2010 – 2011
AMERICAN STUDIES
RESEARCH PAPER MANUAL
Notre Dame Catholic High School
Fairfield, Connecticut
www.notredame.org
2
SCHEDULE OF DUE DATES
Preliminary Steps:
1. Specific tentative topic: November 18, 2010
2. Bibliography sources: November 30, 2010
3. Thesis and working outline: December 7, 2010
Research/ Note taking:
4. Research Period: December 7 – January 8, 2011
5. Note-cards (1/2 check) – December 20, 2010
6. All cards due: January 25, 2011
Writing the paper:
6. Organize note cards and
revise outline: January 6– 20, 2011
7. Write the rough draft – beginning
in class: W/E January 24 (2 days in class)
8. Revised typed rough draft due: February 9, 2011
9. Prepare bibliography.
Typing the paper:
10. Prepare final typed copy according
to specifications.
11. Final copy due with title page, outline,
works cited, note cards and posted to
turnitin.com: February 17, 2011
All steps in bold above must be turned in for a grade. A ten-point penalty will be
assessed for each day a graded step is late.
These grades will be averaged into your second marking period grades for both
American history and English. Your final paper grade will be factored into the
third marking period grade.
By turning in a final paper late, the student forfeits his/her right to re-write the
paper.
Failure to complete this project will result in an “incomplete” in both
American History and English, as per the Notre Dame Handbook.
3
AMERICAN STUDIES
RESEARCH PAPER
The purpose of a research paper is to compile information and integrate it together
into a well-written and organized paper. The topic which you will select may
pertain to an aspect of American society – historical, literary, societal. A research
paper is a summary of what others have already written about a certain subject. In
other words, you are “borrowing” information and giving credit to the appropriate
information providers. The material you select and include will support and prove
your main idea – or thesis.
SELECTING A TOPIC
HERE IS WHAT TO CONSIDER…
• The topic must be broad enough to cover the required length.
• The topic must be narrow enough to be contained in the appropriate number
of pages.
• Sources must be available to support your thesis.
• Do not select a topic in which you will just rehash information.
• YOU MUST PROVE YOUR THESIS.
DO NOT SELECT … “The Civil War”
This is too broad … so instead consider … “Gettysburg was the turning
point in the Civil War”.
DO NOT SELECT … “The Boston Tea Party”
This will just be a narrative about the event.
DO SELECT … “The McCarthy hearings were another American witch hunt”.
This is specific, yet might offer different points of view with effective
research.
DO NOT SELECT … a recent topic for which there will be limited research.
(Clinton Impeachment, for example)
ACTUALLY PICKING A TOPIC…
Decide on a discipline of interest: history, literature, culture
Select a time period: Colonial, war, modern, the 20s, etc.
Consult your textbooks for events, writings, authors, and people.
Do some preliminary reading on the interest area.
Consider possible thesis statements.
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DEVELOPING A WORKING BIBLIOGRAPHY
How to find sources…
Visit the Notre Dame Library
Visit the Sacred Heart Library
Visit your local public library
World Wide Web
As you find a source, create a Bibliography card and number your cards in the
appropriate order. The following is a sample of proper MLA structure for all
bibliography cards (complete citation samples found at end of packet):
1
Card/Source
Number
DeLoria, Vine. Custer Died For Your
Sins. Boston: Macmillan, 1969.
Notre Dame Library
Source Location
SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY CARD FOR BOOKS
2
Magazine
Publication Date
Kinsley, Edward. “Now Is the Time to
Act.” Newsweek 20 June 1998.
25 June 1999 <http://www.
newsweek.com/99-06-20>.
Internet Access Date
(Date you found article)
Internet
SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY CARD FOR INTERNET SOURCE (MAGAZINE)
5
MINIMUM NUMBER OF SOURCES REQUIRED:
HIGH HONORS: TWELVE (12)
HONORS: TEN (10)
COLLEGE PREP: EIGHT (8)
ALL LEVELS: A maximum of FOUR Internet sources may be used
No personal home pages may be used.
If a student is placed in a different level for English and American history, the
higher level class takes priority for paper requirements.
As noted, the minimum number of sources is listed above. You can have more
sources than what is listed which in fact will make the writing of your paper easier
since you will have more information to draw on.
Each of your sources must have a bibliography card that is numbered in the upper
right hand corner. Bibliography cards must be white 4x6”index cards.
It is important to have integrated sources. Do not depend solely upon one type of
source. Utilize books, magazines, journals, the Internet, and/or articles.
Encyclopedias and on-line encyclopedias are NOT acceptable sources.
