historical mystery.
In short, you are going to play the part
of a “historical sleuth.” First, you will select a historical mystery or controversy that you find interesting or
intriguing that dates from on or before 1980. Second, you will conduct an investigation into this mystery or
controversy until you have solved the mystery. You will then write a paper (called by historians a “historical
research paper”) that explains in detail your solution to the mystery.
The final draft of the historical research paper must be between ten to twelve (10 – 12) pages in length, and it
must resolve a specific historically relevant mystery or controversy. This assignment is worth a maximum of
200 points, or 17%, of your overall final grade in the course. Further, this paper must be your original work and
relevant to the topic of historical research. Recycled papers from other classes or papers with a topic not
relevant to the subject of historical research will automatically receive a zero (0) for the assignment grade.
This paper presents an opportunity for you to research a historical mystery, controversy, or phenomenon of
particular interest to you. Equally, if not more importantly, it is presents you an opportunity to develop your
formal writing skills. For students planning to attend a four – year institution or graduate school, conducting
research and strong formal writing are skills invaluable to a successful academic career. For all other students,
this assignment provides you the opportunity to hone your formal writing skills – abilities needed in every walk
of life regardless of your future profession or career.
After choosing a research topic, you must conduct research to uncover the solution to your historical mystery or
controversy. This research must gather facts drawn from scholarly and historically relevant primary and
secondary sources. In the process, you will familiarize yourself with the challenges involved in historical
research. Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will have: developed a deeper understanding of a
historically relevant topic, honed your formal writing abilities, and discovered how to conduct to historical
research using both primary and secondary sources.
While conducting the research necessary to successfully complete your project, please consult primary sources
whenever possible. The assignment allows you to use secondary sources, but you must also employ AT LEAST
ONE primary source relevant to your research thesis. This requirement exists because the analysis of primary
sources is the essence of historical research and interpretation and is, therefore, a vital skill to develop during
your academic endeavors. In fact, if you fail to use at least one primary source in your investigation, you
will receive an automatic zero for this assignment. Consequently, it is very important for you to understand
exactly what constitutes (as well as what does not constitute) a primary source. I have provided much assistance
to this issue later in this document as well as in other documents found on the course D2L website in the
“Historical Research Paper Documents” section.
Additionally, you must use AT LEAST five (5) historically relevant, scholarly sources in this paper. Moreover,
you are limited to ONLY one internet web source, regardless of how may other sources you use in excess of the
stipulated five. However, note some sources, such as magazine articles or e-books, are available online but I do
NOT consider these as “web sources” because that information exists elsewhere, not solely on the internet. If
you have any questions on whether a source you are considering is a web source, simply ask me.
In your introduction, you must identify your topic and clearly state your solution to this mystery or controversy.
This clear statement of the mystery’s solution is your thesis. Throughout the remainder of your paper, you will
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use the information you gathered over the course of your research to prove your thesis. Finally, at the end of
your paper, you must summarize your main points in a conclusion which reasserts your original thesis.
In short, I am NOT looking for a book report or a re – worded summary of an already – existing encyclopedia
entry on your topic. Instead, I expect you to produce an ORIGINAL paper that solves the mystery or
controversy based on your personal investigation, research, and analysis.
Your paper must adhere consistently to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). An excellent example of a
historical writing manual is Mary Lynn Rampolla’s A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 7th Edition,
copyright 2012, ISBN-13: 978-0-312-61041-8. This manual, along with these instructions, provides all the
information you will need to properly complete this assignment and is one of the required texts for this course.
Also, your paper must include a separate title page, employ properly formatted Chicago Manual of Style
endnotes, and include a properly formatted Chicago Manual of Style Works Cited page. Failure to do so will
result in an automatic zero (0) for the assignment.
Employing citations provide your reader with leads for further investigation and, even more importantly, give
the proper credit to the individuals whose work you used in the creation of your paper. The failure to cite your
sources in this manner constitutes plagiarism, a serious violation of academic ethics, and opens you up to
investigation for violations to the Student Honor Code of Conduct.
Write to the Correct Audience
For the purposes of this assignment, you will write your research paper to an audience of experts in the
field/topic you have chosen to research. Since, in theory, the people reading your paper are experts, you DO
NOT NEED much summary information or background in your paper. Writers provide summary/back ground
to bring a reader up to speed about the subject at hand. However, since you are writing to experts on your topic,
your readers are already up to speed. Consequently, you do not need to spend any significant portion of your
paper on review/summary/background information. Instead you should jump directly into the meat of your
thesis as quickly as possible. Therefore, you are to commit no more than one (1) single page of your paper to
summary/background information.
