Include in your Topic Proposal an annotated Bibliography of at least four (4) sources. You should be looking at books from university presses, scholarly journal articles (found in print AND online: see Millsaps databases), dissertations (where available), or other scholarly materials. Textbooks are not acceptable as sources. (They are not based on original research.) HOWEVER, bibliographies in textbooks can be a very useful tool, for example at the end of each chapter of A History of Western Music, by Donald Grout and Claude Palisca.

You are encouraged strongly to use at least one article in the New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians as a source. The New Grove is the ONLY music encyclopedia you are allowed to use. Please try to use the most current edition, which is in our library. Make use of RILM (see Millsaps databases), where you will find numerous scholarly journal articles.

Avoid using websites: in almost all cases, they have not been 'juried' by reputable musicologists before being put up. There MAY be exceptions, so if you have a question, please consult with me.

Bring copies of your Topic Proposal to class for your colleagues to study. We will discuss your proposals as a class, examining how you can better focus your topic and looking at the quality of your sources and their relevance to the topic.

THE PAPER: As you try to craft a thesis, make sure it is narrow enough to complete in the time you have to write the paper. A these is usually statable in one or two sentences (at most). Focus on only one aspect of your topic, or only a few examples. Avoid filler or unnecessary background information. Convey a single main point, and leave out anything that does not directly support your thesis. Make sure your thesis is stated clearly at the beginning of your paper, and is clearly supported in the paper (consult "How to Write a Music History Paper").

Research Links