Greg Hall

Department of History

History 420 (G)

Research Paper Guidelines for the Prospectus

Topic: The paper topic must treat some aspect of Illinois history.  It can be political, social, economic, environmental, cultural history or some combination.   

Sources: Primary and secondary sources are required for this assignment.  Primary sources are original documents that include, but are not limited to, newspapers; federal, state, county, and city government reports, records, and other official documents; photographs; diaries; memoirs; personal papers; unpublished manuscripts; letters.  Secondary sources tend to be an analysis of original primary sources.  They include, but are not limited to, monographs; journal articles; documentary films.  

Prospectus: The prospectus is a plan of action for the research paper.  It should be roughly two typed, double-spaced pages in length.  Here, you will explain what you intend to research and why.  You may present specific questions that you hope to answer with your research and explain why you are using the sources that you are using.  Accompanying your prospectus is a bibliography of the primary and secondary sources that you intend to use in your research.  You should have at least six primary and six secondary sources in your bibliography.  (Special note: newspapers are an easily accessible primary source, but remember that multiple articles from the same newspaper are still one source.)  The prospectus is worth 10 points or 10% of the overall research paper grade.

Style: Use Chicago style for your prospectus bibliography.  See A Pocket Style Manual pp.168-194 for Chicago style guidelines or this Chicago style link http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocChicago.html  This link and others pertinent to this course are on my webpage www.wiu.edu/users/gh101/

Form of the Prospectus:  The prospectus should have a descriptive title and subtitle (e.g. “From Gang-bangers to Urban Revolutionaries: The Young Lords of Chicago”), a page or two of text, and a bibliography in which the primary and secondary sources are listed in separate categories.    

Due Date: 2/28

Late Penalty: Three points per day that the assignment is late regardless of excuse.