To score high marks in your history essays, you need to have good sources to support your arguments. History essays should contain facts and viewpoints of the author. Ideally, you should get all your information from two or three primary sources, and not just one or two books. Choose two main sources that present a coherent argument and three primary sources that demonstrate your source analysis skills. If you don’t have any primary sources to refer to, consider writing a history essay based on your own observations.
Chicago style referencing in history essays
Unlike other academic papers, history essays should follow the rules of Chicago style referencing. Historians and other scholars usually use a style guide to document their work, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, which is currently in its 17th edition. While the rules may seem complex at first, they are essential for proper writing. Unlike traditional essay formats, they require footnotes in nearly every paragraph. Using footnotes in history essays is perfectly acceptable if you follow the rules for this style.
Using Chicago style referencing is an excellent way to avoid plagiarism. While it does not require a title page, it’s still helpful to include one. Title pages should be set up to match Chicago style referencing rules. Title page text should be center-aligned, double-spaced, and of the same font as the rest of the text. It should appear about a third of the way down the page, with headline capitalization. Subtitles should appear on the next line and are in the same font as the main title.
To write a history essay in Chicago style, you need to use a rough draft outline of your paper. Use rough drafts to note ideas, copied information, and quotes. This will help you focus on the overall thesis, while keeping your ideas organized. Make sure to note source information and use the footnote system to indicate quotes. Also, don’t overquote, as this can give the impression that you are lazy. If you have a quote that is more than a few sentences long, you should paraphrase it. However, be sure to footnote the source to make sure you don’t copy something.
If your history essay requires citations, you should follow the Chicago Manual of Style. Historians typically use the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style to format their bibliographies. While some historians format their bibliographies by hand, most use a citation manager, such as Zotero. The guide outlines the basics of Chicago style referencing, and gives examples for a bibliography.
Finding historians with different views
As with any history course, finding historians with different points of view is vital. Ideally, you’ll want to find at least two or three, but preferably more. You may want to read one particular author’s work, or read about an entire period of history. While you’re doing this, make sure to find out what their background and other work is like. You’ll also want to find out if there are any similarities or differences between their views.
While reading academic work, be sure to avoid copying too much verbatim from sources. It’s important to show that you’ve researched different points of view. The use of footnotes validates the bibliography and alleviates concerns of plagiarism. Higher education generally expects students to include a bibliography. The author’s name, publication date, and a brief description of the article are all necessary to include in a bibliography.
A good way to support your thesis statement in a history coursework is to find a variety of historians with opposing points of view. Compare different views, and then make your own judgment on which one is most likely to be correct. Include evidence to back up your view, and make sure you explain why yours is the best interpretation. Using this method, students can show how they used evidence to support their views.
In addition to reading books, they can also read articles written by different historians. Historians may challenge your own thinking with new evidence or a logical explanation. This is especially useful when writing a history coursework on a topic that involves conflicting viewpoints. Often, these are not unbiased. For example, a historian may use the work of a colleague or an academic colleague to support their argument.
Analysing and evaluating the work of two historians
The A-level specification for historical coursework requires that you analyse and evaluate the work of two historians. The work needs to be between three and four thousand words, but you can use fewer. You must also evaluate two different perspectives and choose the ones that best represent you and your argument. You can include more than two historians, but you cannot include them all. A key rule of evaluating your work is to use at least three different types of primary sources.
While choosing a text to study, ensure that it is based on evidence and not personal opinion. Both historians’ points of view should be interjected into your essay at various points. However, don’t use their points of view to discredit each other’s interpretation. If there’s no clear consensus on an argument, use evidence to argue your own.
The essay should demonstrate a general awareness of different debates in history. You should be able to assess the views presented by two different historians, and demonstrate that you have a sound understanding of the history debate. You must demonstrate your knowledge of these two historians by using primary sources that illustrate your arguments. This will also help you to write an effective essay for your A-level history coursework.
In this A-level history coursework, you should focus on the changing relationship between people and nature. You will study the relationship between North Americans and nature, as well as the effects of human actions on nature. You should also consider how these two historical perspectives influenced people’s attitudes towards nature and society over time. The course will require three previous or concurrent history credits. You should have a good understanding of human history.
As you learn to analyse and evaluate the work of two historians, you will also need to learn some terms and frameworks. You should know how to talk about political issues. You should understand that political decisions are often important because they affect society. The most successful historians study the political leaders and governments. However, there is also a difference between political and social history.
Finding documentary sources
If you’re aiming for an A-level in history, you’ll need to find sources relevant to your topic. Many historical sources are available online. The Fordham University’s online sourcebook is the most famous and has collections spanning ancient, medieval, and modern history. Another excellent resource for history coursework is the Milestone Documents archive, which contains thousands of original documents. These are not free, but they are well worth the investment.
In addition to using primary sources, you can use secondary sources such as film and images. If you’re studying the French Revolution, for example, you can find images from the era in Wikimedia Commons. For other historical events, you can search libraries or university image collections to find images. Stanford University’s French Revolution Digital Archive is another good resource. Whatever you choose, make sure the source is authentic. There have been a number of examples of supposedly authentic sources that were later turned out to be modern forgeries or doctored images.
Once you’ve found your primary source, you can use it for secondary sources in your history coursework. The main benefit of primary sources is that they give you an insight into a specific time period. Primary sources can include any literary work, historical document, film, or map. These primary sources offer insights into a specific time period and provide opportunities for new analysis. If you’re unsure about which type of source to use, consider asking a librarian at your local library. In addition to searching for primary sources, they can also help you find print materials in your subject area.
Unlike in higher-level history courses, students are required to use several kinds of primary sources in order to complete their assignments. For the most part, books will be the most relevant primary sources. But there’s no rule saying you have to use three of them. In reality, you can use more than three, as long as you reference them appropriately and find at least three different types of primary sources. You can also consult your teacher and other history teachers for recommendations.