History: The Research Paper 2
Include all points that you will make in your paper in your first paragraph. A
reader should be able to outline the rest of your paper just from the thesis;if
the reader cannot, then your thesis needs to be elaborated. For a larger
paper, you may not be able to lay out all points in the introduction. Rather, you
can set up the argument that will later be developed.
Make an outline in order to get your ideas in chronological order, as doing so
will help you to prevent errors in argument. Most importantly, one idea should
flow from another with smooth transitions of thought.
Avoid lengthy descriptions or summary of documents. It is always best to find
a quote that illustrates the point that you want to make.
Proofread, revise, and edit. How credible is an argument made within a paper
riddled with grammatical/mechanical errors? Edit beyond relying on spell
check–computers just aren’t as capable as the human mind.
Research Paper Organization
Introduction: Setting and Thesis
Your introduction should describe the historical research question that you
posed. This should also include a description of the historical context of your
topic: Where is the topic in space and time? Who are the main players? It
is important to set up this context at the beginning of the paper so readers
will see the relevance of the information presented throughout the rest of the
paper.
Your introduction should include a thesis (or argument).
Body Paragraphs
The body is essentially the meat of your research paper. While the
introduction should have set up the thesis and mentioned the sources you
address in your paper, the body is where you strive to prove your argument by
describing, analyzing, and integrating evidence provided by those sources.
Generally each body paragraph should include:
A topic or summary sentence.
Some context that leads into the source(s) written about.
A discussion of the source
Analysis of the “who/what/when/where/why” of the evidence that is
linked to the paper’s overall argument.
Conclusion
A conclusion should:
Summarize what was proven in the paper.
Show the connections you made across the research you did.
Explain “why does this matter?” or “what did people of that historical
period learn from this?”
Satisfy the introduction. Consider these questions: Do my
introduction and conclusion tie together? Do I have to add to/subtract
from my introduction to make my paper a more coherent whole?
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Sample Thesis
Statement Set-Ups *
[Something] [does something] because/in
order to [reason(s)].
“Prior to the 1950s, scholars like
W. W. Tarn blindly regarded gures
like King Alexander of Macedon
as the ‘Great,’ because of the
tendency to see history as driven
by powerful personalities.”
Because [reason(s)], [something] [does
something].
“Because of the terrible costs of
‘cults of personality’ in totalitarian
states, by the 1950s scholars began
to question ideas popularized by
scholars like W. W. Tarn that King
Alexander of Macedon should be
regarded as the ‘Great.’”
Although [opposing evidence], [reasons]
show [Something] [does something].
“Although W. W. Tarn’s conception
of King Alexander of Macedon
as the ‘Great’ remains popular,
since the 1950s a growing number
of scholars have shown that his
reign had disastrous consequences
for the lives of millions of people
throughout Eurasia.”
*From Dennis D. Jerz, “Thesis
Statements: How to Write Them”
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/
academic/thesis.htm.
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