Assignments and Grades
Assignments for the class – and how they will be assessed.
Participation
Your active participation in class is invaluable, not only for your own benefit but also for the growth and learning of your peers. The class is designed to foster active engagement and often involves collaborative work in pairs or small groups.
Response Papers
You will write a total of two response papers during the term. The first paper will be on a primary source from our syllabus of your choice; the second, a secondary source. The process involves three stages:
- First Draft: Write a short response paper of 800 words. You may choose any source within the allowed time frame.
- Peer Review: After submitting your first draft, you will receive feedback from me and a peer reviewer, whose assignments will be announced on Canvas.
- Revise and Resubmit: You should develop a new draft by incorporating comments from me and your peer reviewer. Be prepared to make substantive intellectual revisions, not just stylistic changes, to your draft.
Here is a table of the response paper requirements and deadlines:
| Assignment | Choose a source from | First draft due | Peer review due | Final draft due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RP1 | S02–S04 | Tuesday, January 13, 2026 | Friday, January 16, 2026 | Tuesday, January 20, 2026 |
| RP2 | S06–S09 | Saturday, January 24, 2026 | Tuesday, January 27, 2026 | Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
Below are specific instructions for each response paper:
RP1: Primary Source Analysis
History is written with primary documents, which were written in the past by contemporary actors and possess their own biases and limitations. In this exercise, select a primary source from our syllabus and provide a critical reading. Consider the following questions as guidance:
- What is the content of the source? What doesn’t it tell you?
- Who is the author, and from what perspective does the author write?
- What is the broader context surrounding the source?
- Who is the intended audience, and what motivated the writing of the source?
- How and why has the source survived, and where does it appear?
Rather than answering these questions individually, present them cohesively in an essay that develops an argument. Conducting external research or reading is unnecessary for this assignment. The goal of this assignment is to explore the source as it stands and develop your own insights.
RP2: Secondary Source Analysis
Arguments do not develop in a vacuum. Instead, they connect us to the broader world of ideas. In this essay, select a secondary source and consider the following aspects:
- Who is the author, and what is their argument or stance?
- How does the author support their views, and how fairly and considerately do they treat their sources?
- What points of contention exist, such as sources, methods, or interpretations? How does the author address potential objections?
- What broader issues does the text grapple with?
- Why is this debate significant, and who is invested in it?
- What are your own thoughts, and how do you evaluate this debate?
Peer Review
Over the course of the term, you will review four submissions for each of the following assignments:
- Response paper 1
- Response paper 2
- Final project first draft
Your written feedback for RP 1 and 2 will be due 5 days after your initial submission. Deadline for reviews of final project will be due on Monday, March 4, 2024. You will receive your peer review assignments on Canvas and submit your comments there.
Final Research Project
In this assignment, you have an opportunity to conduct independent research on a topic related to history of information (and misinformation) in China. You could:
- develop one class study from our class into a fuller paper
- unpack a popular claim (e.g. “China’s belt and road is debt-trap diplomacy.”) and examine its transmission and reception
- write a biography of a key historical actor (e.g. a tabloid or individual writer)
- examine an episode of fake news
- and so on
You pick the topic, approach, and style of writing. Regardless of your choice, it should:
- related to misinformation
- involve original research in both primary and secondary sources
- range from 2000 to 3000 words (excluding footnotes)
Before the final submission, you will complete a number of smaller assignments. They will help you break down the task and give you feedback along the way. They include:
| Week | Task | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Research proposal with bibliography | Sunday, February 1, 2026 |
| 9 | First draft for peer review | Tuesday, February 24, 2026 |
| 9 | Presentation | Week 9–10 |
| 9 | Peer review | Tuesday, March 3, 2026 |
| 10 | Final draft | Tuesday, March 10, 2026 |
To learn more about the requirements of each assignment, please refer to instructions for the biography project.
Final Grade
Your final grade will be calculated based on the following weighting and scale.
Please note that the raw score on Canvas is for reference only: it does not factor in excused absences, your classroom participation, the weighting of the grades, and the final normalization based on the performance of the class as a whole.
| Task | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Participation | (15) |
| Response papers | (30) |
| - RP1 first draft | 7.5 |
| - RP1 final draft | 7.5 |
| - RP2 first draft | 7.5 |
| - RP2 final draft | 7.5 |
| Peer review | (15) |
| - RP1 | 5 |
| - RP2 | 5 |
| - Final project | 5 |
| Final project | (40) |
| - Research proposal with bibliography | 10 |
| - Class presentation | 5 |
| - Final draft | 25 |
| Total | (100) |
| Grade | Range | Grade | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 93 - 100% | C | 73 - 76.9% |
| A- | 90 - 92.9% | C- | 70 - 72.9% |
| B+ | 87 - 89.9% | D+ | 67 - 69.9% |
| B | 83 - 86.9% | D | 63 - 66.9% |
| B- | 80 - 82.9% | D- | 60 - 62.9% |
| C+ | 77 - 79.9% | F | < 60% |