The research paper is a small, yet essential part of this course. You can examine any aspect of German society, for example politics, science, immigration policy, laws, sexuality, art and music, etc. Keep in mind, however, that historical writing attempts to uncover the motivation behind human action. It is not a chronological narrative, though narration is important. Consequently, it is important that you understand what you are writing about as well as why you are writing about your subject. In other words, why should someone else care about your topic?
Regardless of the subject, you must build your analysis around a primary source and keep your research focused. Several academic quality document collections are available online. The German Historical Institute, for example, is currently publishing a collection of primary sources in electronic form. Another good site is the EuroDoc collection at BYU. In addition, the History Resource Center (UMUC library database) contains a large collection of both primary and secondary sources. Your interest will determine the types of sources you consult; therefore, you should understand the difference between a primary and secondary source.
In general, primary sources are first hand accounts of events. They constitute your evidence, so you must critically evaluate them. After all, forgeries are plentiful and newspapers can get the story wrong.
Sample Primary Sources
For the most part, secondary sources recount events and often include an interpretation. Your textbooks plus academic articles in the UMUC library database are secondary sources. In the academic community, historians seldom agree. You should therefore point out conflicting interpretations in your paper and logically discuss their implications.
The following links connect to the library database. If you have problems locating material, the librarians can help you. Use the support services listed on the library homepage or work through the appropriate online library modules.
Sample Secondary Sources (journals)
Secondary Sources from Netlibrary (ebooks)
Biesold, Horst. Crying Hands: Eugenics and Deaf People in Nazi Germany. Washington, D.C. Gallaudet University Press, 1999.
Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945. London; New York Routledge, 2000.
Lantis, Jeffrey S. Strategic Dilemmas and the Evolution of German Foreign Policy Since Unification. Westport, Conn. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002.
Tucker, Spencer; Roberts, Priscilla Mary. Encyclopedia of World War II: A Political, Social, and Military History. Santa Barbara, Calif ABC-CLIO, 2005.
Developing a research topic requires time and effort. Think about a subject area and then limit your investigation to a narrowly defined theme based on available sources. If your interest is foreign policy, for example, you could analyze US perception of Nazi Germany in 1938 based on the Foreign Relations of the United States. Although you limited your topic to a specific time period, the year 1938, the scope is still very broad. It is essential therefore that you narrow your topic even further. Focus on one historical episode and build your thesis upon it. Let's look at another example.
Step 1 - Topic: Let's say you are interested in the international reaction to the exclusion of Jews from German society. This topic is very broad, so narrow it down to an examination of the Evian meeting. The next step is to locate primary and secondary sources.
Step 2 - Textbook: Check your textbooks? They will discuss the explusion of the Jewish community, but do they speak specifically about the Evian meeting?
Step 3 - Primary Source: The FRUS has some material (see Evian meeting on political refugees. Now look for additional sources, such as Report to the Secretary along with its accompanying primary sources as well as The Jewish Chronicle, July 22, 1938. Additional primary sources give you a different perspective on your topic. A primary source could even be a contemporary academic article, such as Eric Estorick, The Evian Conference and the Intergovernmental Committee, Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science Vol. 203, Refugees (May, 1939) 136-141 (available in JSTOR).
Step 4 - Academic Secondary Sources: Check the internet and UMUC library databases for secondary sources, for example Rudel, The Evian Conference and Heuvel, America and the Holocaust. Secondary sources attempt to interpret events. Some journals dedicate special publications to a topic, for example Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 450, Reflections on the Holocaust: Historical, Philosophical, and Educational Dimensions, July 1980. These articles give a sense of the historical debate. You can then compare these reflections with more current research. Check the UMUC library databases for journals related to your topic, for example Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Remember authors seldom agree. You should discuss the various interpretations in your paper. Learn more about the historical debate by reading book reviews as well as organizational newsletters. Also conference papers can give you a better understanding of current research.
Step 5 - Thesis Development: The task now is to think about a solid thesis. Phrase your topic in the form of a question. Your answer is the thesis. The body of your paper supports your thesis.
For additional guidelines, see A Student's Guide to History. Help is available at the UMUC Writing Center. Here are a few additional writing resources:Step 6 - Evaluate your sources and rethink your original thesis:
Step 7 - Create an outline and complete your first draft
Step 8 - Revision....Revision....Revision
Here are a few suggestions. Skim through your textbooks and you will discover more.
If you read German and are interested in the cold war period, you could develop a topic based on the Kabinettsprotokolle. Please note that German is not a requirement for this course. You'll find additional links to primary sources on the course home page.
For help developing your ideas, use the Effective Writing Center which is also linked in course content. You can also refer to sources available at other history departments
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update: 23 Feb 2008