historical investigation for tates creek...
TRANSCRIPT
HISTORICAL
INVESTIGATION
FOR TATES CREEK
STUDENTS
2
Table of Contents: Getting Started………………………………………..……………………………………………….……………………………3
Determining your topic…………………………..……………………………………………….………………………….…4
Topic examples………………………..…………………………………………………..………………………………..4
Writing your question……….………………………………………………………………..…………………….…..5
Bad questions and how to fix them…………………………………………….………………………5
Planning…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7
Understanding the Different parts of the Historical Investigation……………..……………………….…9
Identification and evaluation of sources………………………………………………….…………………..…9
Origin……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Purpose……………………………………………………………………………………………………………11
Value……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…12
Limitation………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13
IB Assessment Criteria …………………………………………………………………………………..…14
Investigation ……………………………………..………………….…………………………………………………….15
IB Assessment Criteria……………………………………………………………………………………..18
Reflection…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….19
IB Assessment Criteria……………………………………………………………………………………..21
Bibliography and Word Count ..……………………………………………………………………………………………22
Title Page……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..23
Notes on MLA…………………………………….……………………………………………………………………….24
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Getting Started:
What is the Historical Investigation?
The Historical Investigation, or HI, is a piece of historical research between 1700 and 2200 words. It is
divided into four sections: Identification and evaluation of sources, Investigation, Reflection,
Bibliography.
How much is the Historical Investigation worth?
It is scored out of 25 marks and worth 20% of your total HOA score. Various parts will also be worth
points in your semester grades (i.e. research, annotation, rough draft, final draft).
Why do I have to write it this way? Why can’t I just write a normal history
paper?
IB wants to make students think about what they are doing, how they are doing it, and what they are
learning from it. The paper is a traditional research paper but the sections simplify the research process
into steps that students can reflect on and learn how to complete a proper paper.
What is this supposed to teach me?
The IB History Guide says “The investigation is an opportunity for students to demonstrate the
application of their skills and knowledge to a historical topic of their choice. The emphasis must be on a
specific historical inquiry that enables the students to develop and apply the skills of a historian by
selecting and analyzing a range of source material and considering diverse perspectives. The activity
demands that students search for, select, evaluate and use evidence to reach a relevant conclusion
consistent with the evidence and arguments that have been put forward.” (86)
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Determining Your Topic:
For History of Americas, you must pick a topic listed in the Assessment outline/IB
Syllabus guide. This is not meant to limit you, but rather help prepare you for the
IB exams. It must be a historical paper so you cannot pick any topic that has
happened in the last 10 years. Many historians choose to focus on events that are
20 years in the past so you may want to pick an event, war, topic, that ended
prior to 1990. This way you have lots of information to use as research.
Pick a topic that seems interesting to you – or at least, less boring.
IT CANNOT BE THE SAME TOPIC YOU USE FOR YOUR EXTENDED ESSAY
Once you have determined a general area of interest, you need to narrow down
that topic to a specific question. Though 2200 words may seem like a lot, many
students quickly go over the word limit – especially if their topic is too broad.
Topic Examples:
General Topic: World War I Narrower topic: Women and World War I Narrowed Topic: Women in the Work Force in World War I
** You can’t cover all of WWI in the HI – There is not enough room! Nor can you discuss all women issues. However, you can adequately discuss women in the workforce.
General Topic: The Civil Rights Movement Narrower Topic: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement Narrowed Topic: MLK Jr.’s March on Washington and the Civil Rights
Movement
**The Civil Rights Movement is way too broad – however, focusing on one specific aspect of the movement can be done.
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Constructing Your Question
After you have determined your narrow topic, you need to formulate a question –
your Historical Investigation will work to answer this question.
The HI Question must have an in-depth
answer that requires your analysis!
That means it CANNOT have a simple answer, such as a yes/no answer or
an answer that would resemble a list
Don’t ask multiple question – This means you should not have an “and” in
the question
When it comes to an HI question, the more specific, the better
– many students think they need to be broad with their topic
to succeed. In fact, the opposite is true.
