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FINAL ESSAY / PROJECT GUIDELINES

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Documentation of sources and academic integrity:

You must document where you found ALL the information, ideas, opinions, etc. that you borrowed and utilized in your essay. Direct quotations, paraphrases, information, interpretations, and opinions taken from another person’s work must be identified. Cite the sources of all material by means of in-text citations or footnotes (give page numbers) and provide a bibliography at the end of your paper listing all sources you consulted. Any standard documentation style is acceptable as long as you are consistent and give all the required publication information.

All work submitted for course credit must be an original effort. Plagiarism means presenting the words or ideas of another person as if they were your own, for example by turning in someone else’s work or failing to document material you have quoted or borrowed.  You are responsible for understanding all aspects of University regulations regarding academic integrity.

Final Essay or Project (30% total)

Two components due:

1.     10% Draft/preliminary writing for peer workshop due on Thursday, March 13, 10:30am

2.     20% Completed essay (5-6 double-spaced pages) or project due on Thursday, March 20, 11:59pm

Final Essay or Project Assignment overview of requirements:

• You will write an essay (5-6 pages) or create a project in another format.
• If you want to do the research paper/project option, you must contact the instructor for approval of your topic and your general ideas about what kinds of sources you could research. Contact me before you begin your writing.
• If you have an idea for an alternative (non-essay) format for your final project, please contact the instructor to get it approved before you begin.

• NOTE: If you're doing a project, your work should include a written component that provides a discussion of your sources, methods or process, reflections, etc. along with a bibliography. Consult with me about what that could look like.
• Some suggestions for project formats include: a video or audio recording such as a podcast (with transcript); a presentation for a workshop; a historical exhibit; a creative writing or art work.

• Your essay or project must develop interpretations of the course readings and of additional texts (if appropriate) that demonstrate your interests and understanding of a specific topic that arises from our study of disability history.
• Your essay or project must utilize the critical framework of disability studies and bring disability into the center of inquiry. Consider how the work we’ve done has involving thinking about disability in relationship to other categories of difference, about ableism in relation to other forms of discrimination, and/or about anti-ableism work in relation to other social movements.
• Your essay or project must include 2-3 paragraphs of analysis of the historical methods used by the authors of the chosen sources.
  • NOTE: For the methods analysis, it's recommended that you utilize the framework supplied in the article by Richards & Burch, "Documents, Ethics, and the Disability Historian." Identify & briefly analyze some of the historical methods used by the authors of the readings. Consider one or more of these prompts:

• • • How disability historians find or select their sources (archives, oral histories, official vs. vernacular documents, etc.).
    • What approaches they take in interpreting them.
    • What goals and concerns they state for disseminating their research (accountability, privacy, accessibility, etc).

Choose one of these content options (A or B), and choose either essay or project format:

A. Synthesis essay/project. Write an essay or produce a project in a different format that makes an argument about and engages deeply with a topic of your choice in the history of disability that was covered in the readings. Your must substantially utilize at least 4 of the required readings this quarter. Guidelines:

• Sources: Your final paper/project must cite and engage substantially with least four (4) required readings to support your arguments and interpretations of your chosen topic in the history of disability.
  • One of those sources must be one of our readings that explicitly addressed historical or archival methods (such as Richards & Burch; Lawrence; Brilmyer). 
  • You may cite material from additional required or optional readings, films, etc. from the class website, or your own research, beyond the minimum 4 sources.
• Writing mechanics: Be sure to use page citations and have a bibliography in any standard format (APA, MLA, etc.). Give your paper/project a title. Carefully proofread your work.

B. Research paper/project. Create a question of your own about or related to the course material and topics we’ve explored. Write an essay or produce a project in a different format that addresses your question. You must substantially utilize at least 4 sources total, and 2 of those must be required readings this quarter. Guidelines:

