For this assignment, we ask you to develop a fifteen- to twenty-page paper that examines one significant aspect of the historiography in this field. It might take up a question or area of research that has been overlooked; it might critique a well-established or even canonical body of literature; it might chart the development of an important theme in the field; or it might set out an agenda for relating Indigenous history to another field of study. As always, we are looking for constructive critique and ways forward.
No matter what you write about, we want you to engage with your own positionality and relationship to the field, without making that the central or only focus of the paper. We also expect you to consider the ways in which your subject interacts with the agenda of “decolonizing projects” outlined by Linda Tuhiwai Smith. One of the questions we are concerned with this semester is the role of history as a discipline in the larger projects of reconciliation and decolonization, and this should be taken up in a meaningful way in your writing.
This assignment should make use of at least twenty sources (articles or books). It should incorporate one or more of the topics/themes raised in the readings from week two forward; and some of the methodological literature form week one. Your essay should not make use of more than eight of the assigned readings, and should use at least twelve outside sources. You should identify your sources and how you imagine using them in your annotated bibliography. While this is primarily a historiographical assignment, particularly relevant primary sources might serve as an anchor for your writing, so be open to using them judiciously as well.
Proposal due: February 6 (5%)
This proposal should be a one- to two-paragraph summation of how you think you’d like to spend your independent research time this semester.
Annotated bibliography due: March 6 (15%)
Detailed instructions for your annotated bibliography can be found at http://www.history.ucla.edu/academics/undergraduate/history-writing-center/annotated-bibliographies.
Please read these instructions thoroughly and follow them. Let us know if you have any questions.
In brief, each entry in your annotated bibliography should have three parts:
- Source citation using Chicago style (http://resources.library.ubc.ca/page.php?id=2067)
- Source summary that identifies the argument (see this University of Toronto resource for the difference between listing the contents of a source and identifying the argument: http://www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/annotated-bibliography)
- Source evaluation. Please evaluate the source in relation to your planned term paper.
Note: The UCLA guidelines are very useful, but their sample annotations are rather long and overly detailed. Please aim for about one third to one half of a page for each citation. Do not go overboard and provide a full page citation for each source. This is also an an exercise in concision.
As you can see from these guidelines, you will need to have done some significant thinking about your paper topic before you can successfully complete the annotated bibliography. It is worth putting the time into the bibliographic exercise because once you have done so, you will be well on your way to writing a great essay!
Final paper due: April 17
Hard copies are due in both Paige’s and Coll’s boxes by noon on the 17th. Please note that this is a non-negotiable deadline.