Research Paper on how the Brooklyn Bridge affected New yorks Development throughout the history of Brooklyn and Manhatten
an introductory section presenting the subject(s) of research, the student’s main arguments, and the student’s approach to their topic (2-4 paragraphs)
a literature review summarizing important works relevant to the chosen case study and its history (3-4 paragraphs)
analysis that elaborates the student’s argument and critically responds to the literature review (4-6 paragraphs)
a conclusion that summarizes how the student’s approach to their case study has supported their findings (2-3 paragraphs)
a bibliography of at least ten sources (not annotated here)
if applicable (maps and/or illustrations appear in the text) an appendix of image credits and descriptions (e.g. “Figure 1 Neighborhood boundaries in Boston circa 1950; source: O’Connor, Building a New Boston, p. 2”)
Potential research topics:
The role of a specific organization in one city (e.g., YMCA)
One piece of urban infrastructure (bridge, street, overpass, subway station) over time
Significant court case(s) involving a major urban social issue
A specific religious institution and the local community it serves/served
The career of one urban planner, activist, policymaker, artist, or architect
Reform efforts in a specific city (e.g., settlement houses in Chicago)
The role and/or transformation of a certain local event or holiday (e.g., The Feast of St. Anthony in Boston’s North End; Carnival in London’s Notting Hill)
The origin and/or transformation of a specific suburb or planned community
An urban renewal or historic preservation project
The impacts of the introduction (or loss) of a specific local industry over time
A neighborhood organization
Demographic change in a specific neighborhood, town, or city
The origins and aftermath of a major urban disaster or riot
The research paper will be graded on four criteria:
Quality of research: Was the research well done? Did the student choose useful, relevant, and reliable sources? Did the student effectively understand and analyze those sources?
Context: Does the paper clearly establish the historical and historiographical context, and make it clear how this research relates to it?
Overall argument: Does the paper have an insightful and credible thesis?
Organization of the paper: Was the paper easy to understand? Does it flow logically?
All writing for the course should use a consistent style of citation (Chicago, MLA, APA) and include a list of references at the end of each assignment. Any illustrations must include a caption and source reference. While students may receive feedback on writing style (word choice, grammar, sentence structure) stylistic errors do not affect grading unless they seriously compromise clarity.
Cathy Birkenstein and Gerald Graff’s book, They Say, I Say: Moves That Matter in Academic Writing (4th edition available online; abbreviated version here) provides helpful guidance for writing style and structure.
**Once you have some arguments narrowed down, you can find more specific sources to guide your project instead of just writing generally “about” the entire history of the bridge, Wikipedia-style. Remember that the purpose here isn’t to do a total history of the bridge or to make a judgment about how good or bad it is, it’s to explore how it changed over time and what those changes can tell us about the bigger historical trends surrounding it. For example, worsening traffic and transportation raises questions about America’s declining infrastructure, lack of public transportation, car-dependency, and the expense of city living that requires many people to commute long distances to work in the city. But you’re on the right track!
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