You can’t cover everything in the short amount of space if your
topic is huge
Examples of Bad Questions
Did Rosa Parks Contribute to the Civil Rights Movement?
Why is it bad? This question requires no analysis – you can simply say “yes”
Why did the Operation Market Garden fail?
Why is it bad? This question also requires no analysis – you can simply provide a list o
answer it.
How were the Jews deported?
Why is it bad? Again you can provide a list to answer this question – no analysis is
required. Also it needs to be narrowed down.
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail and how did the Constitution fix the problems?
Why is it bad? There are too many questions beings asked. Your HI needs to focus on one
topic.
Quick Tip
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How can we re-write those questions to make them acceptable?
Did Rosa Parks Contribute to the Civil
Rights Movement?
How did Rosa Parks’ refusing to give him
her seat on a bus contribute to the Civil
Rights Movement?
Why is it better? Instead of just saying she did contribute, you need to analyze the
extent to which she contributed through her actions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why did the Operation Market
Garden fail?
What was the most important reason for
the failure of Operation Market Garden?
Why is it better? You are not providing a one-sentence answer, nor would you list
reasons. Instead, you are looking at the various factors and assessing/analyzing their
role.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How were the Jews deported? How systematic were the deportations of
the Jewish population of Dusseldorf to
Minsk between 1941 and 1942?
Why is it better? Not only is it narrowed down to a time and place, it also requires you
to analyze.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why did the Articles of Confederation
fail and how did the Constitution fix the
problems?
How did the creation of the Constitution fix
the problems of the Articles of
Confederation?
Why is it better? Though not all that different from the original, it is focusing on one
specific topic instead of two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After you have written your question, you need to have it approved by your teacher. After approval you may not change the question – unless you get it re-approved.
Struggling to figure out where to start… think about the six key
concepts of the history course (causation, consequences,
continuity, change, significance and perspective).
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Planning:
The Historical Investigation shows the IB program not only an answer to your
question, but also the correct methodology of the research process. An essay isn’t
very valuable if the proper methods are not conducted. Here are some basic steps
of the process – see each section of the HI for more information on each step:
1. Identify a general area of interest
2. Narrow it down – you can do some basic research to figure out how to narrow it
3. Determine your question
a. When writing the question keep in mind the six key components for the history
course (causation, consequence, continuity, change, significance and
perspectives). They can be a great place to start when formulating the question.
4. Find appropriate sources – this is more difficult than you might think. Don’t
procrastinate!
a. Take notes with exact references
5. Write a tentative thesis statement – be prepared to change it as you go
6. Review your notes/sources and write the plan of investigation
7. Complete the investigation using the directions in this guide.
Remember this is a very important paper and worth a large portion of your IB and
class grade. Do not procrastinate, do not rush, research is super important and ask for help when you
need it!!!!!
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Research and Finding Sources First focus on quality!
Do a mental OPVL of each source as you are flipping through it! Many
students start with the internet but anyone can put information on the internet – and not all of it is good, in fact most of it is bad. Don’t trust
something just because it is the first result in a Google search or looks legit.
Encyclopedias, textbooks, and .com websites should be considered off limits. Try to avoid all web-based* content as much as possible. These
may seem like good sources, but they are not. Remember focus on quality!!!
*Web-based means the sources were written specifically for the internet. These
include, but are not limited to, university websites and online articles.
The research process is, by far, the most time consuming part of
writing your historical investigation. If you blow off this portion of the process, it doesn’t matter how good of a writer you are – your
paper’s score will suffer.
So where do you find research?
Tates Creek Library Public Library
UK Library ABC-Clio
EbscoHost Jstor
Newspapers and academic journals (available online) Government documents (depending on your topic)
The library is a great place to find sources
and you cannot get away with doing
everything on the internet. Books are
essential in historical research!!!
