Objective: The purpose of this assignment is to develop your research and citation skills by creating a bibliography for your final assignment. You will need to include a minimum of four citations, following specific source criteria.
Instructions:
Step 1: Research Sources
1. You should have already selected a research topic related to your course subject from a previous project.
Step 2: Find Relevant Sources
2. Locate and evaluate sources that are pertinent to your research topic. You need at least four sources for this bibliography.
- One of your sources must be your course textbook.
- Another source must be a primary source from your course textbook.
- Include one additional primary source.
- The fourth source can be either a secondary source or another primary source.
Step 3: Conduct Research
3. Utilize reputable databases such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives to find primary and secondary sources. Avoid tertiary sources like Wikipedia, Britannica, Khan Academy, and History.com.
Step 4: Cite Your Sources
4. For each source, create a proper citation using the citation style specified by your instructor (Chicago).
5. Ensure that your citations are accurate and complete, including all necessary bibliographic information (author, title, publication date, page numbers, etc.).
Step 5: Compile Your Bibliography
6. Organize your citations in alphabetical order by the author's last name (or title if there's no author).
7. Format your bibliography page according to the citation style guidelines.
Step 6: Submission
8. Submit your bibliography along with your chosen research topic to your instructor by the specified deadline.
For primary sources, the Library of Congress's website, loc.gov, and the National Archives' website, archives.gov, offer extensive collections. Additionally, you can access primary sources from American Yawp's Primary Source Reader, available at The American Yawp.
To access secondary sources, our library's website provides access to a reliable database. Alternatively, you can explore databases like ProjectMuse and JSTOR, although be mindful that certain materials may be behind a paywall, so avoid any unnecessary expenses. Another valuable resource is Archive.org, which offers a vast selection of free materials. It also provides access to the databases of most, if not all, U.S. libraries with open internet access. Please note that creating a free account might be necessary for access in some cases.
To better understand the distinctions between primary, secondary, and tertiary sources, you can refer to the following resource: Primary source versus secondary source versus tertiary source guide