Synopses & Reviews
A Student's Guide to History provides the practical help students need to be effective in their history courses. In addition to introducing students to the nature of the discipline, the guide covers a broad range of skills, from note-taking and test-taking to approaching different types of writing assignments. The book's accessible page design, clear explanations, and annotated examples make it easy for students to improve their performance.
About the Author
A professor of history for 30 years, JULES R. BENJAMIN has recently retired from Ithaca College. His current research focuses on higher education in the digital age, and his scholarly works concern modern United States and Latin American diplomatic history. He is the author of several books and articles, including The United States and Cuba: Hegemony and Dependent Development, 18801934 (1977) and The United States and the Origins of the Cuban Revolution: An Empire of Liberty in an Age of National Liberation (1990).
Table of Contents
PREFACEA NOTE TO STUDENTS
1. The Subject of History and How to Use It
What History Can Tell You
What Historians are Trying to Do
How Historians Work
How You Can Use History
2. How to Read a History Assignment, Take Notes in Class, and Prepare for and Take Exams
How to Read a History Assignment
How to "Read" Nonwritten Materials
How to Take Notes in Class
Classroom Participation
Communicating Online
How to Study for and Take Exams
3. How to Write History Assignments: The Importance of Writing Skills
Why Clear Writing Is Important
The Components of Clear Writing
Building an Essay
Preparing Specific Writing Assignments
A Note on Plagiarism: A Serious Offense
4. How to Research a History Topic
Beginning the Research Process
Conducting Research
Evaluating Sources
Interpreting Sources and Taking Notes
Avoiding Plagiarism
5. How to Write a Research Paper
Preparing to Write
Organizing Your Research
Writing the Text
Documenting Your Paper: Citing Your Sources
Revising and Rewriting
Example of a Research Paper
Turning Research into Writing: A Sample Research Paper
Appendix A. Resources for History Research
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Atlases
Biography Collections
Newspaper Indexes and Databases
Periodical Indexes and Databases
Public Document Indexes and Databases
Historical Statistics
General Resources in World History
Specialized Resources in World History
General Resources in United States History
Specialized Resources in United States History
Electronic Discussion Lists in History
Appendix B. Useful Information for the Historian
Historical Sources in Your Own Backyard
How to Research Your Family History
Grammar and Style Manuals
GLOSSARY
INDEX