly encyclopedia articles)
Proquest Historical Newspapers
JSTOR (scholarly journal articles)
• Databases through Abbott Library
– EBSCO (mostly magazine articles)
– Fifties, Sixties, Seventies, Eighties, and Nineties in America (mostly
encyclopedia articles)
• Databases through Boston Public Library
– Historical New York Times and other old newspapers
Database and Internet Search
Strategies
• Choose search terms that make sense given
your topic
– Omit extraneous words (the, it, of)
– Use Synonyms and Related Terms
– “Quotes” to search a full phrase
– Use AND, OR, NOT to broaden/limit results
– Sort/limit results by date published
– Google Advanced Search can also limit results to a
website type with “Site:URLSuffix”
Evaluating Web Resources
1. Read the URL to determine organization
2. Find out if the author is reliable by reading
the Author Bio/About Us/Contact US/FAQ
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Look for Point of View (Bias)
3. Determine Currency (Last Updated)
4. Find a Backup Resource to confirm info in
questionable resources
Reading the URL
.com
Commercial
Standard URL - for commercial and
noncommercial websites. Any
person/entity may register.
.edu
Educational
For educational institutions
accredited by the US DOE.
.gov
Governmental
For governmental entities/agencies.
.info
Information
For informative internet resources.
Any person/entity may register.
.net
Network
.org
Organization
For organizations that network
technologies. Any person/entity
may register.
For non-commercial entities. Any
person/entity may register.
Finding Primary Sources
• Look at the citations in secondary sources and
find the primary sources they used online
• Go to online databases of primary sources
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Library of Congress
National Archives
American Presidency Project
America in Class
Documenting the American South
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Proquest Historical Newspapers Database
Archives of libraries and universities
Keeping Track of Research
• Take notes on relevant information from sources in
an organized way
– Note Card Method- write related category and source on
top of note card and fact/quote in center
– Source Notes Method- put bibliographic citation at top of
page and then organize notes from that source by
topic/chapter/page
– Others?
• Always put phrases from sources in quotes or in own
words and keep track of where (source, pg#) info is
from
Notes on Research- Note Card Method
Notes on Research- Source Notes Method
Annotated Bibliography
• An annotated bibliography cites and describes the sources one
plans to use in a research paper
• Your annotated bibliography will include citations and annotations
for at least 5 sources, of which 2 will be print resources, 2 will be
primary sources, and 1 of which will be full-length
• For each source you must
– Begin with its citation in the Chicago style
– Include an annotation with
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A description of the source
A description of the source’s credibility
A description of how the source will help you
Any specific ideas or pieces of information you expect to use from the source
• Format- Citations should be in alphabetical order (according to first
letter of citation), with a line between each citation and its
annotation
Annotated Bibliography Example
Gallagher, Gary W. The Confederate War. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 1997.
Gallagher is one of the leading historians on the Civil War. In this
book, he focuses on the Confederacy and explains that the Confederacy
did not lose the Civil War because of a lack of will or internal division, but
because of its losses on the battlefield. His argument seems to go against
the beliefs of many other historians. I plan to use this book to help me
show that the Union won the Civil War because of its military successes. It
emphasizes the fact the Confederacy had more casualties than the Union
did and shows the Union’s effectiveness in various battles. One chapter
examines how Confederate desertions hurt the military. Another section
on Confederate surrender will be helpful because it emphasizes how weak
the Confederate military was in 1865.
Next Citation
Chicago Manual of Style Bibliographic
Citations
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Citations include all relevant source information in this history-specific format
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Book with One Author- Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of
publication.
Book with Multiple Authors- Lastname, Firstname and Firstname Lastname. Title of Book. Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Book Complied by an Editor (with no author) – Lastname, Firstname, ed. Title of Book. Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Article/Section in a Book with an Editor- Article/Section Author’s Lastname, Firstname. “Article/Section
Title.” In Title of Book, edited by Firstname Lastname. Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication.
Website- Lastname, Firstname. “Title of Web Page.” Publishing Organization or Name of Website in Italics.