Each source must be cited at least once in your paper. Citations should be
equally distributed throughout your paper.
EVAULATING SOURCES
Do not believe everything you read (especially from the Internet). The following is
a list of criteria to consider when choosing resources:
• Accuracy: How reliable is the information?
• Authority: Is the author qualified to write on this subject?
• Objectivity: Is the information opinion or factual?
• Currency: Is the publication/information up to date?
• Coverage: What topics are included in the work?
• Relevance: Is the subject matter appropriate to your needs?
When you have completed all bibliography cards, create a TITLE CARD (see
example) and secure all cards with an elastic band.
Topic of your
Paper
Battle of Gettysburg
Your Name
English / History
American Studies
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DEVELOPING A THESIS
A thesis statement is similar to a main idea – it is what you are trying to prove in
your paper. This idea should be a well-developed declarative sentence – a
statement.
SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS:
TOPIC: The Desegregation of Schools
“Black Americans struggled for over fifty years to achieve the
desegregation in schooling that was rightfully theirs.”
TOPIC: The Industrial Revolution
“The Industrial Revolution was responsible for the most sweeping social
and economic changes in United States history.”
TOPIC: Mark Twain
“Although Mark Twain was considered a humorist, he was really a social
critic.”
DEVELOPING YOUR OUTLINE
This outline is a plan or map of your paper. It should give your research direction
and list the various angles or ideas you might want to investigate. An outline is
essential to a good paper.
Your outline may be changed at any time. It can grow, change, or diminish.
Ask yourself the following questions to help develop an outline:
• What do I want to know about my subject?
• What points am I going to cover in my paper?
• What are the most important points that should be developed?
Keep your outline simple: As you uncover research, determine where it best fits
into your outline. If you find an interesting fact/detail that seems to fit nowhere,
eliminate it. Do not feel like you have to include everything that you find.
Your outline must be typed.
All topics should be noun or noun phrases. If you have a subheading under a topic,
you must have at least two details. In other words, if you have an “A” you must
have a “B”. Do not also use “1, 2, 3” under the letters.
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OUTLINE EXAMPLE
Line 13 (single spaced)
all caps
Weather and Its Effects
THESIS:
Depending upon geographic location, weather plays a major role in the
development of cultures and society.
Five spaces
I.
Natural disasters
A. Hurricanes
B. Floods
C. Tornadoes
II.
Historical data
A. 1800-1899
B. 1900-present
III.
Cultural development
IV.
Environmental Effects
1 line skipped
Omit for final draft
Mary Smith
Miller/Skawinski
American Studies
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NOTETAKING
Successful research papers are very dependent upon note taking. Take careful
notes on everything important to your topic. Use as many sources as possible. This
is not a book report…you cannot solely rely upon one or two books.
These notes MUST be in your own words, unless you are quoting.
Make your notes complete, accurate, and brief. Write down words, phrases,
lists, and rough ideas. Do NOT include whole sentences or paragraphs.
Make sure all of your ideas are clear and will make sense to you when you
go back to them later.
Limit the number of quotes you use. While they are important to your
paper, you can not rely too heavily upon them. Never use quotes from
factual material or common knowledge (dates, places, people, events).
Quotes should be marked with quotations and written down exactly. Any
quotations over five lines, must be indented on each side and single spaced.
Always keep your thesis in mind.
Use ink.
Record only one main idea per card.
In the left-hand corner of your note card, place the Roman numeral from
your outline that the piece of information will come under. In the right hand
corner, write the source number from your bibliography cards.
NOTE CARD CHECK REQUIRMENTS
Note cards will be checked and graded before the writing of the rough draft
begins. For the half-way check, half the required sources must be equally used
and each section of the outline must be referenced. Failure to do so will result
in a “redo”.
PLAGIARISM
Passing off ideas and phrases that are not your own is plagiarizing You must give
credit where credit is due. You must cite quotes, lists, charts, statistics, and
reports. Also, material that is the opinion of your source, even if it is written in
your own words, must be cited. Any original ideas or comments of your source
even if in your own words, must be cited. Ideas that are not your own must give
credit to the original source.
The penalty for plagiarism is automatic failure (zero).
No citations are needed for common knowledge, well-known events, places, dates,
factual material, and established ideas reported in many sources.
What is common knowledge?
• Columbus discovered America in 1492.
• The capital of the U.S. is Washington, D.C.
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NOTECARD EXAMPLES
Roman Numeral
from
III
Outline
Source Number/
Page(s)
1
p. 25
Dec. 7, 1941 – Japan attacks
NOTE CARD – ONE PAGE
NOTE:
Double lower-case pp.
used for information
from multiple pages.
