Final Research Paper
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HIST-SuggestionsonHowtoSelectaTopicandstartaRESEARCHPAPER.docxSuggestions on How to Select a Topic for a RESEARCH PAPER
1. Choose a group:
For example- Women, African American, Latino, Asian, LGBT, Special Needs/People with Disabilities, etc.…
2. Choose a time period:
For example- The Sixties Civil Rights Movement (1960’s), The Cold War Era (1945-1991) or any time period in American history.
3. Choose a Topic:
4. Read the chapters in the book that cover your topic and time period for ideas on what to focus on for your paper (1st secondary source is your assigned book).
5. Check out a history/government book at CVC or any other public library relevant to your topic (2nd secondary source).
6. Use CVC’s library’s database (Ebscohost is a good choice) to find at least one scholarly journal article. (The article will serve as your 3rd secondary source.)
7. As you read, think about a Research Question that further explores your group and topic. (Primary sources will be discussed in class.)
8. A Research Question can be anything you want to learn more about.
HISTORY example: Why was the U.S. concerned with the Soviet Union in the latter half of the twentieth century? Or How did things change for African Americans after the Civil War? Or How did women groups finally succeed in gaining the right to vote? Or Why was there an increase in migration from Mexico after 1910? Etc.
GOVERNMENT example: What laws were passed that initiated the first civil rights movement following the American Civil War?
9. Read the sources to answer your research question.
10. Create a Thesis Statement- answers your research question, makes some claim others can dispute or tells the reader what to expect from your paper. It is usually a single sentence found in your introductory paragraph. An argument you favor.
For example: The Dallas Independent School District was reluctant to desegregate Dallas Public Schools and used illegal tactics to evade the Federal ruling of Brown v. Board of Education because Dallas citizens, board members and business leaders opposed integration measurers.
