While there are several similarities, historical writing is different than writing for your other subjects including your English class. Historical writing requires a combination of attention to a variety of questions and factors: what happened; why and how; address the background of the event, the principals involved, significant dates, and the influence of the event upon future developments. This combination of structure and detailed factual analysis is what makes historical writing difficult, both for novices and even experienced writers. Historical writing is not merely cobbling together notes taken from various sources. You must add analysis and your own thoughts on the subject.
See separate pages for details relevant to writing focused on historical thinking skills: causation, comparison, continuity over time; SAQ; and DBQ/LEQ.
Always state your position (claim) quickly and concisely, as early as possible in your paper (Introduction).
When you make an assertion essential to your case, provide some examples as evidence.
Always give the fairest possible treatment to those against whom you may be arguing.
Always acknowledge counterclaims (alternative perspectives) and those facts that opponents might raise against your position.
Stay on the subject throughout your essay so your argument is not submerged in meaningless detail.
Is this subject worth arguing about? Have I gathered enough evidence to make an argument?
Do I represent the views of my opponents in a way they would consider fair?
Have I developed my argument logically?
Is my use of evidence accurate?
Have I tried to prove too much?
Stay focused: answer the question being asked; stay within the time scope
Adhere to the steps to writing a good essay and its basic structure.
Deal honestly with counter evidence and arguments in either the appropriate body paragraph, a complex sentence, or in separate sentences. Never create “straw man” arguments.
Start off essay with your strongest argument/evidence. Bury the weakest point(s) in the middle of the essay. Try to finish strong.
Remain objective. Do not inject your personal opinion, but take a position on the prompt.
Proper writing conventions: spelling, capitalization, consistent verb tense
Generalizations and unsupported statements. Be precise and support your assertions.
Equivocation. (Take a reasonable position, don’t try to argue both sides of a question)
NEVER use of the first or second person voice (e.g. “I,” “you,” “we,” “us,” “y’all,” etc.).
Absolutes (e.g. “never,” “always,” “completely,” “perfectly,” etc.)
Vague verbs (e.g. “felt,” “thought,” “said”, etc.) The use of "feeling words" WEAKENS your position and is low level writing
Emotional Language: History is about interpretation of evidence, not feelings
Lumping is vague and inaccurate (The Colonists felt… The Indians hated…)
Contractions (e.g. don’t, won’t, couldn’t, should’ve, etc.).
Slang, figures of speech, or colloquialisms (e.g. like, lost his shirt, spilt milk, things, stuff, a lot, etc.).
Inject yourself in history (“We” when you really mean a specific group such as “Americans”)
Repetition of words, word phrases, and sentence structures.
Happily Ever Afterisms: (…and if the pilgrims had never landed here, we could not have become the great, nation we are today…)
Humor is not appropriate for scholarship writing
Use the documents to remind you of other outside information to incorporate in the essay.
Identify the main point of each document and relate it to OUTSIDE INFORMATION and to your thesis/argument.
Do not explicitly refer to a document (e.g. “As it says in Document 1…”) Refer to the document by including a portion of the source line. Document # is an organizational tool only and should not replace the importance of the actual source. This style is referred to as LOW LEVEL WRITING. Focusing on the actual source will more effectively lead you to the expanded analysis [sourcing] requirement and HIGHER LEVEL WRITING.
Do not "teach" the document. Never allow the focus of a paragraph or an essay to shift from the prompt and your thesis to the documents. Do not focus on paraphrasing or rewriting the document, focus on using the significance of the document.
Do not quote a document as it wastes precious time and most readers consider it a sign of a desperate student. LET THE HISTORY SPEAK… NOT THE DOCUMENTS! Use your words and analysis to explain history. To hopefully make it a bit easier to understand, think of it this way: historian writers prefer to use endnotes whereas English writers prefer quotes.
Use the main ideas and outside information suggested by all of the documents.
