Social and Economic Impacts of Black Death Pandemic in Europe

WEEK 2: RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL

      Details: This assignment will grant you the opportunity to narrow your focus on our class activities and instead delve into a specific aspect of European history you are interested in learning more about. It is important that you write with clarity and economy in mind. You should also carefully proofread and edit your work to produce a polished final product. In an attached Word Document, you are expected to propose your chosen topic for your forthcoming research paper that will be due at the end of the semester.  

      *It is recommended that in your proposal (and eventual paper) you take into consideration the following questions for your project: 

• Has the portrayal of your topic changed over time?
• If so, be prepared to describe the historiographical progression of your chosen subject.
• How do the texts and related sources you've selected compliment or contradict with one another? 
• Are there multiple perspectives on your chosen subject or are most of your sources in agreement on how to interpret the event or figure you've chosen to research? 
• Do you have any supporting primary (first-hand) source material you would like to incorporate? 
• How have the sources you've selected contributed to the cultural conversation surrounding your chosen subject? 

      The scope of your project should stay relatively narrow, you should avoid general subjects or very broad topics. Instead, it is recommended that you hone your focus on a particular aspect of either a major movement or moment in American history that has its own ongoing discourse. Acceptable topics would fall along the following lines: 

• Biographies or historical portrayals of specific individuals relating to European history. (i.e. Important military or political leaders, famous writers or artists, etc.) 
• Depictions of monumental events or political movements in European history. (i.e. instead of researching "The Black Death" you can specialize on "The social and political consequences of the Black Death," instead of "World War II," you can focus on "Britain and its leadership during World War II."
• Representations of singular events in European history that had a major historical impact. (i.e. the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand, the Avignon Captivity, Fall of the Berlin Wall, etc.) 

      You will need to workshop your idea either via email or through our Zoom sessions. After meeting with Professor Morton, you will then develop a research proposal outlining your project goals. You do not need to write this part as a formal paper submission, but simply an outline with the following breakdown: 

      1) Paper Title (Working title)

      2) Abstract (150-200 words) - "My paper will examine how the historical depiction of [insert title] has been presented...

      This will be your elevator pitch of the topic you will examine and how you will go about completing your proposed research. What you expect to uncover or plan to argue, as well as the significance of your topic toward better understanding European history. 

      3) List of Sources (Minimum of 5)

      This last part may be prone to change by the time of your final paper, but you will need to do additional research into the time period of your chosen topic. Make sure to choose legitimate web sources (For example, Wikipedia can be used to find other related articles, but cannot be used as a source. Typically, websites with .org, .gov, .edu are all acceptable. Related articles or books can also be used as a source.)