HIST 4933 Final Papers

Transcription

1 HIST 4933 Final Papers

2 Having an Argument Your paper must have an argument or thesis It just can t have narrative description (although that is required) The first step to constructing an argument is to form a thesis statement One way to form a thesis statement is to: ASK A QUESTION Examples What do images used in Popular Science magazine from the 1950s to 1970s say about expectations of the future during the Cold War? Did dissent and opposition against military funding of university research during the Cold War shape the actual research conducted? What kind of role did the automobile play in shaping the suburbanization of American cities? By thinking of an answer to such a question, you ll start developing a thesis statement, and then an overall argument for your paper.

3 Possible Thesis Statements The images in Popular Science magazine in the 1950s and early 1960s, were very much grounded in expectations that nuclear energy and space travel would fundamentally transform society, but by the 1970s, these expectations were dampened because of disappointments with the space program and nuclear accidents. The large-scale campus agitation against military research on American campuses in the late 1970s did not fundamentally alter the trajectory and scope of research but it did help raise fundamental questions about the morality of doing military research on campuses. With the rise of commercially available and cheap automobiles in the post- World War II era, cities across America lessened their investment in public transportation and infrastructure, and forced city planners to plan sprawling suburbs.

4 A thesis statement should NOT have: Judgments (moral or otherwise) People who believed in aliens were stupid. Overly broad or obvious arguments: Because of major technological changes in the 20 th century, popular science also changed. People have believed in aliens for a long time. Some tips/hints be specific think about causation: x and y caused z to happen think about change over time Always be specific what time period your paper is focusing on

5 Primary Sources Must use primary sources at least two sets (or collections) of different primary sources Think carefully about how important/influential/relevant the primary source is to your question Examples

6 Secondary Sources Need to cite at least eight of them in paper Academic books, academic journals published by reputable university presses No blogs, random websites, rants, message boards whenever you find something on a website as a result of a Google search, ask yourself: Who made this website? Why is it here? Was it produced by an institution or an individual? Do not use secondary sources published before No textbooks or encyclopedias No Wikipedia Where do you find legitimate secondary sources? JSTOR I urge you to use any of the other sources you have been assigned to read for this class including all the books and articles

7 Organizing your Essay There s no one correct way to do this but I show here one possible way Have a title! can also use an epigraph Introduction Introduce your topic, the theme of your paper, and briefly outline your argument/thesis sentence Example: In the 1970s, NASA sent two spacecraft into the cosmos, to fly past the outer planets and then escape the solar system. Although these missions were scientific missions, the fact that were intended to leave the solar system drew the attention of the public. NASA recruited a number of important scientists such as Carl Sagan to articulate a message to possible extraterrestrial life that was installed on each spaceship. This paper uses newspaper reports, polls, and magazine articles to explore the public reaction to these two messages to the new frontier. It argues that the public response was often not in agreement with Sagan s vision of what Earth should communicate to extraterrestrials and that this difference had to do with both Sagan s inability to understand public opinion, and the public s lack of scientific knowledge.

8 Main Portion of Paper The main body of the paper can be divided into two parts a brief section (maybe a page) dedicated to what people have written about this topic before John Smith has written extensively about the Voyager spacecraft and his research shows blah blah. Others, including Jane Doe and Joe Shmoe have added significantly to this body of work, although their work has missed key aspects of the story, particularly, how popular culture interacted with the scientists activities. Then have the main part of the paper, about 10 pages on your topic. Basically, this is where you use evidence (primary and secondary sources) to build a case for your overall argument. You can use some exposition and background material here (such as, for example, giving a history of the the episode or phenomenon you re writing about). Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence! Each paragraph should represent one point that supports your main argument Evidence that adds depth to your one point Evidence that furthers your overall argument No tangents, no superfluous information Ask yourself: What is this paragraph doing? is it useful for my overall argument? is it advancing anything here?

9 Use primary sources to: make an original claim How do you use a primary source? to emphasize a point by using a quote Example: Newspapers throughout the country reported on the Voyager launch. Many also reported on the content of the Voyager message to extraterrestrials. For example, the New York Times noted that blah blah. [ß that s a primary source] In a similar vein, Popular Science magazine noted that blah blah blah. [ß primary source] Yet, not all reports were uncritical and celebratory. Some media criticized Sagan s choices. The Wall Street Journal noted that blah blah blah. [ß that s a primary source] One of the most powerful voices against the choices that Carl Sagan made were compiled in a set of interviews for the New Yorker magazine. In a special issue in June 1977, the magazine interview a cross-section of the American public. One gentleman from Fargo, North Dakota noted that, Sagan is an idiot and I hate him. [ß that s a primary source] Another woman from the Bronx in New York argued that Sagan is a genius and I love him. [ß that s a primary source]

10 How do you use secondary sources? In the background historical sections e.g., history of the development of the automobile or IVF or railway in Jamaica, dates, events, facts To cite some broader historical fact e.g., the first digital computer was put into use in To support some historiographical argument e.g.: Historians such as Ed Sheeran have written that Thomas Edison was sensitive to public opinion. Sheeran and co-author Katy Perry noted in a major article that, blah blah.

11 Concepts Always think BIG in terms of your paper this means connecting with some of the concepts we have talked about in class technological determinism social construction of technology technological systems technological momentum Just because a book or article we ve read in class has no direct connection to your topic doesn t mean it s not actually relevant it might be conceptually very relevant!

12 Conclusion Short and sweet, a paragraph Sum up your argument again maybe add something striking, a nice turn of phrase to conclude.

13 Citations Please make sure to be consistent in your use of citations. I will accept only two formats footnotes or endnotes using the University of Chicago format in-text citations using the MLA convention Do not mix them up!

14 Remember: titles of journals and books should always in italics titles of articles should be in quotes if you refer to the title of a book in the paper, remember to italicize it Other things if you introduce a new name in the paper, make sure to say who he or she is