Cite the Document used at the end of the sentence [Doc 1]
Analyze: to break into parts and explain the parts
Assess: to weigh the evidence and make a judgment
Categorize: place items under headings that are given to you or you create
Cause/Effect: the beginning; the result
Chronological: events put in the order they happened
Clarify: to make clear
Compare: show how two things are alike
Contrast: show how two things are different
Describe: to tell how something looks or how it happened; present a picture
Discuss: to tell about the main points and important details
Define: to give the meaning
Diagram: to make a drawing of something and label its parts
Distinguish: to tell how something is different from others similar to it
Enumerate: to make a list
Evaluate: to give your opinion of what is important; discuss its good and bad points; discuss its strengths and weaknesses
Explain : to give facts that make clear
Extent: how much, to what degree
Fact: something that can be proven to be true
Identify: to name and explain
Illustrate: to give examples
Infer: to draw a conclusion based on fact
Interpret: to offer an explanation
Justify: to give reasons and evidence to support your thinking
Opinion: belief based on what a person thinks or feels
Prove: use facts to show something is true
Question: to ask
Reflect: to think about
Relate: to show how things are alike or connected
Sequence: to put in correct order
State: to give the main points or reasons
Summarize: to briefly cover the main points
Synthesize: to combine parts or pieces of an idea, situation or event
Trace: to tell about the progress or growth
Validity: how accurate something is
Compiled by John A. Braithwaite
The following is a list of transition words to help students write more fluently and meaningful essays.
again
equally
in fact
also
equally important
in general
and
for example
another
in the same fashion
likewise
as
moreover
as if
further(more)
of course
as much as
in addition
similarly
as though
in addition to
too
besides
in a like manner
for / for instance
although
even though
on the contrary
and yet
however
on the other hand
another
in comparison
otherwise
as if
in comparison to
still
away from
in place of
than
besides
in spite of
unfortunately
but
instead
unless
by comparison
less important
whereas
conversely
neither
while
differing from
nevertheless
yet
even if
notwithstanding
as
for this reason
provided that
accordingly
fortunately
since
as a result
hence
so
because
in any case
then
consequently
in fact
therefore / for
it began with
thus
finally
of course
unfortunately
above
Behind
Here
Across
Below
in a corner
across from
beneath
in back of
adjacent
beside
in front of
against
between
inside
alongside
beyond
in the middle
among
down
near
around
eventually
next to
at
facing
on
before
farther
opposite
outside
over
up
to the side of
toward
upon
throughout
under
within
through
underneath
without
after
first, second, etc.
presently
afterward
formerly
provided that
as soon as
hereafter
secondly
at first
in the beginning
since
at last
in the meantime
then
at length
in the second place
thereafter
at present
in the first place
soon
at the same time
later
to begin with
before
meanwhile
until
during
moments later
when
earlier
next
while
finally
now
yet
first of all
once
above all
further
next
also
furthermore
of greater
besides
in addition to
of less importance
equally important
in the first place
provided that
first, second, etc.
more(most) important
to begin with
for one reason
moreover
as a result
in brief
on the whole
as previously stated
in conclusion
once
first, second, etc
in fact
second
for example
in other words
specifically
for instance
in short
to sum up
in any case
in the first place
in any event
in the second place
after
first, second, etc.
presently
afterward
formerly
provided that
as soon as
hereafter
secondly
at first
in the beginning
since
at last
in the meantime
then
at length
in the second place
thereafter
at present
in the first place
soon
at the same time
later
to begin with
before
meanwhile
until
during
moments later
when
earlier
next
while
finally
now
yet
first of all
once
above all
further
next
also
furthermore
of greater
besides
in addition to
of less importance
equally important
in the first place
provided that
first, second, etc.
more(most) important
to begin with
for one reason
moreover
as a result
in brief
on the whole
as previously stated
in conclusion
once
first, second, etc
in fact
second
for example
in other words
specifically
for instance
in short
to sum up
in any case
in the first place
in any event
in the second place