Ninth Grade

Term Paper
Reference Guide

History Department
John Burroughs School

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Table of Contents:

Introduction and Project Description……………………………………………………………...3

Project Requirements……………………………………………………………………………...4

Project Overview………………………………………………………………………………….5

Phase 1: Selecting a Topic/Posing a Research Question/Constructing Thesis……………5

Phase 2: Research…………………………………………………………………………7

Primary and Secondary Sources…………………………………………………..8

Source Cards and Note Cards……………………………………………………..9

Phase 3: Writing the Paper……………………………………………………………….12

Preface……………………………………………………………………………12

Essay……………………………………………………………………………..13

Introduction………………………………………………………………14

Body Paragraphs…………………………………………………………15

Conclusion……………………………………………………………….16

Phase 4: Editing, Assembling, and Citations…………………………………………….17

Appendix A: Assignment Due Dates.....…………………………………………………………20

Appendix B: Planning Calendar…………………………………………………………………21

Appendix C: Outlining Worksheet………………………………………………………………22

Appendix D: Footnote/Endnote Sample Formats……………………………………………….24

Appendix E: Bibliography Entry Samples………………………………………………………27

Appendix F: Sample Annotated Bibliography………………………………………………….30

Appendix G: Sample Title Page…………………………………………………………………31

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Introduction and Project Description
Welcome to the World Civilizations I Term Paper!

Before we go into detail about this project, let’s go over the similarities and differences between
the 8th and 9th grade term papers. Like last year, your class time will be devoted solely to the
term paper, and you will not have any textbook readings, tests, or quizzes during this time (this
will not be the case during your sophomore year). Also, you will again have a number of smaller
assignments due throughout this process to ensure that you are meeting the term paper
requirements. However, unlike the 8th grade year when you explored two sides of a
contemporary political issue and offered a solution or compromise, the World Civilizations I
term paper will require you to assume the role of historian. While this may sound daunting, you
will now have the opportunity to select a topic from ancient or medieval history that has caught
your interest and that you wish to explore in more detail. Another change concerns your
research. Instead of focusing of meeting the number of required sources, you will now need to
contemplate the quality and nature of your sources (this is something your teacher will discuss in
more detail).

After selecting a potential topic, you will, with the assistance of an assigned librarian, begin the
preliminary research phase. As you read and begin to narrow your topic, your teacher will help
you to select a suitable research question. This is a question that will be the focus of your paper
and that cannot be answered easily. You will then also narrow your research focus, moving away
from reference sources that provide a broad overview to more specific secondary sources. Your
goal will now be to craft a thesis statement, a response to your research question. This can be
intimidating, but your teacher will provide instruction on how to create a thesis, and you will
have many opportunities to perfect it.

As the research phase comes to an end, your teacher will guide you through the process of
composing an analytical, thesis-driven paper. This will include lessons on how to write proper
introductions, body paragraphs, and conclusions, as well as how to weave impactful quotes from
primary and secondary sources into your paper. As the last week of term paper approaches, your
teacher will give you advice on what to focus on during the editing process.

The final version of your paper will be 6-8 pages in length (1500-2000 words), not including the
title page, preface, any appendices, or bibliography. You must have at least seven sources in your
bibliography, including a primary source, and you must have footnotes from at least five of these
sources. Your teacher will go over these requirements again, as well as any other that they might
have.

As you prepare to embark on your term paper voyage, it is imperative that you do not fall behind
in your work and miss assignments. You should take some time now to look ahead to see if there
are times when you will have major assignments in other classes or extracurricular commitments,
and you should be prepared to plan accordingly. If you have fallen behind or are worried about
your progress, seek your teacher out immediately. They will be happy to meet with you.

Good Luck!
Your World Civilizations I Teachers

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Project Requirements

Preliminary Assignments — Students will be required to turn in a number of items throughout

the course of the four-week project. These assignments are scored in addition to the final copy
of the term paper, and are just as important to complete on time. These smaller assignments will
be spaced throughout the period of the term paper assignment. They are meant to assure student
progress towards a successful final product. Your teacher will provide descriptions of these
assignments and their due dates. You should fill out the calendar in this term paper manual (as
well as your planners) in order to keep track of your schedule.

Final Copy Requirements — All parts of the final copy must be stapled together and typed with
an acceptable typeface (some instructors will assign preferred typefaces), in 12-point font.
Students must also upload a copy of their essay and notes on turnitin.com. Instructors will
provide instructions for this in class. Here are the parts of the hard copy:

1. Cover Page: cover page must be consistent with the sample in this guide. The cover page is
not counted for numbering.
2. Preface: a clean, titled single-spaced copy. The preface is not counted for numbering.
3. Essay: Essay should be between 7 and 8 pages in length, double spaced in 12-point times new
roman font. Essay must include footnotes or endnotes. If using endnotes, they are placed after
any Appendix items. For page numbering your essay starts on page 2, even though it will be the
third sheet of paper in your hard copy (page 1 is the title page, page 2 is the preface, but is not
counted for numbering).
4. *Appendix: Appendix items might include maps, diagrams, a family tree, or illustrations.
Appendix items are referenced in the paper and titled at the top of each Appendix page.
Appendix pages are counted but not numbered. Appendix items are not included in
foot/endnotes. Rather, the source information is provided directly beneath each appendix item in
the same format as the foot/endnote.
5. Annotated Bibliography: Sources listed in alphabetical order with an annotated comment for
each entry.

*Not all students will be required to have this item. See your teacher if you have questions.

Source Requirements — The minimum requirements are:

1. Your bibliography must contain at least seven different sources.
2. At least five sources must be cited within the body of the paper (in the footnotes).
3. At most two reference materials (encyclopedias, reference books) may be cited in the
bibliography. Reference sources should not be cited in the text of your paper and should be
utilized only to gather background material. These sources do not count as one of your seven
sources.
4. One of your five sources in the footnotes must be a primary source.
5. Your teacher will let you know of any other source requirements for your class.

