For this assignment, you will be proposing your research paper topic. Please choose a topic that is relevant to a Latin American country or history, focusing specifically on a theme, person, issue, movement, ideology (I would recommend flipping through your textbook, or choose a topic from the days of European exploration up until 1970 that might be of interest to you).After you have decided on a topic, I want you to think of what kind of sources you will use to write this paper. You will need a minimum of three primary and three secondary sources (sixsources total). If you are uncertain about what a primary or secondary source is, please watch the YouTube link below for a brief explanation on what they are. For this assignment, please think of hypothetical sources you think would be relevant for your paper. For example, if you decide to write about the Haitian Revolution during the early 19thCentury, what kind of sources would you consider? Take a few moments to think about it…Okay, after you have thought about it, you might think a letter from Napoleon Bonaparte will be useful to better understand French motives on maintaining the institution of slavery on this island. Or, you may also turn to a painting that depicts the daily living conditions of working and/or living on a plantation. How and why the revolution began are important factors to consider as you explore why it was so significant, not just as a historical event, but also how this impacted other social, cultural, and political changes throughout Latin America. Are there any other documents that shed light on this historical period.For something like this, sources vary far and wide from letters, paintings, speeches, and pamphlets. These are just some examples of what you could do with a topic like the Haitian revolution. There are many more topics, so go through your textbook carefully when selecting a topic from one of the chapters. Your topic does not have to be from the textbook per say, but it has to fall within the parameters that I mentioned.
**You are free to pick a topic of your choice, but DO NOT pick a topic that goes past 1970. Also, your topic should definitely connect to Latin American history. Other topics include, but are not limited to: Simon Bolivar, Mexican Revolution, California Mission System, etc.
What I need from you:
Please submit a write up (between 250-300 words) on what your research paper will be about.This is not the research paper you will submit at the end of the semester, but a well thought out proposal for what your paper will be about.Both Research Assignment 1 & 2 are assignments built into the final research paper (and to make the paper flow more smoothly).Give me a clear idea of what your paper will be about, what you hope to uncover or answer as you write it, and possibly what kind of sources and evidence you will be using and working with. This corresponds to some of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) I have included in the syllabus this semester.
**The final research paper must incorporate both primary and secondary sources. There are various primary sources within the textbook we are using for this class that you may consider using, which is absolutely fine. However, do not rely on the textbook for gathering all your secondary sources. This will require a little research on your end.
Identifying Sources:
A Primary Source:
Any primary source is first-hand evidence about a person or event as they are described by people associated with the event, or witnesses. Anything from letters, speeches, newspapers, magazines, photographs, paintings, pottery, art/artifacts, posters, etc. could all be excellent primary sources
A Secondary Source:
Any secondary source is how historians and scholars have written about a specific topic/theme/time period. This includes books, autobiographies, journal articles, and monographs or newspapers/magazines.
Please note that you will likely find primary sources within the secondary literature, which is why it is important to visit libraries and digital collections from academic databases and institutions. All of this will consist of some preliminary research and possibly a visit to your closest library. I would highly recommend that you consider research and writing about a topic or theme that is of interest to you, which may make writing the paper more interesting. Please submit Research Assignment #1 via Canvas. Not all topics will be approved if it moves past 1970, or does not connect to the Americas. Moreover, I would also like your papers to connect tothe Latin American past.I will give some feedback regarding this assignment, giving you the approval, or may make some suggestions for you to consider as you move forward in this writing process. Any comments or suggestions I make regarding this proposal is intended to strengthen the quality of your work, and/or narrow the focus if your topic is too broad, or too similar to someone else’s assignment. To avoid students writing their papers on the same topic, the sooner you submit your proposal the more likely I am to approve it without major suggestions.Assignments will be submitted throughVericite on Canvas to check for originality and /or detect plagiarism.This is useful when it comes to checking for online plagiarism, or info that is taken from papers already submitted online. The deadline for this is assignment is April 5 (8:00PM) Of course, you could submit it sooner if you would like JLate submissions will result in a deduction of 5-10 points.
Important:
Keep in mind, you must submit Research Assignment 1/Proposal for approval and to move to the next stage of the research and writing process (Research Assignment 2).Students will not get credit for their research paper without submitting both assignments.
Recommend Watching:
Video Link on Primary/Secondary Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqXHO7bTPnw
