A Short Guide to Writing about Historyis an ideal complement for any history course intended to teach students to think and write like historians. This engaging and practical text will teach students how to go beyond reporting the basic dates and facts of their history books and show them how to infuse their writing with their own ideas and unique perspective. Covering brief essays and the documented resource paper, the text explores the writing and researching processes, different modes of historical writing (including argument), and offers guidelines for improving style as well as documenting sources.

Preface

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1 Writing and History

Stories About the Past Intended to Be True

Writing History as a Way of Thinking

Basic Principles for History Essays

Writer’s Checklist of Basic Principles

Paraphrase and Plagiarism

Writer’s Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism

2 Thinking About History

Historical Questioning

Historical Fallacies

Making Inferences

Evaluating Materials

Writer’s Checklist for Evaluation

3 Gathering Information

Focusing on a Topic

Making Initial Inquiries

Identifying Key Sources

Concluding Your Research

Writer’s Checklist for Research

4 Notes and Drafts

Recording Information and Ideas

Writer’s Checklist for Taking Notes

Organizing Your Essay

Writing and Revising Drafts

Writer’s Checklist for Peer Editing

5 Voice and Style

Modes of Writing

Simple and Direct Writing

Word Forms and Punctuation

The Final Presentation

Writing for Speaking

Writer’s Checklist for Expression and Conventions

6 Documenting Sources

Basic Principles

Electronic Sources

Notes and Bibliographies

Writer’s Checklist of Source Citations

Appendix A Sample Student Research Paper

Manifest Destiny: A Characteristic of Nations

Things to Notice About This Paper

Writer’s Checklist for Sample Research Paper

Appendix B Writing Reviews

Reviewing as a Special Form of Writing

A Sample Student Review

Thomas Fleming’s Discovery of Another War

Things to Notice About This Review

Writer’s Checklist for Reviews

Appendix C Short Essay Assignments

Writer’s Checklist for Short Essays

Select Bibliography of Student Resources

Text Credits

Index

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