A clear thesis that makes a contribution to the field or offers a fresh perspective
A historiographical section that surveys pertinent secondary scholarly literature
Strong, well-developed arguments based on original research in primary sources. The argument should not rely too heavily on one or two sources
Nuanced interpretations of primary sources, including an awareness of authorship, dating, bias, audience, and type of document
Theses should demonstrate basic historical skills, including:
Thorough research
Critical analysis of sources
Creative synthesis
Cogent argumentation
Clear writing
Responsible quotation
Impeccable documentation
Documentation in Chicago (Turabian) style
At least 17 sources
Footnotes, with at least 60% citing primary sources (and an average of at least one note per paragraph)
A bibliography including only sources actually cited in the paper, divided into two sections: primary and secondary sources **At least 10 Primary references**
Secondary sources that include journal articles, but not survey textbooks or general encyclopedias (and not Wikipedia or other dubious online sources). Papers that use non-scholarly online material will be downgraded significantly.
Justifications for secondary sources older than thirty years–with the exception of tracing important historiographical shifts
No contractions
No colloquialisms
Consistent past-tense, except when discussing historians engaged in current debate
Properly introduced, apt quotations (no quote-stringing)
Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
**Outline of paper due by March 13th include an outline entry for each paragraph’s central idea and indicate which sources you will use as evidence in each paragraph**