IV
1
pp. 320-21
“Give me liberty or give me death”
- Patrick Henry
NOTE CARD – MORE THAN ONE PAGE/DIRECT QUOTE
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ORGANIZING YOUR NOTECARDS AND
REVISING YOUR OUTLINE
Spread out your note cards and sort them into piles based upon the
Roman numerals in the left hand corner that correspond to the
headings on your outline.
Determine the order your paper will take:
Chronological: Forward or backward in time, suitable for historical or
biographical studies.
Cause and Effect: Used in distinguishing social problems. Move from
cause to effect to possibly a solution.
General to Particular: Begin with broad generalized ideas and support
the ideas with specific examples or details.
Particular to General: Begin with examples, build to climactic
conclusions.
Comparison/Contrast: Support or arrive at general conclusions by
emphasizing the similarities or differences between two or more items,
ideas, persons, processes or philosophies.
Argumentative: Present a thesis or argument, give the pros and cons or
vice versa and a concluding evaluation; give a variety of reasons or
arguments with the pros and cons under each; then conclude.
Choose the above plan that best suits your topic. This will be the
final plan for your paper. It should be clear and direct.
Next, revise your outline to fit the final order of your paper.
Rearrange your note card piles.
Arrange the note cards in the order that the section will take.
Read through the cards. Examine each pile carefully to make sure
you have enough information under each main idea. If necessary,
add additional research.
Pull out any bibliography cards from unused sources. Place them
at the bottom of the pile.
Finally, put all cards into one pile in the order that your paper
will take. Put a card with your final outline on top. Put your
bibliography cards in the back. When you are finished, number
each card on the back in the order in which you plan to use it.
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WRITING YOUR ROUGH DRAFT
With your note cards in front of you, write your rough draft:
• Write clearly and simply
• Put your ideas from your cards down in your own words
• Use direct sentences and well-constructed paragraphs
• Use transition words to link one paragraph to another
Do not worry about spelling, choosing the best word, accuracy of form or
grammar. Underline any words which you are in doubt over…you can check them
later. Leave a blank for a word you can not think of.
You will polish your paper later. Worry about the content now…get your ideas
down on paper. Worry about structure/form later. Your main task is to translate
your notes into clearly expressed thoughts that say something.
In the body of your paper, make a notation showing citations. Use the author’s last
name and page number from the appropriate source. Quotes, opinions from
sources, statistics, lists and ideas from sources that are not common
knowledge require a citation. Indicate quotes with quotation marks.
Number of Pages Required
• HIGH HONORS: 10-12
• HONORS: 8-10
• COLLEGE PREP: 6-8
Number of Citations Required
• HIGH HONORS: 30-40
• HONORS: 25-30
• COLLEGE PREP: 20-25
The lower number of citations for each level is a required minimum but the range
listed above is a suggested target for students and the higher number may be
exceeded (within reason) without penalty.
Your “final” rough draft must be typed. This must include a typed title page,
outline, and citations.
Approximately 250 words equals one typed, double-spaced page.
An automatic ten points will be deducted if your rough draft falls short of the
required paper length for your class level.
• 5 points will be deducted from the final paper grade if the rough draft is
not turned in on the assigned due date
• 10 points will be deducted from the final paper grade if the rough draft is
turned in two or more days past the assigned due date
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INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION
Write the Introduction and Conclusion LAST.
Your introduction should catch the readers attention – a quote; a strong, direct
statement; a clever phrase – but don’t be “cute”. CLEARLY STATE YOUR
TOPIC AND YOUR THESIS here as it appears in the outline.
For your Conclusion, you may do one of the following:
Tie your paper together with a few brief statements
Highlight the main points of your paper.
CORRECTING THE ROUGH DRAFT
Let your rough draft sit for a while. When you return to it, re-read it aloud and
straight through to get a good feel for the total work. This quick reading should
point out the major flaws. Make a notation where you feel reworking is necessary.
Ask yourself these questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Will this point be clear to the reader?
Do I give examples and evidence to support my thesis?
Do my ideas flow logically?
Is there any unnecessary repetition?
Have I omitted anything essential?
Have I presented my ideas clearly and simply?
Have I included any of my own personal opinion?
Now revise, change, and slash your paper to make it the best it could be. Change
words for better ones…delete whole paragraphs…take out over-used and simple
words…avoid run-ons and sentence fragments…make sure each paragraph has a
topic sentence and that paragraphs transition smoothly.