When to Cite Sources
When writing a research paper, you do not have to cite common knowledge information. For example, ideas
taken from the textbook or information considered common knowledge do not require citations unless you use
information that is a direct quotation. However, if a piece of information appears in your paper that is NOT
common knowledge, you MUST inform the reader the source of that information – even if the information is
paraphrased in your own words and is not a direct quote. For the purposes of this assignment, you will use the
Chicago Manual of Style Endnotes method to cite the sources used in your paper.
Your paper must:
1. Clearly describe the mystery you investigated.
2. Clearly state the solution to this mystery.
3. Explain why this solution is, in fact, the correct solution (supported by factual, historical sources).
4. Explain why all the other contrary solutions to the mystery are incorrect.
Specific Guidelines:
Your paper MUST:
1. Be typed and DOUBLE SPACED.
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2. Include a separate cover page that has the paper’s title, your first and last name, and the course details. The
cover page does not count toward to minimum page length requirement. All identification data appears on this
over page, not in the text of the paper. The content portion of the paper begins on the first line of the first page
after the title page. Your failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic deduction of 50 points from
your overall grade on the assignment.
3. Have exactly 1-inch margins on all four sides of the paper. Each page that fails to meet this requirement will
result in an automatic deduction of 10 points per page from your overall grade on the assignment.
4. Employ Times New Roman Font. Each page that fails to meet this requirement will result in an automatic
deduction of 10 points per page from your overall grade on the assignment.
5. Employ exactly 12 point font. Each page that fails to meet this requirement will result in an automatic
deduction of 10 points per page from your overall grade on the assignment.
6. Employ Chicago Manual of Style endnotes for formal source citations. The endnotes section should appear
immediately after the content portion of the assignment. Do not use footnotes of parenthetical (in-line) citations.
The endnotes page does not count towards the minimum length requirement. Failure to meet this requirement
will result in an automatic ZERO (0) on this assignment.
7. Possess page numbers which begin on the first page of content, not the cover page. Therefore, the first page
of content should read #01 (NOT #02). In other words, begin your page numbering with #01 but do not do so
on the cover page. I will deduct 10 points from your overall grade on the assignment for each page that fails to
meet this requirement. Note: The above specification is different from the official CMS format. Nevertheless,
use the above instructions, NOT the CMS instructions regarding page numbering.
8. Have a length of 10 – 12 content pages. Content pages do not include the cover page, the endnotes pages, the
works cited, or any supplemental materials. Moreover, only pages completely full of text to the last line of the
page count towards the page limit (which, of course, also meet the margin, font, and point requirements listed
above). Therefore, text filling only a portion of the 10th page does not satisfy the minimum page length
requirement. You must provide at least a full 10th page of text down the last line of the 10th page to meet the
minimum length requirement. I will deduct 20 points from your overall grade on the assignment for each page
short of the minimum 10 – page requirement. For example, a paper with content of 7.5 pages counts as 7 pages
and, as such, is 3 pages short of the minimum length requirement. Therefore, I will deduct 60 points from the
final paper point total.
9. Be stapled (not clipped) in the top left hand corner as well as free of any sort of cover or folder. Failure to
securely staple your assignment will cost you 25 points off the total assignment grade. Paper folders or clips do
not meet this requirement.
10. Contain a Chicago Manual of Style Work Cited page that clearly separates all Primary Sources from all
Secondary Sources. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic ZERO (0) on this
assignment. The works cited does not count towards the minimum length requirement.
For assistance in properly citing sources in your paper using the Chicago Manual of Style, as well as help
creating properly formatted Chicago Manual of Style endnotes and works cited please use Mary Lynn
Rampolla’s A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 7th Edition, copyright 2012, ISBN-13: 978-0-312-61041-8.
This is one of your required texts for the course. You can also consult the ACC Writing Lab.
12. Be physically submitted no later than the beginning of class on the date of the Final Exam. You must
submit the paper in person in class in paper format. I do not accept email attachments of late papers for any
reason whatsoever. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic ZERO (0) on this
assignment.
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13. Include two (2) spaces between each sentence throughout the paper. I will deduct 10 points from your
overall grade on the assignment for each page that contains more than two instances of this problem.
14. Contain an introduction that properly introduces the historical research question researched and includes a
clear historical research thesis as explained in the “Assignment Overview” portion of this document (above).
The paper must present this thesis statement in the following format: “By employing both primary and
secondary sources such as (insert list of various general categories of sources used here), this paper will prove
(insert the ANSWER to the historical research question here).” Failure to meet this requirement will result in
an automatic ZERO (0) on this assignment.
15. Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation (including the avoidance of comma splices and/or the use of
slang language or terms). I will deduct 10 points from your overall grade on the assignment for each page that
contains more than two instances of the above problems.
16. Avoid the use of passive voice. I will deduct 10 points from your overall grade on the assignment for each
page that contains more than two instances of this problem.
17. Use THIRD PERSON throughout the paper. I will deduct 10 points from your overall grade on the
assignment for each page this problem appears.
18. Employ AT LEAST five (5) sources, one (1) of which MUST be a primary source relevant to your research
thesis. Also, you are limited to ONLY ONE (1) web source, regardless of the actual number of sources used in
this research. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic ZERO (0) on this assignment. If
you are not sure what a primary source is, please see the information at the end of this document as well as the
other supplemental documents on the subject available on the Course D2L website.
19. Be submitted electronically to the class D2L website under the “Drop Box” tab BEFORE the official start
date and start time of the Final Exam Day. Failure to meet this requirement will result in an automatic
ZERO (0) on this assignment. I do not wave or grant extensions to this requirement for any reason. This
includes electronic or technical difficulties associated with the Internet, crashed or stolen computers,
malfunctioning printers, and/or D2L access. Therefore, I strongly recommend the following: SUBMIT YOUR
FILE TO THE D2L DROP BOX AT LEAST 48 HOURS BEFORE THE DEADLINE. If you successfully
submit the file, you will receive an automated email confirming receipt of the file in your ACC student email
account. If you do not receive this email, contact me (daniel.gore@arapahoe.edu or 303.797.5858) to verify
your successful file submission. Moreover, the content portion of your paper, the endnotes page, and the works
cited page must all be part of a single computer file submitted to the D2L Drop Box. Additionally, please do
not upload a cover/title page or any image/data pages or photocopies as part of your electronic submission to
D2L. It is also important you submit the SAME text version to the D2L Drop Box as the paper version you
physically turn in on the last day of class. I will assign an automatic zero to any student who turns in differing
versions of this assignment.
20. If your paper involves a lengthy quotation, you must indent all quotations of fifty words or more (four lines
or more) one-half inch (10 spaces) on the left margin, single-space said quotation, omit any quotation marks,
and then properly cite the text’s source.
I strongly encourage students working on this assignment to contact me regularly and often with any questions
or concerns with the above instructions via email (daniel.gore@arapahoe.edu) or phone at 303.797.5858.
The Use of Images in the Paper:
I strongly encourage students to include, as part of their research paper, photos, graphs, charts, or any other
types of data that will assist them in supporting their thesis. However, these types of images, as well as any non5
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textual data, must NOT be present in the text of the paper. Instead, place all such types of material at the very
end of the document after the Endnotes and after the Works Cited page. In the text of your paper, use
parenthesis to refer the reader to the location of the data or image referenced. Then, cite the source of the
material at the bottom of the page on which the image/data appears.
Instructor Review Deadline
I strongly suggest you email me (as a Microsoft Word attachment ending in .doc or .docx) at least two rough
drafts of your paper over the course of the semester. I will provide feedback on how you can improve the paper.
The earlier I receive a rough draft, the longer you will have to correct the paper and, therefore, improve your
final grade.
While you are free to submit your paper to me via email, please note: I do not respond with comments or
suggestions via email. I will print out your paper, write my comments on the paper copy, and then return the
paper version back to you during our next class meeting. It is therefore, incumbent on you to attend class to
receive said feedback. You must get your paper to me early enough for me to return it to you via a paper copy
in class.
Please note a deadline exists for submitting papers for my review. The Course Calendar lists the deadline for
Instructor feedback on Research Papers. Under no circumstances do I accept research papers for my review past
the deadline listed on the Course Calendar. Furthermore, the deadline passes at the beginning of the class
period listed on the Course Calendar. I must receive your paper either electronically to my email In Box or
physically in my hand in class by the official start time of said class.
How to Get Your Paper Back After the End of the Semester:
If you want me to return your paper to you, you must provide me a self-addressed, business-sized, manila
envelope large enough to accept an unfolded 8.5” x 11” piece of paper. You must also include at least $2.00
postage affixed to the envelope. Submit this envelope with your final draft on the last day of class. After I
grade your paper, I will mail your paper to the address you printed on the envelope. You will not receive your
paper back if you fail to follow the above instructions.
