Research Paper (optional)

Research Paper Assignment (Optional)

  • Turn in in stages:
    • Statement of Interest (about 300 words)
    • Research Paper Proposal (3-5 pp. plus an initial bibliography of possible sources)
    • Annotated Bibliography
    • Research Paper
  • Length of Research Paper: 12-15 pp., plus annotated bibliography
  • Format: Follow “Sample Research Paper” on our Handouts page. Use Chicago-style format with footnotes.
  • For tips on writing papers for history, see my “Tips for Writing College History Papers” on our Handouts page

The Assignment

You may choose to do this assignment in place of the two short papers.

Your assignment: write a research paper based on primary and secondary sources that investigates some interesting question of postwar European history. I give you wide latitude to follow your interests—indeed, I hope that you might take the opportunity to explore some of the topics or places that we miss—but I must approve your topic in advance.
If you’d like to write a research paper, catch me after class or send me a note or drop by my office hours and we can talk about how to proceed.

Additional Details

The paper is a research paper based on primary and secondary sources. It should center upon an interesting historical question. It should show a solid grasp of historical context, an understanding of the arguments made by serious historians, and a close engagement with a primary source or some set of primary sources. Your paper should make a clear argument. You should include a bibliography, divided by primary and secondary sources.

I call this a research paper because it is based upon primary and secondary research and because it explores a historical question. Do not confuse this with a report. Your goal is not to explain what historians have said about your topic—though you will surely do some of this in your paper. Nor is your goal to summarize what your primary sources say—though you will certainly present a short account of your sources in your paper. Your goal—the goal of historical research—is to develop your own argument about the topic at hand.

Finding/Choosing a Topic

How should you approach such an assignment? You might start with a broad interest: economic recovery after 1945, Swedish socialism, the Fiat 500, immigration in Southern Spain in the 1970s, the Prague Spring. Come talk to me or look through the bibliography of the textbook, to find two or three essential studies. Read in these to understand the general topic and the context. Then you will want to identify a primary source or set of primary sources that can help illuminate an interesting historical question.

Alternatively, you might begin with a primary source that fascinates you: oral histories of the European postwar experience, a novel or play, treaties, political speeches, memoirs. In this case, you will turn to the secondary literature to put your primary source (or sources) in perspective.

You should make use of the following sources all through your research:

  • Reference sources: See encyclopedias and historical dictionaries to understand the essential background on your topic.
  • The textbook: Spend some quality time reading William Hitchcock on your topic.
  • Secondary sources: Find the most important books on the topic by historians. Don’t just follow CONSORT searches blindly (all the books you find there are not of equal value). Check out the suggested readings in the textbook or ask me for suggestions. Use online databases to find book reviews.
  • Primary sources: Find a primary source—a political speech, a memoir, a novel, a film, etc.—and dig in. Think about how you will analyze it.
  • See the “Links for Historical Research” on our web site for an entryway to historical research. You can also sign up for a Library Consultation to get the help of a librarian as you identify sources. I have put several important works on reserve at the library, including histories of European cinema and histories of postwar Europe. I can help you identify important primary and secondary sources; just sign up for my office hours.

For More Help on Writing History Research Papers

If you would like advice on how to write a history research paper, see Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.

You can also take a look at some of the handouts online on the History Department Website, at https://history.voices.wooster.edu/resources/department-handouts-and-guides/

Statement of Interest

The Statement of Interest (300 words plus a short bibliography) can be a simple explanation of the topic you would like to research, together with a list of the works you have found on your subject. Be sure to describe the general topic, the historical question you hope to answer, and the initial sources you have identified. Send this to me by email (include your short research proposal in the body of a message with a subject heading such as “History 209 Research Paper”) and I will write back to let you know if you are on a good track and try to suggest some works that would be helpful.

Research Paper Proposal

The Research Paper Proposal should include the following elements, with a paragraph or two on each of the following elements after the title. Please use the format for a short paper (see the sample paper online). Use footnotes to cite your sources.

  • A title that describes your topic and (briefly) your research question
  • What is your topic? A brief introduction to your topic, with some essential background.
  • What is your historical question? An explanation of your historical question and your approach to the topic.
  • What is the historiography on your subject? A short explanation of what historians have said about the topic.
  • What are your primary sources? What will you do with them? An overview of the primary sources that you will examine and the questions you will ask.
  • What do you hope to show in your paper? An explanation of the significance of this research.
  • Attach a bibliography of the most important sources, separated into primary sources and secondary sources.

Annotated Bibliography

The Annotated Bibliography lists all of your important sources with brief annotations. Follow bibliography format as explained in Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History.

Your annotated bibliography should include:

  • A working title that describes your topic and (briefly) your research question
  • Your primary and secondary sources (divided into separate sections)
  • Short annotations: who is the author, what kind of source is this, what is the larger argument of the source, what is the usefulness of the source to your topic.