By Elena Selthun Beginning a history paper can seem like a daunting task, but at its core, history writing is simple: think of it as “advanced storytelling.” Of course, the “story” you are telling should be one you can support with scholarly sources, and from these sources you will draw evidence to create your argument, which is the backbone of your story and paper. When you are in the beginning stages of a history paper, a major part of your brainstorming process will be research. To write a history paper, you will probably need to: • Compile a variety of sources, primary and secondary • Make connections between those sources • Synthesize those sources to “tell a story” Throughout the research process, you may find that it is often easier to figure out a topic after a close look at existing scholarly research – where are the gaps? What story needs to be told? Why? How can you use existing research, or the gaps in it, to tell that story? Here is an example of the introduction for a history paper in SUURJ (Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal): This paper begins with a quote from a source the author references. The author draws evidence from this quote to support her “story” about the evolving practice of the secondhand clothing trade. She then begins her thesis by making connections between different kinds of history: economic + social → fashion It is not only important to find sources for a history paper – you also need to cite them. Different professors may have different preferences, but typically MLA and Chicago Style are used in history writing. Both citation styles are often used with footnotes, and you should expect to cite often in your paper, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing your sources. (It is a good idea to paraphrase more, and use quotes sparingly for emphasis, as seen in the example above.) These citation styles reflect history’s focus on where and when sources are from, as well as any information about which translation or edition they might be – history sources should be easy for your reader to find. Your citations should be accessible to your reader, for example, here the primary and secondary sources are separated and identified in the works cited for ease of access and overall clarity of sources. In Chicago Style, the Notes section follows the Works Cited section and corresponds to footnotes in order to provide additional context, refer readers to more sources, and more directly address other scholarly research. Throughout the history writing process, there are two “guiding principles” of the history discipline that are helpful to keep in mind: selection & interpretation.
These may seem confusing, but they are pretty simple in practice! Think of them as disclaimers to your audience – you are doing your best to create an accurate and meaningful argument for a larger story, but you also recognize your limitations and refrain from making unrealistic assumptions or drawing conclusions without convincing, varied, and well-sourced evidence to do so. Here, the author practices selection and interpretation by acknowledging the limits of the sources she selected and her method of interpretation (“sideways” examination). She includes this extensive and honest disclaimer at the beginning of her paper, in the Methods section. Though not every paper will have this section, acknowledging and practicing selection & interpretation is still important when writing your history paper in order to become both an advanced storyteller and a trustworthy source. References Harvard Writing Center Brief Guide Series: A Brief Guide to Writing the History Paper. (2007). Retrieved from https://writingproject.fas.harvard.edu/pages/brief-guides- disciplines Erin Kwan (2017) "Clothes Make the (Wo)Man: Interpreting Evidence of the Secondhand Clothing Trade in Late Medieval England," SUURJ: Seattle University Undergraduate Research Journal: Vol. 1 , Article 16. Available at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/suurj/vol1/iss1/16 Van Etten, A. (2019, October 27). Personal interview.
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January 2024
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