A Short Guide to Writing About History / Edition 7

by Richard A. Marius, Mel Page

Overview

An ideal complement for any history course, A Short Guide to Writing about History helps you learn how to think and write like an historian.

This engaging and practical text helps you get beyond merely compiling dates and facts; it teaches you how to incorporate your own ideas into your papers and to tell a story about history that interests you and your peers. Covering brief essays and the documented resource paper, the text explores the writing and researching processes, different modes of historical writing (including argument), and offers guidelines for improving style as well as documenting sources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780205673704
Publisher:	Longman
Publication date:	02/23/2009
Series:	Short Guides Series
Edition description:	Older Edition
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Writing and History

Stories about the Past Intended to be True

Writing History as a Way of Thinking

Basic Principles for History Essays

Writer’s Checklist of Basic Principles

Avoiding Plagiarism

Writer’s Checklist for Avoiding Plagiarism

Chapter 2: Thinking about History

HistoricalQuestioning

Historical Fallacies

Making Inferences

Evaluating Materials

Writer’s Checklist for Evaluation

Chapter 3: Gathering Information

Focusing on a Topic

Making Initial Inquiries

Identifying Key Sources

Concluding Your Research

Writer’s Checklist for Research

Chapter 4: Notes and Drafts

Recording Information and Ideas

Writer’s Checklist for Taking Notes

Organizing Your Essay

Writing and Revising Drafts

Writer’s Checklist for Peer Editing

Chapter 5: Voice and Style

Modes of Writing

Simple and Direct Writing

Word Forms and Punctuation

The Final Manuscript

Writer’s Checklist for Expression and Conventions

Chapter 6: Documenting Sources

Basic Principles

Electronic Sources

Notes and Bibliographies

Writer’s Checklist of Source Citations

Appendix A: Sample Student Research Paper

Manifest Destiny: A Characteristic of Nations

Things to Notice about This Paper

Writer’s Checklist for Sample Paper

Appendix B: Book Reviews

Reviewing as a Special Form of Writing

A Sample Student Review

Things to Notice about This Review

Writer’s Checklist for Reviews

Appendix C: Short Essay Assignments

Writer’s Checklist for Short Essays

Select Bibliography of Student Resources