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Don’t know how to write a history research paper? Unlike projects for other subjects, a history essay should contain specific names, dates, event descriptions, etc. Even if you have to find new solutions to the previously explored questions, you should base your answers on the findings from previous studies.
Background Reading
The initial step of learning how to write a history research paper is to collect and read relevant, up-to-date information. It is not enough to study the materials provided by your teacher. It is necessary to spend some time in the library or go online to find valuable sources related to your investigation. A student must pay attention to intriguing angles to approach the subject from any actual trends.
One has to analyze two types of sources: primary and secondary. While primary sources are the ones that you can always trust, secondary ones are not fully trustworthy, especially if they are outdated. However, for students, the second category is okay. Here is where you can retrieve information from:
- Books
- eBooks
- Magazines
- Academic journals
- Newspapers
- Videos
- Documentaries
- Presentations
- Websites, etc.
Make sure that the data you find is no more than five years old. That is the requirement of most colleges.
Define Themes and Context
If you need to understand how to start a history paper, keep in mind that choosing the topic is not the same as defining the themes and context. While there should be just one main topic, you can come up with several themes to discuss. They all should be relevant and interconnected. Grasp the details of what you’re talking about along with the thematic context of when the events took place. Think about the scholarly consensus after doing your research.
Creating a Primary Argument (Thesis)
Grappling with solutions and findings will make you come up with an emerging argument. It is almost the same as a thesis statement – the primary claim of the entire study that has to be supported by relevant and credible evidence. You may want to define a pitfall in the previous studies or generate a persuasive response to the given prompt. Students should not come up with theories from zero. It is enough for them to carefully analyze the known facts. To develop a good thesis, it is possible to team up with your peers and brainstorm, regularly speak to your teacher, and look at the existing questions and suggestions of the previous scholars.
For instance, if you are here to find out how to write a research paper on a historical person, the example of a thesis statement, “Thomas Jefferson’s presidency initiated the quarter-century rule of the “Virginia Dynasty” (1801-1825), which makes him one of the leading figures in the US history.”
Outlining the Structure
To learn how to write a college history paper, a student should know the structure. Not to fall off the topic and face the writer’s block, a student must prepare a detailed outline – the element that reminds one of a table of contents. The only difference is that you should not include page numbers for each section. Look for a battle angle if you suddenly understand that you lack evidence. The typical outline is:
- Title
- Abstract
- Literature review
- Introduction
- Thesis
- Methods
- Outcomes and discussion
- Concluding part
- Bibliography
Specify which evidence to use in each section. Put down the citations that you plan to use as supporting evidence while studying primary and secondary resources. That way, you’ll never get lost during writing. Next, we will get into the final stage of how to write a history research paper.
Get Ready
Writing a history research paper is the next stage. Utilize huge library tables to spread out your notes. Create a list of both arguments and counterarguments, and decide which of them should go into different parts of the text. Begin the paper with an intriguing fact or statistics that you have found in a trusted source to make the readers trust you and want to read till the end.
In a research paper about history, it is necessary to operate with various historical facts and dates to prove your points. You should include at least one direct or indirect quote per paragraph to show how credible your work is. Make sure to cite each of them without any errors. Otherwise, you’ll be accused of plagiarism and lose credits.
In a body part, describe the methodology that you have used to collect and evaluate data and conduct the study. For instance, you may specify whether you have used primary or secondary sources, random or selected population, specific laboratory equipment, and tools, etc.
By the end of the story, revise your piece. That is an integral part of how to write a historical paper, and you risk looking ridiculous if you hurry to submit a paper full of mistakes and improper formatting.
