A Pocket Guide to Writing in History

by Rampolla, Mary Lynn

• ISBN13: 9780312610418
• ISBN10: 0312610416
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-01-20
• Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's

Summary

An essential writing, reading, and research tool for all history students, A Pocket Guide to Writing in Historyoffers a best-selling combination of concise yet comprehensive advice in a portable and accessible format. This quick-reference guide provides a practical introduction to typical history assignments, exercising critical reading skills, evaluating and documenting sources, writing effective history papers, conducting research, and avoiding plagiarism. Building on its time-tested approach, the seventh edition offers expanded, hands-on guidance for writing and researching in the digital age, and additional coverage on working with primary and secondary sources.

Author Biography

MARY LYNN RAMPOLLA (Ph.D., University of Toronto) is associate professor of history at Trinity Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her scholarly work focuses on medieval and early modern Europe, and her publications include articles in Medieval and Renaissance Texts and Studies and entries in the Dictionary of the Middle Ages. She is active in the fields of history and composition.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: Why Study History?

Historical questions

How this manual can help you

 

2. Working with Sources

Identifying historical sources

     Primary sources

     Secondary sources

     Primary or secondary? The changing status of a source

     Uses of primary and secondary sources

Evaluating sources

     Evaluating primary sources

     Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Text-Based Primary Sources

     Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Nonwritten Primary Sources

     Evaluating secondary sources

     Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Secondary Sources

     Evaluating online resources

     Questions for Evaluating Websites

 

3. Approaching Typical Assignments in History

Reading actively in history

     Tips for Writers: Writing as You Read

Writing about reading

     Summaries

     Annotated bibliographies

Using primary sources

     Single-source analysis

     Comparing primary sources

     Tips for Writers: Writing a Comparative Essay

Secondary Sources: Typical Writing Assignments

     Critiques and book reviews

     Historiographic essays

Film reviews

Taking history exams

     Preparing for an exam

     Answering identification questions

     Taking an essay exam

 

4. Writing History Papers

Approaching a history assignment

Thinking like a historian

Developing a thesis

Constructing an argument

     Tips for Writers: Constructing a Thesis

     Supporting your thesis

     Responding to counterevidence and anticipating opposing viewpoints

Organizing your paper

     Drafting an introduction

     Writing clear and connected paragraphs 

     Writing an effective conclusion

Revising for content and organization

Tips for Writers: Revising for Content and Organization

Editing for style and grammar

     Choosing appropriate language

     Choosing the appropriate tense

     Using active voice

     Knowing when to use the pronouns I, me, and you

 

5. Writing a Research Paper

Moving from topic to research question

     Choosing a topic

     Focusing on a research question

Developing a research plan

Conducting research

     Consulting human resources

     Using the library's online catalog

     Using print and electronic reference sources

     Locating secondary sources: using print and electronic periodical databases

     Tips for Writers: Electronic Databases

     Finding Internet sources

     Distinguishing among electronic sources

Taking effective research notes

Developing a working thesis

Making an outline

Revising and editing your paper

 

6. Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It

What is plagiarism?

Avoiding plagiarism

     Citing sources to avoid plagiarism

     Paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism

     Tips for Writers: Avoiding Plagiarism

     Downloading Internet sources carefully to avoid plagiarism

Plagiarism and the Internet

 

7. Quoting and Documenting Sources

Using quotations

     When to quote

     How to quote

Documenting sources

     Footnotes and endnotes

     Bibliography

     Documenting nonwritten materials

Documentation models

Sample pages from a student research paper