JSTOR Assignment: (20% of grade)

Each student must read three (3) journal articles of their own choosing relating to the period covered in this class from JSTOR, an online collection of journals . The three articles you choose must deal with the same topic. Book reviews, museum exhibit reviews and other such summary articles, as well as primary sources, are not acceptable for this project. Some sample topics are; women and the Revolutionary army, slave families in the 1700s, religious revivals in Virginia, the origins of the anti-slavery movement, the creation of the National Bank, Caribbean pirates.

Paper Requirements:

Your paper’s title page will include your name, class session, and the bibliographic information for each of the three articles (not book reviews, museum exhibits or abstracts) you select.

1. You must identify and summarize EACH article selected in one and a half to two pages. (total length four and a half to six pages) Each summary should identify the main points of the article and the arguments and evidence the author used to support their claim.

2. After concluding the summary of an article, write a one page long critical analysis of the article. A critical analysis will examine the arguments and evidence the author offered (which you located for your summary) and argue whether those arguments were convincing or not. Offer the reasons why you felt the author's arguments were strong or weak. Any critical analysis will include your reasons why an article is well or poorly written or argued. Your analysis of each article must be at least one page in length. (Combining for a total of three analyses for a minimum length of 3 pages)

Project Due Dates:

• TEN DAYS after RESEARCH DAY: Topic and bibliographic information (author, title, journal, issue, pages) from all three articles submitted to professor via email by 5pm.

• ONE WEEK PRIOR to EXAM #4: Final paper due at beginning of class.

Late papers lose one letter grade for each day they are late. Papers submitted on the due date but after the beginning of class will lose ½ a letter grade.

Accessing JSTOR:

The campus library website at http://www.nvcc.edu/loudoun/library/ will provide a free connection to JSTOR from on campus. From the library’s site, click “Articles”, then click on “JSTOR 1800-2003”. You can save a PDF copy of any article by clicking “download”.

Students may access JSTOR from home using their nvcc email/blackboard user id and password. If you have problems accessing the site after entering your log-on info correctly you may contact the Help Desk 703-426-4141 and ask them to reset their Access flag (Help desk folk should know what this means) Once into JSTOR all articles are full text and free to NVCC students .

Searching JSTOR:

1. You should perform an advanced search.

2. Limit your search by selecting "Articles" and "History" in the boxes below the search window.

3. If searching for the article on mobs enter your search in the "exact phrase."

     Enter Arthur Meier Schlesinger, or "Political Mobs and the American Revolution, 1765-1776"

If you are searching for the JSTOR assignment follow the same method of searching, just enter the name, search phrase or idea you wish to research, such as the Declaration of Independence, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, men's fashion in the 1800s, etc.

Saving and sending articles from JSTOR:

From Campus – students may access JSTOR and send full text home.
Save Citation

View Saved Citation

Export – as email (use drop down arrow)

Type in your email (recipient)

Send in citation manager format

When you view from home you will see a link – select that and the full text will appear for printing using your home printer.

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