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Understanding the Different Parts of the Historical Investigation
As previously mentioned, all good historical research includes the
same parts that the HI requires – they just aren’t labeled like the
HI is.
If we look at the criteria (or rubric) for each piece, there is a bit of
translating necessary.
Part A: Identification and evaluation of sources (500 words)
Let’s break these down…
1. Clearly state your question
You should have an approved question that is clearly stated with a short explanation or focus
statement after the question. You are just explaining/justifying your question in a sentence.
2. Include a short and clear explanation of the topic/question
This should be super short and sweet. IB does not like when students waste time/words on
long, in depth, explanations of the topic but you should provide a brief sentence or two about
the focus of the investigation.
In this section you need to
1. Clearly state your question
2. Include a short and clear explanation of the topic/question
3. Identify and evaluate your two most important sources for
“origin, purpose, and content…” and “analyze the value and
limitations of the two sources in relation to the investigation”
(History guide 86).” Be sure to include their relevance to the topic.
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3. Evaluate them for their origin, purpose, value and limitation
Specifically, explicitly explain the value and limitation addressing the origin, purpose and
content of the two sources. Make sure to analyze the value and limitations and how they are
related to the topic of the HI.
DO NOT DESCRIBE THE SOURCES OR GIVE ME AN IN-DEPTH SUMMARY OF THE SOURCES, at no
point in the Historical Investigation will you do that.
Basically OPVL! You are probably tired of this now, but ideally all that
practice the past two years makes this part easy.
Don’t forget to use the words “origin”, “purpose”, “value” and
“limitation” (it may sound weird but you will ensure points)
Origin:
Where did the sources come from?
When was it created?
Who did it come from? What are their credentials?
It is important to identify the qualifications of the author. Are they a historian? What do they
focus on? What makes them qualified to write a trustworthy source? OR….. is it a fifth grade
class in Idaho? Is it a weirdo still living with his parents in his 30s? Is it some awkward history
lover who fancies himself as a historian but really dropped out of high school and works at the
mall? If so, you really need to reevaluate your research!!!!
The origin will greatly affect how you approach a source – as well as what you write for the
purpose, value, and limitation.
Here’s an example: Say you are writing on the Civil Rights Movement
and your source was written by a leader of the KKK. This source
might be extremely helpful in getting one particular perspective, but
their information will not be as reliable as a Civil Rights historian –
the purpose of both people will be different, the value of the source
will be different, and the limitation of both people will also be
different!
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Purpose:
Why was this source written/produced/created?
What is their argument – or – what are they trying to prove?
All historical research is trying to prove something. Yes, they are writing to inform people on a
particular topic, but that is NOT sufficient for describing a source’s purpose.
The Authors argument can be ascertained from their introduction – and sometimes
from the book’s description.
Be specific about why someone was writing this, who they were addressing, what they wanted
the reader to know or do… if you have done a good job on the origin this should be fairly easy!
Don’t forget to use the word purpose – “The purpose of the source is to…”
Often time’s people make this a detailed explanation of the information in the book, but that is not the purpose of the purpose! In this portion you need to explain why someone wrote the book, what did they want to have happen, what did they want to prove, etc. The best way to figure this out is to look at the author and their role in the event.
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Value:
This might be the most difficult portion of the OPVL
analysis for students: Essentially, you are explaining why
this source is better than others. If someone were to ask
you why you are using this source, the value is the
reason why – or the “because.” The value should be
written in consideration of its origin and purpose –
where and who it came from affects how valuable a
source it is! It should also explain the relation to the
investigation.
What makes this something you trust and would want to use for such an important paper?
How does the argument, purpose, or author benefit a historian studying the topic?
What does this source add to a historians understanding of the event/person/time? But don’t say “I learned…” or “The source taught me…”
Why is this source important to a historian’s research? Don’t say “This source is important to my research because…”
Don’t just summarize the book or quote parts you will use
Also you should make reference to specific aspects of the text, as well as the kind
of sources they used. This does not mean quote the text, it means you need to
show how the content benefits your paper.
