Format of a Historical Investigation:
I. Plan of Investigation – about 100-150 words
a. The subject of the investigation narrowed down quite specifically to a clearly
focused question.
b. The methods you will use in your investigation: explain what exactly you will be
looking for in your search, and what resources (and types of resources) you will
use.
II.
Summary of Evidence, about 500-600 words:
a. The summary of evidence should indicate what you have discovered from the
sources you have used. TAKE DETAILED NOTES, use this if you wish. This
section may be written as a list or in paragraph form. Any illustrations, charts,
graphs, documents or other relevant evidence should be included in an appendix
at the end of the paper, and will not be included in the word count.
III. Evaluation of Sources, about 250-400 words:
a. Write a thorough, precise, critical assessment of the historical usefulness of two
(2) of the sources you have used in your investigation, assess the Origin, Purpose,
Values and Limitations of each
b. The sources you choose for evaluation are not limited to books, but can be
written, oral, artifacts, film, etc., but should be two of your more "valuable
sources." You may NOT use Wikipedia.
IV.
Analysis, about 500-650 words, including:
a. An in depth discussion of each of the elements of your investigation as identified
in your Summary of Evidence (because..., with the result that..., suggesting
that..., thus...)
b. Identify the historical context of your topic. This can add weight and perspective
to your study. Depending on the scope of your investigation, you may want to
identify links to other associated events and historical developments in order to
give a deeper understanding of the significance of your question.
c. Provide different possible historical interpretations of the evidence.
V. Conclusion, about 150-200: This is where you leave the reader with
your final thoughts on your research question. Your conclusion must:
a. Be consistent with the evidence you have analyzed in section "D"
b. Clearly and concisely answer your original question. BUT it may be that your
evidence is inconclusive. In that case be honest about it. This is fine. Some things
are impossible to prove or to thoroughly answer.
VI.
List of Sources & Word Count:
a. Proper bibliographic form, and making sure your total count is 1500-2000, not
including the bibliography or appendices.
b. Without a List of Sources your paper is incomplete, you will receive a "0"
c. If your paper is less than 1500 words or more than 2000 words you get a 0
Go to the link below to use MLA format. If you input the data, it will automatically
format it correctly for you.
http://citationmachine.net/
EXAMPLES OF PART I – PLAN OF INVESTIGATION
Example 1:
Topic: Why did the Zulu impi defeat the British Army in the Battle of Islandlwana,
1879?
Plan of the investigation:
The defeat of a large and well equiped British Army by the
Zulu impi mostly armed with traditional weapons, at Islandlwana, in 1879, has always
caused interest and criticism. The aim of my Internal Assessment is to find out why this
defeat took place. I will research my investigation in some of the many books published
about the Anglo-Zulu war since 1879, including some which include material written by
soldiers taking part in the war. In B, I will describe why th war took place, write a brief
account of the battle, and note the composition and mistakes of the British and the
strength and success of the Zulu. I will analyse my findings in D and reach a conclusion
as a result of this analysis in E. (128 words)
Example 2:
Topic:
To what extent was the defeat of the British Army by the Zulu at Islandlwana in
1879, due to the mistakes made by Lord Chelmsford?
Plan of the investigation:
The defeat of the British at Islandlwana on 22 January 1879
by the Zulu was a great shock for the British army, government and public. Many people
then, and later, attributed much blame to the general commanding the British forces, Lord
Chelmsford. The aim of this investigation is to find out how far this blame is justified.
The invstigation will cover the causes of the Zulu War (briefly in the first section on
Chelmsford and the situation in South Africa), the composition and nature of both the
British and Zulu armies, and the events of 22 January 1879. An analysis of these sections
should indicate the extent of Chelmsford's responsibility for the defeat and othe factors
that contributed to the Zulu victory. Much of the research will be from letters written by
soldiers who took part in the Zulu War. (140 words)
EXAMPLES OF PART II - - SUMMARY OF EVIDENCE
Remember, you can either write in paragraph form or make a list OR write in paragraph
form. You must cite your sources. Click on the link below to see examples of both
ways. The link is slow so be patient.
2 ways to do it well