History 1301 Research paper
Historical Research
Historical research is the type of research that examines past events or combinations of events to arrive at an account of what has happened in the past.
Why would a person want to conduct historical research?
Uncover the unknown,
Answer questions
Identify the relationship that the past has to the present,
Record and evaluate accomplishments of individuals, agencies, or institutions,
Aid in understanding the culture in which we live.
Primary Sources
Primary source
A primary source is a document or physical object which was written or created during the time under study. Prepared by an individual who was a participant in or a direct witness to the event being described. These sources were present during an experience or time period and offer an inside view of a particular event. Some types of primary sources include:
ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS (excerpts or translations acceptable): Diaries, speeches, manuscripts, letters, interviews, news film footage, autobiographies, official records
CREATIVE WORKS: Poetry, drama, novels, music, art
RELICS OR ARTIFACTS: Pottery, furniture, clothing, buildings
Emma Lazarus’s Poem
Secondary Source
What is a secondary source? A secondary source interprets and analyzes primary sources. These sources are one or more steps removed from the event. Secondary sources may have pictures, quotes or graphics of primary sources in them.
Some types of secondary sources include:
Textbooks, magazine articles, criticisms, commentaries, encyclopedias, A journal/magazine article which interprets or reviews previous findings, A history book about the effects of WWI
Utilizing Secondary Sources
Before beginning detailed work, it’s obviously a good idea to read some of the secondary literature surrounding your subject. Don’t spend hours in the early stages of research ferreting out hard-to-find details, unless you’re absolutely positive that they are of central importance to the viability of your topic. Start to get a feel for the material you have, and the questions that might be explored further. Make an outline of the main topics that you hope to cover, organized along what you see as the most interesting themes.
Steps in Historical Research
What are the steps involved in the conduct of historical research?
Identification of the research topic and formulation of the research problem or question.
Data collection or literature review
Evaluation of materials
Data synthesis
Report preparation or preparation of the narrative exposition
Choosing a Research Topic
Because good research and good writing go hand in hand, probably the single most important key to successful research is having a good topic.
(a) a problem that you are genuinely interested in and
(b) a specific issue, controversy, technique, instrument, person, etc.
Thesis Fundamentals
A thesis statement . . .
Makes an argumentative assertion about a topic
It states the conclusions that you have reached about your topic.
Makes a promise to the reader about the scope, purpose, and direction of your paper.
Is focused and specific enough to be “proven” within the boundaries of your paper.
Is generally located near the end of the introduction
Examples
The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.
This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. It is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, “What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?” Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes. Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong?
Examples
While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions. Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague.
You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper: While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government. Bingo!
Examples
Thesis Example:
This paper argues how changes in women’s fashion represent how the average woman’s life has changed throughout the centuries. Those changes could be seen in the way that fashion fit with lifestyle changes for women from 1850-1900, from 1900-1950 and from 1950 to the present.
Examples
What is a Thesis? A thesis statement is a sentence in which you state an argument about a topic and then describe, briefly, how you will prove your argument.
This is an argument, but not yet a thesis: “The movie ‘JFK’ inaccurately portrays President Kennedy.”
This is a thesis: “The movie ‘JFK’ inaccurately portrays President Kennedy because it ignores Kennedy’s youth, his relationship with his father, and the findings of the Warren Commission.” Bingo!
Benefits to a Strong Thesis
A Thesis Helps You and Your Reader!
Helps you determine your focus and clarify your ideas.
Gives your paper a unified structure and point.
Serves as a “map” to follow through your paper.
Keeps the reader focused on your argument.
Signals to the reader your main points.
Engages the reader in your argument.
More Examples
Unspecific thesis: “Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong leader as First Lady.” This thesis lacks an argument. We need to know why Eleanor Roosevelt was a strong leader.
Specific thesis: “Eleanor Roosevelt recreated the role of the First Lady by her active political leadership in the Democratic Party, by lobbying for national legislation, and by fostering women’s leadership in the Democratic Party.”
The second thesis has an argument: Eleanor Roosevelt “recreated” the position of First Lady, and a three-part structure with which to demonstrate just how she remade the job.
Taking on the role as Lawyer
You are the best (and only!) advocate for your thesis. Your thesis is defenseless without you to prove that it’s argument holds up under scrutiny. The jury (i.e., your reader) will expect you, as a good lawyer, to provide evidence to prove your thesis.