As you re-read your rough draft, consider and change the following:
Remember, your paper must be written entirely in your own words (unless
proper credit is given) and is based on the information you uncovered.
YOUR PERSONAL OPINION IS NOT TO BE USED…
13
Also consider the following…
Use the third person (he, she, they)
Do NOT use first or second person pronouns (I, we, you)
Use the past tense (unless it is a very current topic, which isn’t likely)
Do NOT start a sentence with and, or, but, or because
Do not say “I guess” or “I mean”
Use a person’s last name when repeating a name (ie: Dickinson, not Emily)
Avoid contractions (did not; NOT didn’t)
Do not use headings to set off individual sections of your paper
Do not skip additional lines between paragraphs
Make sure verb tenses are consistent (not switching from present to past)
Do not use words like “thing” or “stuff” or “a lot”
Be sure to run spell-check
Make sure each sentence has a subject and predicate (verb)
Delete all one-sentence paragraphs – they are not a real paragraph!
Check subject-verb agreement
Vary your sentences in length and complexity
If dividing words at the end of a line, use a hyphen (do not over use this)
Do not divide words with fewer than seven letters
Write in words for any numbers from one through one thousand (or any
number that can be expressed in two words or less (ex: two hundred, three
million)
Spell out numbers that represent time when used with “o’clock” but use
numbers when using A.M. or P.M. (ex: six o’clock or 6:00 P.M.)
Use figures, regardless of the expressed quantity, to express:
• Dates: April 15, 1981 (not April 15th)
• Money: $5, $17.20
• Dimensions: 5 feet, 2 inches
• Percentages: 5 percent
• Page Numbers: Page 19
Spell out numbers at the beginning of sentences.
Do NOT be afraid to cut and alter your paper. The more you do this, the better
your paper will be. Two things to remember:
1. This paper has no sections, subdivisions, or subtitles
2. Within each paragraph, citations from the same sources (if they are
consecutive and not direct quotes) should be combined.
14
DOCUMENTING THE SOURCES USED IN THE PAPER
(CITATIONS WITHIN THE ACTUAL PAPER)
The citations used in your paper will follow the guidelines set forth in the MLA
Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. Most colleges and universities require
students to follow the MLA format.
The list of works cited at the end of your research paper plays an important role in
your acknowledgment of sources. You must indicate to your readers what works
you used in writing the paper, what you derived from each source, and exactly
where in the work you found the material. The most practical way to supply this
information is to insert a brief parenthetical citation in your paper whenever you
use another person’s words, facts, or ideas. If you include the author’s name in a
sentence, you need not repeat that information in the parenthetical citation.
FORMATING A PARENTHETICAL CITATION
This is very easy to do. The citation consists of two parts: author’s last name and
the page number.
EXAMPLE:
Medieval Europe was a place both of raids, pillages, slavery and extortion”
and of “traveling merchants, monetary exchange, towns if not cities, and
active markets in grain” (Albert 20).
Parenthetical Citation
NOTE: Author’s name
followed by page number (with
no comma). Period follows the
citation.
If you use more than once source by the same author, you must format the
parenthetical citation differently. You must abbreviate the title of the source within
the parenthesis.
EXAMPLE:
Shakespeare’s King Lear has been called a “comedy of the grotesque”
(Tylin, Anatomy 132). For Peter Tylin, one’s death is not a unique experience, for
“every moment we have lived through we have also died out of and into another
order” (Double Vision 85).
Parenthetical Citations
for multiple sources
from the same author
NOTE: In the first citation, a portion of the
book’s title is used, since two sources from the
same author are referenced. In the second
citation, the author’s name is omitted, since it
was mentioned in the sentence but a portion of
the second book title is required.
15
CITING INTERNET SOURCES
You should attempt to include the source name in your actual text when no page
number is available. If you do not mention the author and/or title of the article in
your writing, you should include the title of the article in parenthetical citation.
Usually, no page number is available from an internet source and omitting this is
acceptable.
If an author’s name is not available, use the title of the article. Be sure to put
the title of the article in quotation marks. If the title is lengthy, use the first three
words with three periods following. History of Western Russia Including the Rise
and Fall of Czar could be abbreviated “History of Western…”. The abbreviated
title of an article should be in quotations.
Examples:
Author name available: (using name in text)
While making his argument in support of increased efforts to fight the twenty
million illegal immigrants that enter this country on an annual basis, Mark
Sullivan, while addressing a Congressional committee, advocated increased
federal funding for border patrols.
No citation needed. Author’s
name is included in the text.
Mark Sullivan’s article should be a source in your bibliography, therefore the
reader will know by referencing this list, where your information is from.
