HIST 3200 - History of Mexico
Current Events Project

Description and Instructions:

Each student in this class will have to do a project on some topic in "current" events in Mexico.

To do this, you will need to select some issue or topic from the last five years, and collect at least ten articles from newspapers, newsmagazines, and on-line news sources. You must consult with me about your topic. If you use on-line sources, please be aware that not all on-line sources are created equally. There is a lot of junk out there. To avoid this, I must insist that any on-line source you use must be the on-line presence of an established print or broadcast news source, such as a major daily newspaper, newsmagazine, or a major source of broadcast news, such as CNN.

You will then write an essay, approximately four-five pages (880-1100 words, roughly), based on those sources. You must use citations (footnotes, endnotes, parenthetical -- I don't care which, but use something) and submit a bibliography. Please include also copies of your articles.

For guidance on how to write a research paper, I of course encourage you to arrange a meeting with me, and I will be happy to discuss this project with you at any point in its development. You might also want to look at the guide to doing a research paper written by a former colleague of mine, Dr. John I. Brooks. The section on sources does not really apply, as you will be using a specific kind of source on this project, but the rest of it is good advice for producing a good research paper.

Due Date: April 23.

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