How to write a historical research paper

There is an advantage to writing a research paper outside of a subject-specific class, like American History, or World History: Our focus is exclusively on learning to write the paper, the paper is not a side project in a class with a different focus. In other words, we have the time to learn how to write the paper with attention to every step in the process, instead of only what we can fit between the cracks of the other instruction we're getting in our history subject. 

We'll begin by asking how to write a good historical research question, and how to write a tentative thesis in response to that question. Accordingly, students will get the best results from this process if they're also taking a corresponding history course they're interested in, so they can draw inspiration from the subject of that class to find a question they want to research. This will reduce the time they'll have to spend researching the subject they choose for their research paper.

Join us in this eight-week course to learn everything from how to think like a historian, to how to work with source material, to how to structure your thoughts into a well-considered and tightly-written argument that directly supports the thesis. Check out the course syllabus to see the planned course outline .

Most of the content students need to learn each week's new concepts is included in the course, as a pre-recorded video, an downloadable assignment, or an assigned reading. The outside reading will come from Mary Lynn Rampolla's A Pocket Guide to Writing in History (students can use any edition).

I am available for questions via the Outschool messaging system throughout the week.