Lesson 3: Researching History

Lesson Focus

Learn to think like a historian. This lesson covers planning research, finding trustworthy sources, and using evidence to build arguments. These skills are essential for completing research projects and other schoolwork effectively.

People to Know

William H. McNeill, Peter N. Stearns

Learning Objectives

• Plan a research project by choosing a topic and creating questions to guide your investigation.
• Evaluate internet sources for reliability by checking authorship, credentials, and URL endings.
• Write about history accurately by avoiding plagiarism and modern bias, basing interpretations on historical evidence.

A good research project begins with choosing a topic that is not too broad or too narrow. Use tools like encyclopedias to test your topic and create guiding questions—who, what, when, where, why, and how—to focus your research.

Gather information from nonfiction books, encyclopedias, and reliable websites. Learn to tell the difference between facts (which can be proven) and opinions (which reflect personal judgment), and focus your research on factual content.

Check who wrote the article, what their credentials are, and whether the website is reliable. Government (.gov) and educational (.edu) sites are often more accurate than personal blogs or biased organization (.org) pages.

Take notes in your own words and organize them into categories to build an outline. Never copy someone else's words without giving credit. Always cite your sources when quoting or summarizing ideas to avoid plagiarism.

When writing about history, avoid judging the past by today’s standards. Use historical evidence to support your conclusions, and remember that values and beliefs change over time.