• • Sources:  Your final paper/project must cite and engage substantially with least four (4) sources to support your arguments and interpretations of your chosen topic in the history of disability.
    • Two of your sources must be required course readings.
      • One of those sources must be one of our readings that explicitly addressed historical or archival methods (such as Richards & Burch; Lawrence; Brilmyer). 
    • You must cite and engage with at least two substantial texts that you researched on your own.
      • A list of potentially useful resources for your research can be found below.
    • You may cite material from additional required or optional readings, podcasts, etc., or from your own research, beyond the minimum 4 sources.
  • You must contact the instructor for approval of your topic and your general ideas about what kinds of sources you could research. Contact me before you begin your writing.
  • Topic and research: You might choose to pursue a subject or research question that came up from the readings or other course materials. Or you might think of another subject or research question that is thematically connected to our class work.
    • A great place to start seeking source materials is in the bibliographies of our course texts.
    • You’re also encouraged to use the UW Libraries catalog and databases. Here is the UW Libraries Disability Studies research guide: https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/disabilitystudies
    • Disability in the Modern World database (primary sources, newsletters, etc) https://search-alexanderstreet-com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/disa
    • UC Berkeley Oral History Center https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/bancroft/oral-history-center
    • Disability Social History Project https://disabilityhistory.org/
  • Writing mechanics: Be sure to use page citations and have a bibliography in any standard format (APA, MLA, etc.). Give your paper/project a title. Carefully proofread your work.

Your essay or project will be assessed in terms of how effectively it:

• demonstrates nuanced and thorough reading and engages with all of the cited course texts and other sources.
• substantially uses at least 4 sources as explained in the guidelines for the research paper/project or synthesis essay/project.
• develops arguments and interpretations of the course themes as fully as possible and is well supported by appropriate texts.
• refers to specific passages from the texts to support interpretations. Does not use long quotations.
• utilizes the critical framework of disability studies.
• includes a thesis statement in the introductory paragraph that sums up your main interpretive claims, or it makes an argument in a creative way appropriate to your chosen project format.
• ideas must be organized clearly.
• essay or project must be carefully proofread.
• includes exact page citations and a bibliography. Use any standard style as long as you are consistent and thorough (APA, MLA, Chicago style, etc.)
• Essay should be 5-6 double-spaced pages, plus bibliography.
• If you do a project, you should include a written component that provides a discussion of your sources, methods or process, reflections, etc. along with a bibliography.

DRAFT or PRE-WRITING Rubric (expectations and elements on which you'll receive feedback from peers and instructor): due Thursday, March 13^th, 10:30am

Please aim to include all of the following in your draft/pre-writing. There is no minimum page requirement for this assignment. But keep in mind you will need to provide a substantial enough document for your peers to offer you feedback during the workshop:

1. Thesis statement: There is a draft thesis statement or some other writing that sums up (to this point) the essay/projects’s main argument or goals.
2. Organization: There’s some kind of an introduction that gives an outline of what the reader can expect in the essay/project, including a statement of a topic or research question. The body paragraphs present information and ideas in a logical sequence that flows naturally and is engaging to the audience. If doing a project, also provide details about the format of the project and what kind of written component you will submit alongside it.
3. Sources: The draft indicates in some way which sources are being used or will be used to write the essay/project. At least the minimum number of required readings and outside sources are indicated. Chosen texts are appropriate to the topic. As far as the draft or pre-writing goes, it contains accurate summarization, description, and/or paraphrasing of the texts and key concepts. Clear and appropriate examples are used to illuminate concepts and issues.
4. Analysis: As far as can be expected for a draft or pre-writing, the project attempts to make a substantial point about the texts and is supported with relevant information and well-focused ideas. The essay makes effective use of the disability studies critical framework. The essay demonstrates thorough and nuanced reading of the texts so far.
5. Writing mechanics and style: As far as can be expected for a draft or pre-writing, all sentences are grammatically correct and clearly written. The essay uses proper paragraph structure. The essay has been spell-checked and proofread and has few errors that distract from the work. The essay has a title the reflects the topic.
6. Citations and bibliography: All sources of information and ideas are cited correctly in the text and in a bibliography.
7. Peer Workshopping:

• Students who will participate synchronously during class on Thursday March 13: during the peer workshops you will read drafts and give each other feedback in small groups during class time.
• Students who will participate Asynchronously in the peer workshops: there will be a second assignment where you’ll need to upload your Draft version a second time for peer reviews.

Students enrolled in DIS ST / HSTCMP 502:

• Grad students will write a final paper or project that takes a deeper dive into one or two of the topics and/or theories covered in the course or related to the course. Please contact me as soon as possible about your ideas for content and format, which could also be a literature review, original research into historical primary sources, a draft article for your primary field of study, etc.

Suggested Resources for Research Papers:

• UW Libraries Disability Studies Research Guide (login required) https://guides.lib.uw.edu/research/disabilitystudies
• Disability in the Modern World database (primary sources, newsletters, etc) https://search-alexanderstreet-com.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/disa
• UC Berkeley Oral History Center https://www.lib.berkeley.edu/visit/bancroft/oral-history-center
• Disability Social History Project https://disabilityhistory.org/