World History is Full of Wars, Revolutions, and Sacrifices of Nations

Source Analysis Assignment
Overview
This assignment asks you to contextualize, analyze, and explain the historical significance of a minimum of two (2) primary sources selected from the list provided on Avenue to Learn. Strong source analyses will craft a nuanced argument relating these two documents to major course themes. In constructing this argument and analysis, you might also consider how the documents relate to one another (do they speak to the same context or theme across time?), what they reveal about major historical events, and/or how their content and contexts have shaped our modern world.
For more information on reading primary sources, check out the “Using Primary Sources” document in the “Academic Support Documents and Resources” tab on our course page.
You should look to draw upon and cite material from the lectures and the textbook readings to help support your argument and analysis of the primary sources. See the “Citations” section below for more information on citing in the source analysis assignment.
The analyses of each of the two primary documents should be approximately 375 words in length. Each paper must be around 750-1000 words total (about 4 pages double spaced).
Evaluation Criteria
Students will be evaluated on four (4) criteria:
Their comprehension of the primary sources as demonstrated through the core argument(s) and analysis;
their ability to make connections to course themes and materials (lectures and readings);
to cite their ideas properly;
and the quality of their writing.
Citations
Parenthetical or footnote citations are required in this assignment. Assignments that do not adequately cite the quotations, paraphrases, information, and/or ideas drawn from the primary sources, as well as course lectures and readings, may be subject to a grade of zero (0).
For more information on avoiding plagiarism, see the “How to Avoid Plagiarism” document under the “Academic Support Documents” tab on our course page.
Below are guidelines on how to cite the Primary Documents, Lectures, and readings. I have provided examples of each in both parenthetical and footnote formats. Choose one of these styles for your source analysis citations. For those interested in using footnotes, here is a short tutorial on how to create footnote references in Microsoft Word.
Primary Documents
For the primary documents, you will note the document number and title.
A footnote reference will look like this.
Document 2: One Merchant's view
An in-text parenthetical citation will look like this (Document 2: One Merchant's view)
Course Textbook
For the textbook, include the author’s last name, textbook title in Italics, year published in brackets, and a page number. Parenthetical in-text citations may use a shortened version of the textbook title (MMW for Making of the Modern World Custom Edition).
A footnote reference to the textbook will look like this. You may abbreviate subsequent footnotes with just the author’s last name and page numbers if you wish, that will look like this.
Heathorn, Making of the Modern World Custom Edition (2019), p.15.
Heathorn, p.15.
An in-text parenthetical citation will look like this (Heathorn, MMW, 2019, p.15). After your first reference to the text you may also abbreviate the reference to author’s last name and page number, like this (Heathorn, p.15).
Course Lectures
For references to the lectures, you should include Lecturer’s last name, lecture title, year viewed, and a rough timestamp.
A footnote reference to the lectures would look like this. You may abbreviate subsequent mentions like this.
Heathorn, The Enlightenment (2022), 3:01.
Heathorn, Enlightenment, 3:01.
A parenthetical citation would look like this (Heathorn, The Enlightenment, 2022, 3:01).
If you have any other questions or concerns about citing please send me an email ([email protected]).
Advice on structure and how to think about Source Analyses
Note: I advise checking out the General Instructions for Document Analysis Essay in the “Academic Support Documents” tab on our course page.
Consider your approach to the reflection papers. They ask you to engage critically and/or creatively with the content in a way that speaks to, acknowledges, and orients yourself within the historical content of this course. To do this, you pull notable evidence (quotes/moments/images/etc.) and create something from it which is clear and meaningful to you.
Historical source analysis can be understood as the same approach in a more formal setting and in more critical terms. You are drawing on the information that stands out to you in these documents and connecting it to the course contents, themes, and materials in a way that, for you, clearly explains something about this history and its implications. Your critical/academic argument and analysis is essentially the process of communicating and persuading the reader to see things from your perspective.
For example, in your introduction to a document you would first set out the historical context in which it was produced. Then you would set out your thesis statement (core argument) about the document’s significance which would be followed by a series of overarching sub-points that have informed that larger argument - e.g., “I argue “D” because of A, B, and C.” The paragraphs after the introduction are your analysis, which essentially unpack each one of those sub-points (A,B, and C) by pointing to specific evidence from the documents and connecting them to course content and material, thus reinforce your thesis about the document’s importance.
Another way to think about structuring the source analysis is to invert the scientific research method - where you begin with a hypothesis (research question), describe the process by which you have tested it, then give a conclusion about the findings. In a history paper, you present both your research question and your answer to it (thesis) at the start and then use your analysis to work backwards and show how you arrived at your conclusions.
Additional Resources
If you have not already watched it, please check out Dr Heathorn’s video lecture assessing the French Slave Code in the 17th and 18th centuries. This video is essentially a visual representation of what you need to do in this written assignment.
I also recommend looking over some of the supplemental documents found in the “Academic Support Documents and Resources” tab on our course Avenue page. Here are the documents I advise having a look at:
The Using Primary Sources Guide
The General Instructions for Document Analysis Essays
The How to Avoid Plagiarism Document
Extensions and Late Policy
Late papers will be penalized three percent (3%) per one (1) day. Weekends (Saturday and Sunday) are counted as one (1) day.
Students will upload all written work to the corresponding drop box on Avenue to Learn. Essays may not be submitted by email or fax. Students are also expected to keep a copy of their paper.
It is also the policy of this course that students cannot expect to rewrite their papers or borrow class notes from their instructors.