To prove thesis statements on historical topics, what evidence can you the lawyer use?
Primary sources: letters, diaries, government documents, an organization’s meeting minutes, newspapers. Secondary sources: articles and books from your class that explain and interpret the historical event or person you are writing about, lecture notes, films or documentaries.
Conclusion
Re-state your thesis statement and your three points that went with it. Add some new idea at the end, some kind of ‘kicker’ that gives the essay something special. The special bit at the end could be something that says why the topic is relevant to people today, something ironic, something poetic, or could even point out something obvious that is related to your topic. It could also call the listener into action by telling them what they can do about the topic or how it applies to the reader’s own life. It could also ask a question or make the reader think about what could happen in the future with the topic.
Book Review Options
A memoir is a special kind of autobiography, usually involving a public portion of the author’s life as it relates to a person, historic event, or thing. The text is about the personal knowledge and/or experiences of the author. In contrast, an autobiography covers the author’s entire life to the present, and is expected to include details about his or her public and private life.
A diary is a record (originally in handwritten format) with discrete entries arranged by date reporting on what has happened over the course of a day or other period. A personal diary may include a person’s experiences, and/or thoughts or feelings, including comments on currents events.
Autobiography-An autobiography is a self-written account of the life of a person.
Book Related to Research Topic
Book Review
What are the author’s main points?
What kind of evidence does the author use to prove his or her points?
Is the evidence convincing? Why or why not? Does the author support his or her points adequately?
How does this book relate to other books on the same topic?
Is the book unique? Does it add new information? What group of readers, if any, would find this book most useful?
Does the author have the necessary expertise to write the book?
What are the most appropriate criteria by which to judge the book? How successful do you think the author was in carrying out the overall purposes of the book?
Tips
Get off to a good start with your introductory paragraph
Introduce your specific topic, introduce your thesis with force
Use Evidence Critically
Introductory Paragraph
Writing the introductory paragraph can be a frustrating and slow process — but it doesn’t have to be. If you planned your paper out, then most of the introductory paragraph is already written. Now you just need a beginning and an end. Beginning Sentence(s) Here’s your chance to introduce your topic and grab your reader’s attention. NEVER start your paper saying, “In this paper, I will” or “This paper is about.” Start strong. In your research, have you come across an odd factoid or interesting quote? Try starting your paper with that. How about starting with an anecdotal story or humor?
Middle Sentences Usually, the middle sentences cover the points in your paper. Since you’ve already planned which order to write the points, you already know which order to place them in your introductory paragraph. You don’t have to include every single point, but make sure the important ones get in there.
Ending Sentence All the previous sentences have been building up to this: your thesis. Your thesis statement expresses the overall idea of your paper and show where you stand on the topic.
Body Paragraph
Body paragraphs are the meat of your essay, and as such are the most important component of your essay.
This takes up several pages, and constitutes the bulk of your paper. Here is where you argue your thesis. The content of this section largely will depend on your thesis, and what it requires you to argue.
What is a good paragraph? A good paragraph is a group of sentences that is unified around ONE central point. This point is expressed clearly in a topic sentence. This point is then developed in the paragraph through details, examples, and explanations.
Conclusion
Have a strong conclusion. Obviously, you should not just stop abruptly as though you have run out of time or ideas. Your conclusion should conclude something. If you merely restate briefly what you have said in your paper, you give the impression that you are unsure of the significance of what you have written. A weak conclusion leaves the reader unsatisfied and bewildered, wondering why your paper was worth reading. A strong conclusion adds something to what you said in your in- introduction. A strong conclusion explains the importance and significance of what you have written. A strong conclusion leaves your reader caring about what you have said and pondering the larger implications of your thesis. Don’t leave your reader asking, “So what?”
Wrap Up
Introduction. Introduce your topic-At the very end add your thesis
Body Paragraphs- This is where you prove different aspects of your thesis with evidence.
Conclusion. Re-state your thesis at the very beginning. Briefly summarize what you proved in your paper. Add powerful words/something about the future
Outline
Introduce your topic, Thesis statement at the end
B. Body Paragraph – Topic with supporting historical evidence
C. Body Paragraph- Topic with supporting historical evidence
D. Body Paragraph- Topic with supporting historical evidence
E. Conclusion- Restate Your Thesis at the Beginning
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