Term Paper Guidelines
6–8 pages. Five scholarly sources minimum. Chicago or MLA formatting. A defensible thesis. A topic that actually fits within 1500 CE to the present. None of that is complicated — but each piece has to be handled correctly, and most papers that struggle lose points in ways that are entirely preventable. Here’s how to approach every requirement.
A World Civilizations II term paper isn’t asking you to retell history. It’s asking you to make an argument about history. That distinction shapes everything — how you pick a topic, how you build a thesis, which sources you use, and how you structure every section. If you treat this as a report, you’ll lose points in every rubric category that matters most. Here’s how to approach it correctly from the start.
What This Guide Covers
What the Assignment Is Actually Testing
World Civilizations II covers the period from 1500 CE to the present. The geographic and thematic scope is enormous. That’s intentional — the course is designed to develop your ability to think across cultures, time periods, and regions. The term paper tests whether you can apply that thinking to a focused argument.
Historical Analysis — Not Summary, Not Report Writing
There’s a version of this paper that reads like a Wikipedia article — accurate, organized, and completely wrong for the assignment. History courses at the undergraduate level expect analysis. That means taking a position, defending it with evidence, addressing counterarguments, and demonstrating that you understand why historians care about the question in the first place.
What analysis looks like in practice: You’re not writing “The Atlantic slave trade involved millions of people transported from Africa to the Americas.” You’re writing “The Atlantic slave trade fundamentally restructured African political economies in ways that persisted long after abolition, creating governance deficits that shaped colonial and post-colonial state formation.” The first sentence is a fact. The second is a claim you can argue, support, and debate — and that’s what your committee wants.Cross-cultural and global framing matters. The guidelines specifically ask for topics involving cross-cultural interactions, global developments, or comparative civilizations. A paper focused entirely on one country or one culture without reference to how it interacted with, influenced, or was shaped by others will struggle to satisfy the core assignment criteria — regardless of how well written it is.
How to Pick and Narrow a Topic
The most common mistake at this stage is picking a topic that’s too large. “The impact of colonialism” covers centuries, multiple continents, and dozens of academic subfields. You cannot write a focused argument about that in 6–8 pages. You need to get specific.
Start With a Theme, Then Add Three Constraints
Take any of the suggested topics and narrow it by adding: a time frame, a geographic focus, and a specific question. Those three constraints turn a broad theme into a workable paper topic.
Example — starting broad, ending focused:Too broad: “European colonialism and its effects.”
Better: “European colonialism in Africa in the 19th century.”
Good: “British colonial land policy in Kenya between 1895 and 1920 and its effect on Kikuyu agricultural systems.”
That last version has a time frame (1895–1920), a geographic focus (Kenya, specifically the Kikuyu), and a specific question (how did land policy reshape agricultural systems?). Now you have something you can actually argue in 6–8 pages using five or more scholarly sources.
Apply this test to any topic: Can you write a one-sentence question that your paper will answer? If yes, it’s narrow enough. If you need three sentences to describe what you’re studying, it isn’t.
| Suggested Topic Area | Too Broad Version | Workable Focused Version |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Slave Trade | The Atlantic slave trade and its legacy | How the slave trade transformed political structures in the Kingdom of Dahomey, 1640–1800 |
| Industrialization | Industrialization and its global consequences | The export of British industrial machinery to Ottoman Egypt and its effect on cotton production under Muhammad Ali (1820s–1840s) |
| Decolonization | Decolonization movements in Africa and Asia | How the Gold Coast (Ghana) independence movement in 1957 influenced French West African anticolonial organizing |
| Comparative Revolutions | French vs. Haitian Revolution comparison | Why the Haitian Revolution produced a different model of citizenship than the French Revolution despite sharing Enlightenment rhetoric |
| Women in Nationalism | Women’s roles in nationalist movements | Egyptian women’s participation in the 1919 Revolution and how it shaped their position in nationalist discourse through the 1920s |
Your topic must fall within 1500 CE to the present. The Silk Road appears on the suggested list — but if you write about Han Dynasty trade routes, you’re out of period. Focus on the Silk Road’s transformation in the early modern period (1500–1800) or its role in Central Asian politics in the 19th century. Check that your main argument and primary evidence land within the stated time frame before you write a single section.
