Writing a research paper in history

1. Ms. Carmelitano Writing a research paper in history

2. Steps • 1. Choose your topic • 2. Thesis • 3. Research • 4. Note cards • 5. Outline • 6. Rough Draft • 7. Final Copy • 8. CITATIONS and works cited

3. Choose your topic • What will you be writing your paper on? • What type of paper is it? • Informational • Summarizes material from a variety of sources • Analytical • This goes further – the material is summarized and the writer analyzes it and presents their conclusions

4. Thesis Statement • A good thesis statement IS NOT • A statement of fact • Merely the expression of a personal opinion • A vague generalization • A question • A good thesis statement IS • A declarative sentence that states the main point that the author wishes to make • Usually a sentence that embodies a judgment, evaluation, or criticism. • A statement you consider significant, so that if someone says, “So what?” you can answer that question

5. Research • A primary source • An original text, document, interview, speech, or letter. It is not someone’s comments on or analysis of a text; it is the text itself. • A secondary source • NOT an original text or document; rather, it is someone’s comments or an analysis of a primary source

6. Research • Use the library – books are a wonderful source! • Evaluate internet sources carefully • Who wrote the Web page? How qualified or knowledgeable is the writer? Is the writer an expert or a professional working in the area the Web site discusses? • How accurate is the information? Does the Web page give facts or just the writer’s opinions? Verify the given information. • How up-to-date is the information? • Is the information biased (slanted toward one point of view), or are both sides of an issue presented objectively and fairly? • Try to utilizes web pages ending in: “.edu” or “.gov” rather than “.com”

7. Note cards • Use 3”x5” or 4”x6” index cards • Each card should be used for ONLY ONE source • Write down a quotation, or information from the source that you wish to use in the paper • Remember to also write down the citation of the source for easy citations in the paper • Write down the “point” the source is supporting

8. Outline • Use your note cards to help you create an outline • Each paragraph should have information that support your overall thesis

9. Rough Draft • You should write a first draft of your paper • When it is complete, go back and edit it… take out parts that are repetitive or do not clearly connect to your overall thesis • Move paragraphs around so that they are in an order that makes the most sense, and flow well within the paper • You may change/re-word your thesis at this point, now that you have created the initial paper

10. Final Copy • Once you are happy with the rough draft, and have checked for spelling and grammatical mistakes, it is time for the final copy • This should be the polished copy • The paper should have a clear thesis statement, introduction, body which supports the thesis statement, and conclusion which wraps everything up.

11. Citations • Every paper needs in-text citations, or foot-notes, or end-notes, and a works cited page • Citations are needed for direct quotes AND when you paraphrase!! • The only thing you do not need to cite is “commonly known facts” (Dates, That George Washington was President, sides during a war, that Guttenberg invented the printing press) • In history, we use APA or Chicago style citations • Works Cited Page • an alphabetical list of all the sources you have referred to in your paper.