History of Technology

For the final essay, you will write a scholarly historical essay that explores a specific social, political, or cultural dynamic in the history of technology. This is not a descriptive history of a technological artifact or system, but an effort at making sense of a particular analytical problem connected to that technology (many of the articles we read this semester are good models). The study should stem from a careful analysis of one or more primary sources related to the chosen artifact and engage with arguments developed by two or more secondary (scholarly) sources. The length should be up to 1,500 words, not including the bibliography.
To put it succinctly, your essay should do the following: Carefully analyse one or more primary sources to develop an argument that engages with at least two other scholars’ argument. You should present the gist of your argument early in the essay in the form of an intriguing thesis that catches the reader’s attention. The rest of the essay explains and supports that thesis by interpreting the primary sources and arguing with the secondary sources.

You will find a grading rubric on page 2 and a step-by-step guide on how to write a good scholarly essay from pages 4 to 8.

Formatting  

• Up to 1,500 words (not including bibliography).
• At least one primary and two secondary sources that were not assigned in class.
• Citations and bibliography should be either in APA or Chicago Style.
• Times New Roman 12, double-spaced.
• Submit .doc format.
• Cover page should feature:
o Student name
o Essay title
o Word count (not including bibliography)
o Written anti-plagiarism declaration (“By submitting this assignment, I confirm that it conforms to IE University’s Code of Ethical Conduct”).
• The bibliography should include complete citations (either APA or Chicago style and should include links to materials that were accessed online).
• Not adhering to the formatting guidelines will affect the final grade.