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Example Essay
enlightenment_-_essay_stanford.pdf | |
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Build your know-how:
The Historical EssayWhile you will have the chance to showcase your learning in many forms over the semester, the traditional essay remains one of the ways that you may be asked to demonstrate your understanding.
Producing a good essay (or any product) requires careful organisation of time and ideas. This is true from the first stages of research until the final product.
Here is some advice that will be helpful as you write essays. It should also be helpful for all of your assignments.
Is this the type of information I need?Does the site focus on its topic? Do headlines, sub-headlines, captions, and a quick scan all indicate information relating to the topic? Does the site look like the kind of information you wanted when you selected it from your search? Some Internet pages begin with a "hook" to catch your interest, or begin with a simply-worded overview, and then go wildly off in surprising directions. Do not waste your time with an article that does not address the topic you are researching.
Does the page or site address your topic in the appropriate depth? Are you the appropriate audience? Look for websites that are neither too shallow nor too deep. Avoid sites that are clearly directed to younger children, or that use complex jargon and wording to appeal to specialists and experts.
Is this information timely?When was the article written? Often, websites do not provide this information, but you should look for it anyway (sometimes provided as a copyright date at the bottom of a web page).
Does the page provide primary evidence? Was the item written during the event you are studying? Does it provide a first-hand account of events? Does it reflect "the heat of the moment" when points of view were strongly opposed, during or soon after the event?
Is this secondary evidence? Was the article written after the event, from a more distant and objective perspective? Did the writer consider information that wasn't available to eyewitnesses, or that came out later?
Can I have confidence in this information?Examine the web address (the URL) for hints about the purpose of the website. URLs that end with .edu are education sites that often review and approve their pages before posting them. A URL may indicate a university site, such as www.unb.ca (University of New Brunswick) or www.mta.ca (Mount Allison University). Information on these sites is likely to be reliable. On the other hand, some sites are intended to do something other than just inform you about a topic. For example, .com indicates commercial sites, where information may be intended to sell a product, service or idea. URLs ending in .org simply indicate an organization—you should check the organization (e.g., its goals) before using the information it provides.
Does the site identify the author? Is the author likely to be knowledgeable and believable? For example, a university professor of history, or someone who has written a lot on the subject, is more likely to provide good information on historical topics. If the author's name is not provided, you should be suspicious of the information. You should wonder why the author doesn't want to take credit for her or his work.
Does the site provide contact information for the author, editor or publisher (organization)? This is not the same as providing a link to a webmaster. Does the site include citations, a bibliography, a list of related sites, etc.? Internet sources are much less likely to identify authors than print sources are; and they are much less likely to identify and cite their own sources.
As you read, ask:
Does the article deliver objective fact, opinion or propaganda?
Are there any warning signs in the article or the site?
Producing a good essay (or any product) requires careful organisation of time and ideas. This is true from the first stages of research until the final product.
Here is some advice that will be helpful as you write essays. It should also be helpful for all of your assignments.
- A historical essay calls for an argument. Make sure you are clear what you are arguing.
- Read, read and read some more. Read primary sources; read secondary sources. As you read, make notes about what you are reading, being careful to record its source.
- Organize your evidence. Find information that supports your argument from a variety of sources.
- Outline your essay, following this basic structure:
- Introduction: – State the position you are taking and tell the reader how you will address the subject.
- Body: – Present the pieces of evidence that support your essay; deal with any evidence to the contrary.
- Conclusion: – Summarize your evidence and restate your argument, confident that you have now provided adequate evidence to justify your position.
- Write several drafts! Refine your argument, strengthen your logic and correct your wording each time.
- When you take information from the Internet, you are responsible for making sure it is good information,before you use it. The value of the content is all that matter. Pay attention to where you are getting your information from. Wikipedia is both reliable and unreliable.
Is this the type of information I need?Does the site focus on its topic? Do headlines, sub-headlines, captions, and a quick scan all indicate information relating to the topic? Does the site look like the kind of information you wanted when you selected it from your search? Some Internet pages begin with a "hook" to catch your interest, or begin with a simply-worded overview, and then go wildly off in surprising directions. Do not waste your time with an article that does not address the topic you are researching.
Does the page or site address your topic in the appropriate depth? Are you the appropriate audience? Look for websites that are neither too shallow nor too deep. Avoid sites that are clearly directed to younger children, or that use complex jargon and wording to appeal to specialists and experts.
Is this information timely?When was the article written? Often, websites do not provide this information, but you should look for it anyway (sometimes provided as a copyright date at the bottom of a web page).
Does the page provide primary evidence? Was the item written during the event you are studying? Does it provide a first-hand account of events? Does it reflect "the heat of the moment" when points of view were strongly opposed, during or soon after the event?
Is this secondary evidence? Was the article written after the event, from a more distant and objective perspective? Did the writer consider information that wasn't available to eyewitnesses, or that came out later?
Can I have confidence in this information?Examine the web address (the URL) for hints about the purpose of the website. URLs that end with .edu are education sites that often review and approve their pages before posting them. A URL may indicate a university site, such as www.unb.ca (University of New Brunswick) or www.mta.ca (Mount Allison University). Information on these sites is likely to be reliable. On the other hand, some sites are intended to do something other than just inform you about a topic. For example, .com indicates commercial sites, where information may be intended to sell a product, service or idea. URLs ending in .org simply indicate an organization—you should check the organization (e.g., its goals) before using the information it provides.
Does the site identify the author? Is the author likely to be knowledgeable and believable? For example, a university professor of history, or someone who has written a lot on the subject, is more likely to provide good information on historical topics. If the author's name is not provided, you should be suspicious of the information. You should wonder why the author doesn't want to take credit for her or his work.
Does the site provide contact information for the author, editor or publisher (organization)? This is not the same as providing a link to a webmaster. Does the site include citations, a bibliography, a list of related sites, etc.? Internet sources are much less likely to identify authors than print sources are; and they are much less likely to identify and cite their own sources.
As you read, ask:
Does the article deliver objective fact, opinion or propaganda?
Are there any warning signs in the article or the site?