Other Tips for a Successful Paper
For students concerned about completing the research paper portion of this class because you have never written
a college-level, formal research paper previously, I have the following comments that, hopefully, will help set
your mind at ease:
Your lack of experience one reason I assign this paper as part of the course requirements. It is my goal for you
to gain this experience by the end of the term. The problems and concerns you experience as you begin to
research and write this paper are normal and typical of freshmen-level college students. Therefore, do not feel
that you are the only student struggling with this assignment.
Approach the creation of this paper in stages:
1. Find a historical mystery or controversy that interests you.
2. Form a question that encapsulates the mystery you want to solve. For example, “Where is the Ark of the
Covenant?” This is called your “historical research question.”
3. Conduct extensive research to answer the historical research question using as many different historically
relevant scholarly sources as possible to find an ANSWER to your mystery or controversy. For help on how to
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conduct this research, see the section in this document entitled “Finding Primary Sources: Search Strategies”
below.
3. After investigating the issue as much as possible, decide on what you believe to be the solution to the
mystery or controversy. This is called your thesis statements. Note your thesis statement is not a question.
Instead, is it a statement of fact which answers your earlier historical research question. Moreover, your thesis
statement must appear in the following format: “By employing both primary and secondary sources such as
(insert list of various general categories of sources used here), this paper will prove (insert the ANSWER to the
historical research question here).”
4. Begin writing your paper. In the first paragraph of this paper, which is called your introduction, be sure to
clearly state your thesis statement in the format outlined above. You also must briefly state why your thesis is
true. This is what separates your research paper from a SUMMARY paper. In a summary paper, everyone
already knows the answer and you are just summarizing. This is NOT what I am assigning and you will get
ZERO credit for turning in such a paper. It is, however, what most people will turn in if they fail to apply
themselves to this assignment EARLY in the semester.
After writing the introduction paragraph, the rest of the paper should clearly and forcefully support your thesis
statement. The paper does not discuss topics having little or noting to do with the thesis. In fact, I find it best to
write the introduction, conclusion, and thesis statement AFTER completing the rest of the paper. By doing so,
you can make sure your introduction paragraph properly “fits” the paper it introduces.
Using Primary Sources – What IS a Primary Source?
This assignment requires you to incorporate your analysis of at least one primary source document into the text
of your work. In fact, your failure to use at least one valid primary source will result in an automatic zero
for the assignment. Therefore, it is vital you do, in fact, use a legitimate primary source document. The
following information will assist you in determining what is (and what is not) a primary source document.
Primary sources enable the researcher to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an historical
event or time period. Primary sources originated during the time period studied or were created at a later date
by a participant in the events being studied (as in the case of memoirs) and reflect the individual viewpoint of a
participant or observer.
In the field of history, the most important primary sources are documents such as letters, official reports,
speeches, pamphlets, essays, speeches, posters, or letters by participants, official election returns, and
eyewitness accounts (as by a journalist who was there). Primary sources also include physical objects like
photographs, newsreels, coins, paintings or buildings created at the time.
While investigating your historical mystery or controversy, you should consider the accuracy and objectiveness
of the primary sources you use. Also, you need to think very hard about whether the primary and secondary
sources you use in your paper are real, legitimate, and worthy of the reader’s respect.
For any source, primary or secondary, it is important for the researcher to evaluate the amount bias within the
source. For example, a government report may be an accurate and unbiased description of events, but people
can alter or censor the document for propaganda or cover-up purposes. Every lawyer knows evidence in court
may be truthful, but people might distort the facts to support (or oppose) the position of one of the parties.
The Difference Between a Primary Source and a Secondary Source
In historical investigations, a secondary source is a study written by a scholar about a topic that uses primary
sources and other secondary sources. An example of a secondary source is the biography of a historical figure
in which the author writes about a person by using a variety of primary source documents, such as letters,
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diaries, newspaper accounts, photographs, and official records. Most, but not all, secondary sources utilize
extensive citation.
Finding Primary Sources: Search Strategies
Primary sources may include books, government documents, maps, videotapes, sound recordings, music scores
and many other types of materials and may be in their original format or may have been reproduced at a later
date in a different format, such as a book, microfilm collection, video, or on the Internet. In any type of
investigation or research, a great strategy is to ask at a library reference desk for assistance. To find magazine,
journal or newspaper articles, use an article database or index.
NOTE: This paper must be your original work and relevant to the topic of historical research. Recycled papers
from other classes or papers with a topic not relevant to the subject of historical research will automatically
receive a zero (0) for the assignment grade regardless of whether the paper conforms to any or all of the rubric
characteristics listed below.
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