Author name available: (using name in citation)
Congress has spend $50 billion per year to combat illegal immigration into the
United States (Sullivan).
No page number required.
When no author is available:
In 1999, citizens of the following nations immigrated to the United States in the
greatest numbers: Mexico, Canada, Poland, Italy, Ireland, Hungary, and Japan
(“Immigration: 1999”).
Title of the article is in quotation
marks. No page number is required.
On-Line Database
In 2001, 1.4 million immigrants came to the United States (CNN Interactive).
16
TYPING YOUR FINAL COPY
The final copy of your paper must consist of the following:
Title Page
Text of your paper
Works cited
Outline
TITLE PAGE (see example)
Title must be centered on line 18 – in all capital letters (do not underline)
Name must be typed on line 21 – in all capital letters
In bottom right hand corner: (Do NOT right justify)
American Studies (11 lines from bottom)
Miller/Cipriano (9 lines from bottom)
Due Date of Paper (7 lines from bottom)
OUTLINE PAGE (see example)
Follow the same format as you did earlier, except delete name and other
information in the bottom right hand corner.
MANUSCRIPT PAGES
*** FONT MUST BE 12 POINT TIMES NEW ROMAN ***
All Pages:
• Must include your name and page number in top right hand corner
• Indent each paragraph one tab (5 spaces)
• Double space the paper
• Indicate citations at the end of a sentence or a paragraph (before a period)
• In a direct quote, the citation must be after the quotation marks
• Quotes of more than five lines must be double-spaced and indented five
spaces from each margin.
• Margins are 1” on top and bottom and 1 ¼” on the left and right side
(default margins)
• Do NOT skip lines between paragraphs
• Do NOT set sections of your paper off with headings
Your paper must meet all specified requirements and be the
proper paper length in order to earn the five assigned “paper
length” points on the rubric. Either five points will be earned
or none at all.
By turning in a final paper late, the student forfeits the right to re-write the paper.
All papers must be posted to turnitin.com by the assigned date. Failure to post a
paper to turnitin.com will result in an automatic failing grade.
17
TITLE PAGE EXAMPLE
Line 18 (single spaced)
BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
All CAPITAL
letters (not underlined)
MARY T. LINCOLN
Line 21
Aligned along a straight
left margin
This information is in
lower case letters,
beginning 11 lines from
bottom, then 9 lines and
finally 7 lines. This
information is aligned
along the left side.
American Studies
Miller/Skawinski
February 17, 2011
18
`
BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE
WORKS CITED
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Type WORKS CITED centered & in capital letters at top of page
Skip two lines before starting your list of citations
Alphabetize authors by their last name
If no author name is available, use the first letter of the first major word
(not the or a) in a book/magazine/publication title
Do not number each entry
The first line of the entry must be flush with the margin. The following line
must be indented by five spaces (one tab)
A period must end each entry
Underline the name of the book or journal
Double space entire works cited page
If an author has more than one work referenced, use a line _____________,
and then begin the second/third title (In other words, do not keep repeating
the name)
Use the most recent publication date
Use the city closest to your location
Capitalize all major words in title
PROPERLY CITING SOURCES FOR BIBLIOGRAPHY CARDS
AND BIBLIOGRAPHY (WORKS CITED PAGE)
Consult the citation examples on the following pages for specific situations. The
information was obtained from the MLA Handbook. These citations should be
used for the bibliography cards and the works cited page.
For further assistance with the format use:
http//www.owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
19
centered at top of page
WORKS CITED
2 lines skipped
Ablan, Peter. The Social Construction of American Realism. New York: Simon
Publishers, 1998.
Barhart, Eileen. “Been Shaping Words to Fit My Soul.” Time 21 Oct. 2000: 65+.
“Critical Review of Realism.” CNN Online 20 December 2002. 30 January 2004
<http://www.cnn.com/realism>.
The History Channel. 2004. History Channel. 4 February 2004
<http:www/historychannel.com>.
Kinsley, Michael. “Cane as Blues.” U.S. News and World Report 20 June 1998.
25 February 2004 <http://www.usnews.com/20-6-98/cane>.
McKeever, Benjamin. Literature and Realism. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 2000.
__________________. Realism Revisited. Westport, CT: Smith Publishers, 1999.
Sullivan, Peter, James O’Patrick, and Jim O’Donnell. The Irish and Their
Perspective of Realism. London: Oxford University Press, 2000.
(Second book by the same author )
20
PRINT SOURCES
BOOKS
Author’s name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher’s name, Publication
Year. (Use publication city closest to Connecticut and most recent
publication year if multiple cities and dates).
