Want to Browse Books for Inspiration?
Not sure what you want to investigate yet? Browsing the shelves can be a good way to find that first spark of inspiration. Below are the general history call numbers to get you started. However keep in mind that history can be a highly interdisciplinary subject, so once you get started with the research process don't worry if your work takes you away from these numbers.
If this is your first time using the Library of Congress call numbers don't hesitate to ask a librarian for help.
Librarian
From Research Question to Thesis Statement
A research question is the question around which you center your research. It should be:
- clear: it provides enough specifics that your audience can easily understand its purpose without needing additional explanation.
- focused: it is narrow enough that it can be answered thoroughly in the space the writing task allows.
- concise: it is expressed in the fewest possible words.
- complex: it is not answerable with a simple “yes” or “no,” but rather requires synthesis and analysis of ideas and sources.
- arguable: its potential answers are open to debate rather than accepted facts.
You should ask a question about an issue that you are genuinely curious and/or passionate about.
Unsure about your question? Put it to the test using these seven questions.
- Does my question allow for many possible answers? Is it flexible and open-ended?
- Is it testable? Do I know what kind of evidence would allow an answer?
- Can I break big “why” questions into empirically resolvable pieces?
- Is the question clear and precise? Do I use vocabulary that is vague or needs definition?
- Have I made the premises explicit?
- Is it of a scale suitable to the length of the assignment?
- Can I explain why the answer matters?
If your question didn't do so well, remember to talk to your professor before starting over. They can help enhance your question for historical exploration.
The thesis statement is one or two sentences that states the main idea of a writing assignment and helps control the ideas within the paper. It is not merely a topic but rather identifies the topic to be discussed, as well as the purpose of the paper itself.
A thesis statement:
- tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
- is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
- directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel.
- makes a claim that others might dispute.
- is usually a single sentence near the beginning of your paper (most often, at the end of the first paragraph) that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.
Know the topic. The topic should be something you know or can learn about. It is difficult to write a thesis statement, let alone a paper, on a topic that you know nothing about. Reflecting on personal experience and/or researching will help you know more information about your topic.
Limit your topic. Based on what you know and the required length of your final paper, limit your topic to a specific area. A broad scope will generally require a longer paper, while a narrow scope will be sufficiently proven by a shorter paper.
Brainstorm. If you are having trouble beginning your paper or writing your thesis, take a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to mind about your topic. Did you discover any new ideas or connections? Can you separate any of the things you jotted down into categories? Do you notice any themes? Think about using ideas generated during this process to shape your thesis statement and your paper.
Topic to Research Question
Every research project starts with a question. Your question will allow you to select, evaluate and interpret your sources systematically. The question you start with isn’t set in stone, but will be revisited and revised as you read and interact with the sources.
Robert C. Williams suggests that a research question might:
- "ask how or why an event happened (causation, explanation)"
- "ask what the consequences were of a particular event"
- "discuss the intellectual origins of a particular idea"
- "ask what the cultural context of an event was";
- "ask whether or not an individual was responsible for a certain act"
- "ask about the social history of a political event"
- "quantify broad trends in a society at a particular time" (52)
Source: Williams, Robert C. The Historian's Toolbox: A Student's Guide to the Theory and Craft of History. Second ed. Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 2007.
Helpful Resources:
Writing History by
Writing History provides a wealth of tips and advice to help students research and write essays for history classes. The book covers all aspects of writing about history, including finding topics and researching them, interpreting source materials, drawing inferences from sources, and constructing arguments.
Call Number: D16 .S864 2004ISBN: 9780195166095Publication Date: 2003-07-17
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History by
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is the concise, trusted, and easy-to-use guide for the writing and research skills needed in undergraduate history courses. Now thoroughly updated to reflect the 2017 Chicago guidelines, the ninth edition ensures that students have the most up-to-date advice and ample instruction for conducting responsible research.
Call Number: D13 .R295 2015ISBN: 9781457690884Publication Date: 2015-01-16
The Craft of Research by
Since 1995, more than 150,000 students and researchers have turned to The Craft of Research for clear and helpful guidance on how to conduct research and report it effectively . Now, master teachers Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, and Joseph M. Williams present a completely revised and updated version of their classic handbook. Like its predecessor, this new edition reflects the way researchers actually work: in a complex circuit of thinking, writing, revising, and rethinking. It shows how each part of this process influences the others and how a successful research report is an orchestrated conversation between a researcher and a reader. Along with many other topics, The Craft of Research explains how to build an argument that motivates readers to accept a claim; how to anticipate the reservations of thoughtful yet critical readers and to respond to them appropriately; and how to create introductions and conclusions that answer that most demanding question, "So what?" Celebrated by reviewers for its logic and clarity, this popular book retains its five-part structure. Part 1 provides an orientation to the research process and begins the discussion of what motivates researchers and their readers. Part 2 focuses on finding a topic, planning the project, and locating appropriate sources. This section is brought up to date with new information on the role of the Internet in research, including how to find and evaluate sources, avoid their misuse, and test their reliability. Part 3 explains the art of making an argument and supporting it. The authors have extensively revised this section to present the structure of an argument in clearer and more accessible terms than in the first edition. New distinctions are made among reasons, evidence, and reports of evidence. The concepts of qualifications and rebuttals are recast as acknowledgment and response. Part 4 covers drafting and revising, and offers new information on the visual representation of data. Part 5 concludes the book with an updated discussion of the ethics of research, as well as an expanded bibliography that includes many electronic sources. The new edition retains the accessibility, insights, and directness that have made The Craft of Research an indispensable guide for anyone doing research, from students in high school through advanced graduate study to businesspeople and government employees. The authors demonstrate convincingly that researching and reporting skills can be learned and used by all who undertake research projects. New to this edition: Extensive coverage of how to do research on the internet, including how to evaluate and test the reliability of sources New information on the visual representation of data Expanded bibliography with many electronic sources
Call Number: Q180.55.M4B66 2003ISBN: 9780226065687Publication Date: 2003-04-14
