Advanced Higher History dissertation - Researching your topic
- 2. Choose a research method(s) • Literature review Analyse secondary sources, using detailed and organised notes • Primary research Research original documents from the time • Fieldwork Visit non-library or school locations to gather facts
- 3. Organise your notes It will be easier to organise your dissertation if you collate all your notes together e.g. linking views on certain topics or themes, from different historians • Linear notes • Spider diagrams • Grid systems • Sound files • Any other acceptable method
- 4. Factor Sub-issue Source Summary Key points
- 5. Primary sources You must use at least one primary source in your dissertation (although should aim to include more). ** TIP: Analyse the relevance of each source. Possible primary sources include: * Newspaper articles * Speeches * Propaganda posters * Diaries, books * Government documents
- 6. Historiography Quoting historians’ views is essential to getting a good grade – and also to actually understand the topic that you have chosen to research. The best historiography will: • Outline why the historian thinks this is the case • Compare historical views, whether showing contrast or agreement, and giving reasons
- 7. Referencing • It is essential that you reference facts and arguments in your final dissertation • This is to show the research work you have done, and avoid plagiarism • Always give page numbers for sources • You must use a recognised referencing system, such as Chicago or Harvard
- 8. Referencing systems - examples • Chicago A system of using footnotes (numbers in text and at end of each page) and a bibliography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NdT4Y620nE • Harvard A system giving basic information in the text (author, date, pages) and a bibliography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDgqqPvMn0U&index=4