A Pocket Guide to Writing in History

A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is the concise, trusted, and easy-to-use guide for the writing and research skills needed in undergraduate history courses. Thoroughly updated to include strategies for making useful outlines and organizing a paper, the tenth edition ensures that students have the most up-to-date advice and ample instruction for writing a research paper for their history class. About this Book Cover Page Inside Front Cover Title Page Copyright Page Preface Chapter 1 Introduction: Why Study History? 1a Asking historical questions 1b Developing historical thinking skills Chapter 2 Working with Sources 2a Identifying historical sources 2a-1 Primary sources 2a-2 Secondary sources 2a-3 Primary or secondary? The changing status of a source 2a-4 Accessing sources in history 2a-5 Uses of primary and secondary sources 2b Evaluating sources Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Text-Based Primary Sources 2b-1 Evaluating primary sources Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Nonwritten Primary Sources 2b-2 Evaluating secondary sources Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Secondary Sources 2b-3 Evaluating online sources 2b-4 Identifying fake news Tips for Writers: Questions for Evaluating Websites Chapter 3 Writing Short History Assignments 3a Reading actively in history Tips for Writers: Writing as You Read 3b Writing about reading 3b-1 Summaries 3b-2 Annotated bibliographies 3c Writing about primary sources 3c-1 Single-source analysis 3c-2 Comparative papers Tips for Writers: Writing a Comparative Essay 3d Writing about secondary sources 3d-1 Critiques and book reviews 3d-2 Comparing secondary sources: literature reviews and historiographic essays 3e Writing about film 3f Taking history exams 3f-1 Preparing for an exam 3f-2 Answering identification questions 3f-3 Taking an essay exam Chapter 4 Following Conventions of Writing in History 4a Approaching a history assignment 4b Thinking like a historian 4c Developing a thesis 4d Constructing an argument Tips for Writers: Testing Your Thesis 4d-1 Supporting your thesis 4d-2 Responding to counterevidence and anticipating opposing viewpoints 4e Drafting your paper 4e-1 Drafting an introduction 4e-2 Organizing your paper 4e-3 Writing clear and connected paragraphs 4e-4 Writing an effective conclusion 4f Revising for content and organization Tips for Writers: Revising for Content and Organization 4g Editing for style and grammar Tips for Writers: Common Grammatical Errors (and How to Avoid Them) 4g-1 Choosing appropriate language 4g-2 Choosing the appropriate tense 4g-3 Using active voice 4g-4 Knowing when to use the pronouns I, me, and you Chapter 5 Writing a Research Paper 5a Moving from topic to research question 5a-1 Choosing a topic 5a-2 Focusing on a research question 5b Developing a research plan 5c Conducting research 5c-1 Consulting human resources 5c-2 Using the library’s online catalog 5c-3 Using print and electronic reference sources 5c-4 Locating primary sources 5c-5 Locating secondary sources: using electronic periodical databases 5c-6 Finding internet sources Tips for Writers: Electronic Databases 5c-7 Distinguishing among electronic sources 5d Taking effective research notes 5e Developing a working thesis 5f Making an outline 5g Revising and editing your paper Chapter 6 Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It 6a What is plagiarism 6b Avoiding plagiarism 6b-1 Citing sources to avoid plagiarism 6b-2 Paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism Tips for Writers: Avoiding Plagiarism 6b-3 Downloading internet sources carefully to avoid plagiarism 6c Plagiarism and the internet Chapter 7 Quoting and Documenting Sources 7a Using quotations 7a-1 When to quote 7a-2 How to quote 7b Documenting sources 7b-1 Footnotes and endnotes 7b-2 Bibliography 7b-3 Documenting nonwritten materials 7c Documentation models Directory to Documentation Models 7c-1 Formatting guidelines for footnotes and endnotes 7c-2 Formatting guidelines for bibliographies 7c-3 Models for notes and bibliography entries Citation Guide: Books Citation Guide: Letters in published collections Citation Guide: Articles in print journals Citation Guide: Articles in electronic databases Citation Guide: Information from websites 7d Sample pages from a student research paper Sample Title Page Sample Page Sample Endnotes Page Sample Bibliography Index Inside Back Cover Back Cover "A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is a brief, inexpensive, and easy-to-use guide to the writing and research skills needed for undergraduate history courses. Its concise yet comprehensive coverage of every step of the research and writing process--including detailed advice on documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism--have made A Pocket Guide to Writing in History the trusted choice in history."--Publisher's description