Title Underlined
All important words capitalized
Publication
City
Company
Book with a Single Author
Wilson, Frank R. The Hand: How Its Use Shapes the Brain. Boston: Pantheon,
1998.
Book with Two Authors
Eggins, Suzanne, and Diane Slade. Analyzing Casual Conversation. London:
Cassell, 1997.
Book with Three Authors
Marquarat, James W., Shelton Olson, and Jonathan R. Sorenen. The Rope, the
Chair, and the Needle. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994.
Book With More than Three Authors
Quirk, Robert, et. al. A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language.
London: Longman, 1987.
Book With Corporate Author
American Medical Association: The American Medical Association Encyclopedia
of Medicine. Boston: Random, 1989.
Book with Editor Instead of Author
Tannen, Deborah, ed. Gender and Conversational Interaction. Boston: Oxford
University Press, 1993.
Book with No Known Author
Encyclopedia of Virginia. Boston: Somerset, 1993.
21
Two or More Works by Same Author(s)
Durant, William and Ariel Durant. The Age of Voltaire. Boston: Simon, 1965.
____________. A Dual Autobiography. Boston: Simon, 1977.
Book with an Author and an Editor
Crane, Stephen. The Red Badge of Courgage: An Episode of the American Civil
War. Ed. Fredson Bowers, 1896. Charlottesville: UP of Virginia, 1975.
(If your citations are generally to the work of the editor, begin the entry with the editor’s name).
A Translation
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. Boston: Viking, 1996.
If your citations are mostly to the translator’s comments or choice of wording, begin the
bibliographic entry with the translator’s name:
Fagles, Robert, trans. The Odyssey. By Homer. Boston: Viking, 1996.
Bible
The New Jerusalem Bible. Henry Wansbgrough, gen. ed. Boston: Doubleday,
1985.
The titles of the books of the Bible and of famous literary works are often
abbreviated in parenthetical references:
(1 Chron. 21.8) = first book of Chronicles, chapter 21, verse 8
(Oth.4.2.7-13) = Othello, Act 4, Scene 2, Lines 7-13
Government Publication
Economic Commission for Africa. Industrial Growth in Africa. Boston: United
Nations, 1963.
A Legal Source
US Constitution. Art. 1, sec. 1.
22
COLLECTIONS OF WORK
One Volume of Work in Several Volumes
Sullivan, Mark. Over Here: 1914-1918. Vol. V of Our Times. Boston:
Scribner, 1972.
Work in an Anthology (Collection) of Works
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Black Theatre: A Twentieth-Century
Collection of the Work of Its Best Playwrights. Ed. Lindsay Patterson.
Boston: Dodd, 1971. 221-76.
Work in Collection by Different Authors
Lisca, Peter. “The Grapes of Wrath.” Chap, in Steinbeck: A Collection of Critical
Essays. Ed. Robert Davis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1972.
62-85.
Work in Collection with No Author
“Public Schools in Philadelphia.” In The Annals of America, Vol. 5. Chicago:
Encyclopedia Britannica, 1968.
Work in Collection with No Author but Editor or Compiler
“A Witchcraft Story.” The Hopi Way: Tales from a Vanishing Culture. Comp.
Mando Sevillano. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland, 1986. 33-42.
Work in Collection by Same Author
Williams, Tennessee. “Summer and Smoke.” In Four Plays. Boston: New
American Library, 1976.
Multivolume Work No Author or Editor Named
Health. Boston: Macmillan, 1993. 5th ed. Vol. 7 of Career Information Center.
13 vols.
23
PERIODICALS
Newspaper and magazine articles are often not printed on consecutive pages. For example, an
article might begin on page 1, then skip to page 10. For such articles, write only the first page
number and a plus sign, leaving no intervening spaces, such as 1+. The parenthetical citation tells
readers the exact page from which material was used.
Article in Periodical - Weekly
Ransdell, Eric. “Hiding the Truth in a Wireless World.” U.S. News and World
Report 21 Oct. 1996: 65+.
Publication Date
Page (starts on 65, continues on a later page)
Article in Periodical – Monthly
Dworerzsky, Tom P. “Return of the Shuttle.” Discover July 1998: 46-55.
Article in Periodical – Without Author
“Space: Today and Tomorrow.” Science Today June 2000: 45-50.
Article in Newspaper – With Author
Drukman, Steven. “Taking Bittersweet Journeys into the Past.” New York Times
10 Nov. 1996, late ed.
Article in Newspaper – Without Author
“Making the Trip.” Connecticut Post 20 December 1976: 3.
