HIST 2300: Introduction to the Middle East
Research
Paper
Assignment
General
Description
Your
final
research
paper
should
offer
interpretation.
This
means
merely
presenting
information
about
a
certain
country
or
event
is
not
sufficient
to
get
a
passing
grade.
In
your
final
research
paper
you’re
required
to
offer
interpretation
and
analysis
on
your
chosen
topic.
Obviously,
in
order
to
offer
an
interpretation,
you
need
to
do
a
thorough
analysis
of
the
topic
first.
Your
essay
should
be
minimum
1000
words
(more
is
fine).
Choosing
a
Topic
Your
final
paper
should
offer
an
interpretation
of
your
topic
by
drawing
on
related
facts
and
ideas
in
a
way
that
is
both
interesting
and
understandable
to
your
audience.
Your
job
is
to
teach
your
audience
something
(assume
that
your
audience
knows
little
to
nothing
about
your
topic
and
it
is
your
job
to
explain
it
in
a
clear
and
logical
way).
In
other
words,
how
does
your
topic
clarify
a
certain
question
related
to
the
Middle
East?
A
good
way
to
start
is
to
begin
with
a
question,
and
then
answer
that
question
in
your
paper.
You
should
choose
a
topic
that
interests
you.
Avoid
topics
that
are
too
broad.
For
example,
“Conflict
in
the
Middle
East”
is
too
broad.
It
might
be
better
to
choose
a
more
focused
topic
such
as
“The
Palestinian-‐Israeli
Conflict:
A
Historical
Analysis.”
Alternatively,
you
can
choose
a
news
article
or
report
online
and
offer
your
analysis/critique
of
it.
An
example
would
be
the
article
“The
Palestinian
Right
of
Return:
a
Realistic
Approach”
(accessible
at
http://www.pij.org/details.php?id=749)
and
offer
your
interpretation
of
the
insights
therein.
Instructions
on
How
to
Write
a
Good
Research
Paper
A
good
research
paper
is
obviously
based
on
research.
So
do
your
research,
collecting
facts
and
ideas.
The
introduction
introduces
the
specific
research
question,
the
context
of
the
paper,
and
a
brief
overview
of
the
paper.
It
is
a
good
idea
to
point
out
the
central
theme
of
your
paper
(or
your
“thesis
statement”)
at
the
outset.
Introductions
starting
with
stock
phrases
such
as
“In
this
paper
I
will
argue
…”
or
“This
essay
will
discuss…”
are
considered
to
be
weak.
The
body
section
of
your
paper
should
give
a
brief
description
of
the
facts
and
the
historical
processes
you
are
studying.
Be
sure
to
discuss
the
actors,
the
problems,
and
the
facts
that
are
relevant
to
your
analysis.
The
Analysis/Interpretation
section
of
your
paper
applies
the
concepts,
approaches,
ideas,
and
facts
you’ve
presented
in
order
to
come
to
a
final
interpretation
about
your
topic.
An
interpretation
is
your
take
on
the
topic.
It
could
be
a
solution
you
propose
or
a
new
perspective
that
has
been
overlooked.
How
does
your
analysis/interpretation
help
us
understand
or
explain
a
seemingly
inexplicable
aspect
of
the
case
you’re
studying?
How
does
your
interpretation
help
us
understand
the
“Middle
East”
better?
In
your
conclusion,
summarize
your
findings
and
whatever
other
conclusions
you
derived
from
the
research.
You
can
also
point
out
shortcomings
or
advantages
in
common
understandings
of
the
Middle
East
on
the
basis
of
your
investigation
of
the
case.
If
there
are
policy
implications,
please
mention
them.
HIST 2300: Introduction to the Middle East
Referencing
Since
this
is
a
research
paper,
you
are
required
to
consult
at
least
THREE
external
sources
IN
ADDITION
TO
drawing
on
relevant
course
materials.
This
means
your
bibliography
will
include
at
least
4
sources:
specific
references
to
relevant
course
materials
+
at
least
three
external
sources.
You
must
include
both
in-‐text
citations
and
a
bibliography.
Use
either
APA
or
MLA
styles
in
your
citations.
Format
Include
a
title
page
with
your
specific
topic
clearly
mentioned
on
it.
12-‐point
font
(Arial
or
Times
New
Roman)
Double-‐spaced
Alphabetized
bibliography
(not
numbered
or
bulleted),
formatted
with
a
“hanging
indent”
Deadline:
End
of
week
14
–
Sunday
December
8,
midnight
Value:
This
assignment
is
worth
25%
of
your
final
grade.
Evaluation:
I
will
use
the
following
rubric
to
mark
your
research
papers
(please
see
rubric
at
the
end
of
this
document).
This
rubric
will
be
attached
to
your
paper
on
Blackboard
for
your
review.