THIS ISN’T ABOUT YOU… IT’S ABOUT THE HISTORIAN.
TO GET A GOOD GRADE THIS PART HAS TO REFERANCE THE ORIGIN AND VALUE WITHOUT CONTRADICTING THE LIMITATION.
The best way for you to find the value is to think about what your paper would be like without the source? All the things you would be missing are part of the value. It is also crucial that you reference the origin and purpose in this section.
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Limitation:
Despite the value, what problems are there with this source that makes it not as valuable?
Why might a historian use some caution when using this source?
o Do they need better sources?
o Do you see bias? If so, what is it?
o Students often default to saying the source was biased. All sources are biased,
but you can’t just say so without explaining why it is with concrete rationale to
support this assertion and explain how the bias affected your research.
o Is their analysis unbalanced? How?
o Is it out of date? Just because the source wasn’t published this year doesn’t
make it out of date! Consider specific events related to your topic. If you are
using a source on the Cold War that was published in the 1980s you can say it is
out of date because it was written before the end of the Cold War.
What not to do!
Don’t make generalizations that you can’t support. This includes saying a source is
biased without any evidence supporting your claim.
Don’t list things that the author didn’t talk about and say this is their limitation – for
example, if the author is discussing the Korean War’s impact on the Cold War, you can’t
say its limitation is that it doesn’t talk about impact on South Korea‘s economy– that
wasn’t their purpose!
o Just because you need particular information, doesn’t mean it is a limitation for
the source. However, if you feel the author’s argument is weakened by not
mentioning a topic, that is a legitimate limitation – not mentioning the Cold War
when writing about the Korean War would be a weakness of a source.
Being a secondary source is not necessarily a limitation – historical studies are often the
best way for us to understand an event. Some of the most biased sources are primary.
The limitation of a source is something that requires much thought – don’t just pick one of the
above possibilities. Critically assess your source to determine its limitation. Many students
make the mistake of throwing out a limitation that they are unsure of. This dramatically and
quickly lowers your score!!!
The best way to find the limitation is to research your topic and research the authors. The more you know about the topic/author the easier it will be to spot the limitations! It is also crucial that you address the origin and/or purpose as part of the limitation.
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IB Assessment Criteria: Identification and
evaluation of sources (6 Marks)
Marks Level descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2 The question for investigation has been stated. The student has identified and selected appropriate sources, but there is little or no explanation of the relevance of the sources to the investigation. The response describes, but does not analyze or evaluate, two of the sources.
3-4 An appropriate question for investigation has been stated. The student has identified and selected appropriate sources, and there is some explanation of the relevance of the sources to the investigation. There is some analysis and evaluation of two sources, but references to their value and limitation is limited.
5-6 An appropriate question for investigation has been clearly stated. The student has identified and selected appropriate and relevant sources, and there is a clear explanation of the relevance of the sources to the investigation. There is a detailed analysis and evaluation of two sources with explicit discussion of the value and limitations of two of the sources for the investigation, with reference to the origins, purpose, and content of the two sources.
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Part B: Investigation (1,300 words)
So how do you do this???
1. Take good notes when you are researching
When you read through your research and sources use post its or index cards and write down
the information you want to use, or might use, the author, book, page number, and anything
else you need to cite the sources in MLA format. It might take you a little bit longer but you will
appreciate it later. It is much more difficult to go back and try to find the information later and
you will need to cite all information you use in the paper. Make sure you identify direct quotes
with quotation marks so that you don’t accidentally claim the words to be yours later.
In this section you need to
1. Organize your information and argument in a clear and effective way.
2. Analyze the information. Make sure you have critical analysis and not fluff!
3. Keep your topic the main focus. Don’t wonder from the question you
created for the investigation.
4. Include your conclusion from all the research and analysis you have
completed. Tell the reader what the answer to your question is.
