How to write a history research paper? You need to develop it over a series of basic steps.
How to Write a History Research Paper 1. How do I pick a topic?
But I can't find Historical research paper outline material How do I put this together? Research Guide and Writing Guide 1. Picking a topic is perhaps the most important step in writing a research paper.
To do it well requires several steps of refinement.
First you have to determine a general area in which you have an interest if you aren't interested, your readers won't be either. You do not write a paper "about the Civil War," however, for that is such a large and vague concept that the paper will be too shallow or you will be swamped with information.
The next step is to narrow your topic. Are you interested in comparison? Once you reach this stage try to formulate your research topic as a question. For example, suppose that you decide to write a paper on the use of the films of the 's and what they can tell historians about the Great Depression.
You might turn that into the following question: By asking yourself a question as a means of starting research on a topic you will help yourself find the answers. You also open the door to loading the evidence one way or another.
It will help you decide what kinds of evidence might be pertinent to your question, and it can also twist perceptions of a topic. For example, if you ask a question about economics as motivation, you are not likely to learn much about ideals, and vice versa.
No one should pick a topic without trying to figure out how one could discover pertinent information, nor should anyone settle on a topic before getting some background information about the general area. These two checks should make sure your paper is in the realm of the possible.
The trick of good research is detective work and imaginative thinking on how one can find information.
First try to figure out what kinds of things you should know about a topic to answer your research question. Do you need personal letters? What background information should be included? Then if you do not know how to find that particular kind of information, ASK.
A reference librarian or professor is much more likely to be able to steer you to the right sources if you can ask a specific question such as "Where can I find statistics on the number of interracial marriages? If Carleton does not have the books or sources you need, try ordering through the library minitex.
Many sources are also available on-line.
As your research paper takes shape you will find that you need background on people, places, events, etc. Do not just rely on some general survey for all of your background.
Check the several good dictionaries of biography for background on people, or see if there is a standard book-length biography. If you are dealing with a legal matter check into the background of the judges who make the court decision and the circumstances surrounding the original incident or law.The early drafts of your outline will also help you see where the research you have already done fits, and what portions of your paper are weak.
Details, Details [ edit ] Details come in four basic types for many research papers. As your research paper takes shape you will find that you need background on people, places, events, etc. Do not just rely on some general survey for all of your background.
Check the several good dictionaries of biography for background on people, or see if there is a standard book-length biography. An outline is a “blueprint” or “plan” for your paper. It helps you to organize your thoughts and arguments. A good outline can make conducting research and then writing the paper very efficient.
Any historical research paper that you write must be driven by the arguments that demand evidence from reliable sources.
How to complete history research writing assignments They may vary considerably, and you’re always asked to follow specific instructions.
To present the basic structure of a term paper, article, or chapter (that is, anywhere from 4, to 12, words), two levels of headings should suffice, and that is what I’ve used for my Article Outline Example: Decimal format, which outlines Wells’s article in only two pages.
Here, the highest-level headings signal new sections of the. To present the basic structure of a term paper, article, or chapter (that is, anywhere from 4, to 12, words), two levels of headings should suffice, and that is what I’ve used for my Article Outline Example: Decimal format, which outlines Wells’s article in only two pages.
Here, the highest-level headings signal new sections of the.