Building a Defensible Thesis
The thesis is worth 20 points — the largest single category in the rubric. Get it right. A thesis is not a statement of fact. It’s not a topic sentence. It’s a claim that a reasonable historian could disagree with, supported by evidence you will present across the paper.
The thesis belongs at the end of your introduction — typically the last sentence or two of the first paragraph. It must do three things: state your claim, indicate why it matters (the historical significance), and signal what the rest of the paper will show. Every body paragraph should connect back to it. If a paragraph doesn’t support the thesis, it doesn’t belong in the paper.
Source Requirements and Where to Find Them
Five scholarly sources minimum. That’s not a lot — but each one has to actually be scholarly. Here’s what qualifies and what doesn’t.
What Counts as a Scholarly Source
- Peer-reviewed journal articles — published in academic history journals, reviewed by subject experts before publication. JSTOR and Project MUSE are the primary databases.
- Academic monographs (books) — written by historians, published by university presses (Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, University of Chicago Press, etc.)
- Primary sources — firsthand documents: treaties, speeches, letters, government records, newspaper accounts from the period, published memoirs. Encouraged specifically by the guidelines.
- Edited scholarly collections — anthologies published by academic presses with peer-reviewed chapters
What Does Not Count
- Wikipedia — explicitly prohibited as a source. You can use it to get oriented on a topic, but you cannot cite it.
- General encyclopedias (Britannica, World Book, etc.) — not peer-reviewed, not scholarly
- Journalism and magazines (The Atlantic, The Guardian, Time) — useful background reading, not citable as scholarly sources for a history term paper
- Textbooks — generally not acceptable; they synthesize other scholars’ work rather than advancing original arguments
- Non-academic websites, blogs, YouTube — not acceptable regardless of content quality
Three Databases — Know How to Use All Three
Your college library gives you access to these. Log in before you search — off-campus access often requires your student credentials through the library portal, not through Google.
JSTOR — the largest academic journal archive for humanities and social sciences. Excellent for history articles. Search by keyword, then filter by discipline (“History”) and date. Many articles are freely available; others require institutional access.Project MUSE — specializes in humanities journals, including many history-focused publications not on JSTOR. Stronger coverage of postcolonial studies, African history, and Asian history. Worth searching separately from JSTOR.
Your college library catalog — use it to find academic monographs (books) by historians. Most libraries also have WorldCat access to request interlibrary loans for books your library doesn’t hold. Give yourself at least a week if you need an ILL book.
For primary sources: The Internet History Sourcebooks Project (Fordham University) offers freely accessible translated primary sources organized by period and region. Google Books and archive.org hold out-of-copyright historical documents. Your library likely subscribes to specific primary source databases for the period you’re studying — ask the reference librarian.
The guidelines specifically encourage primary sources and note they should be “critically analyzed” — not just quoted. A primary source shows what people at the time thought, said, or recorded. Your job is to interpret it: what does it reveal about the historical context? What does it leave out? Who produced it and why? A student who uses a primary source and then analyzes it earns points in the “Originality & Insight” rubric category that most students miss entirely. Even one well-analyzed primary source lifts the paper above the average submission.
Paper Structure — Section by Section
History papers follow a standard structure. The guidelines don’t specify it, but your instructor expects it. Deviating from it creates organizational problems that cost points in both the “Organization & Structure” and “Thesis & Argument” categories.
Introduction (roughly half a page to one page)
Open with the historical context — briefly establish the period, region, and stakes of your topic. Build toward the thesis. The last sentence or two of the introduction should be your thesis statement. Do not start with a dictionary definition. Do not start with “Throughout history…” Those openers signal to your reader that the analysis hasn’t started yet.
Background / Historiography (one page, optional but recommended)
A brief section establishing what historians have already said about your topic, and where your argument fits within that conversation. This signals that you understand the academic context. It’s especially useful for topics with contested interpretations — like the causes of the Haitian Revolution or the nature of Meiji nationalism. Not required, but it directly serves the “Use of Sources” and “Originality & Insight” rubric criteria.
