ANTH240 Term Paper Project

DESCRIPTION: You will write a 2000-word paper in which you will critically examine an aspect of our
knowledge of either the development of cultures in the Americas, or of the initial settlement of the New
World. You are free to select any relevant topic, as long as it meets the goals of this assignment
(outlined below) and you discuss it with your instructor first. A list of potential topics that you may want
to consider is given at the end of this document.

PROJECT GOALS: Through this project you will develop your comprehension, communication, and
research skills. You will learn to find, analyze, synthesize, and integrate various points of view and types
of evidence, thereby developing critical thinking skills. Note that in doing research your goal will NOT be
to find evidence for what you think you already know, but rather to learn and engage with what scholars
have said about your topic.

ASSIGNMENTS: The term paper project is divided into three related assignments, the last of which is the
term paper proper. The assignments are:

1. Write a proposal: You will clearly identify the topic you intend to write on and explain why you
chose it. Your explanation should also:
a. Identify how your proposed topic is related to the course learning outcomes (see page 1
of your syllabus).
b. Identify at least two alternative viewpoints that you will engage with.
c. Identify areas of broad agreement or consensus.
d. Identify key gaps in our knowledge (e.g., dating, environmental conditions, distribution
of sites) and briefly discuss why you think the topic can be reasonably covered in 2000
words.

DUE: February 16, 2023

Technical requirements: The proposal must be submitted as a MS Word document (on Moodle)
and it should be no longer than half a page (single-spaced).

2. Write an annotated bibliography: You will find at least three scholarly sources and provide full
citations and a one-paragraph annotation for each. The annotations should highlight:
a. how the source contributes to a better understanding of your chosen topic (e.g., key
data? key insight?);
b. the main point of view advocated by the author(s) and your preliminary evaluation (e.g.,
surprising, compelling, etc.); and
c. potential shortcomings (e.g., methods, sample sizes, interpretation).

Some questions to keep in mind when annotating your sources: What are the authors trying to
do? What kind of information/data do they use, and what conclusions do they reach? How
convincing is the evidence? Can you think of an alternative interpretation? What assumptions
do the authors make? How do their results and methods fit in with what you already know?
How do they fit with what other scholars have published on the topic? Is the article recent
enough that it is still relevant? What do you think of the findings? How important is the
information presented in this source to understanding your topic (i.e. does it address the topic
extensively, or just marginally), and why do you think so? In what way, and to what extent, was
this source useful to you in coming up with an argument about your topic?
 ANTH240 Term Paper Project

NOTE 1: Providing a simple summary of the chosen publication (e.g., paraphrasing an

abstract) is not enough – you must demonstrate critical engagement with your proposed
sources.

NOTE 2: Three scholarly publications constitute a minimum. An A paper is expected to do

more than simply meet the minimum requirements.

DUE: March 2nd, 2023

Technical requirements: Sources should be cited according to the APA 7 th edition standard.

3. Write the term paper: Writing a paper for a university course takes time, even if the paper is
short. For a good grade your ideas must be expressed clearly and concisely, they must follow a
logical order, the evidence you provide (and the way in which you present it) must be
persuasive, and your writing should be free of grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.
Because of this, you should be prepared to edit and revise your paper multiple times.

Recommendation: I recommend that you start by creating a 1-page outline of your term paper.
You can begin by identifying your thesis (what you will try to convince your reader of) at the top
of the page, then identifying and briefly explaining the main ideas to be developed in each
paragraph (use point form). For each paragraph you can then list, in point form, the main
supporting details or evidence you plan on presenting.

Once you have an outline you may begin writing your first paper draft. This will be a rough first
version of your paper. It should contain all the essential components (introduction, coherent
paragraphs, conclusion), but you should not worry too much about the writing itself (e.g.,
grammar, smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs). The goal of a first draft is to
add “flesh” to the skeleton or outline of the paper that you created.

You will edit and revise the draft by fixing grammatical and spelling errors, and deleting, adding,
or moving paragraphs, sentences and words around to ensure the final version is as clear,
concise, and persuasive as possible.

TERM PAPER TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

 Length: 2000 words (6-7 pages double-spaced, or ca. 10 paragraphs), not including the title page
and the references.
 Formatting:
 The essay must be typed in Microsoft Word or equivalent.
 Line spacing: Double-spaced
 Font: Times New Roman (12 point) or Calibri (11 point)
 Margins: 2.54 (1 inch)
 Page numbering: Page number on top right corner of the page
 Citations and References:
 Scholarly sources: minimum three (peer-reviewed journal articles or academic books)
 Where to cite: sources must be cited both in-text and at the end of the paper on a
References page (see links below).
 Citation style: APA (7th edition).
 ANTH240 Term Paper Project

 Textbook, lecture notes, and assigned readings: Must be cited if you use them, but they
do not count towards the minimum of three scholarly sources required for this paper.

