Final Paper Assignment
This paper is the culminating assignment of this class, and more importantly, an opportunity for you to research, consider, and draw conclusions about a subject you find interesting and significant in relation to the broad question of the relationship between music and politics in 20th and 21st century Europe. You’ve already chosen your topic and begun your search for sources. The rest of your work will proceed through the following three stages:
1) Proposal. Your proposal should include the following elements:
a) A statement of your research question.
b) A draft of your thesis statement (your answer to your research question). Remember, a thesis statement must make an argument and be supported by evidence drawn from your sources. Given that research projects evolve, I won’t hold you to this particular thesis statement as you move forward, but it’s important to practice drafting a thesis statement early in the process.
c) A brief abstract. The abstract only needs to be 2-3 paragraphs long. It should summarize the stakes of your argument (in answer to the “so what?” question) and give an overview of your primary and secondary sources.
d) An annotated bibliography. This should include at least five sources. You may use sources we’ve read together, but it must also include at least three external sources. Include primary and secondary sources in this list. Give full bibliographic information for each source and write a couple sentences explaining what the source is and how it will help you make your argument.
Proposals will be due Sunday, Nov. 13 at 11:00pm, submitted through Moodle. I’ll meet with you individually to discuss yours on Monday, Nov. 14 and Tuesday, Nov. 15.
2) Rough Draft. The rough draft should consist of three pages from the body of your paper. Do not include your introduction. Our goal here is to practice working with the sources to build an argument. We will workshop our rough drafts together in class on Monday, Nov. 28. To make that work, you must email your draft to everyone in the class by Sunday, Nov. 27 at 10:00pm.
You must also read everyone else’s drafts before we meet on Monday. As you read, consider the following questions: Is the argument clear? Does the evidence support the argument? Has the author demonstrated how the evidence supports the argument? What do you think works well in this draft? What could the author do to improve it?
Here is the complete email list:
hallw@reed.edu (Will); altiliow@reed.edu (Willow); selfr@reed.edu (Ray); gosselra@reed.edu (Rachel); vioannou@reed.edu (Vasiliki); goldmanl@reed.edu (Leah)
Since we’re workshopping our drafts in class, I am not requiring you to meet with me individually to discuss them. However, I would be glad to meet with you, if you’d like. Just let me know!
3) Final Draft. Your completed paper will be due Wednesday, December 14 at 10pm, submitted via Moodle. If you’d like to include any media (beyond the links you may provide in your bibliography), you can email those to me separately.
Boring But Essential Details
Your paper must be 10-12 pages long, not including your bibliography. Remember to put your name and title on the first page and number your pages. You must use 12-point font, double-spacing, and 1” or 1.25” margins. You must attach a properly formatted Bibliography at the end of your text. Both your bibliography and your footnotes should be formatted using the Chicago Manual of Style (available online for free through the Library’s website).
Here is my policy on plagiarism: Don’t do it! Plagiarism is a very serious offense, which can destroy your academic career and professional prospects. Plagiarism is directly opposed to Reed’s Honor Principle, and if you plagiarize, you will automatically fail my class. I am all-seeing and all-knowing, and I will figure it out if you plagiarize. Please, save us both a lot of time and worry: don’t even try it. If at any time you have questions about how to avoid plagiarism, feel free to ask me.
If you’d like help with your writing, I encourage you to consult the Writing Center: http://www.reed.edu/writing/
I will do my best to be available to meet with you as often as you like. I will read partial drafts up until December 11.
Good luck!!!! Please let me know if you have any questions!