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Project Overview

The project will be conducted over four weeks and contains the following phases:
1. Posing a Research Question: Your teacher may provide you a list of possible topics. One or
more of your preliminary assignments will be designed to help you select and narrow down the
focus of your paper and construct a research question.
2. Research: During this phase you will searching for sources, make bibliography cards and take
notes: You will gather the information that will provide the basis of your paper. You will be
required to use the same notecard process that you utilized for your eighth grade term paper to
organize your notes for the paper. With your teacher's permission, you may use noodle tools to
organize your bibliography and/or to make note cards.
3. Outlining and Writing the Paper: Many of your preliminary assignments will involve outlining
and writing components of your paper. Be sure to stay up to date.
4. Editing and Assembling: Once you have a first draft, you must ensure that everything is well-
edited. Not only will you edit your paper based on your own proofreading, but you will have the
benefit of your peer editors comments as well as feedback from your teacher at varying points.
You are expected to prepare your footnotes, bibliography, cover page and preface based on the
requirements laid out in this guide.

Phase 1: Selecting a Topic/Posing a Research Question/Constructing a Thesis

Step 1: Choosing a general topic:

Your instructor will probably give you a list of sample topics that have worked well for students
in the past. However, you are not required to choose a topic from this list. One of your
preliminary assignments will help you brainstorm topics you find interesting. Perhaps you will
want to dig deeper into a moment in history that we did not get to cover in detail during the year,
or perhaps you will choose something we did not cover at all. The subject of the term paper
must be something from the Ancient or Medieval periods. Due to the paucity of written sources,
topics prior to 500 b.c.e. tend to be more challenging.

Step 2: Formulating a Research Question:

Once you select your broad topic, you will want to narrow it down to a specific research
question. For example, you may decide to work on Constantine's conversion to Christianity, but
this topic is very broad. Appropriate research questions are: (1) What caused Constantine's
conversion to Christianity? (2) What were the political effects of Constantine's conversion to
Christianity? (3) Why did Constantine convert to orthodoxy rather than Arianism? Your paper
would seek to answer one of these questions, not all three. Note - Your research question may
change in the early stages of the project as you gather sources and take notes.

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Good general question formulations include:
1. Why did X win the Battle of Y
2. Why did the X artistic movement arise?
3. Why did the city of X grow so quickly during the Y century?
4. How was X able to seize political power in Y during Z?
5. What role did technology X play in event

Notice that all of the above require more than simple yes or no answers. Also, they all lend
themselves to formulate answers that take a variety of factors into consideration and require
analysis and argument.

Before finalizing your topic, check the Stamper Library and other area libraries to make sure
there is enough available material for a successful project. You will want to specifically make
sure that there is at least one appropriate primary source and one scholarly journal article that
you will be able to use to write your paper.

Step 3: Formulating a Thesis:

Your thesis is the most important factor in writing a successful paper. Your thesis must present a
clear analytical argument that answers your research question. Here are some examples:

Research Question: Why did Constantine convert?

Thesis: Although many historians argue that Constantine converted for religious reasons, his
conversion was political in nature. Constantine hoped that his conversion would reunify the
Roman people by uniting them under one theology that blended pagan and Christian practices,
and appointing bishops as political leaders to gain more control over both the political and social
lives of the people.

Research Question: Why did Emperor Wuzong (r. 840 - 846) suppress Buddhism during
his reign?
Thesis: Emperor Wuzong initiated the Huichang Suppression in order to seize Buddhist property
and capitalize on their assets in the midst of financial crisis and not due to his Taoist beliefs.

Research Question: Why did Hannibal attack Saguntum?

Thesis: Although some historians accuse Hannibal of purposefully attacking Saguntum to
instigate a war with Rome, Sanguntum's support for Spanish tribes rebelling against Carthaginian
rule and Saguntum's status as a fide of Rome in contradiction to the Carthaginian interpretation
of the Ebro Treaty left Hannibal no choice but to attack the city.

Note that all of these examples make multiple points. These will be the central points of the
paper

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Phase 2: Research

Step 1: How to Find a Primary Source

Step 2: How to Find a scholarly Journal Article
Step 3: How to make source cards (using noodle tools or note cards)
Step 4: How to make note cards
Notes on effective Quoting Versus Paraphrasing

Basic Research—Once students have chosen a basic topic and made sure there are enough
research materials, they should begin their basic research. Students should begin by seeking out
as many sources as they can that seem relevant to their topic, which remembering that several
people may be doing the same topic. If some books later prove to be irrelevant, that’s
ok. During this phase of the project, students should learn the important basic facts about their
topic and how it fits into history.

We recommend students begin their search with the databases located on the library’s 9th grade
term paper Online Reference Sources guide, especially Salem History Online, Credo Reference,
Gale Virtual Reference, or Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Consulting an encyclopedia about a
topic is also good place to start. Students should begin compiling a list of key research terms
that they add to throughout their research. Begin with general works that cover the topic being
researched; consult the index for references to your key terms and use the table of contents to
better understand how your topic fits into history. Remember that only two reference books can
be cited in your bibliography. You will want to use the reference books to get a general sense of
your topic; however, you will want to locate more specific research materials such as
monographs, journal articles, edited volumes, and primary sources.

Read key sections. For example, if a student had chosen the Battle of Teutoburger Forest, a book
about Augustus would be a good choice, as would one on the early empire. Students should seek
to learn about the before and after as it pertains to the topic. This sort of research is especially
important for students who begin with a broader topic. A general overview will usually provide
the student with a point of interest or question that they can focus more closely on for the project
itself. During the basic research phase, students should take factual notes that will let them place
their topic into context.

Students should also use their basic research to arrive at the research question if they did not
have one at the beginning of the process. For example, a student who wants to write a paper on
Charlemagne may find the missi dominici interesting. This may lead the student to pose a
research question about the role the missi dominici played in Charlemagne’s rule. At the end of
the basic research phase, students should have a grasp of the context of their topic, they should
have narrowed the focus of their paper, and they should be ready to pose a good research
question if they do not already have one.

