A Student's Guide to History

by Benjamin, Jules R.

• ISBN13: 9780312149772
• ISBN10: 0312149778
• Edition: 7th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-01-01
• Publisher: Bedford/st Martins

Table of Contents

Preface	vii	(4)
A Note to Students	xi
1 The Subject of History and How to Use It	1	(18)
What Historians Are Trying to Do	1	(1)
What History Can Tell You	2	(3)
History and the Everyday World	2	(1)
A Brief Journey into the Past	3	(2)
How Historians Work	5	(11)
Primary and Secondary Sources of Evidence	6	(4)
Interpreting and Organizing Evidence	10	(2)
Changing Directions of Historical Research	12	(1)
Methods of Historical Research	13	(1)
The Computer and Historical Research	14	(1)
Philosophies of History	14	(1)
Historiography	15	(1)
How You Can Use History	16	(3)
2 How to Read a History Assignment and Take Notes in Class	19	(25)
How to Read a History Assignment	19	(8)
Reading a Textbook	20	(1)
Reading a Monograph	20	(1)
Reading a Historical Novel	21	(1)
Examples of Reading Assignments	21	(6)
How to "Read" Nonwritten Materials	27	(9)
Maps, Charts, Graphs, and Tables	27	(5)
Illustrations and Photographs	32	(4)
How to Take Notes	36	(6)
From Class Lectures	36	(1)
Examples of Note Taking	37	(4)
From Slides and Films	41	(1)
Classroom Participation	42	(2)
Classroom Discussions	42	(1)
Guidelines for Speaking in Class	42	(1)
Giving an Oral Presentation	42	(1)
Guidelines for Giving an Oral Presentation	43	(1)
3 Taking Exams and Writing Short Papers	44	(15)
How to Study for Exams	44	(9)
Objective and Short-Answer Exams	45	(1)
Examples of Objective Exams	45	(1)
Preparing for Essay Exams--Composing Sample Questions	46	(1)
Writing a Good Essay Exam	47	(1)
Guidelines for Writing a Good Essay Exam	47	(1)
Examples of Essay Exams	48	(4)
Take-Home Exams	52	(1)
Writing Assignments in History and Why They Are Important	53	(5)
Book Reviews	54	(1)
Guidelines for Writing a Book Review	54	(2)
Writing Short Papers	56	(1)
Guidelines for Writing a Short Paper	57	(1)
A Note on Plagiarism: A Serious Offense	58	(1)
4 How to Research a History Topic	59	(33)
What Is a Research Paper?	59	(1)
What Should I Write About: Choosing a Topic	60	(4)
Coming Up with a Theme for Your Paper	60	(2)
Creating a Research Outline	62	(2)
Library Research	64	(12)
Finding Information about Your Topic/Theme in Your School Library	64	(1)
Using the Library Catalogs	65	(5)
Sources for History Research on the Internet	70	(3)
Research in Primary Sources	73	(1)
Reference Books	74	(1)
Locating Materials and Using Call Numbers	75	(1)
Mining Information from Your Sources	76	(8)
Determining Whether a Book Will Be Useful	77	(1)
How to Read Your Sources	78	(1)
Guidelines for Reading Your Sources	79	(1)
How to Take Notes from Your Sources	80	(3)
Avoiding Plagiarism	83	(1)
The Art of Paraphrasing	83	(1)
Organizing Your Research	84	(5)
Preparing a Writing Outline	85	(3)
Organizing Your Notes	88	(1)
Budgeting Your Research Time	88	(1)
Historical Materials Outside the Library	89	(1)
How to Research Your Family History	90	(2)
5 How to Write a Research Paper	92	(44)
Preparing to Write	92	(1)
Why Your Paper Needs a Theme	92	(1)
Your Writing Outline	93	(1)
Writing the Text	93	(3)
The Rough Draft	93	(2)
Clear Writing: A Matter of Continuity	95	(1)
Documenting Your Paper: Citing Your Sources	96	(7)
Footnotes and Endnotes: When and How to Use Them	96	(2)
How to Write Footnotes	98	(3)
Quotations: When and How to Use Them	101	(1)
Organizing a Bibliography	102	(1)
Revising and Rewriting	103	(2)
Word Processing: Advantages and Dangers	103	(2)
Guidelines for Formatting Your Paper	105	(1)
Example of a Research Paper	105	(31)
How the Theme Was Chosen	106	(1)
The Writing Outline for the Theme	106	(3)
Sample Student Paper--"Wage Slavery or True Independence: Women Workers in the Lowell, Massachusetts, Textile Mills, 1820-1850"	109	(27)
Appendix A Basic Reference Sources for History Study and Research	136	(41)
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Atlases, and Yearbooks	137	(4)
Biography Collections	141	(3)
Newspaper Directories and Indexes	144	(1)
Periodical Guides and Indexes	145	(2)
Historical Periodicals	147	(3)
Government Publications and Public Documents	150	(1)
Subject Bibliographies	151	(19)
Sources for Historical Statistics	170	(2)
Guides to Photographs, Microfilms, Microforms, Movies, Recordings, and Oral History	172	(1)
Guides to Dissertations, Archives, and Manuscripts	172	(1)
Electronic Reference Sources	173	(4)
Appendix B Useful Information for the Historian	177	(18)
Historical Sources in Your Own Backyard	177	(1)
Sources for Family History	178	(1)
Grammar and Style Manuals	178	(1)
Library of Congress Subject Headings	179	(1)
Call Numbers: The Library of Congress System	179	(3)
Call Numbers: The Dewey Decimal System	182	(1)
Extended Footnote/Endnote Examples	183	(5)
Extended Bibliography Examples	188	(5)
Common Abbreviations Used in Footnotes, Bibliographies, Catalogs, and Reference Books	193	(2)
Glossary	195	(4)
Index	199