A POCKET GUIDE TO WRITING IN HISTORY, 8TH ED

"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;1. Introduction: Why study history? 1a. Asking historical questions ; 1b. Developing historical thinking skills -- 2. Working with sources. 2a. Identifying historical sources ; 2b. Evaluating sources -- 3. Approaching typical assignments in history. 3a. Reading actively in history ; 3b. Writing about reading ; 3c. Using primary sources ; 3d. Using secondary sources ; 3e. Writing about film ; 3f. Taking history exams -- 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 ; 4e. Organizing your paper ; 4f. Revising for content and organization ; 4g. Editing for style and grammar -- 5. Writing a research paper. 5a. Moving from topic to research question ; 5b. Developing a research plan ; 5c. Conducting research ; 5d. Taking effective research notes ; 5e. Developing a working thesis ; 5f. Making an outline ; 5g. Revising and editing your paper -- 6. Plagiarism : what it is and how to avoid it. 6a. What is plagiarism? ; 6b. Avoiding plagiarism ; 6c. Plagiarism and the Internet -- 7. Quoting and documenting sources. 7a. Using quotations ; 7b. Documenting sources ; 7c. Documentation models ; 7d. Sample pages from a student research paper. Contents 2 Title page 5 Copyright 6 Preface 7 1 Introduction: Why Study History? 9 1a Asking historical questions 10 1b Developing historical thinking skills 11 2 Working with Sources 16 2a Identifying historical sources 16 2a-1 Primary sources 16 2a-2 Secondary sources 17 2a-3 Primary or secondary? The changing status of a source 18 2a-4 Accessing sources in history 19 2a-5 Uses of primary and secondary sources 19 2b Evaluating sources 20 2b-1 Evaluating primary sources 21 2b-2 Evaluating secondary sources 26 2b-3 Evaluating online sources 29 3 Approaching Typical Assignments in History 32 3a Reading actively in history 32 3b Writing about reading 37 3b-1 Summaries 37 3b-2 Annotated bibliographies 37 3c Using primary sources 39 3c-1 Single-source analysis 39 3c-2 Comparative papers 43 3d Using secondary sources 46 3d-1 Critiques and book reviews 46 3d-2 Historiographic essays 47 3e Writing about film 49 3f Taking history exams 52 3f-1 Preparing for an exam 53 3f-2 Answering identification questions 55 3f-3 Taking an essay exam 56 4 Following Conventions of Writing in History 59 4a Approaching a history assignment 60 4b Thinking like a historian 62 4c Developing a thesis 63 4d Constructing an argument 65 4d-1 Supporting your thesis 67 4d-2 Responding to counterevidence and anticipating opposing viewpoints 68 4e Organizing your paper 69 4e-1 Drafting an introduction 69 4e-2 Writing clear and connected paragraphs 72 4e-3 Writing an effective conclusion 75 4f Revising for content and organization 77 4g Editing for style and grammar 79 4g-1 Choosing appropriate language 83 4g-2 Choosing the appropriate tense 85 4g-3 Using active voice 87 4g-4 Knowing when to use the pronouns I, me, and you 88 5 Writing a Research Paper 90 5a Moving from topic to research question 91 5a-1 Choosing a topic 91 5a-2 Focusing on a research question 92 5b Developing a research plan 94 5c Conducting research 97 5c-1 Consulting human resources 98 5c-2 Using the library's online catalog 98 5c-3 Using print and electronic reference sources 100 5c-4 Locating primary sources 100 5c-5 Locating secondary sources: using print and electronic periodical databases 101 5c-6 Finding Internet sources 102 5d Taking effective research notes 106 5e Developing a working thesis 107 5f Making an outline 109 5g Revising and editing your paper 110 6 Plagiarism: What It Is and How to Avoid It 111 6a What is plagiarism? 111 6b Avoiding plagiarism 113 6b-1 Citing sources to avoid plagiarism 113 6b-2 Paraphrasing to avoid plagiarism 114 6b-3 Downloading Internet sources carefully to avoid plagiarism 117 6c Plagiarism and the Internet 117 7 Quoting and Documenting Sources 119 7a Using quotations 119 7a-1 When to quote 119 7a-2 How to quote 122 7b Documenting sources 124 7b-1 Footnotes and endnotes 125 7b-2 Bibliography 125 7b-3 Documenting nonwritten materials 126 7c Documentation models 126 7c-1 Formatting guidelines for footnotes and endnotes 128 7c-2 Formatting guidelines for bibliographies 129 7c-3 Models for notes and bibliography entries 130 7d Sample pages from a student research paper 158 Index 163

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.