Anthony Armstrong's List: historical writing

Structure of the Essay

Answer the question! It may seem a bit obvious, but many history essays simply do not answer the question posed.

Introduction. Probably the key to any History Essay. It should state what you will do in the essay. Have a Thesis Statement that directly answers the question. The rest of the introduction should explain what to expect in the coming paragraphs. A strong introduction shows that you already know what you are doing before you start to write.

Body. Here you offer specific historical evidence that supports what you were saying in the introduction. Each new paragraph should have a topic sentence which supports your Thesis Statement. The sentences in the paragraph should then support the paragraph's topic sentence.

Conclusion. DO NOT SKIMP HERE! This is where you quickly remind the reader of the points you have made and how they support your Thesis Statement which answers the Question. This is where you draw your conclusion about the facts presented. A good way to remember how to do a summary is to ask yourself, "So, what was the point I was trying to make."
Facts

Remember that each of the disciplines in the Social Sciences rely on “the weight of evidence.” In other words, an assertion or a point that you make is only true or correct if you provide proof to show that your statement is true.

1. Make sure that you understand the material that you will be using: i.e. get your facts straight

2. Make a list of all the points that are relevant to the question

3. Differentiate between assertions and facts: a fact is a piece of information (which generally is not disputed by scholars); an assertion is your, or another person's, analysis of a fact or a group of facts

4. Decide which are the best points to use: i.e. the ones which support the argument you are making or the development you are explaining.

Tips

An essay with a strong introduction, weak body, and strong conclusion is better than an essay with a weak introduction, an enormous amount of information in the bo