Editorial in a Periodical
Unsigned
“Death of a Writer.” Editorial. New York Times 20 Apr. 1994, late ed.: A18.
Signed
Zuckerman, Mortimer B. “Welcome to Communicopia.” Editorial. US News and
World Report 1 Nov. 1993: 116.
Letter to the Editor
Ozick, Cynthia. Letter. Partisan Review 57 (1990): 493-94.
24
Review of a Book
“The Cooling of an Admiration.” Rev. of Pound/Joyce: The Letters of Ezra Pound
to James Joyce, with Pound’s Essays on Joyce, ed. Forrest Read. Times
Literary Supplement 6 Mar. 1969: 239-40.
Review of a Movie
Kauffmann, Stanley. “A New Spielberg.” Rev. of Schindler’s List, dir. Steven
Spielberg. New Republic 13 Dec. 1993: 30.
ELECTRONIC SOURCES – INTERNET
References to electronic information are not as fixed as with print sources – although the date of
access to the information and the network web address must be included. The Internet website
address should not be underlined.
Publication Date
Access Date
An Article in a Newspaper
Markoff, John. “The Voice on the Phone is Not Human, but It’s Helpful.” New
York Times on the Web. 21 June 1998. 25 June 1998 <http://www.
nytimes.com/library/tech/98/06/bixtech/articles/21voice.html>.
An Article in a Magazine
Kinsley, Michael. “Now is the Summer of Too Much Content.” Slate 20 June
1998. 25 June 1998 <http://www.slate.com/98-06-20/readme.asp>.
An Anonymous Article (No Author)
“Fleeting Consciousness.” US News Online 29 June 1998. 1 July 1998
<http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/98865/29brai.htm>.
An On-line Information Database
CNN Interactive. 19 June 1998. Cable News Network. 19 June 1998
<http://www.cnn.com/>.
The History Channel Online. 1998. History Channel. 19 June 1998
<http:historychannel.com/>.
25
A Publication on CD-Rom, Diskette, or Magnet Tape
Baunmuller, A.R., ed. Macbeth. By William Shakespeare. CD-Rom. New York:
Voyager, 1994.
Magill’s Survey of Science. CD-Rom. 1998 ed. Pasadena: Salem, 1998.
A Work from an On-line Service
If you retrieve materials by entering a key word or similar designation for an on-line service, such
as AOL, Proquest, EBSCO host, you will probably not receive a URL for your accessed material.
Instead, complete the citation by writing “keyword” and the word itself followed by the name of
the service and the date of access.
A Work from a Home Page
Personal home pages may NOT be used.
26
RUBRIC – Paper Evaluation
A Rubric is a basic form that is used to evaluate student work. Each set of criteria
is assigned a point value that will be used by all teachers grading American
Studies research papers.
Points
1
Section
Title Page
2
Outline Page (must be accurate and complete for 2 points)
2
Thesis clearly stated in Introduction
10
Works Cited Page (included and properly formatted)
15
Citations (sources must be cited properly and equally; every
source must be used at least once; the correct number of
citations must be included.)
High Honors
Honors
College Prep
Paper Length
10 – 12
8 – 10
6–8
Citations
30 – 40
25 – 30
20 – 25
45
Content/Thesis Proved
Specifically…
30 – Content/Organization
20 – Thesis Proved 10 strength of argument 10 use of facts
5 – Paper Length – Total point value will be deducted if paper is not
proper length with all requirements being met.
20
Structure/Grammar
Specifically…
5 – Sentence Structure
2 – Proper Paragraphs
1 – Pages Numbered
4 – Spelling/Punctuation
1 – Font/Size (Times New Roman – 12 point)
2 – Margins
In addition … from the final paper grade …
•
•
•
5 points will be deducted if the rough draft is not turned in on the assigned date
10 points will be deducted if the rough draft is turned in two or more days past
the assigned date
10 points will be deducted for each day the paper is late.
27
POSSIBLE TOPIC IDEAS
This is a partial listing of topic suggestions. A thesis must be developed for each of these
topics. If you think of a topic not listed here, check with your teacher.
The Jamestown Colony
Indentured Servants
Puritans and Massachusetts Bay Colony
Puritans vs. Planters
Puritan Literature
Roger Williams/Anne Hutchinson
William Penn and the Quakers
Triangular Trade
Enlightenment
Great Awakening
Proclamation of 1763
Sugar Act/Stamp Act/Townshend Acts
Boston Massacre
Olive Branch Petition
Common Sense
Causes of the American Revolution
Connecticut in the Revolution
Hessians in the Revolution
Tories in Connecticut
Benedict Arnold – Hero or Traitor?
