Research Discussion:Writing a Paper Proposal and

Working with Primary Sources andSecondary Accounts

IAFS/JWST 3650

Outline

• Paper proposal guidelines• Primary sources and secondary accounts• Working with primary sources

Identifying and Refininga Paper Topic

• Pick a general topic that interests you• Narrow your topic down–Chronologically –Thematically–Geographically

Identifying and Refininga Paper Topic

• Identify available sources• Read a range of material on your topic

Identifying and Refininga Paper Topic

• Consult a reference librarianucblibraries.colorado.edu/services/bibliographers.htm

• Talk to your professor

Proposal Guidelines

Review full guidelines, posted on course website.

Proposal Guidelines

Paper proposals are due at the beginning of class on Tuesday, February 26. Your assignment is to identify a topic in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict that you will address in your final paper. Specify the question or questions you will attempt to answer, and include a properly formatted preliminary bibliography of relevant scholarly (i.e. peer-reviewed) secondary accounts.

Proposal Guidelines

The body of your proposal must be 2-3 pages (that’s at least two full pages), double-spaced, and your bibliography must be at least one full page, single-spaced.

Proposal Guidelines

You must submit a hard copy; do not email me your proposal. Technical problems are not a valid excuse for late submissions.

Paper Proposal Grade SheetName:Proposal Title: Topic: Includes clarity of topic and proposed questions; overall concept of proposal.Grade: ____/40 Remarks:Organization and Use of Materials: Includes use of appropriate concepts; use of appropriate secondary accounts (and primary sources, if included); inclusion of bibliography; overall logic of proposal.Grade: ____/40 Remarks:Writing and Style: Includes quality of writing; grammar; presentation (was the proposal proofread? does the title convey the paper topic?); citation format.Grade: ____/20 Remarks: Late/length penalty (if any): Overall grade: _______/ 100 Letter grade:

Citation

• See HIST guidelines on department website• Chicago Manual of Style

Primary Sources“A primary source is a record left by a person (or group) who participated in or witnessed the events you are studying or who provided a contemporary expression of the ideas or values of the period under examination.”

(www.colorado.edu/history/guidelines/index.html#prim)

Examples of Primary Sources?

Secondary Accounts“Secondary works are accounts written by people who were not themselves involved in the events or in the original expression of the ideas under study. Written after the events/ideas they describe, they are based upon primary sources and/or other secondary works.”

(www.colorado.edu/history/guidelines/index.html#prim)

Examples of Secondary Accounts?

Quickthink

• Why is it important to look at a full primary source rather than an excerpt?

Balfour Declaration

(1917)

Balfour Declaration (1917)

Balfour Declaration (1917)

• British motivations–Short-term: Russian and US support

during WWI–Long-term: stable hold on Palestine

Conclusions

• Work with numerous primary sources that are related and that shed light on each other