Focused Research—Once students have arrived at a good research question, the efficiency of
their research should increase. The goal of the research in this phase of the project is to gather
information that will make it possible to answer the research question posed by the student.
Students should seek information that will provide them with the evidence not only to answer the

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question, but also to back up their answer with facts, quotations, and any other relevant
evidence. This is the point in the process where students should especially consult primary
sources, journal articles and more specialized sources. The librarians at the Stamper Library
have provided a page filled with links and resources that may be valuable for students
undertaking the 9th grade term paper project.

This page may be found at the following URL:

http://library.jburroughs.org/studyguides/termpapers9.html

I. Primary and Secondary Sources: What They Are, How to Find Them

Students will need to incorporate at least one primary source into their term paper.

Before students try to locate one, however, it might be helpful to reiterate what a primary source
is. A primary source provides direct evidence or firsthand testimony about an object, person,
event, or other historical topic. They are often original documents created or experienced
contemporaneously with the event being researched.

Primary sources include historical and legal documents, treaties, eyewitness accounts, pieces of
creative writing (such as poems), letters and other correspondences, speeches, and objects.
They allow researchers to get as close as possible to what actually happened during an event or
time period. For example, Plutarch lived centuries after the events he writes about. Remember to
consult your teacher on helping you choose the best primary sources to help you write your
paper.

A secondary source is something that interprets or analyzes an historical event or period after the
event has occurred. They are one step removed from primary sources, though they often quote or
otherwise use primary sources.

As an example, a letter or legal document written by Alexander the Great would be considered a
primary source on Greek law and culture. However, a book or article written by a professor that
analyzes various aspects of this same letter or legal document is a secondary source.

If students are not sure if a given source is primary or secondary, they should ask their teacher!

Examples of Primary versus Secondary Sources

Primary Secondary

-Text of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address -“Lincoln at Gettysburg,” by Gary Wills

-Letter from a British soldier during WWII -Article about British soldiers’ correspondences
-Copy of Hammurabi’s Code -Section of a book that discusses Hammurabi’s code
-Aristotle’s Politics -Chapter about Aristotle’s views on politics with
quotes from Politics

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The Stamper Library’s 9th grade term paper webpage has numerous websites and databases that
students can choose from in their search for a primary document. These sites have primary
document collections students can search through, covering topics from Greek and Roman texts
to Islamic History and Medieval sourcebooks.

Scholarly Journals and Academic Articles

Once students have found sufficient general information on their topic and have started to
develop a thesis, they may find scholarly journal articles that lend a narrower examination and
analysis. Articles from academic journals are usually longer than a magazine article and include
footnotes. They are written by experts in the field or university professors. Most of them will
have a narrow focus on one aspect of a given topic, but that is what makes them a valuable
resource to use for this term paper.

We recommend using databases found on the Stamper Library’s 9th grade term paper site, such
as Ebsco Discovery Service, JSTOR, Project Muse, and Academic Search Elite.

Note- Some teachers will require you to use a journal article as one of your five sources.

II. Source Cards and Notecards

Notes should be taken in a well-organized manner on note cards so that they can be easily found
and consulted during the preparation of the outline and the writing of the term paper itself. Once
enough research has been completed, students will be ready to construct their thesis statement.
Once the thesis has been complete, students will continue to research where necessary in order to
make their argument as strong as possible.

Source Cards—Source cards allow students to organize information on all the sources they
gather during research. Students will make one of these when they find a source (labeled “A, B,
C, etc.”) that they are going to use in their term paper. The purpose of this card is to record the
bibliographic information. Here is an example:

Source A

Farah, Mounir A., and Andrea Berens Karls. World

History: The Human Experience - The Modern Era.
New York: Glencoe, 2001.

Notecards—Once a student locates a useful source (and made a source card for it), they will
begin to take notes from that source. These notes will go on…notecards. Students will make one
of these any time they find a fact, idea, or quotation that they want to use in their term paper.
Every notecard always needs four items on it:

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 1. Card topic—think of it as the title or main idea
2. Source—which source did you find this information in?
3. Information (paraphrased or quoted)
4. Page you found the information on

When taking notes, here are some things to keep in mind:

- Skim the entire source before reading it in detail; skimming will help students understand
how the document is laid out and what the main ideas are.
- Writing information from the text verbatim (word-for-word) also takes too much time and
prevents students from using higher brain functions to filter out and process information.
- Write only one main point per card—don’t combine different topics onto on.
- Write only essential words—abbreviate and cut out words and phrases when possible.
- To prevent plagiarism (and increase efficiency), don’t look at the book while writing on
notecards—this will force students to put the information into their own words.
- Write full quotations sparingly—save this for important quotes or when things are stated in a
powerful, unique way that helps to clarify or strengthen a point.
- Use ellipses points (…) when leaving out non-essential words from a quote.

(One useful example of a note-taking method to explore is the Cornell Note-taking System)

All good note-taking systems will allow students to have:

- Information about the source so that they can be found again—author, title, date published,
URL or pages
- A way to group notes—this helps to organize notes in a visual way so they can be arranged
in an order that makes sense
- Spaces to write down quotes (direct text straight from the source), comments (thoughts and
questions), and paraphrasing (information from the text in students’ own words)

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Here is an example of the notecard-making process:

Original text from source Notecard

“In truth, Douglas did not believe that slavery was actually
Lincoln & Douglas—views on slavery Source B
right, nor did Lincoln in 1858 believe that is was wrong
enough to justify direct intervention in the affairs of states
Lincoln & Douglas both thought slavery wrong; but
where it was already domesticated. Nor did Lincoln really
both also thought that African Americans were inferior
believe more than Douglas that African Americans were
to whites.
entirely the social equals of white, the difference on this
point between them being more of degree than substance.
But differences in degrees can be critical, too. For Lincoln However, Lincoln thought African Americans were on
in 1858, African Americans were certainly the equals of high enough level that slavery was wrong & needed to
whites in enough sense to make enslaving them wrong, stop spreading.
and a wrong that should be contained wherever there was
power and opportunity to contain it. For Douglas, African Douglas thought the trouble that challenging slavery
would cause didn’t outweigh the wrongs of slavery,
Americans were so far from being the equals of whites
since he believed African Americans were so inferior.
that the misfortune of their enslavement was simply not
p.81
worth antagonizing half the Union, especially when half
the continent was at stake.”

