Final Paper Preparation

This assignment will prepare you for the Final Paper by initiating the research process and helping you map out specific events and developments which you will explore in depth in your paper. Review the instructions for the Final Paper laid out in Week Five of the online course or the Components of Course Evaluation section of the Course Guide before beginning this project. Note, that for the Final Paper you will need to discuss at least six specific events or developments related to your chosen topic

For this assignment, you will choose your topic and the six (or more) related events and developments that span the years 1865 to the present. You will then find one scholarly source related to each event or development plus two additional scholarly sources for a total of 8 scholarly sources in addition to your textbook. At least four of your scholarly sources must come from the Ashford Library and at least two of your sources must be primary sources. Primary sources are documents or artifacts that were created at the time of a historical event or by someone who personally experienced a historical event. Primary sources can be newspaper or magazine articles, books, letters, speeches, photographs, oral histories, paintings or any other record of a historical event. The best place to find scholarly sources is the Ashford Library’s research databases and ebook collection.

In a paragraph or two at the beginning of the paper, state your thesis and identify the events and developments you will discuss in your final paper and explain why you believe they are significant. Your thesis should be a one or two sentence summary of the main conclusions that you drew while researching your topic and that you will support in your paper by constructing a logical argument based on evidence (sources).

You will then create an annotated bibliography. To create an annotated bibliography, list each source in full APA reference format. Then, beneath each source write a brief (one or two paragraph) explanation of the important information in the source and how you plan to use it in your paper. The annotations must be in your own words. It is not acceptable to copy and paste the abstract or any other text. You must have annotations for all 8 sources.

Please notice that you have been provided with many wonderful primary and secondary sources in the required reading and recommended reading sections for each week. Feel free to use these sources when constructing your assignment. Please visit the Academic Research section on your Course Home page (accessible through the Student Responsibilities and Policies tab on the left navigation toolbar) to review what types of materials are not acceptable for academic, university level research.

This assignment must meet the following minimum requirements:

• The paper must be three pages in length and formatted according to APA style.
• You must use at least eight scholarly resources other than the textbook to support your claims.
• You must use at least one scholarly source for each event or development plus two more scholarly sources for a total of 8 scholarly sources.
• You must use at least two primary sources and at least four scholarly secondary sources from the Ashford Online Library.
• You must provide a concise thesis statement.
• You must provide a short (1-2 paragraphs) annotation for each source.
• You must cite your sources within the text of your paper and on the reference page.

For information regarding APA, including samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, located within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.