Paper writing guidelines II

1.  Every paper should clearly state a forceful overarching thesis in the first paragraph, directly responding to the question.  That thesis should have sufficient nuance to accommodate the complexity of history, and sufficient forcefulness to take a clear stand on the question.

2.  The first paragraph should also specify the basic background of the paper as well as the main themes used to organize the discussion of the entire paper.

3.  Each and every paragraph should begin with a topic sentence that specifies its main analytical point and how it will contribute to your overarching thesis.  Don't start a paragraph by simply narrating or describing or listing.

4a.  Each paragraph should contain historical quotations, specific facts, and concrete examples (cited accordingly) to support the paragraph’s main analytical point.  Any quotations especially should be introduced in a prior sentence (identifying writer, time, and place), and then interpreted in a subsequent sentence (how is it evidence for your thesis?).  Never assume that a quotation is self-explanatory.

4b.  Quote from primary documents written in the past; this constitutes evidence.  Because what scholars (like Anderson and Cayton) write constitutes interpretation, not evidence, you should not quote them.  Instead, paraphrase their ideas into your own words, and cite them in a footnote or endnote.  Of course, you may quote from any primary documents from the past that scholars use as evidence.  Again, cite where you found the quote.

5.  Each paragraph should end with a concluding sentence explaining how the evidence of that paragraph contributed to the paragraph’s main analytical point and to your paper's overarching thesis.

6.  Avoid the passive voice, such as “There began slavery in Virginia."  Instead, always use the active voice:  who did what, when, how and why.

7.   Avoid reification, such as “Slavery encouraged white people to stick together.”  People -- not concepts like “slavery” or “globalization” -- make history happen.

8a.   Important abstract terms such as “individualism” or “freedom” should be defined.  The meaning of such broad terms is contested in the present as it was in the past, and thus you must specify your definition of them (a dictionary definition does not suffice).

8b.  Unpleasant terms from the past, like “negro,” should be put in quotation marks.  Unsavory value judgments from the past, like “civilized” or “barbaric,” should also be put in quotation marks.  Without quotation marks, it looks like you are agreeing with such unsavory values. 

9.   Avoid phrases like “people,” “individuals,” “they,” “colonists,” “Americans,” etc.  Always identify the specific social group you are discussing.

10.  Be attentive to time frames and dates as you describe historical change and continuity.  Briefly identify and date any people, institutions, or documents you mention.  Use the past tense; history happened in the past.