Body Sections (four to five pages, organized by argument — not by chronology alone)
Each body section advances a specific component of your thesis. Don’t organize purely by time (“First this happened, then this happened, then this happened”). Organize by the argument (“The economic restructuring argument,” “The political consequence argument,” “The comparative case”). Chronology can appear within sections — but the sections themselves should be organized around claims, not dates.
Counterargument / Complication (half a page to one page)
Acknowledge the strongest objection to your thesis — and answer it. This is what separates an A paper from a B paper in most cases. If your thesis is that Enlightenment ideas drove the Haitian Revolution, address the argument that material conditions (plantation brutality, the specific demographics of Saint-Domingue) were the primary driver. Then explain why your thesis still holds, or refine it. Ignoring counterevidence doesn’t strengthen your argument. Engaging with it does.
Conclusion (half a page)
Restate the thesis in different language — not word for word. Summarize the key evidence. Make the broader significance explicit: why does this matter beyond the specific case you examined? What does it tell us about the larger historical period? Do not introduce new evidence in the conclusion. Do not end with a generic statement about history being important. End on the implication of your specific argument.
Chicago vs MLA — Which to Use and How
Your instructor will specify. If they don’t, Chicago is the standard citation style for history. History papers use Chicago Notes-Bibliography system (not Author-Date). Here’s what that means practically.
Footnotes or Endnotes — Not Parenthetical Citations
Every time you cite a source — whether quoting directly, paraphrasing, or using an idea — you insert a superscript number in the text and a corresponding note at the bottom of the page (footnote) or the end of the paper (endnote). The note gives the full citation the first time, a shortened form thereafter. A bibliography at the end lists all sources alphabetically.
First full footnote (journal article): Adam Jones, “Slaves, Warfare, and Trade in Nineteenth-Century Asante,” Journal of African History 45, no. 2 (2004): 230.Shortened subsequent footnote: Jones, “Slaves, Warfare, and Trade,” 235.
Bibliography entry: Jones, Adam. “Slaves, Warfare, and Trade in Nineteenth-Century Asante.” Journal of African History 45, no. 2 (2004): 225–248.
Key differences from MLA: page numbers in footnotes, not in-text. Author’s first name comes first in footnotes. The bibliography inverts the name (Last, First). Journal volume and issue numbers appear differently. Use the Chicago Manual of Style online citation guide to check each source type.
In-Text Parenthetical Citations and Works Cited Page
MLA uses in-text citations in parentheses — (Author Last Name page number) — directly after the cited material, with no footnotes. A Works Cited page at the end lists every source. MLA is less common in history courses but fully acceptable if your instructor requires it.
In-text: The expansion of the Atlantic slave trade reshaped political authority in coastal West African states (Lovejoy 87).Works Cited entry (book): Lovejoy, Paul E. Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
Important: MLA 9th edition (current) formats entries differently from earlier editions — especially for digital sources. Check that you’re using the current version.
Rubric Breakdown — Where the Points Go
100 points total. Understanding what each category actually rewards is the fastest way to improve your score before you write a word.
| Rubric Category | Points | What Earns Full Marks | What Costs Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thesis & Argument | 20 | Clear, specific, arguable thesis in the introduction; every body section supports it; argument develops rather than restates | Vague or purely descriptive thesis; body sections that summarize events without connecting to the argument |
| Use of Sources | 20 | Five or more scholarly sources used meaningfully; sources are analyzed, not just cited; primary and secondary sources present | Fewer than 5 sources; over-reliance on one source; quotes dropped in without analysis; Wikipedia or non-academic sources |
| Historical Accuracy | 15 | Facts, dates, names, and events are correct; no anachronisms; claims are supported by cited evidence | Factual errors; unsupported claims; misattributed quotes; events described out of context |
| Organization & Structure | 15 | Clear introduction with thesis; body sections organized by argument; logical transitions; conclusion that synthesizes rather than summarizes | No clear structure; body organized only by chronology; no transitions between sections; conclusion introduces new material |
| Writing Quality | 15 | Clear, precise academic prose; active voice where possible; no grammatical errors; appropriate vocabulary for historical analysis | Informal language; passive voice overuse; grammatical errors; vague phrasing; first-person in formal analytical sections |
| Citation & Formatting | 10 | Consistent Chicago or MLA throughout; correct footnote/endnote format; bibliography formatted correctly; Times New Roman 12pt, double-spaced, 1-inch margins | Inconsistent citation style; missing footnotes; bibliography format errors; wrong font or spacing |
| Originality & Insight | 5 | Demonstrates independent thinking; engages with a counterargument; uses primary sources analytically; makes a non-obvious connection | Paper reads as a summary of sources without original interpretation; no engagement with alternative views |
Thesis & Argument and Use of Sources together account for 40 out of 100 points. Those two categories reward the same core skill: making a claim and supporting it with evidence. Students who treat the paper as a report — organized by time, reliant on summary, thesis-free — cannot score well on either. Fix the thesis first. Everything else follows from it.