Suggested
Topics
for
Your
Research
Paper
(you
are
not
limited
to
these)
Topics
concerning
politics
and
conflict:
• Western
Imperialism
in
the
Middle
East
1914-‐1958
• British
Policy
in
the
Middle
East,
1916-‐1920
• The
effect
of
universal
ideologies
on
international
politics
in
the
Middle
East
• The
Origins
of
the
Iranian-‐American
Alliance,
1941-‐1953
• The
Origins
of
the
Iranian-‐American
Conflict,
1979-‐present
• Palestinian-‐Israeli
Conflict,
1948-‐present
• American
Jews,
Israel,
and
the
Peace
Process
• Palestine,
Palestinians,
and
International
Law
• The
impact
of
the
Arab-‐Israeli
conflict
on
international
(or
domestic)
politics
• Nationalism
in
the
Middle
East
(you
can
pick
a
specific
country
or
discuss
generally)
• The
Kurdish
Struggle
for
Independence
/
Ethnic
Conflict
in
the
Middle
East
• Patterns
of
discord
and
collaboration
among
Arab
states
HIST 2300: Introduction to the Middle East
• The
effect
of
regional
movements
(Pan
Arabism,
Pan
Turkism,
Pan
Iranianism,
Zionism,
radical
Islamic
movements)
on
Middle
Eastern
Politics
• Is
Islam
the
Solution
to
Middle
East’s
problems?
(discuss
in
the
context
of
the
Muslim
Brotherhood
in
Egypt,
the
Iranian
Revolution,
Hamas
in
Palestine,
or
Hezbollah
in
Lebanon)
• Democracy,
Radical
Islam,
and
international
cooperation
in
the
Middle
East.
Can
the
three
coexist?
• Are
the
problems
in
the
Middle
East
proof
that
a
“clash
of
civilizations”
exists?
(hint:
you
can
look
under
Week
14
for
ideas
on
this
topic!)
• Christians,
Jews,
and
Muslims
in
the
Middle
East
• American
Role
in
The
Middle
East
Topics
related
to
culture
and
arts:
• Islamic
Civilization’s
Contributions
to
Humanity
• Visual
Culture
in
Muslim
Middle
East
(grand
mosques,
tilework,
calligraphy,
painting,
manuscript
illustrations)
• “My
religion
is
love:”
Sufism
in
Muslim
Lands
• Women
and
the
Islamic
Civilization
• Conquering
Global
Stages:
Post-‐revolutionary
Iranian
Cinema
• Naguib
Mahfouz
and
the
Egyptian
Novel
• Orhan
Pamuk
and
the
Turkish
Novel
• Art,
Literature,
and
Resistance
in
the
Middle
East
• Middle
Eastern
Music
(specify
topic)
• Middle
Eastern
Cuisine
(specify
topic)
*
Please
see
next
page
for
the
evaluation
rubric
used
to
assess
your
paper.
HIST 2300: Introduction to the Middle East
Criteria
0
1
2
3
4
5
Interpretation
No
interpretation
offered
beyond
presentation
of
facts
X2
Attempts
to
offer
interpretation
in
general
terms
but
provides
few
details
and
is
superficial
and/or
based
on
assumptions
X2
Offers
some
interpretation
but
details
are
superficial
and
require
more
thought
X2
Offers
an
interpretation
with
some
detail.
Most
details
are
logical
and
convincing
X2
Offers
an
interpretation
with
good
detail.
Details
are
logical,
clear,
thoughtful,
and
analytical
X2
Offers
a
convincing
interpretation
with
broad,
logical,
and
clear
details
X2
Analysis
Analysis
is
missing
Analysis
exists,
but
is
not
always
logical,
on
topic,
or
lead
to
a
conclusion
Analysis
is
mostly
logical,
on
topic,
and
leads
to
a
conclusion
Analysis
is
logical,
on
topic,
and
leads
to
a
conclusion.
Presents
and
explores
relevant
concepts
though
in
a
limited
way
Analysis
is
logical,
on
topic,
and
leads
to
a
conclusion.
Analysis
attempts
to
integrate
and
synthesize
some
of
the
evidence
Analysis
integrates
and
synthesizes
all
the
identified
sources
of
evidence,
is
logical,
is
on
topic,
and
strengthens
the
conclusion.
Analyses
the
issue
with
a
clear
sense
of
scope
and
context
Connection
to
Course
Concepts
Makes
no
connections
to
course
concepts
Makes
an
attempt
to
connect
ideas
to
course
concepts.
Connections
may
be
illogical
or
superficial
Makes
few
connections
to
ideas
and
course
concepts.
Misses
the
majority
of
connections
that
could
be
made
Makes
some
logical
connections
between
ideas
and
course
concepts.
Some
connections
are
missed
Makes
a
significant
number
of
connections
between
ideas
and
course
concepts
Referencing
No
in-‐text
references
or
bibliography
included
In-‐text
citations
or
bibliography
missing
and/or
formatted
incorrectly
In-‐text
citations
and
bibliography
included.
Citations
contain
some
errors
In-‐text
citations
and
bibliography
included
and
formatted
correctly
Accuracy
Writing
contains
numerous
major
errors
which
impede
understanding
Writing
contains
major
errors
and
these
errors
sometimes
affect
meaning
in
parts
of
paper
Writing
contains
some
errors,
but
meaning
is
mostly
clear
Paper
is
free
of
errors
and
ideas
are
clear