Ben Franklin
Burning of Fairfield
Thomas Jefferson
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Saratoga
Articles of Confederation
James Madison
Great Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Checks and Balances
Federalist Papers
Alexander Hamilton
Bill of Rights
Judiciary Act of 1789
Alien and Sedition Acts
John Marshall
Marbury v. Madison
Louisiana Purchase
War of 1812 (specific aspect)
Burning of Washington D.C.
Eli Whitney
Industrial Revolution
Monroe Doctrine
Missouri Compromise
Andrew Jackson – Common man
Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tear
Dorthea Dix and Social Reform
Abolition
William Lloyd Garrison
Frederick Douglass
Temperance Movement
Seneca Falls Convention
Soujourner Truth
Manifest Destiny
“Fifty Four Forty or Fight”
Texas Revolution
James Polk and the Mexican War
Compromise of 1850
Popular Sovereignty
Underground Railroad
Harriet Tubman
Jane Pitman
Uncle Tom’s Cabin (H. Beecher Stowe)
Birth of modern-day political parties
Dred Scott Decision
Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Causes of the Civil War
Evolution of States Rights
George McClellan vs. Lincoln
Ulysses S. Grant
Antietam
Lee vs. Grant
Emancipation Proclamation
Andersonville Prison
Battle of Gettysburg
Sherman’s March in the South
Gettysburg Address
Slavery Defended
28
Abolition Writings
Women Abolitionists
Thirteenth Amendment
Carpetbaggers
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Success/Failure of Reconstruction
Impact of Railroads upon America
Andrew Carnegie’s Business Practices
Development/Impact of Labor Unions
Origins of Socialism in America
Ellis Island – Immigration
Tammany Hall: Political Machines
W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP
Plessy v. Ferguson
Jim Crow Laws
Scottsboro Boys
William Randolph Hearst
and Yellow Journalism
Prohibition Movement
Women’s Suffrage
Susan B. Anthony
Square Deal’s Impact
Muckrakers
Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
America’s Acquisition of Hawaii
Spanish-American War
Yellow Journalism
DeLome Letter
Roosevelt Corollary
Espionage and Sedition Acts
Wilson’s Fourteen Points
America and the League of Nations
Sacco and Vanzetti
Women’s Roles in WWII
Prohibition and Crime
Intelligent Design
Scopes Trial
Women of the 20’s
Jazz Age
Causes of the Great Depression
Life during the Depression
Hoover and the Depression
FDR’s New Deal
Agricultural Reforms of the New Deal
Civilian Conservation Corp
Eleanor Roosevelt as First Lady
Social Security: Then and Now
Culture of the 30’s
U.S. in WWII: Get involved earlier?
Pearl Harbor – FDR knew
D-Day
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Manhattan Project
Creation of the United Nations
Dropping of the Atomic Bomb
Internment of Japanese-Americans
Truman Doctrine
Marshall Plan
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Korean War
MacArthur vs. Truman
Hollywood Ten
Blacklisting in America
Rosenbergs
McCarthyism
Edward R. Murrow
U-2 Incident
JFK vs. Khrushchev
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Cuban Missile Crisis
Warren Commission
Miranda Rights
Thurgood Marshall
Brown vs. Board of Education
MLK and the SCLC
Civil Rights Movement
Malcolm X vs. MLK
Black Panthers
Segregation
Ku Klux Klan – and Blacks
America’s Involvement in Vietna
Anti-war movement in America
Kent State
Pentagon Papers
Watergate (and the media)
Ford’s Pardon of Nixon
Carter as President
Environmental Movement
Sandra Day O’Connor
Tennessee Williams
Robert Frost
29
Emily Dickinson
Ernest Hemingway
Panama Canal Treaty
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Public Law 94-142
Mark Twain
Thoreau vs. Emerson
Indian Reservations
Military Commanders as President
Television and Children
Henry Ford – Tycoon or Tyrant?
Child Labor
Illegal Aliens in U.S.
Walt Whitman
Assembly Line and Mass Production
Gun Control
Carl Sandburg
American Dream in Literature
John Steinbeck
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Women in Film
Sherwood Anderson
Eugene O’Neil
Gertrude Stein
Black Renaissance in Literature
Truth in Advertising
Edgar Allan Poe
Hawthorne (short stories)
O. Henry
Women Transcendentalists
James Fenimore Cooper
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Washington Irving
Booker T. Washington
Cotton Mather
Jonathan Edwards
Louisa May Alcott
Langston Hughes
The Greatest Generation