Finally, before sitting down to write the rough draft, organize notecards by subtopic and make an
outline.

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Phase 3 - Writing the Paper

You will not be required to write the essay in one sitting. By the time your final draft is due,
your peers and your teacher will have provided you with detailed feedback. As with other
phases of the project, it is crucial that you stay up to date during the writing stage. If you miss a
deadline, it is extremely difficult to catch up. If you fail to bring your work to class, you'll miss
out on the opportunity to get feedback on your work.

Step 1: Creating an Outline

A detailed outline is essential. It will allow you to use your research effectively, give your
paragraphs focus and structure, and insure that you do not omit any important parts of the paper.
The following outline will help you think about how to construct your outline. An outlining sheet
has been provided in the Appendix of this guide. You may use it to plan your essay and note
where you will place information and quotations.

I. Preface
Note - The preface is the only section of the paper that can be written using the first person
(pronouns such as I, we, me); the rest of the paper must be written in the third person.

Paragraph 1:
Sentence 1: State who, what, where, and when - ground the paper in geographic, and temporal
scope.

For example: Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty in China (618 – 907), carried out the
Huichang Suppression of Buddhism during his short six year reign from 840 – 846.

Sentence 2: State the thesis of your paper

For example: Although the Huichang Suppression of Buddhism appears to stem from ideological
conflicts, the primary motive behind the suppression was due to the poor economic situation of
the empire and the wealth and privileges of Buddhism.

Rest of Paragraph: Outline the sections of the paper. You may want to think of each section of
your paper a your opportunity to prove a sub-argument that ultimately helps you prove your
thesis. Successful papers will usually contain two or three sub-arguments that help prove your
complex thesis.

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For example: To prove that the Huichang Suppression was economically motivated rather than
ideologically motivated three effective sub-arguments are:

1. Show the claims that the suppression was ideologically motivated and why they are
insufficient
2. Contrast harsh economic conditions with Buddhist wealth
3. Analyze Wuzong's appropriation of Buddhist wealth and how he used these seizures to enable
the empire to recover economically.

These will be the three subsections of the paper that are outlined in the preface:

Paragraph 2: Explain why you chose the topic and why it interests you.

For Example: I became interested in the Tang Dynasty since it was a period of history that we
did not study in class. The dynasty has been described as one of China's most prosperous and
glorious. The aspect of Buddhism particularly attracted me because religion in China is
something that I do not see practiced very much in China when I visit my family there. I have
been to China many times, yet no one I know or see practices Buddhism. I wanted to research
why such a prominent religion in China's past does not appear to be so prominent today. The
Huichang suppression is one small piece of that puzzle.

Paragraph 3: Acknowledge anyone who has helped you to complete this project.

II. Essay
There is no set organization to a research essay. Each research question and thesis will lend
itself to a different type of organization. A common method of organization is to analyze the
noteworthy events chronologically. Note that a weakness of this type of organization is that you
do not want to provide a laundry list of events without analyzing their significance and how they
link to your thesis. Another common method of organization is to introduce the topic
thematically. While this technique lends itself to more analysis, you need to be sure you are
providing the reader with the basic facts and data they need to understand the themes you are
presenting. It is up to you to decide the best way to organize your paper.

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A. Every essay must begin with an Introduction.

The introduction differs from the preface in the following ways:

(1) It serves as the beginning of the essay, which is written in third person
(2) The preface puts the topic in historical context, while the introduction should set the scene for
the reader in more detail.
(3) The introduction contains your research question and your thesis, while the preface states
just the thesis
(4) The thesis statement in the preface needs to be phrased differently than how you stated your
thesis in the preface.
(5) The introduction does not outline the entire paper
(6) Optional: You may want to state how your argument builds upon or disagrees with the
research of another historian, or set of historians (most likely the person wrote the journal article
or any of the monographs you utilized to write your essay).
(7) Your introduction may need to be more than one paragraph, but should not be more than one
page (double spaced) of your essay.

Example:

In the year 840 CE, Li Chan, won the title of Emperor of China, after vying against his
half brother, the Prince of Chen, who was originally favored to be the next ruler. Though
Wuzong’s rule was a brief 6 years, his legacy includes one of the most widespread persecutions
of Buddhism in Chinese history. In 842, Wuzong passed the first of many edicts that restricted
the privileges of Buddhists in China. Attacks like this against Buddhists would go on for the
next three years until Buddhism was limited to only a few temples and a handful of legalized
followers. The Huichang Supression almost entirely hindered Buddhism’s influence and growth
in China from the Tang period to modern day China.

Many scholars have argued that the Huichang suppression was due to his devout belief in
Taoism and his desire to rid China of foreign influences, one of which was Buddhism. However,
the Huichang Suppression of Buddhism arose due to the economic troubles of the empire,
and Wuzong’s desire to capitalize upon the assets of the thriving Buddhist Church.
Historian Kenneth Chen analyzed the financial reasons for the suppression by observing the
activities of the Buddhist church before the persecution. This paper will build on Chen’s research
by analyzing Wuzong’s court and how he strategically accumulated Buddhist wealth while not
alienating Buddhists themselves. He continued to invite leading Buddhists to court, take their
political advice, and celebrate them socially.

The thesis statement is in bold. Note how it relays the same sentiment, but using a different
construction than the thesis statement in the preface example on the previous page of this guide.

