Writing Your Essay
Books
The resources that are recommended by the professor and mentioned in the syllabus. are also listed in this section.
The Chicago Manual of Style
sixteenth edition, 2010
Z253 .C45 2010
A Short Guide to Writing About History
Richard Marius and Melvin E. Page, 2012
D13 .M294 2012
Writing History: A Guide for Students
William Kelleher Storey, 2013
D16 .S864 2013X
History Skills: A Student’s Handbook
Mary Abbott, 2009
D16.3 (online resource)
The Information-Iiterate Historian: A Guide to Research for History Students
Jenny L. Presnell, 2007
D16.2 .P73 2007
Web Sites
Why Are There Different Citation Styles? (Yale College Writing Centre)
This resource explains the differences between the Chicago Manual of Style and other accepted methods of citing sources, and why it is particularly
suited for writing in the dicipline of history. Understanding the philosophy behind this style of citation will allow you to better forumlate your
arguments and structure your essay.
Chicago Citation Style (Okanagan College Library)
The sixteen-page PDF is an excellent overview of the Chicago Manual of Style, providing descriptions and example on how to properly cite a wide range of
sources. A sample page on how to format your essay is also included.
Chicago Manual of Style (Mount Saint Vincent University)
This brief handout provides a quick overview of the Chicago Manual of Style
Research and Documentation Online 5th Edition: History
The web site is an abbreviated electronic version of Research and Documentation Online by Diana Hacker and Barbara Fister. It outlines good
practices in locating and citing sources in writing history papers.
Chicago Manual of Style (Douglas College Library)
In-depth guide on citing various sources in different formats.
The History’s Student Handbook: A Short Guide to Writing History Essays This document, courtesy of the University of Calgary, describes all stages of writing a history essay.
How to Write a Good History Essay (Lancaster University)
History Essay Guide (University of Ottawa)
Managing Your Sources
Keeping track of all the sources that you find can be challenging! To help you manage your research, University of Toronto Libraries provides citation management software options available to students, faculty, and staff:
- RefWorks
- Zotero
- Mendeley
- EndNote Web.
For overview of these citation programs and comparison of their features, please consult Citation Management guide from the Gerstein Science Information Centre.
Writing Centres
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the expertise knowlegeable and highly experienced staff of the writing centres, based at all colleges on campus. Instructions are on individual and group basis and are included in your tuition fees. Instructors will teach how to write coherently, articulate your arguments well, and much more!
Image source: “Hitler and Followers.” California State University World Image Kiosk.
