writing in the disciplines

writing in history

using a variety of sources

A paper will be stronger if it includes several sources that support or illustrate a specific point or argument. For example, a paper on the relationship between the federal government and Native Americans will be less convincing if it only relies on sources produced by the government. A more convincing paper will include sources produced by all parties involved, as well as other scholarship on the topic.

It may be that source material from a particular perspective cannot be accessed or does not exist. It is important to acknowledge such absences in order to make the argument more balanced and therefore convincing—acknowledging a missing perspective is in fact a kind of counterargument.

A university librarian can be the best resource to begin with, as he or she is trained to find a wide variety of credible sources. A number of web resources are also designed specifially for history research.