5. Use your sources and make sure you cite them correctly. Incorrectly cited
sources are just as bad as not citing them at all. If you plagiarize, don’t cite
the sources, or incorrectly cited them your paper will not be accepted!
6. Be sure to include
a. An analysis that breaks down complex issues to bring out essential
points
b. A critical examination of factual material (make sure to include the
two sources you analyzed in the previous section)
c. An awareness of sources use
d. Consideration of different interpretations of evidence.
7. A conclusion
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2. Organize your facts
As you research start grouping your facts in ways that make sense. Even if the information
contradicts each other you should be able to group the facts together based on the topic. The
post it notes and index cards are great for this because you can arrange them and rearrange
them as necessary.
3. When you are done researching, think about all that you have found, start to outline
your paper.
Jot down ideas as you start trying to formulate your answer. If you start to analyze some
information go ahead and write it down. It might come in handy later. Outlining is a great way
to plan and organize your thoughts with the research. Outlining will help when you actually go
to write the paper.
4. Create your thesis statement.
This is a very important step and it helps guide you when you actually write this section.
Remember a good thesis statement answers the question, identifies the main
arguments/points, and addresses the other side. A solid thesis statement will help keep you on
track in this section and that is part of the assessment criteria.
5. Sit down and start writing/analyzing
This is the part where you write the paper. Include your research but explain what it all means,
answer the question, use support, analyze the information and how it answers the question. If
you have properly researched, planned, and learned about your topic along the way, this part
should not be extremely difficult. Don’t forget to properly cite the information you use.
6. Make sure to include a conclusion
Your conclusion should use all the information and points from this section and wrap it up in a
clear and focused way. Make sure it is consistent with your paper and don’t make broad
generalizations about how your topic is important or affects society today. Also, don’t begin
with “in conclusion…”
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FAQs:
Should I include in-text citations?
o YES – any information or ideas that you found while researching needs to be
properly cited!
When do I use in-text citations?
o Whenever you are using someone else’s information. If it is common knowledge,
you do not need to cite it. Examples would be the date that an even occurred.
However, it is better to be safe than sorry.
o You need to include an in-text citation whether you are quoting (use quotation
marks), summarizing, or paraphrasing.
What is the difference between quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing?
o Quoting is when you take someone’s words and copy them word for word in
your paper. This should only be used when the quote has a direct link to your
topic and enhances your analysis or works as a strong support point. Your paper
should not be full of quotes.
o Summarizing is when you take a longer section and provide an overview in a
shortened form. For example, when you explain the meaning of a paragraph in a
sentence or two.
o Paraphrasing is when you say the same thing, in different wording, in about the
same length. If the fact in your resources is one sentence, to paraphrase it, you
would re-word it into approximately one sentence.
Should I include every fact from my initial research?
o No – this should not be fact after fact after fact. Only include the information
that contributes directly to answering your question.
o When doing research you will often learn a lot of background material. That
might be helpful for you in order to better understand your topic, but if it does
not contribute directly to an answer to your question it should not be included.
Should I organize this paper according to my sources?
o No – You should organize your paper/evidence based on your thesis and the
main points of your paper, not by sources.
I found a sources that answers my question! Can it be the only sources I include?
o No – if you only use 1-2 sources, you aren’t getting any variance of perspective.
Part of the requirements for the HI is that you show you have researched the
topic in a thorough manner. Though you might find one source that tells you
everything you think you need to know, that doesn’t cut it!
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IB Assessment Criteria: Investigation (15
Marks)
Marks Level Descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-3 The investigation lacks clarity and coherence, and is poorly organized. Where there is a recognizable structure there is minimal focus on the task.
The response contains little or no critical analysis. It may consist mostly of generalizations and poorly substantiated assertions. Reference is made to evidence from sources, but there is no analysis of that evidence.
4-6 There is an attempt to organize the investigation but this is only partially successful, and the investigation lacks clarity and coherence.
The investigation contains some limited critical analysis but the response is primarily narrative/descriptive in nature, rather than analytical. Evidence from sources is included, but is not integrated into the analysis/argument.
