Undergraduate students will write two medium length papers, of 5 to 10 pages each, during the semester -- on topics suggested by the instructor and based on both primary and secondary assigned readings. Students may opt for a research paper on a topic of their own choosing, in consultation with the instructor, for the second and final paper. Students interested in pursuing a research paper on a topic of their own choosing should consult with the instructor as early as possible to ensure sufficient time to develop a bibliography and topic for the paper.

Each paper is worth 35% of each student's semester grade. Additional guidance on the papers will be given when the topics are distributed, several weeks before the due date for each paper. Students may wish to consult the gradesheet that will be used to assess their papers and a guide to student papers.

A note on sources for the paper: The topics to be proposed by the instructor will lend themselves to be answered based upon the assigned primary and secondary readings. Additional research, based on outside sources, is not necessary; it is however fully encouraged in the case that a student would like to pursue additional readings on that topic. In that case, the student should consult with the instructor, who will be able to provide guidance on identifying additional sources.

Students should keep in mind that in the case that outside sources are used, the papers will be graded in part based upon the selection of the most relevant and reliable sources. "Relevant" sources are those which most precisely address the specific topic at hand (rather than general reference works); "reliable" sources are those whose authors are the most likely to have direct, specific knowledge of the topic at hand (rather than authors writing on more general topics or sources of which the authoris known). Thus, many sources that are the most easily consulted, such as on-line reference works, are not necessarily the most relevant and reliable, and papers based in part or entirely on such sources are unlikely to be the best papers.

In all cases, sources should be cited properly, using an appropriate bibliographic format (Chicago style, or "Turabian" is preferred in History, but MLA or social science citation format is acceptable). No material from sources should be used that is not cited properly; direct quotation from a source without proper citation is a violation of academic standards of integrity.