INSTRUCTIONS:
Directions for Component Three, Final Paper : · Establish a thesis that demonstrates your subject’s significance to history in your introduction. · Begin the body of your essay by focusing on the subject’s early life (as far as possible given available materials). What events/conditions shaped this individual’s upbringing? How did this contribute to later behavior? · Then trace the major events of the subject’s life. · Conclude by describing the subject’s specific role in history. Reaffirm your thesis and demonstrate how the evidence provided in the body of your essay proved/supported this thesis. Final Paper Logistics: · Papers must be at least four pages in length and double-spaced. · Papers must have a title page with name, date, and course info (title page does not count towards page count). · Papers must include the page numbers. · Papers must have a separate introduction, body, and conclusion. · Papers must include a Bibliography/Works Cited page and Chicago Manual footnote citations throughout the essay. (Bibliography does not count towards the page count) · Students must use at least six sources. *At least one book is required. The book may be accessed electronically (eBook) · Papers should be organized in a logical manner and should explain the biography as if the reader was unfamiliar with the subject. · Papers should be written in your own words. Avoid long quotations. Plagiarism is unacceptable. · Papers should be free of grammatical errors and misspelled words. Tips to Writing a Biographical Research Paper: · You can use internet sources for preliminary research, but you should depend upon books and articles for research materials. · Published materials accessed through the internet do not count as internet sources. Take advantage of academic databases (such as JSTOR) that allows you to download complete articles from periodicals. · Avoid the Biographer’s Trap- most who spend time researching the life of a historical person begins to identify with the subject (this is a good thing). However, some develop a personal connection, falling in love with or growing to hate, their subject. · Stay objective and avoid passing judgment. Your assignment is to trace the life of your subject and his/her role in the United States history, not to praise or condemn. Citations: *You must use Chicago Manual footnote citations to document source information throughout your paper. *You must also include a Bibliography listing all sources used in your research. *When to Use a Citation: 1. Direct quotations 2. Controversial facts or opinions 3. Statements that directly support the main points made in your paper 4. Statements that summarize important points from your sources 5. Statistics 6. When in doubt…include a citation * *Using a citation does not give you permission to plagiarize. If the words in your paper are the same, or nearly the same, as those in your source, you have committed plagiarism even if you include a citation. Your ideas may come from your sources but the words must be your own.