Written Materials Requirements

Every National History Day project requires the following items:

• A title page as described in Rule 17 (p. 18) 

• A process paper as described in Rule 18 (p. 19) 

• An annotated bibliography as described in Rule 19 (p. 19) 

RULE 18. PROCESS PAPER 

A process paper is required for projects in every category. The process paper must be 500 words or fewer, and must not include quotes, images, or captions (Figure 4, p. 24). The process paper words are counted separately and are not part of the word count in the paper, exhibit, or website categories. 

Your process paper must answer the following questions: 

1. How did you choose your topic and how does it relate to the annual theme? 

2. How did you conduct your research? 

3. How did you create your project?

4. What is your historical argument?

5. In what ways is your topic significant in history? 

RULE 19. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 

An annotated bibliography is required for all categories. Your annotated bibliography must follow these requirements: 

• List all sources that you consulted in developing your entry. 

• Combine photos or other materials from the same collection into a single citation. See nhd.org/annotated-bibliography. 

• Separate your bibliography into two sections: one for primary sources and one for secondary sources. 

• Do not attach primary or secondary materials to your annotated bibliography. 

• Do not include your annotated bibliography in the word count. 

Each citation must include a brief annotation. The purpose of the annotation is to provide information about your research process, not to provide analysis to circumvent the word count. Each annotation must be no more than two or three sentences. The annotation should explain the following: 

• How you used the source 

• How the source helped you to understand the topic 

Use annotations to explain your reasoning for classifying any sources that are not clearly primary or secondary. Classifying a source as both primary and secondary is inappropriate. 

RULE 20. STYLE GUIDES 

Citations and bibliographic references must follow the most recent edition of one of the two permitted style guides below. Regardless of which manual you use, the style must be consistent throughout all written material. 

• The Chicago Manual of Style by the University of Chicago Press 

• MLA Handbook by the Modern Languages Association of America