TIPS TO AVOID ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT:

1. Familiarize yourself with the citation style (APA).

 Why? To know what to write down when checking a potential source (academic journal,
book, TV, website, personal communication from a friend, etc.).
 How? See the library website:
o APA: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/apa
o Go to “How do I cite” and see both the References and the In-Text citation
examples.

2. Keep track of ALL the information you come across while thinking about or researching your
paper.
 Why? You don’t know what you will end up using in your paper, and you must acknowledge
the source of all ideas, experiences, phrases, artwork, etc. that are not your own.
 How? Some ideas:
o Take a picture!
o Make a note on your phone. Have a file dedicated to keeping track of sources for
the assignment.
o Carry a research journal (e.g., notebook).

3. Acknowledge the source of any idea, experience, artwork, writing, and so on that is not your
own.
 Why? To avoid a charge of plagiarism; to allow the instructor to evaluate your
contribution.
 How?
o Cite your source both in the text (see #1) and in a References page.
o Use quotes or paraphrase (see #4).
o TIPS:
 The newest versions of Microsoft Word can manage and format
citations.
 You can use a free program such as JabRef, Docear, Zotero to keep track
and format your citations.
 Will I get a lower grade if I use other people’s work or ideas?
o No, unless little in your paper is your own work (e.g., quotation after quotation).
You are expected to engage with other people’s ideas, but you have to
synthesize, analyze and critically engage with those ideas – they cannot take over
your paper. The overall arguments should be your own.

4. Do not misrepresent your sources. You must accurately report what your source has said,
experienced, drawn, etc.
 ANTH240 Term Paper Project

 Why? It is dishonest and unfair, both to your reader and to the person whose work or
ideas you are using.
 How?
o Make sure you understand the original context and intended meaning.
o See examples in “Doing honest work in college” (on Student Portal, under
“Course Documents”)

5. Write your own paper. Do not pay or ask someone to write the paper for you, either in part or in
full, and do not use ChatGTP or other Artificial Intelligence tools.
 Why? You may be quizzed on the contents of your paper, and if your answers are not
satisfactory, you will be charged with academic dishonesty and you will receive a zero.

WARNING: Do NOT copy sentences or paragraphs (e.g., from a website) and simply replace a few
words with synonyms, or change word order.

EVALUATION GUIDELINE (a more detailed guideline will be provided):

90-100%: Flawless writing and in-depth analysis reflecting original thought and mastery of
course contents. Excellent selection and very effective use of sources. More sources are used
than the acceptable minimum (i.e., more than three).

80-89%: Excellent writing and overall organization of ideas. An interesting analysis of the topic,
reflecting considerable thought and effort. The paper demonstrates a very solid understanding
of course materials and selected source contents. No or few and minor spelling and grammatical
errors demonstrating attention to detail. Cited sources are relevant and used effectively. An A
paper will typically engage with more than the minimum of three sources.

70-79%: A well-written, properly structured essay with an adequate argument and good
application of archaeological/anthropological concepts and perspectives. There may be spelling
and grammatical errors, but the meaning is consistently clear. Overall, at least three cited
scholarly publications are relevant and used effectively.

60-69%: Evidence of effort, and some application of archaeological/anthropological concepts

and perspectives, but the paper is either mostly descriptive or the argument is difficult to follow
or trivial. At least three academic sources are used but not very effectively.

40-59%: Some evidence of effort, but the paper is either almost purely descriptive or the
argument is very difficult to follow. On topic, but could have been written without knowledge of
the materials covered in this course. Academic sources may be used, but not effectively (i.e.,
they are at best marginally important to the overall argument, or they take over the argument).

10-39%: Little to no evidence of effort. May be off-topic and does not follow instructions.

0%: Paper not submitted or plagiarized.

 ANTH240 Term Paper Project

POTENTIAL TOPICS:

1. Are oral traditions a reliable source of information on the development of cultures on the
Northwest Coast?
2. Who were the first settlers of South America?
3. To what extent did environmental conditions determine the development of _______? (pick an
archaeological culture)
4. Why did people domesticate _______ in ________? (pick a relevant plant [consider chili
peppers, peanuts, maize] and relevant culture area/region)
5. What is the main factor that led to the formation of the __________ state? (pick a relevant
archaeological culture)
6. Among the ________, what were the social consequences of the adoption of agriculture? Were
they overall positive or negative? (pick an archaeological culture)
7. Why did the _______ state collapse? (pick a relevant archaeological culture)