Table of Contents
1 Introduction: Why Study History1a Asking historical questions
1b Developing historical reading skills
2 Working with Sources
2a Identifying historical sources
2a-1 Primary sources
2a-2 Secondary sources
2a-3 Primary or secondary? The changing status of a source
2a-4 Accessing sources in history
2a-5 Uses of primary and secondary sources
2b Evaluating sources
Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Text-Based Primary Sources
2b-1 Evaluating primary sources
Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Nonwritten Primary Sources
2b-2 Evaluating secondary sources
Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Secondary Sources
2b-3 Evaluating online sources
2b-4 Identifying fake news
Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Websites
3 Writing Short History Assignments
3a Reading actively in history
Tips for Writers: Writing as You Read
3b Writing about reading
3b-1 Summaries
3b-2 Annotated bibliographies
3c Writing about primary sources
3c-1 Single-source analysis
3c-2 Comparative papers
Tips for Writers: Writing a Comparative Essay
3d Writing about secondary sources
3d-1 Critiques and book reviews
3d-2 Comparing secondary sources
3e Writing about film
3f Taking history exams
3f-1 Preparing for an exam
3f-2 Answering identification questions
3f-3 Taking an essay exam
4 Following Conventions of Writing in History
4a Approaching a history assignment
4b Thinking like a historian
4c Developing a thesis
4d Constructing an argument
Tips for Writers: Testing your Thesis
4d-1 Supporting your thesis
4d-2 Responding to counterevidence and anticipating opposing viewpoints
4e Drafting your paper
4e-1 Drafting an introduction
4e-2 Organizing your paper
4e-3 Writing clear and connected paragraphs
4e-4 Writing an effective conclusion
4f Revising for content and organization
Tips for Writers: Revising for Content and Organization
4g Editing for style and grammar
Tips for Writers: Common Grammatical Errors (and How to Avoid Them)
4g-1 Choosing appropriate language
4g-2 Choosing the appropriate tense
4g-3 Using active voice
4g-4 Knowing when to use the pronouns I, me, and you
5 Writing a Research Paper
5a Moving from topic to research question
5a-1 Choosing a topic
5a-2 Focusing on a research question
5b Developing a research plan
5c Conducting research
5c-1 Consulting human resources
5c-2 Using a library’s online catalog
5c-3 Using print and electronic reference sources
5c-4 Locating primary sources
5c-5 Locating secondary sources
5c-6 Finding internet sources
Tips for Writers: Electronic Databases
5c-7 Distinguishing among electronic sources
5d Taking effective research notes
5e Developing a working thesis
5f Making an outline
5g Revising and editing your paper
6 Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It
6a What is plagiarism?
6b Avoiding plagiarism
6b-1 Citing sources to avoid plagiarism
6b-2 Paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism
Tips for Writers: Avoiding Plagiarism
6b-3 Downloading internet sources carefully to avoid plagiarism
6c Plagiarism and the internet
7 Quoting and Documenting Sources
7a Using quotations
7a-1 When to quote
7a-2 How to quote
7b Documenting sources
7b-1 Footnotes and endnotes
7b-2 Bibliography
7b-3 Documenting nonwritten materials
7c Documentation models
7c-1 Formatting guidelines for footnotes and endnotes
7c-2 Formatting guidelines for bibliographies
7c-3 Models for notes and bibliography entries
7d Sample pages from a student research paper