Publication date/Date of Last Modification if available or Access date. URL. (not hyperlinked)
Newspaper Article- Lastname, Firstname. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title, Publication Month Day, Year. Url
if applicable.
Article found in a Database- Full Citation for Original Source. Database Name.
Documentary- Lastname, Firstname. Title of Work. Directed/Performed by Firstname Lastname. Original
Release Year. City: Studio/Distributor, Video release year. Medium.
Photograph/Painting- Lastname, Firstname of Photographer/Artist. Title. Date. Medium. Size if applicable.
Housing Institution or Collection if applicable. From: Database name or Citation for source where found
image.
Please note that the second and subsequent lines of a bibliographic citation are indented (press
“Enter” then “Tab” to accomplish this)
Chicago Style Citation Generation
Help
• To create your citations, you may use an online citation
generator; just make sure you use the manual entry mode
AND double check your citations
– Suggested Generator: EasyBib.com (make account at school for full
access)
– Others: Citationmachine.net, Bibme.com, Sourceaid.com
• For more information on how to create bibliographic citations
using the Chicago Manual of Style Format, visit its website
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.ht
ml or Purdue University’s OWL website
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/1/
Thesis Statement
• 1-2 sentences that explain your argument
• May or may not have a map (subcategories of
supporting ideas)
Thesis Statement Examples
• The failure of the Wagner-Evans Child Refugee Bill illustrates
the United States’ anti-Semitism and isolationism in the
1930s.
• Through its songs and its actions as a musical group, Sweet
Honey in the Rock protests oppression of all forms, especially
racial injustice. Although often categorized as womenidentified music and as gospel music, Sweet Honey in the
Rock is fundamentally a group of protest.
• In the struggle to gain greater civil rights for MexicanAmericans, Cesar Chavez’s farm workers’ strikes and the 1968
Los Angeles student walkouts reveal a common commitment
to nonviolent protest and a Chicano consciousness.
Outline
• Intro:
– Ideas for framework / hook
– Key background info
– Thesis
• Subtopics/Paragraphs
– Basic description of subtopic and its connection to thesis (may want to
write a draft topic sentence)
– Supporting details
• Possible quotes/facts to illustrate the supporting detail (optional)
• Conclusion:
– Restatement of thesis (don’t need to write this out yet)
– Possible deeper insights or connections
Sample Partial Outline On Causes of Civil War
Introduction (1 paragraph, .5 pages)
I. Background on how the US was established as a nation bound together by its similar beliefs and traditions, but as it progressed,
regional differences grew.
II. Define “North” and “South”
III. Thesis: Civil War broke out between the North and South due to the growing economic, moral, and political differences between the
two regions.
Subtopic 1: Economic Differences between North and South (1 paragraph, 1 page)
Economic differences between the North and the South created tension between the two regions.
I. The Northern economy was increasingly based on industry (in sources a, b, c)
a. Geography bad for farming but good for trade
b. Explain rise of industry in mid-1800s and how North produced 90% of manufactured goods (use industry graphs)
II. The Southern economy was dependent on agriculture (in sources a and c)
a. Because of geography and high demand for products like cotton, South produced most of nation’s cotton and it
brought great profit
b. Link success of agriculture to use of slaves, looking at their economic value
c. Maybe include Southern resentment of Northern industrial success
Subtopic 2: Moral Differences between the North and South (2 paragraphs, 1.5 pages)
Differing opinions between the North and the South about slavery contributed to the onrush of the Civil War.
