Research Paper: Genocide
Purpose: Research and writing are core skills for historians, and all students must show some proficiency in these areas. For the purposes of HIS 102, you are assigned a research topic related to an episode of Genocide in the modern world. This is a multi-part project in which each assignment is meant to scaffold, or build, upon each other and help lead to the final product. All file submissions must be MS Word (.docx) files. The overall research paper is worth 40% of the course grade, and that total grade will be based on the following assignment:
1. Pick a topic from the following list. Any other topic MUST be approved by the professor:
a. Was the Spanish conquest of the New World a genocidal act?
b. How did the Belgians devastate the populations of the Congo in the 19th and 20th centuries?
c. Why did the Ottoman Turks enact the Armernian Genocide?
d. What was the Holodomor, and why did Stalin implement it?
e. What motivated the Khmer Rouge’s genocidal actions in Cambodia?
f. What factors caused the Rwandan Genocide?
g. What factors caused genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina?
The student will inform the professor of their chosen topic on Canvas by the end of Week 3.
2. Reading Exam (5%) based on Jones,
Genocide (Part 1: Overview, pp. 1-65). This will be an objective exam on Canvas. Due for completion by Week 5.
3. Basic knowledge (5%): The student will find 3 encyclopedia articles directly related to their chosen topic (and yes, you may use Wikipedia as one). The student will submit links to the 3 articles, and will submit a detailed outline of the basic events, dates, and people related to their topic. The idea here is to establish a basic knowledge of what happened during your particular crusade, when it happened, and what historical figures were involved. Due for Submission by the end of Week 7
4. Preliminary bibliography (15%): The student will submit a bibliography of sources they intend on using in their final paper. This must include at least 3 relevant primary sources and 6 secondary sources, and defined in the
History Department Writing Guide
. The secondary sources must all be scholarly articles and/or books, and no encyclopedia or popular sources are allowed. Due for submission by the end of Week 9.
5. Final paper (20%): The student will submit a 1250+ word research paper on their crusade topic. It must answer the assigned prompt using all the primary and secondary sources found in the Preliminary Bibliography; these sources must be cited as Turabian-style footnotes (not parenthetical references). Use of AI-enable programs is prohibited, as is plagiarism. Due for submission at the end of week 14.