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B. Organizing Your Paper into Sections
• The sub-arguments highlighted in your preface may take you longer than one paragraph
to introduce and analyze to completion. Organizing your paper into sections with their
own distinct sub-argument will help make writing the paper more manageable and will
help you craft a paper with a logical organizational structure. You should think of each
body section as its own smaller essay. At the beginning of each section, you should
introduce the sub-argument as the thesis of that section and explain how that sub-
argument proves your overall thesis. Each section will contain multiple paragraphs that
will not only prove your sub-argument, but will ultimately prove your overall thesis for
the paper

C. Writing Individual Paragraphs

• Think of each paragraph as your opportunity to prove one distinct point in your paper.

For example, for the essay on the Huichang Suppression of Buddhism the three sub-arguments
outlined in the preface were:
1. Show the claims that the suppression was ideologically motivated and why they are
insufficient
2. Contrast harsh economic conditions with Buddhist wealth
3. Analyze Wuzong's appropriation of Buddhist wealth and how he used these seizures to
enable the empire to recover economically.

To prove sub-argument 1:
Paragraph 1: Show the arguments historians make to establish that the motivations for the
suppression was purely religious
Paragraph 2: Challenge those arguments by showing how Emperor Wuzong had political
and social relations with Buddhists in his court throughout his reign

To prove sub-argument 2:
Paragraph 1: Establish the economic conditions of the Empire by assessing events that
decreased China’s finances and political control of certain provinces since the An Lushan
rebellion in 755.
Paragraph 2: Survey Wuzong’s promulgation of new taxes in order to help the
government recover from the unrest from the previous era
Paragraph 3: Explain Buddhist exemption from these new and all imperial taxes
Paragraph 4: Analyze how Buddhists had accumulated a massive amount of wealth due
to their traditional exemption from taxes as well as their reliance on programs of state
assistance.

To prove sub-argument 3:
Paragraph 1: Introduce primary source - Wuzong’s Edict of Suppression - to show the
materialistic aspects of the Suppression – the edict is more interested in ensuring that
Buddhists pay taxes than it is that they do or do not practice their religion.
Paragraph 2: Show how the government spent the money extracted from Buddhists to
reestablish control over provinces, to finance images of the Emperor in Gold, and to
expand the state army.

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 • Each paragraph should contain evidence from your research that proves the point you
make in your thesis statement
o Evidence Includes: statistics; a quote or analysis from a primary source; analysis
of a political, economic, social, intellectual, or cultural trend; data from any
scholarly sources (books or scholarly journal article).
o Strong paragraphs will contain multiple types of evidence from various research
sources
o Avoid – summarizing the evidence from one book or article.
o Every paragraph should have moments where you include your own analysis and
should not just be a restatement of facts from other sources.
• The final sentence of each paragraph should restate the main point of the paragraph and
serve as a transition to the next paragraph.

D. Conclusion
• Your conclusion does not need to be long and should not summarize the paper
• The first sentence of your conclusion should restate your thesis using a different
construction than in your preface and your introduction
• Restate (using different words) the main points (sub-arguments) of the paper.
o Think about how these points helped prove your overall thesis and recap that for
your reader.
• What is the general lesson? Why is this topic important
o Your final sentence or two should answer the question “What is the impact of
your thesis?” In other words, you want to explain the broader significance of your
topic by explaining to your reader why your research question and thesis matter
outside of this paper?

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 Phase 4: Editing, Assembling, and Citations

A. Peer Editing
You will be asked to serve as a peer editor for at least one of your classmates. You will be
graded on your role as peer editor. Your peer-editing grade will be directly linked to the grade
your partner receives on the paper (or the component of the paper your are peer editing). For
example, if your partner receives a B+ , the base grade for your peer editing grade will be a B+.
Your instructor will explain more about the peer editing process

B. Multi-Draft Writing
Research papers are not written in one sitting. In fact, you are expected to write multiple drafts
of your paper and utilize the feedback from your peer editor, your teacher, and your skills as an
editor to revise your paper numerous times before the final submission. Depending upon your
teacher’s requirements, you may be asked to submit earlier drafts along with your final copy.

C. Footnoting/Endnoting
Citations tell where you found the information that you have used in your paper. A footnote is a
type of citation that appears at the bottom of the page on which the information appears. An
endnote is the same as a footnote, except that it appears at the end of the essay. Footnotes and
endnotes are numbered consecutively. Footnotes serve two crucial purposes. First, whenever
you borrow someone else’s words or ideas, you must give them credit. A footnote signals to
your reader that the ideas or words that precede it are not yours. Second, they allow your reader
to track down the source of your information if they want to learn more or double check your
work. Inaccurate or sloppy footnoting can result in you inadvertently taking credit for someone
else’s work; this is plagiarism, a serious academic and school offense. Therefore, you need to be
extremely careful when recording source codes and page numbers as you complete your note
cards. Remember that your paper will be checked for plagiarism.

When to Cite a Source

1. When you use someone else’s words (written or spoken), you need to include a footnote. You
also need to put quotation marks around the material you are using. Not doing so is still
plagiarism, even if you properly footnote.

2. When you paraphrase someone’s original opinions, ideas or interpretations, even if you alter
the wording completely, you must cite their work.

3. When you use someone’s original research, you must also give them credit. All statistics,
studies, court cases, laws, etc. must have citations. You do not require citations for common
knowledge, material that you can reasonably conclude most people know (for example, that
Julius Caesar was assassinated on the ides of March 44BC). If you are unsure about what is
common knowledge and what is not, ask your teacher.

17
Placing the footnote numbers
Always place the footnote number at the end of the section you are citing. Put it after all
punctuation, including quotation marks and periods. Every quotation requires its own footnote.
If, however, a series of sentences paraphrase information from the same source, you can put one
note at the end of that material; just be sure to include the page number(s) for all the material
from your source.

Formatting Footnotes
There is a complete list of footnote formats for different types of sources in the Appendix. As
you write, you may want to just put the source code and page number(s) of the cited information
in the footnote (or number your notecards and put that number in the footnote), and go back later
to enter the complete information.

Footnoting the Same Source Multiple Times

You will likely cite at least several of your sources more than once. You do not need to repeat
the entire note. The next page will contain a sample list of notes with explanations on how to
deal with this situation.