Mistakes That Cost Points
Writing a Paper That Starts Before 1500 CE
The Silk Road topic is on the suggested list, but the Silk Road’s peak was the Tang Dynasty (7th–10th century). A paper about the Silk Road in the 1600s — its decline, its replacement by maritime trade routes — is within scope. A paper about Han or Tang dynasty Silk Road trade is not.
Anchor Your Topic in the 1500–Present Period
Whatever topic you choose, make sure your primary argument and key evidence fall within the stated time frame. If your topic has deep historical roots, a brief contextual paragraph is fine — but the paper’s core analysis should be 1500 CE forward.
Quoting Extensively Without Analyzing
A paper full of block quotes from five different historians is not a scholarly paper — it’s an assembly exercise. The “Use of Sources” rubric rewards analysis, not quotation. If you quote more than three times per page, you’re likely substituting other people’s writing for your own argument.
Use Sources to Support Claims, Not Replace Them
Quote sparingly and only when exact wording matters. Paraphrase when the idea is what counts. After every citation — whether a quote or paraphrase — follow it with a sentence that explains how this evidence supports your specific thesis. That’s what historians call “so what?” analysis.
Organizing Body Sections by Chronology Alone
“First, colonialism began. Then, resistance emerged. Then, independence was achieved.” That’s a timeline, not an argument. A paper structured purely by sequence tells the reader what happened but never argues why it mattered or what it means.
Organize by Argument, Not Just Time
Label your body sections by what they prove, not when events happened. “Economic disruption,” “political realignment,” “cultural consequence” — each heading signals an argument. Chronology can exist within sections, but the sections themselves should be organized around the claims your thesis requires you to prove.
Mixing Citation Styles
Using Chicago footnotes for some sources and MLA parenthetical citations for others is a 0 in the citation category. Pick one style and use it consistently from page one through the bibliography. Mixing signals that the formatting was rushed, which raises questions about the rigor of the research itself.
Confirm With Your Instructor Before You Start Writing
The guidelines say Chicago or MLA “as directed by your instructor.” If your instructor hasn’t specified, ask. One email before you write saves hours of reformatting later. If you use Chicago, confirm whether footnotes or endnotes are preferred — that distinction matters for submission.
Treating the Five-Source Minimum as a Maximum
The guidelines say five sources minimum. Students who find exactly five sources — and distribute them as thinly as possible across the paper — rarely earn full marks in the “Use of Sources” category. Five sources is the floor, not the target.
Aim for Seven to Eight Sources — Mix Types
Six to eight sources gives you flexibility: two to three books, two to three journal articles, one primary source, and one additional article. That mix demonstrates range. It also means you have backup if one source turns out not to support your argument as well as you thought during initial research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Need Help With Your World Civilizations II Term Paper?
Topic selection, thesis development, research, Chicago or MLA formatting, and full paper writing — our history writing team works with students across world history, comparative civilizations, and global studies courses.
Research Paper Writing Service Get StartedBefore You Write the First Section
Get the thesis right before you write anything else. Not a working thesis, not a placeholder — an actual arguable claim with a historical significance attached to it. Every hour you spend writing body sections with a weak thesis is time you’ll spend revising when you realize the argument doesn’t hold together.
Then check your sources. Not just that you have five — that each one actually supports a specific claim in your paper. A source you can’t connect to your thesis within two sentences doesn’t belong in the bibliography. Find a source that does.
The rubric makes the priorities clear: thesis and sources together are 40 points. Organization and structure are 15. Writing quality is 15. Citation is 10. The graders know what a focused, argumentative, well-sourced history paper looks like. Give them exactly that.