Instructions:
Topic: Archeological history of shoes through an anthropological point of view
• Thesis: Over time, both archaeological excavations and the written record have shown evidence of how shoes evolved over time both in style and design to fit the different purposes they were intended to serve and audience they were created to appease. This paper will explore the change in this function over time, and sift through evidence in order to establish both what caused this evolution and the impact it had on different peoples or societies observed wearing them.
o This is a thesis that I originally wrote for the essay, but if you’d like, you could modify it.
• Your paper must have a clear, strong thesis statement, which outlines the main idea or argument you will make in the paper.
• The paper should NOT be a descriptive report (a collection of facts).
• (VERY) BASIC ELEMENTS OF A QUALITY ANALYTICAL RESEARCH PAPER:
o Thoroughness & the amount of effort you put into your paper: Have you scoured the archives, plumed the depths, left no stone unturned in
your quest to find information pertaining to your topic? This is reflected
in the number and quality of references you use; &
o Astuteness, critical thinking, & originality: Have you commented
critically on the source material & come up with some new information or ideas about the topic, or are you just regurgitating what others have said? How much thought have you put into your paper? Compare & contrast what others have said & make conclusions of your own. Originality and creative, cogent arguments count.
• You must have at least 15 references for your paper;
o At least 2/3rds of those sources must be peer-reviewed sources.
https://www.angelo.edu/services/library/handouts/peerrev.php
o Sources do not have to specifically be about your topic as depending on your topic, there will be more or less written…but sources should be related (e.g. a review about a film focused on medication distribution on Native American reservations could utilize research on endemic diseases like diabetes in past populations).
o There is no maximum number of references (if you want to impress, utilize more, creative sources).
o A good source for peer-reviewed/academic papers is ProQuest, which houses Master’s theses and Doctoral dissertations: https://www.proquest.com/products-services/dissertations/Find-a- Dissertation.html.
• While you do not have to use the outline below, the IMRAD structure is a good way to stay on track while you work on your research paper. An overview is included here, but you can find many resources on IMRAD and other research paper format options on the web.
o INTRODUCTION (approx. 1 page)
Explain your problem orientation and research questions (what are you
asking and why).
Should be a roadmap for what is to follow in the rest of the paper…what methods did you use, what data did you look at, give teasers on problematics or issues that came up during research, etc. that you will unpack in the body of your paper.
o METHODS (approx. 1 page)
What methods did you use to do your research? Why? Expand on issues that came up during you research and what you did to mitigate those issues.
Prove here that you did deep research into your topic.
o (RAW) DATA (appox. 1.5 pages)
What data types did you use to do your research? Why? Expand on issues that came up during your fieldwork and what you did to mitigate those
issues.
List (preferably in paragraph form) the data you used to answer your
research questions, in this section.
o ANALYSIS (interpretations) (approx. 3 pages)
Did the data answer your questions? Why or why not? What data is missing and might add to your conclusions if you had the time to do more research? Attend to each of your research questions/research themes here, in detail.
Add case studies here that might apply to your own questions. For example, a paper on the marching band, might include research into the history of marching bands, the types of music marching bands play, when/where they play, and how those standards have changed or stayed the same over time. How does the history of the USC marching band compare to the popularity of marching bands, generally?
Show that you have done exhaustive research given the time constraints and availability of accessible resources.
o DISCUSSION (& CONCLUSIONS) (approx. 2 pages)
Use this space to revisit your introduction and wrap up your work.
Note what you have figured out and what you haven’t…what work still
needs to be done and what data might be needed to more fully answer your questions. Scientific work is never ‘complete’…there is always something else to pursue.
If you’ve read all of these instructions, message me saying “I have read all of the instructions and understand everything, clearly.”