Paragraph 1- Rise of Abolitionism in the North (in sources a, b, d)
I. As the North became increasingly industrial, they depended less on slave labor
a. Industry attracted immigrants and their cheap labor helped it grow
II. Partially because Northerners did not depend on slave labor, public opinion turned against it as unjust, cruel, and wrong
III. Link rise of abolitionism to Great Awakening
Paragraph 2- Continued Support for Slavery in the South (in sources c, e, f)
I. Many Southerners supported slavery because they relied on it economically
II. Some whites saw slaves as happy and needing their help
III. Link to the different religious and cultural experiences of the South
Sample Outline on Development of the Dust Bowl
Paragraph 1- Introduction
- Define/describe Dust Bowl- what it was, where it developed, how long it lasted
- Briefly emphasize scope and severity of the Dust Bowl
- Thesis: Although drought is common in the Great Plains, the Dust Bowl was mostly a man-made problem. The overfarming of the Great Plains turned a drought into a national disaster
Paragraph 2- Natural Drought Cycle
- Explain geography of the Great Plains- massive grassland with fertile topsoil that has developed over a long period of time
- Drought cycle is key to the climate of the Great Plains; explain prior droughts
- Explain role of weather in the creation of the 1930s drought but how the Dust Bowl was much worse than typical droughts
Paragraph 3- Settlement of Great Plains
- Rapid settlement developed in late 1800s after purchase , conquest, and railroads
- Rise of cattle herding and wheat- maybe link to rise in immigration and growing demand for food
- Humans changed natural landscape of Plain- sea of green to brown, exposed top soil to elements
Paragraph 4-New Farming Technologies
- General rise in agricultural machines and development of mechanized farming
- Explain impact of tractor (esp. gasoline tractor), enclosed gears on tractors, increasingly lighter tractors; harvest combine machine too
- The new machines led to more profit, expanded plowing
Paragraph 5- New Farm Methods
- Increased use of fertilizer to increase yeild
- Ending of summer fallowing to grow more wheat
- Even less time for topsoil to recover
Paragraph 6- Rose of WWI in Increasing Demand for Wheat
- Destruction of farmland in Europe and focus of European economy on war machines/weapons increased demand for American wheat
- Wheat as an easy product to turn into food for European and then American soldiers
- Give statistics to show the rising price of wheat and its correlation to increased acreage of farms in Great Plains
- Production remained high after WWI, with falling prices sometimes causing farmers to grow more (maybe turn into separate paragraph)
Paragraph 7- Slow Response to Dust Bowl
- Many didn’t recognize its severity or causes at first and kept on plowing, making it worse; shows general lack of understanding of environment
- Govt. soil conservation programs (trees, contour plowing, conservation districts) came in mid-1930s but took a while to improve the area
Paragraph 8- Conclusion
- The increased mechanization of farming and high demand for wheat led to the use of poor farming practices that ultimately led to the development of the Dust Bowl
- Maybe explain what we have learned from the Dust Bowl and how it shows the large impact humans have on the environment and how they depend on it
- Link to continued and possibly worsening droughts in the West and how human activity could make things better or worse
Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism
• Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text, especially
when taking notes
• Put quotations around phrases of three or more words that you take from
someplace else
• When paraphrasing, be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a
few words, but render someone else’s ideas and info in a new form
• Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not
accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is
accurate
• Properly cite all quoted and paraphrased info. Paraphrasing without citing
the source is still plagiarism.
• When in doubt, cite
Citing Sources in the Chicago Style
• Include footnotes at end (after period) of a
paraphrased or quoted sentence
• Type “CTRL + ALT + F” or click “Insert
Footnote” under “References” in Word 2012
– First footnote for a source- full citation + page # in
a slightly different form than the bibliographic
citation
– Second footnote for a source- Author’s last name,
Title of source, p. #.
– Should automatically be in 10 pt. font
Sample Paragraph with Footnotes
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the prospect of AfricanAmerican participation brought the issue of American democracy and equal rights to the
forefront. President Wilson pledged the war would make the world “safe for democracy,”
suggesting to black Americans that their patriotic support could lead to justice and true
democracy at home.⁴ Many African-American leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois saw the war as an
opportunity to gain political freedoms. He called for blacks to “forget our special grievances
and close our ranks to shoulder with our own white fellow citizens and the allied nations that
are fighting for democracy.”⁵ Although some blacks believed that a temporary pause in civil
rights activism would seriously damage black’s struggle for freedom, most African-Americans
followed suit and supported the war with the hope of compensation after its conclusion.⁶
African-Americans contributed to cause as soldiers, industrial workers, and purchasers of
Liberty Bonds. Within the black community, participation in the war effort augmented
feelings of racial pride and more realistic hopes for citizenship. Believing they had proved
themselves as true Americans, blacks were determined to attain the rights that the
Constitution pledged to all Americans.
