History Terms
argument
a deliberate organization of ideas and evidence intended to support an author’s interpretation
documentation
the act of verifying through documentary evidence; providing evidence as support
evidence
something that provides proof; something presented to support a claim or proposition; in history, evidence
is usually found in the forms of primary and secondary sources
expository book
a work whose primary purpose is to convey knowledge; writing that intends to convey information or
explain a subject
interpretation
the historian’s major viewpoint about an historical subject, presented through the development of a thesis
and a supporting argument; an interpretation gives meaning, provides an explanation for an event or series
of related events
monograph
a history book that present a scholarly study about one specific subject
primary source
a written source or an artifact that originated during the historical period being studied
secondary source
a written source that presents the findings of an historian developed after the historical period of study;
may be based on primary and other secondary sources
term
a word that has a specific, unambiguious meaning within the context of a specific work or subject
thesis
a statement or statements conveying the author’s main proposition about the subject of the study; it is the
primary claim that addresses the historical problem addressed in the work and must be supported by an
argument
valid
something that is logically sound and presented with a sound argument and evidence