Writing Good History Papers

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  • 8/9/2019 Writing Good History Papers

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    North Georgia College and State University

    Department of History

    ADVICE ON WI!ING GOOD HIS!O" #A#ES

    All good History papers include !WOcharacteristics: first, consistent use of clear, active

    prose, and second, sound and consistent construction. Writing active prose requires a

    commitment to remove as much superfluous prose as possible from your writing, andalso removing as many examples of the verb to be, in all its forms, as possible. !ften

    the preposition by accompanies the to be verb, so loo" for it as a sign that your

    sentences are passive. #or guides that will help you recogni$e passive constructions, see

    the following sites:

    http:%%owl.english.purdue.edu%handouts%grammar%g&actpass.html

    http:%%www.unc.edu%depts%wcweb%handouts%passivevoice.html

    'egarding paper construction, there are a number of steps that all good history papersmust ta"e. #irst, construct a clear, strong thesis$or argument, and include it in your

    introductory paragraph. (his argument is often called a thesis statement. A thesis

    statement indicates the following to the reader: )*+ what the paper is about, i.e. the subectmatter, )-+ what you plan to argue about this subect matter. (he second of these steps is

    often the most difficult to grasp. (o get started, begin researching your topic, and

    examine existing arguments these are always located within the introductory sections of

    scholarly wor"s, or ournal articles. !nce you understand others/ arguments, you canbegin to define your position in relation to them. 0n other words, examining and critically

    analy$ing other author/s theses allows you to develop your own. (his process shouldbegin as soon as you choose a paper topic at the beginning of the class, and shouldcontinue during your research efforts. On%e yo& have %ompleted yo&r resear%h$ yo&r

    thesis sho&ld 'e %lear$ 'oth to yo&$ and yo&r instr&%tor( Always consult your

    instructor about your thesis, and if you are unsure about your direction, as" for help.

    #or more help on thesis statements, see the following sites:

    http:%%www.unc.edu%depts%wcweb%handouts%thesis.html

    http:%%www.fas.harvard.edu%1wricntr%documents%(hesis.html

    http:%%www.wcu.edu%writingcenter%isource.asp2page3tstatements.html

    http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.htmlhttp://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.htmlhttp://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.htmlhttp://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Thesis.htmlhttp://www.wcu.edu/writingcenter/isource.asp?page=tstatements.htmlhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_actpass.htmlhttp://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/passivevoice.htmlhttp://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/thesis.htmlhttp://www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/Thesis.htmlhttp://www.wcu.edu/writingcenter/isource.asp?page=tstatements.html
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    !nce you have articulated your thesis, you are ready to begin the next phase4 constructing

    your content paragraphs. (hese paragraphs ma"e up the meat of your paper they

    reinforce your thesis through the presentation of evidence selected to support it. (hesecontent paragraphs should also include the following: )*+ a topi% senten%eat the start of

    the paragraph that explicitly refers bac" to your thesis in some way, and )-+ a

    transitional senten%eat the end of the paragraph that bridges each succeeding paragraph.After you have assembled enough evidence to support your thesis in your content

    paragraphs, then it is time to end your paper with a %on%l&ding paragraph. 5oncluding

    paragraphs always include a reiteration of your thesis that refocuses the reader on yourmain arguments. (ry to include some personal perspective here also in other words,

    explain why this paper topic interested you, and why you felt it was important enough to

    ustify its construction as a term or research paper.

    (hese recommendations are only effective if employed together with the followingpractices, or habits. #irst, effe%tive time managementis essential when writing history

    papers. (ime management involves several interrelated factors:

    )*+ select your topic early, and begin acquiring your research materials early, either

    through the 6tewart 7ibrary, 807 9xpress, or through 8alileo.)-+ begin writing immediately, even if it is only thoughts and vague ideas. Having

    something in front of you provides a vital foundation for further writing.)+ share your thoughts and ideas with your instructor early and often by ta"ing this

    initiative, you demonstrate your commitment to the paper and show your

    instructor that you care about the outcome.

    6econd, begin approaching your research materials with a p&rpose. (his means learning

    how to gut boo"s and ournal articles quic"ly and efficiently by reading and extracting

    their most relevant and valuable sections. (hree sections within boo"s are most useful inthis regard4 the introduction, the conclusion, and the bibliography. ;uring your research

    phase, concentrate on these sections only, and them move on to the next source. After

    you have identified the most important evidence from each source, then you can returnand read other sections. Applying this method allows you to quic"ly answer two

    fundamental questions4 can 0 write this paper, and what will my thesis be2 !nce you

    have answered both these questions, you are on your way.

    (hird, understand and commit to the idea that good )riting emerges as part of apro%ess$ not an event. 0n other words, revise and redraft your wor" often.