___________________________________________________________________________
4 Arthur E. Barbeau and Florette Henri, The Unknown Soldiers: African-American Troops in World War I (New York: De Capo
Press, 1996), 7.
5 W.E.B. Du Bois, “Close Ranks,” Crisis 16 (July 1918), in Let Nobody Turn Us Around: Voices of Resistance, Reform, and
Renewal, ed. Manning Marable and Leith Mullings (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 2000), 243.
6 Barbeau and Henri, The Unknown Soldiers, 15.
Formatting Info in Footnotes
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First footnote citation for a source includes all relevant source information + page # (if applicable)
but in slightly different order/format than bibliographic citation
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Book with One Author- Firstname Lastname, Title of Book (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of
publication), page number.
Book with Multiple Authors- Firstname Lastname and Firstname Lastname, Title of Book (Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Book Complied by an Editor (with no author) – Firstname Lastname, ed., Title of Book (Place of
publication: Publisher, Year of publication), page number.
Article/Section in a Book with an Editor- Article/Section Author’s Firstname Lastname, “Article/Section
Title,” in Title of Book, edited by Firstname Lastname (Place of publication: Publisher, Year of publication),
page number.
Article/Section in a Book- Article/Section Author’s Firstname Lastname, “Article/Section Title,” in + Book
Citation
Website- Firstname Lastname, “Title of Web Page,” Publishing Organization or Name of Website in Italics,
Publication date/Date of last modification if available or access date, URL.
Newspaper Article- Firstname Lastname,“Article Title,” Newspaper Title, Publication Month Day, Year, Url
if applicable.
Article found in a Database- Full Citation for Original Source, Database Name.
Documentary-Firstname Lastname, Title of Work, Directed/Performed by Firstname Lastname, Original
Release Year, City: Studio/Distributor, Video release year, Medium.
Photograph/Painting- Firstname Lastname of Photographer/Artist, Title, Date, Medium, Size if applicable,
Housing Institution or Collection if applicable, from: Database name or Citation for source where found
image.
Rough Draft
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Format- Times New Roman, 12-point font, double-spaced,
standard 1-inch margins
• Length- Must be at least 3 pages, and include at least 3 paragraphs
• Citations- Must cite all quoted and paraphrased info, and include at
least 4 footnotes
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Update/finish outline first
Ask questions on organization, info, evidence, etc.
Begin with intro and try to write in order
Have all sources and notes with you when writing
Cite sources/make footnotes as you go
Read and revise paragraphs after writing them
The better/longer product you turn in, the better/more feedback
you’ll get
Final Paper Format
• Title page with title in Caps centered a third of the way down the page and
several lines later
Your Name
United States History II Honors
Ms. Bachman/Humphrey
Due Date
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Introduction begins at top of 1st page
1-inch margins all around
Double-spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font for text
Block quotes for quotations 5 or more lines
Page numbers in upper right hand corner of the first page of text with 1
Works Cited list on separate piece of paper after essay
Final Reminders
• Give key background info in intro and end with clear thesis
• Link topic sentences back to thesis
• Use lots of evidence (details, examples, quotes, etc.), in-depth sources,
and primary sources to support thesis
• Make sure you use at least 5 sources, with at least 2 print, 2 primary
sources, 1 full-length
• Include analysis throughout the paper
• Cite all paraphrased and quoted ideas in footnotes
• Put footnotes in 10 point Times New Roman font and change formatting
from bibliographic citation
• Restate thesis and include deeper insights in conclusion
• Include bibliographic citations for all sources cited in paper (no
annotations) in a separate “Works Cited” page at end of essay
• Revise, edit, and proofread, possibly getting advice from a friend/relative
• Review rubric