1. Michael T. Dalby, “Court Politics in Late Tang Times,” in The Cambridge History of China
(Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 668.
2. Stanley Weinstein, Buddhism Under the Tang (Cambridge, England: Cambridge University
Press, 2009), 115.
3. IBID.
4. IBID, 117.
5. Kenneth Ch’en, “The Economic Background of the Huichang Suppression of Buddhism,”
Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 19, no ½ (June 1956) 100.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718490
6. Dalby, 664.
7. Ch’en, 100.
8. IBID, 102.
9. Weinstein, 165.

• Note 1 is from a reference source. The citation is from page 668.

• Note 2 is from a book.
• Note 3 is from the same source and page number as Note 2.
• Note 4 comes from the same source as Note 2. The information comes from a different
page than notes number 2 and 3. This time, the information came from page 117.
• Note 5 is from a JSTOR article. The citation is from page 100
• Note 6 refers to the Dalby text from note 1. Since there is another source(s) in between,
instead of IBID, you use the author’s last name. Just include last name and page number.
• Note 7 refers to the Che’en source, so we just include the last name and page number.
• Note 8 comes from the same source as note number 6, but a different page number.
• Note 9 comes from the Weinstein source, also used in note number 2. Again, the
information cited came from a different page number.

18
Please follow the footnoting rules from this page, along with the formats from the various types
of sources in the appendix. Essentially, IBID is shorthand for “the same place.” Students can
save time and effort by remembering these rules and applying them. Instructors will expect
students to follow these rules and adherence to them will be calculated into your final paper
grade. Footnotes begin with #1 and continue throughout the entire paper. Numbering for
footnotes should not start over on each page.

D. Annotated Bibliography
You are required to create an annotated bibliography for this project.. An annotated bibliography
includes the properly cited bibliographic entry and a 2 -3 sentence explanation as to how you
used the source in the paper. This explanation needs to be detailed in order to earn full credit.
To write the annotated bibliography, you may use the first person point of view. Remember, this
will be graded. You must pay careful attention to the formatting of your bibliography and be
sure you make substantial and meaningful annotations in order to receive full credit on this
component of the final term paper.

A sample of an annotated bibliography can be found in appendix F of this manual.

19
Appendix A

Assignment Due Dates

You need to plan your time carefully. Meeting all deadlines with quality work and pacing work
effectively is essential for both earning a top grade and avoiding stress and hurry at the end of the
project. You should fill in the assignment and due date in the grid on this page. On the next
page, a blank calendar has been provided for setting goals and planning conflicts. If there are
several other assignments (in other classes) due at the same time as an assignment for your term
paper, you must plan to work ahead to assure the quality and timeliness of your work.
Extensions on major milestone assignments as well as the final copy are only given in times of
genuine catastrophe.

Assignment Due Date

20
Appendix B

Planning Calendar
Use this calendar to insert the due dates of the term paper assignments, as well as test dates in
your other classes. This calendar should be used to set the pace of work for the term paper, as
well as for goal setting.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

21
Appendix C

Outlining Worksheet

You should use this worksheet to prepare a detailed outline for your paper before you write the
preface and the essay itself. If you have used the proper note card system, or kept careful track
of your notes, you can simple put card/note code numbers in the space provided. This should
save time when writing the paper and help to keep the final product organized and well focused.

I. Introduction

a. Introduce the topic briefly and put it into context

b. Either pose the research question rhetorically or somehow work the question into the
discussion

c. Give your thesis statement in its entirety

d. What historian(s)’ research is your thesis building upon or opposing?

II. Body Section 1:

a. Include a good topic sentence that will cover the entire section

b. Argue the point in logical, concise and focused paragraph(s).

i. How will you organize your paragraphs (what will the topic sentences of the
paragraphs be)?
ii. Make a list of factual information you will use in each paragraph
iii. Make a list of quotations you will use

c. Connect the full point to the thesis and weigh its relative importance

d. Transition to the next section

III. Body Section 2:

e. Include a good topic sentence that will cover the entire section

f. Argue the point in logical, concise and focused paragraph(s).

i. How will you organize your paragraphs (what will the topic sentences of the
paragraphs be)?
ii. Make a list of factual information you will use in each paragraph
iii. Make a list of quotations you will use

22
 g. Connect the full point to the thesis and weigh its relative importance

h. Transition to the next section

IV. Body Section 3:

i. Include a good topic sentence that will cover the entire section

j. Argue the point in logical, concise and focused paragraph(s).

i. How will you organize your paragraphs (what will the topic sentences of the
paragraphs be)?
ii. Make a list of factual information you will use in each paragraph
iii. Make a list of quotations you will use

k. Connect the full point to the thesis and weigh its relative importance

l. Transition to the next section

V. Conclusion:
a. Briefly restate the main points of your argument and also briefly discuss how the points
work together and their relative weight and importance to the thesis.

b. Repeat the research question

c. Restate your thesis statement

d. Explain the significance of your thesis – connect it to more general themes in world
history

23
Appendix D

Footnote/Endnote Sample Formats

The following list contains sample formats for footnote entries for every type of source students
are likely to encounter in the course of the paper. Students should choose the format that fits the
type of source they are using and apply it to the information from their own source. When
footnoting a primary source, students should use the format of the source from which they
obtained the source. For example, a document found on the web site Modern History Sourcebook
would be footnoted as material from a web site. A document found in a book or primary sources
would be footnoted as an essay or chapter from a multi-author book. Questions about how to
footnote a particular source should be addressed to the instructor. If for some reason you cannot
locate the necessary information because your original source did not contain it (not because you
failed to record it on your bibliography card) use the following abbreviations to indicate what is
unknown: n.d.=no date; n.p. (before colon) = no place; n.p. (after colon) = no publisher.

Printed Sources

Book With One Author

Wayne K. Durrill, War of a Different Kind: A Southern Community in the Great Rebellion (New
York: Oxford UP, 1990) 23.

Book With Two or More Authors

John P. McKay, Bennet D. Hill, John Buckler, and Patricial Buckley Ebrey, A History of World
Societies Sixth Edition (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004) 23.