7-9 The investigation is generally clear and well organized, but there is some repetition of lack of clarity in places.
The response moves beyond description to include some analysis or critical commentary, but this is not sustained. There is an attempt to integrate evidence from sources with the analysis/argument.
There may be awareness of different perspectives, but these perspectives are not evaluated.
10-12 The investigation is generally clear and well organized, although there may be some repetition or lack of clarity in places.
The investigation contains critical analysis, although this analysis may lack development or clarity. Evidence from a range of sources is used to support the argument.
There is awareness and some evaluation of different perspectives. The investigation argues to a reasoned conclusion.
13-15 The investigation is clear, coherent and effectively organized.
The investigation contains well-developed critical analysis that is focused clearly on the stated question. Evidence from a range of sources is used effectively to support the argument.
There is evaluation of different perspectives. The investigation argues to a reasoned conclusion that is consistent with evidence and arguments provided.
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Part C: Reflection (400 words)
This is easier than you think!
1. Start by writing lists
Write down the things you found difficult, the struggles you faced, the times you wanted to
give up, etc. In a second column write down how you overcame them and dealt with the
difficulties. In a third column write out what you learned when you overcame the struggles and
were able to accomplish your goal/task. Pick a few outcomes that you want to focus on for a
reflection.
2. Don’t write about the HI topic
Using examples from the research is great and will help connect the reflection to the other
sections, but this portion of the HI is not actually about your topic. This section is about what
the student learned about historians and their jobs. Remember that from the moment you
started this project to the moment you finished the investigation you were working like a
historian, so if you did a good job on the first two sections this shouldn’t be too difficult. Don’t
write that you couldn’t find your answer; historians are never able to find their answers in a
book. Don’t write that you learned about Sherman’s March to the Sea, or any other HI topic;
this is not about what historic event you learned about. This section should focus on the
methods used by historians and challenges they face. Look at the rubric for help!
In this section you need to
1. Reflect on what you have learned “about the methods used by,
and challenges facing, the historian” (History guide 87).
2. Do not write about the historic facts you have learned, keep the
focus on “what undertaking [your] investigation highlighted to
[you] (History guide 87)
3. Be genuine; don’t write what you think the reader/IB wants to
hear! Make sure the words you write and the message you convey
is an honest and truthful reflection of the HI process.
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3. Be genuine
Students have a bad habit of writing what they think their teacher wants to hear. In reality you
will write a much better reflection if it is honest and raw. If you reflect upon what you actually
learned in the process your paper will be easier to write and you will probably receive a higher
score.
4. Can’t think of what to say? Ask yourself questions
Below is a list of questions that you might want to use to help. You do not need to cover all
these topics because some things may have been easy or more difficult. Keep in mind this is
about what you learned while being a historian. Do not make the mistake of simply answering
each question as that will not be a very good reflection and will make this portion go way over
the word count.
“Examples of discussion questions that may help to encourage reflection include the following.
What methods used by historians did you use in your investigation? What did your investigation highlight to you about the limitations of those methods? What are the challenges facing the historian? How do they differ from the challenges
facing a scientist or a mathematician? What challenges in particular does archive-based history present? How can the reliability of sources be evaluated? What is the difference between bias and selection? What constitutes a historical event? Who decides which events are historically significant? Is it possible to describe historical events in an unbiased way? What is the role of the historian? Should terms such as “atrocity” be used when writing about history, or should value
judgments be avoided? If it is difficult to establish proof in history, does that mean that all versions are equally
acceptable?” -History Guide: Internal Assessment (web)
5. If you are struggling ask for help.
Teachers reflect all the time on their practices, curriculum, and lessons. Talking about your
process might also help you find a focus or two for this section of the HI. Reflection is not really
something you can force, it is best if it’s an organic reflection. This means that it comes
naturally. If you are forcing yourself to reflect it will probably be more difficult and not a good
reflection. Teachers will use other teachers and principals to help us reflect and a short
discussion with us might help.
