History investigation
The historical study must be based on an aspect of the world since 1750. You are required to inquire into, explore, interpret, and research a historical idea, event, person, or group in depth. Rather than simply provide a report, you are required to present a ‘reasoned historical argument’. Therefore you will require a question that invites an investigation into more than one point of view.
The best way to frame this question is "To what extent......?"
The historical study may be presented in written, oral, or multimodal form. Think about looking outside the square and look to do something other than an essay. Here are some possibilities:
Your essay must include the following:
An historical overview of the period.
Cause and effect is always a clear way of achieving this.
Eye witness accounts: Primary source evidence from individuals who were directly involved and/or affected by the event: Some suggestions;
Use the different perspectives and feelings from people you have researched to explain the impact and significance of your period
Images if suitable and appropriate to your topic.
You are required to:
Apply the skills of historical inquiry to evaluate sources and develop a reasoned historical argument, based on analysis and interpretation of evidence from at least three sources.
Draw conclusions supported by evidence, using subject-specific language
Appropriately acknowledge the sources used. Oxford System: footnotes and bibliography
The historical study should be a maximum of 1000 words, or 6 minutes, or the equivalent in multimodal form.
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"
For example:
China
To what extent did the Soviet Union influence Mao’s “Great Leap Forward?”
In what ways did the Communist Revolution in China mimic the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 in Russia? How were the two events different?
What factors led the Chinese to deviate from the Soviet Union in regard to ideology?
Did Mao use the Cultural Revolution to re-establish control of the CCP?
Vietnam
In what ways did French imperialism of the 1900s cause the Vietnam War?
To what extent did the news media impact the war in Vietnam?
Was the Tet offensive of 1968 a North Vietnamese victory?
How did the Tet offensive of 1968 impact the Vietnam War?
Was an American victory in Vietnam possible? If so, what steps could have been taken to secure victory?
What factors led to American involvement in Vietnam?
Did the Vietnam War represent a continuation of its Cold War policies of containment? Why or why not?
Why were the Viet Cong and NVA so effective against the United States (a wealthier and technologically superior force)?
Did the United States win the Vietnam War? Why or why not?
To what extent was American involvement in the Vietnam War a response to the Domino thoery?
In what ways did technology affect military strategy (on behalf of the United States) during the Vietnam War?
Essay planning
Paragraphs are beautiful - a four step fail safe plan
To do: Writing a TEEL paragraph
Topic: Begin EACH new paragraph with a clear and precise topic sentence that refers directly to the content of the paragraph. The topic sentence tells the reader what the paragraph is about, or its main idea
Explain: Explain what you mean in greater detail.
Evidence: Provide evidence to support your idea or claim. To do this, refer to your research. This may include: case studies, statistics, documentary evidence, academic books or journal articles. Remember that all evidence will require appropriate citation.
Link: Summarise the main idea of the paragraph, and make clear how this paragraph supports your overall argument. The linking sentence links one paragraph to the next and provides another device for helping you ensure your text is cohesive.
Essay Guide: Referencing Guidelines
When do you need an endnote/ footnote?
Quotes
Paraphrasing
Facts and figures
Images
How to footnote
The first time you footnote a book, article or document you need to list it in full as follows:
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
If you quote from Inappropriate Remarks as your next quote you don’t write out the whole author/title again you simply use the abbreviation ibid., p#
If you quote from the same source, same page it is simply ibid.
If your next quote is from a different source, you need to write out full reference: author surname, initials, title in italics, publisher, year of publication, page number.
If your next quote is again from Inappropriate Remarks, you simply put the author’s name and initials and the abbreviation op.cit., p#
Footnote samples
Jones, E., A collection of inappropriate remarks made in the History classroom, Penguin, 2024, p.34
ibid.
ibid., p.38
McKenzie, C.M., Please don't make me go back in there. A classroom memoir, Featherhead, 2019, p.11
Jones, E., op.cit., p.59
Example reference list
Bibliography:
Aub.edu.lb.libguides.com. (2020). LibGuides: Lebanese Civil War: 1975-1991: Home. [online] Available at: https://aub.edu.lb.libguides.com/LebaneseCivilWar.
Badran, T., 2008. The Lebanese Civil War. MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, 12(2), pp.MERIA: Middle East Review of International Affairs, June 2008, Vol.12(2).
Crawford, M. & Army Command General Staff Coll Fort Leavenworth KS School Of Advanced Military Studies, 2010. Civil War and Intervention: Lessons Remembered From the Lebanese Civil War and the U.S. Response.