I am not an idiot

Over the past four years of graduate school (has it been that long?), I've developed a way of thinking about research papers. I like to call it the "I'm not an idiot" paradigm. The gist of it is that in history research papers, you have to give a nod to the work of others that is related to your own. You have to demonstrate that you are aware that the arguments exist, even if you don't intend to go into great deal about them. In other words, you have to prove to your professor or advisor or committee that you are, in fact, not an idiot. I'm sorting through a lot of my own "I am not an idiot" sections in my prospectus right now.