instructor:
White, Lynn. Medieval Technology and Social Change. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1966
Having done so, the next step will be a thorough reading of that text completed over the next several weeks. That analysis will form the basis of a ten to twelve page paper to be completed by the end of the semester.
Here is an overall plan for the way this paper should be constructed, which may also aid in the reading and digesting of the text.
1. Summary: About a third of the paper – but no less than a fourth; about 4 total pages – should be spent summarizing the main point of the text (or the major points of each article), and illustrating the major points made along the way which support that central theme. This may require some selection, and probably will in many cases; let the guiding principles be “Why does this work exist? What are the things which emerge from the reading of it that indicate what the author most wants the reader to take away from it?” The student may conduct this summary howsoever s/he sees fit, although a chapter-by-chapter approach is certainly not to be discouraged.
2. Use of sources/Secondary scholarship: Another third of the paper should be devoted to an analysis of the way the author makes use of his/her sources. All texts will employ primary sources (and it is to be remembered that archaeological remains are primary sources); how well does the author use these? Are all points or most of them supported by clear references to the texts or artifacts of the Ancient/Medieval World? How often is speculation employed, and why? When texts/artifacts provide contradictory evidence, how does the author choose which path to take?
In a similar vein, describe the interplay between this text and other modern works cited by the author. Is this work meant to fill in spaces left by those other authors? Is it meant to overturn all works that have come before due to their incorrectness? What role does the author intend his/her work to play in the continuing scholarly debate on the topic?
3. Strengths/Weaknesses: The last third of the paper should be a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Questions which should be answered should include (but are not limited to): how well does the author convey his topic to the reader, especially one who is not a specialist in the field? Is s/he always convincing, and if not, what – if anything – would make him/her so? What sorts of things posed the greatest difficulties in reading/understanding the text, and what would improve it?
Note well: This section is not an opinion piece; it is instead the commentary of a scholar – a junior and not-yet experienced one, certainly, but nevertheless a scholar – on the work of another. The student completing the assignment will basically become the impersonal representative of all students who may ever be called upon to read this text, and this paper should be written to let future students know what to expect. In such a capacity, personal opinion is inappropriate; what is required is an honest, thoughtful guide, whose tone and language should be indicative of that status.
As far as formatting and font goes, the instructor prefers twelve-point, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, with one inch margins, although some latitude will be allowed with these. As mentioned, length should fall within ten to twelve pages; obvious attempts to use font/margins to pad the length will be met with irritation and reduction in grade. Attempts to reduce length (such as reducing the margins to .5 inches, as was done for this essay assignment) will be met with amusement, but probably no other penalty.
book-
https://maelstromlife.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/lynn-white__medieval-technology-and-social-change-1962.pdf