Tips on writing a good Historical Investigation (IA)
Suggested word count for each section:
A. Plan of Investigation: up to 150 words
B. Summary of Evidence: 400-500 words
C. Evaluation of Sources: 200-350 words
D. Analysis: 600 - 800 words
E. Conclusion: up to 200 words
F. Bibliography: Not counted in the word count.
Total word count: 2000 words maximum
Note: Footnotes, not parenthetical citation, are preferred as they do not count in the word count.
The above section-by-section word count is a suggested allocation of words only, and it is not necessary to stick strictly to it. However, the bulk of your word count should be in the Summary of Evidence and Analysis.
While it is not necessary to choose a title within the syllabus you're studying, it would be useful if you do. This is because you'll have to do research on this topic only to write 2000 words. You may as well make sure it overlaps with what you will eventually need to know for your exams otherwise all the time you spent researching this topic would just go to your IA and then never be used again. That said, it is also important to choose a topic that you think you'll enjoy working on.
You also need to make sure you will be able to have access to sufficient resources to research your essay. For a subject like history, sources like the internet is usually not looked as fondly upon as other hard sources such as history books. If you can get primary sources, such as interviews with actual people to do with your topic, that would be excellent. However, this is not a must, it just gives you a bit of an edge against other essays.
Keep your topic as narrow as possible. You only have 2000 words to cram in rather a lot of different forms of essay-writing, so make sure you don't have a topic that's too broad. You want to address your question as fully as possible and question that's too broad will not fit in the 2000 words.
It is not necessary to have your title in the form of a question but that may help you focus your investigation.
Do not explore the obvious. A title like, "Was Lenin an important figure in the Russian Revolution?" is redundant because everyone knows, without exploring or investigating anything, that he was. Remember, this is an investigation. Your title should enable you to explore and investigate different views of the historical period you choose. "Lenin's political ambitions was more important in bringing about the Russian Revolution than the failures of Nicholas II's reign. To what extent is this assertion true?" would be a more appropriate title.
Try to choose a title that's relevant to the country you're living in. It's usually easier to find sources when you're exploring the historical events of the country you're living in. Also, examiners like a variety of titles, see you exploring the area around you and not just focus around a cliched area of history. Try to look for a title that has a new and fresh view to it. In other word, avoid cliched titles in areas that are commonly investigated.
You may want to start with a working title and then change it as you do your research and fit your title in with the information you find. Don't expect to be able to come up with a perfect title right away.
Abide by the different sections strictly. Know what each section requires and only put in the information relevant to the corresponding sections. In the end, try to come to a clear conclusion and make it precise and to the point.
No comments:
Post a Comment