How to do a research paper in history? Well, first of all, try to get interested in it. It might be not an easy task. Nevertheless, there’s no harm in trying. Try thinking of your paper as a voyage to a different period in history. History of writing has already passed a number of eras, however, you may be the one to say a new word in writing of history papers. Get ready to find out the most useful tips not only to write a great history essay, but also enjoy the process. And don’t forget about laws of time travel, to come out of this ordeal safe and sound.
Research essay in history, just as any research paper, has to be focused on a certain topic. There’s nothing new about this statement. However, if you want to know how to write a good research paper in history, you have to concentrate on an issue, which is not too broad, but not too narrow. If the topic for your paper is too broad, you are likely to get overwhelmed with the amount of information, and most probably, get very vague result. On the contrary, if the topic is too narrow, your history research paper will be finished without getting started. Being interested in what you write about makes the writing process much easier. Moreover, opportunity to relate your topic to the present opens the way to a broader field of research. Having laid the foundation, we are now ready to move to the basic rules of travelling to the past.
The first rule: don’t change the past! Use credible resources so that your research paper would be reliable and applicable in your further work. It is quite easy to mess up your work by referring to the wrong sources. In the end you will get a tangle of doubtfully related facts that will leave you with nothing but a huge question mark. Searching for the sources, always ask yourself: “Will I write my research paper or a piece of science fiction using this?” If the latter is more likely, you’re doing something wrong.
The next one is: speak properly. Hopefully, it is clear that you have to use the right grammar and vocabulary. The best question to ask here is “how to structure a research paper?”. Your history paper obviously needs introduction, main body and a conclusion. Start with a strong and arguable thesis statement. Make sure it opens you a field to explore. After that you can move to your arguments. Organize your points in chapters or paragraphs, assuring logical transitions from one point to another. After that comes the time for conclusion: restate your thesis, show how profoundly you’ve analyzed it. But don’t jump too far to the future. That’s the violation of the rule.
The last rule, very important, highlighted by Papers Master: make sure that your future self still exists! Think of the experience you’ve gained, learning how to write a history essay, of the new projects you can complete, using the knowledge. This way you’ll be able to have more fun, travelling through time and space. Don’t panic and hold on to your towel!