Book With an Editor or Translator

Arthur Schnitzler, The Road to the Open, translated by Horace Samuel (Evanston, IL:
Northwestern UP, 1991) 23.

Essays or Chapters from a Multi-author Book (Note: This is the form you use for essays or
primary sources from collections in one book.)

Thomas G. Paterson, “The Origins of the Postwar International System.” In Major Problems in
American History Since 1945, edited by Robert Griffith and Paula Baker (Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 2001) 23.

Book With A Corporate or Organization Author

United Nations Organization, Report on Peacekeeping Operations in Sierra Leone 2005 (New
York: United Nations Organization, 2006) 23.

24
Article or Section from a Reference Book (Note: These books will not usually give authors for
the sections. If they do, add it at the beginning of the entry. Be sure to include the name of the
editor(s).)
“Assault Weapons.” Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture,
and the Law. Edited by Gregg Lee Carter (Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2002) 23.

Magazine or Journal Article With An Author

John Seabrook, “Ruffled Feathers: Uncovering the Biggest Scandal in the Bird World.” The New
Yorker (May 29, 2006) 23.

Magazine Article With No Author (Note: These are usually short articles, but occasionally
they will be useful and you may need to cite some information from one. Simply use the headline
/ title of article and omit an author’s name. Include a page number.)

“Time Capsule.” Missouri Conservationist (December 2007) 33.

Newspaper Editorials (Note: These are generally in the opinion section of the newspaper. They
represent the opinion of the newspaper, and are generally not signed. No page number is
necessary.)

“Students Gain, Lenders Lose.” Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (June 25, 2007).

Newspaper Article with No Author Given (Note: If there are multiple articles from the same
paper, and you go back and forth in your notes, include the paper and enough of the article title
so that your reader knows to which article you are referring.)

Wall Street Journal, “Deal is Arranged for Sale of Essex Crane Rental.” (10 March 2008).

Newspaper Article with an Author Listed

Judith Miller, “Threats and Responses: Chemical Weapons; Iraq said to try to buy antidote
against nerve gas.” New York Times (12 November 2002).

SIRS

Benedict Carey. “In the Execution Chamber, the Moral Compass Wavers,” New York Times,
February 7, 2006, F1+. Reprinted in Human Relations 2007, Ed. Kim T. Kobayashi, Boca Raton,
FL: Pro Quest Information and Learning Co.

Online Sources

CQ Researcher

Kenneth Jost. “Gun Violence.” CQ Researcher Online 17, no. 20 (25 May 2007): 465.
<http://www. cqpress.com/cqresearcher/ > (accessed June 25, 2007).

25
Newsbank
Paul Keegan. “The Turning Point,” Money (July 2007): 104. <http://www.newsbank.com>
(accessed August 21, 2007).

Facts.com
“Juvenile Death Penalty” Issues and Controversies January 21, 2005. <http://www.facts.com>
(accessed May 3, 2006).

A Downloaded Article from an Organization Web Site (Note- Always include an author’s
name if there is one. Generally, articles on sites will have them. If they do not, go to the next
sample.)

Ben Lieberman. “American-Made Energy from ANWR at a Modest Cost.” Heritage Foundation
Web Memo, number 1192 (August 10, 2006).
<http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/upload/wm_1192.pdf>
(accessed August 24, 2006).

Material from a Corporate or Organization Website (Note: Be as specific as possible with a

title if you can get one. If you are using material from a bunch of places within a site, simply use
the name of the website or the organization sponsoring it as an author.)

Republican Party. “2004 Republican Party Platform.” The Republican Party. < http://www.gop.
com/images/2004platform.pdf> (accessed March 15, 2008).

An Article from Gale Opposing Viewpoints

Ed Donnerstein, “Media Violence Promotes Violent Behavior.” Opposing Viewpoints: Popular
Culture. Ed. John Woodward. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. Thomson Gale. MOREnet John Burroughs School.
<http://find.galegroup.com/> (accessed June 25, 2007).

An Essay from JSTOR - Essays from JSTOR should be formated like a magazine/journal
article with the addition of (obtained from JSTOR on Month DATE, YEAR). Download the PDF
of JSTOR Articles; all the information is on the cover sheet of the PDF file.

Helen M. Hintjens, “Explaining the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.” The Journal of Modern African
Studies (June 1999) 23. (obtained from JSTOR on June 21, 2008)

26
Appendix E

Bibliography Entry Samples

Here is a list of bibliography entry examples. Select the appropriate example and alter it with the
information in your source appropriately. If for some reason you cannot locate the necessary
information because your original source did not contain it (not because you failed to record it on
your bibliography card) use the following abbreviations to indicate what is unknown: n.d.=no
date; n.p. (before colon)=no place; n.p.(after colon) =no pub-lisher. Please note that your
annotated bibliography should use a “hanging indent” of 1/2 inch.

Printed Sources

Book With One Author

Durrill, Wayne K. War of a Different Kind: A Southern Community in the Great Rebellion. New
York: Oxford UP, 1990.

Book With Two or More Authors

McKay, John P., Bennet D. Hill, John Buckler, and Patricial Buckley Ebrey. A History of World
Societies Sixth Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004.

Book With an Editor or Translator

Schnitzler, Arthur. The Road to the Open, translated by Horace Samuel. Evanston, IL:
Northwestern UP, 1991.

Essays or Chapters from a Multi-author Book (Note: This is the form you use for sections
from Opposing Viewpoints print or Current Issues, etc.)

Paterson, Thomas G. “The Origins of the Postwar International System.” In Major Problems in
American History Since 1945, edited by Robert Griffith and Paula Baker, 26-33. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Book With A Corporate or Organization Author

United Nations Organization. Report on Peacekeeping Operations in Sierra Leone 2005. New
York: United Nations Organization, 2006.

Article or Section from a Reference Book (Note: These books will not usually give authors for
the sections. If they do, add it at the beginning of the entry. Be sure to include the name of the
editor(s).)