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IB Assessment Criteria: Reflection (4 Marks)
Marks Level descriptor
0 The work does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-2 The reflection contains some discussion of what the investigation highlighted to the student about the methods used by the historian. The reflection demonstrates little awareness of the challenges facing the historian and/or the limitations of the methods used by the historian. The connection between the reflection and the rest of the investigation is implied, but is not explicit.
3-4 The reflection is clearly focused on what the investigation highlighted to the student about the methods used by this historian. The reflection demonstrates clear awareness of challenges facing the historian and/or limitations of the methods used by the historian. There is a clear and explicit connection between the reflection and the rest of the investigation.
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Bibliography and Word Count
This needs to be done correctly
1. Academic Honesty is very important
You need to make sure that you have acknowledged who/where you got your information
from. If you do not it is considered academic dishonesty and you will cannot submit this work to
IB, so you will not pass the course. This is probably the easiest section so long as you do it right.
2. There are many websites that can help you with the full MLA citations but be careful
If you do not put in the information correctly then it will not generate the citation properly!
This happens a lot, especially when students are using articles from a book and books with
editors. You will be the one in trouble for this. Just like Wikipedia, a MLA generator is a good
place to start but you will need to make sure the citation is correct. I like to use Purdue Owl to
write and check my citations.
3. Don’t make a stupid mistake
Every year students don’t indent correctly or don’t alphabetize the bibliography. These are
simple steps that can cost you if you do not make sure to do them!
4. The word count is very important
The word count needs to be between 1700 and 2200. If you go over you will be punished, if you
go under the word count your paper is probably weak. The word count goes on the cover page.
5. You should have lots of sources that you used in the paper.
A good paper, and one that gets high marks, uses a variety of sources and uses a variety/range
of them in the paper. It shows that you put in the time and effort and found sufficient research
on your topic. They should also be quality sources, so I suggest a mental OPVL of each source as
you use it.
In this section you need to
1. List each source you used in the HI.
2. Each source should have the complete MLA citation.
3. Each source needs to be indented properly.
4. The sources need to be in alphabetical order.
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How to make a title page…
There are three things (and only three things) that your title page needs: your name, the
question and the word count. The word count does not include in-text citations, the list of
sources, the title page, and headings. Notice there is no page number on the cover, but you
should have them on the other pages.
John Doe
How did Nativism contribute to the formation of sub-culture Communities in New York City during
the late 19th Century?
Word Count: 2048
Do not be the student who misspells
their own name, only includes the
first name, or does not capitalize the
first letters.
Do
no
t rew
rite you
r qu
estion
–
use th
e on
e you
and
you
r
teach
er agreed
up
on
. An
d m
ake
sure it is e
xactly the sam
e as the
qu
estion
in sectio
n A
of th
e
pap
er.
Your paper should be between
1700 and 2200 words. You
cannot go over the limit. IB will
count the words if they feel the
number is inaccurate!!!
24
Notes on MLA:
There is no art or trick to this – you simply format the necessary information in a correct and
consistent manner.
First take a look at the sample list of four sources:
Notice how the first line is not indented and all subsequent lines are
How to Indent:
1. Type up sources. It should look like this:
Higham, John. Strangers in the Land: Patterns of American Nativism, 1860-1925. New York
Atheneum, 1963. Print.
McGuire, William, and Leslie Wheeler. “Jacob Riis.” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012. Web. 3
Mar. 2012.
“Settlement House Movement.” American History. ABC-CLIO, 2012 Web. 4 Mar. 2012.
“A Timeline of the 19th Century.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History . Home. Web.
15 Dec. 2011
25
2. Highlight your sources:
3. Move the bottom half of the ruler hourglass over. (this is called a hanging indent):
4. And that’s it!
26
FAQs:
Should I bullet the list?
o No
Should I organize it according to type of sources?
o No – keep them together.
