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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.html8/9/2019 Writing Good History Papers
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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.