“Assault Weapons.” Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture,

and the Law. Edited by Gregg Lee Carter, 234-240. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO,
2002

27
Magazine Article With An Author

Seabrook, John. “Ruffled Feathers: Uncovering the Biggest Scandal in the Bird World.” The
New Yorker, 29 May 2006, 50-61.

Magazine Article With No Author (Note: These are usually short articles, but occasionally
they will be useful and you may need to cite some information from one. Simply use the headline
/ title of article and omit an author’s name.)

“Time Capsule.” Missouri Conservationist, December 2007, 33.

Newspaper Editorials (Note: These are generally in the opinion section of the newspaper. They
represent the opinion of the newspaper, and are generally not signed. No page number is
necessary.)

“Students Gain, Lenders Lose.” Editorial, St. Louis Post-Dispatch June 25, 2007.

Newspaper Article with No Author Given

Wall Street Journal, “Deal is Arranged for Sale of Essex Crane Rental,” 10 March 2008.

Newspaper Article with an Author Listed

Miller, Judith, “Threats and Responses: Chemical Weapons; Iraq said to try to buy antidote
against nerve gas.” New York Times, 12 November 2002.

SIRS

Carey, Benedict. “In the Execution Chamber, the Moral Compass Wavers,” New York Times,
February 7, 2006, F1+. Reprinted in Human Relations 2007, Ed. Kim T. Kobayashi,
Boca Raton, FL: Pro Quest Information and Learning Co.

Online Sources

CQ Researcher

Jost, Kenneth. “Gun Violence.” CQ Researcher Online 17, no. 20 (25 May 2007): 457-480.
<http://www.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/> (accessed June 25, 2007).

Newsbank

Keegan, Paul. “The Turning Point,” Money (July 2007): 104. <http://www.newsbank.com>
(accessed August 21, 2007).

28
Facts.com (Note: Remember to be as specific as possible about which section of Facts.com your
source came from, for example, Issues and Controversies.)

“Juvenile Death Penalty” Issues and Controversies January 21, 2005. <http://www.facts.com>
(accessed May 3, 2006).

A Downloaded Article from an Organization Web Site (Note: Always include an author’s
name if there is one. Generally, articles on sites will have them. If they do not, go to the next
sample.)

Lieberman, Ben. “American-Made Energy from ANWR at a Modest Cost.” Heritage Foundation
Web Memo, number 1192 (August 10, 2006).
<http://www.heritage.org/Research/EnergyandEnvironment/upload/wm_1192.pdf>
(accessed August 24, 2006).

Material from a Corporate or Organization Website (Note: Be as specific as possible with a

title if you can get one. If you are using material from a bunch of places within a site, simply use
the name of the website or the organization sponsoring it as an author.)

Republican Party. “2004 Republican Party Platform.” The Republican Party. < http://www.gop.
com/images/2004platform.pdf> (accessed March 15, 2008).

An Article from Gale Opposing Viewpoints (Note: the sample slide on page 12 if you get
confused.)

Donnerstein, Ed. “Media Violence Promotes Violent Behavior.” Opposing Viewpoints: Popular
Culture. Ed. John Woodward. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. Opposing Viewpoints
Resource Center. Thomson Gale. MOREnet John Burroughs School. <http://find.
galegroup.com/> (accessed June 25, 2007).

An Essay from JSTOR - Essays from JSTOR should be formated like a magazine/journal
article with the addition of (obtained from JSTOR on Month DATE, YEAR). Download the PDF
of JSTOR Articles; all the information is on the cover sheet of the PDF file.

Hintjens, Helen M., “Explaining the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda.” The Journal of Modern African
Studies, June 1999, 241-286. (obtained from JSTOR on June 21, 2008)

29
Appendix F

Sample Annotated Bibliography

Benn, Charles D. Daily Life in Traditional China: The Tang Dynasty. Westport, Conn.:
Greenwood Press, 2002. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/burroughs-
ebooks/detail.action?docID=3000874&query=Tang+Dynasty.

This book gives background on Emperor Wuzong’s life and religious beliefs. It also goes into
detail about what the government acquired from the seized Buddhist temples.

Ch'en, Kenneth. "The Economic Background of The Hui-ch'ang Suppression of

Buddhism." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 19, no. 1/2 (June 1956):
67-105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718490.

This journal article goes into great depth the reasons why Emperor Wuzong wanted to persecute
Buddhism for its money. It speaks of the events the Tang Dynasty experienced that made them in
need of money, and the ways Buddhists evaded taxes and accumulated wealth.

Dalby, Michael T. "Court Politics in Late T'ang Times." In The Cambridge History
of China, 561-681. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1990.

This chapter of the book is useful because it covers multiple points of inquiry regarding Emperor
Wuzong and his motives for the suppression. It analyzes the suppression from several views.

Wright, Arthur F. Buddhism in Chinese History. N.p.: Stanford University Press, 1959.
http://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.02394.0001.001.

This book is important because it contains several chapters each covering a period of Buddhism
in China. One of the chapters useful to me focuses on how Buddhism grew in the Tang Dynasty
and to what degree did it affect the people.

Wuzong. "Emperor Wuzong's Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism." 845. In Sources of

Chinese Tradition: From Earliest Times to 1600, compiled byIrene Bloom and Theodore de
Bary, 585-86.

This is a political document that was written by Emperor Wuzong himself in 845. It gives
information about what his reasoning was for the suppression and approximate numbers of the
extent of the suppression.

Yang, Lien-sheng. "Buddhist Monasteries and Four Money-raising Institutions in

Chinese History." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies13, no. 1/2 (1950):
174-91. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2718163.
Lien-shen Yang provides information on the Buddhist monasteries of medieval China
and how they made money to sustain themselves. This is useful as I can tie together the
economic motive of the government with the Buddhist church’s power.

30
Appendix G

Sample Title Page

An Excellent Title For Your Term Paper

By

First Name Last Name

World Civilizations I

Mr./Ms./Dr. Teacher

Date Final Copy is Due

31