Should I number the list?
o No the format of your list of sources should look just like the sample (only
with more than 4 sources)!
o If it looks different, it is wrong!
Shouldn’t the last source be at the beginning because it begins with “A”?
o No when putting a list in alphabetical order, you omit “the” and “a/an”
Can’t I just use a website like EasyBib.com?
o That is a fine place to start, but NEVER trust it. It is very often incorrect.
There are ways in Microsoft Word to create a correctly-formatted reference list, but here are
the general rules:
Books
Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Medium
of Publication.
Warning!!!! I put this book in Easybib and it only gave
me a portion of the publisher’s name!!!!!!!
Example:
Diamond, Jared. Guns, Germs, and Steel: the Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton &
Company, 1998. Print.
27
Articles
Author(s), “Title of Article.” Title of Periodical Day Month Year: pages. Medium of publication
Websites:
A page on a website:
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Version number. Name of
institution/organization affiliated with the site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation
(if available). Medium of publication. Date of access.
*** if you cannot find the majority of the information needed for a citation it is probably a bad
source! Go back to the drawing board and find a better, more reliable source!
These are the very basic
citations. You will find lots of
sources that will not fit into
these categories and that’s
great! I suggest using Purdue
University’s guide to citations!
It’s online and a great tool!
Example:
Coben, Stanley. “A Study in Nativism: the American Red Scare of 1919-20.” Political Science Quarterly
March, 1964:52-75.
Example:
Felluga, Dino. Guide to Literary and Critical Theory. Purdue U, 28 Nov. 2003. Web. 10 May 2006.
28
FAQs:
What if I can’t find the sponsor or publisher?
o You would write: n.p.
What if I can’t find the date?
o You would write: n.d.
What if I don’t know the author but I know the editor? Can I just replace the author’s
name with the editor?
o No! These are two different roles and have different places in the citation. Look
up how to properly cite a source if you have the editors name.
More Notes on citations:
There is another formatting issue that students can’t seem to master, and yet, it is incredibly
easy.
Books/Articles:
(Author’s last name page number)
The period goes after the citation.
FAQs:
What if the information I used spans multiple pages?
o Simply add it!
Do I need to include a page number for each citation?
o Yes– The idea behind citations is that if I wanted to see where you got your
information, I could easily do so!
What if I use information from the same source for the entire paragraph?
o You can cite it just like above, but the period will go before the citation.
o This should not really happen at all. Your paper should be a mixture of different
sources and your analysis.
Just a Heads Up!!! If you write n.p. or n.d. a lot it shows that you
didn’t take time or effort to cite the sources,
you probably didn’t evaluate the sources, or
you picked bad sources and didn’t care!!!!!!
Example:
(Diamond 43). NOTICE!!!
Example:
(Diamond 43-50)
29
Books/Articles with Multiple Authors:
In same order as sources list them
Website
(Author page number (if there is one))
No Author?
Your in-text citation will be the title (or an abbreviated version of the title if it is long).
Formatting of the in-text citation should reflect that of the reference list.
So if it is an article which goes in quotation marks in the reference list, then it needs to
be in quotes in the in-text citation.
If the title is in italics in the reference list, it should be in italics in the citation!
Example:
Paulsson, Diamond, and Smith 56).
Example:
(Smith.)
-Or-
(Smith 3)
“A Timeline of the 19th Century.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Home. Web. 15
Dec. 2011.
(“A Timeline of the 19th Century”).
If the citatio
n lo
oks
like th
e on
e abo
ve,
the in
-text citatio
n
sho
uld
loo
k like th
e
on
e belo
w.
30
FAQs:
Can’t I just put the URL in the in-text citation?
o NOOOO – in no circumstances is the web address acceptable. Just like the
reference list, the web address is NOT needed.
o The web address is a location, not a source.
Need more information? Go to the Purdue Owl website
for lots of examples and situations!!!!
Articles retrieved from databases such
as JSTOR and EBSCOHost almost always
have page numbers from the journal in
which they appeared. If so, these must
be included.