1. Developing a thesis statement

   1. Ask a central question regarding your topic, and turn that question in to a statement. Is it something that can be proven, argued, documented? If so, it might be a workable thesis statement.

2. Gather your sources (1). Identify a few relevant primary sources and select the best from among those.

   1. Newspaper sources (archives, NY Times Historical, Historic American Newspapers (http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/), even Google News Archives

   2. Autobiographical sources (library catalog)
   3. Digital archives (infomine.ucr.edu as search tool)
      
      
3. Gather your sources (2). Identify suitable secondary sources. Are they relevant and reliable?
   1. Is the material presented in the source relevant to the subject?
   2. Are the facts presented in the secondary source in agreement with their mention in the primary document?
   3. Do other secondary sources agree or differ with the source under examination?
   4. Do critiques and reviews of the source generally support it? If there is a dissenting opinion, which is more convincing?
   5. Is the presentation of the source consistent with the material learned in class?
   6. Is the author's analysis of the issues fair, balanced, and based on the facts presented?
   7. What is the reputation of the author? Is he/she know to quote facts accurately and to analyze issues fairly?
      
      
4. Where will you find your monograph? The library catalog. Print books and e-books are equally acceptable, as long as the monograph is relevant and reliable.
   
   
5. Documenting your material. Which citation style will you be following? Chicago Documentation Style is as simple as MLA. A good guide can be found here:
   http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/resdoc5e/RES5e_ch10_s1-0001.html

electronic databases

JSTOR

Academic OneFile

Gale Virtual Reference Library

library catalog

Catalog search suggestions (using Library of Congress subject headings):

 

Primary Sources Subject Headings:

Archives

Autobiography

Correspondence

Diaries

Indian Treaties

Interviews

Laws

Memoirs

Personal Narratives (or the word 'narrative' in the title of a book, usually)

Sources (this is the main subject heading for primary sources)

Treaties

 

Look for books with the following subject headings:

Colonies—(America or United States)

Colonies—(America or United States)—History

Colonists—History—Sources

Colonization. (America or United States)

Colonization—History
Southern States

Northern States

Labor - History

 

Quiz http://bit.ly/piL72S