Anti Mafia Movement

DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH PAPER PROJECT

Type a research paper of 6-8 pages in length, double-spaced. A 12-point font, in Times Roman, is preferred.
The paper should include at least one illustration or a map [not included in the 6-8 pages], and all sources will be footnoted. See the “Suggested Citation Guide” below.
The intent of the paper is to explore further a topic of particular interest to you related to the class. You may also choose to include a summary paragraph that relates the historical material to current events today.
This is a short paper but it must show that you have done research beyond what we learned in class. Try to find an unusual angle or perspective (your thesis). Formulate your own opinion and back it up with sources. Don’t forget to look for primary sources.
You should use at least 3 academic sources in your paper. Avoid television shows or documentaries, and DO NOT USE student websites or Wikipedia.
If you use web-based sources, be sure it is an academic or scholarly source or a footnoted article from a museum or research institute. You can also use sites like the Library of Congress, FBI or CIA published documents, Congressional hearing reports, reputable newspaper articles, etc.
Aim for at least two citations per page. But ALL information should be referenced, not just quotations.
The research paper is worth 100 points, like an exam, and counts as 30% of the final semester grade.
THE RESEARCH PAPER IS DUE on Blackboard


Before you begin your research, check out this website for the Writing Center at GMU: http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/

and this GMU website about plagiarism: http://mason.gmu.edu/~montecin/plagiarism.htm#plagiarism

ANY DISCOVERY OF PLAGIARISM WILL RESULT IN A “0” FOR THE PAPER.

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SUGGESTED CITATION GUIDE

You can use any style or format that you choose, as long as it is consistent throughout the paper.

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Here are some helpful hints:

(1) The style most used for history papers in the United States is the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS).

Here’s a link for Chicago Style, for your information:

https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html

Click on “Notes and Bibliography Style” to see how to do footnotes and a bibliography at the end of the paper.

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(2) OR for this paper you might prefer to use the Turabian Citation Quick Guide at

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html

For example, #1 (below) is the first time you cite a source; #2 is the second time you cite the same source with a different page number.


1. Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Boston: Little, Brown, 2000), 64-65.

2. Gladwell, Tipping Point, 71.