Project Proposal

Project Proposal Instructions

For the Project Proposal, you should write a one page (double spaced) description of your intended topic

and focus. What question or theme about a particular African society interests you as your project focus? Whats your starting hypothesis as to how scholarly knowledge might have changed?

In addition, please include the full citations of 3 pieces of relevant scholarship that you can access freely

through our CCNY library and its lending systems. I recommend starting with more recent scholarship

and then you can compare/contrast it with older works.

No one should feel obligated to purchase any books for this assignment. Include each piece as a full

citation in Chicago style and add 1-2 sentences of how you anticipate that article, book chapter,

documentary, or book will be useful to your project. Email me your proposal as a pdf or word document

attachment. I have had issues opening links to documents or pages so please download a copy in one of those formats and submit it by email as an attachment.

Sample Annotated Entry

Akinwumi Ogundiran, The Yoruba: a New History (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2020).

Ogundiran presents a synthesis of many decades of research into the dynamic history of Yoruba from

early times to the period of European colonialism. His book offers many new insights and ways of

thinking about the Yoruba, including the importance of how Yoruba culture developed and changed on

the fringes of the expanding civilization.

A few suggestions to locate sources:

The CCNY librarys One Search bar (advanced search mode). Try experimenting with key terms; yet

remember, its programming may be limited or outdated. (For example, many subjects like lesbian or gay

may be coded under homosexuality).

Library databases are also useful to browse. https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/az.php

I personally favor Academic Search Complete and JSTOR, though if Im checking for books I like

WCAT as it usually shows which books are available for borrowing in CUNY. If you are logged in, you

should have free access to these databases and most of the articles and books.

To borrow, either log in for e-access OR if not available, use the CLICS or ILL services for books or

place an article or book chapter request in ILL.

The Librarys Research Toolkit has some great advice on how to do all of the above:

https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/researchtoolkit

https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/askus

https://library.ccny.cuny.edu/services/printing