You need a variety of sources, a minimum of six texts, to fully research your essay. Library skills are essential. You will need to know how to use the card catalog, online databases, interlibrary loan, and reference librarians. Each source must be properly cited and referenced. Begin with a general text that tells what happened at a particular event (primary source) then move on to texts that offer an interpretation of the event (secondary source).
Your essay should propose an answer to a historical question or a solution to a historical problem. Read and compare secondary sources to find an issue worth addressing. Knowing the facts is important, but the facts are just a starting point. Your main focus should be on why something happened. Compare a range of interpretations and draw your own conclusions. Every interpretation contains an element of opinion. Make sure your conclusions are supported by evidence.
Use a critical approach to structure your essay. State the question, compare interpretations, and draw your conclusions. Each paragraph should make and support one point. Provide evidence for each point. Each paragraph should follow the previous one in a logical flow. The transitions between paragraphs should be strong. Writing an outline before you start writing your essay helps you organize your thoughts and creates a blueprint for the conclusion you are building.
Always use the footnote system to reference your sources. Your reader must easily be able to find the evidence that supports any assertion you make. Footnoting is the most efficient method to show where you found the evidence you used and when it was written. Some primary sources such as letters and journals are unpublished and cannot be properly cited using the Harvard author, date system.
Clarity is the most important writing skill you will need. Readers can get lost in long, complex sentences. Keep your sentences short and precise. Don't waste words. Avoid plagiarism by properly citing each source and by writing in your own voice. Your voice is the unique tone your writing takes on when you put ideas in your own words. Avoid repetition, generalizations, passive voice, contractions, and slang. Proofread. Proofread again. Edit as often as needed.