This guide will highlight various tips for writing a history research paper and offer some topic ideas to guide your selection. Without further ado, let’s dive into the process of writing a history paper.

How to write a history research paper?

Like other forms of academic papers, history papers call for a strategic approach to ensure that you cater to the paper’s nitty-gritty elements. These steps should come in handy as you structure your history research paper.

1. Understand the assignment

The key to any academic assignment is to understand what is required of you. To analyze the assignment and examine for various trigger words and keywords. This will help you get a clear perspective of the trajectory your paper should take and the arguments at your disposal.

While at this, record various requirements for proofreading purposes. These requirements include the referencing style, the word count, font, and other specific requirements by your tutor.

2. Brainstorm for topic ideas

After you’ve established the requirements, set out to brainstorm various ideas on the topic. These ideas should include various intriguing arguments you have considering the topic and inadequacies you’ve established when interacting with various materials during your study.

Jot down these ideas and use them to guide you in selecting your history research paper topic. Doing this will help ensure that you select an interesting topic, allowing you to retain your interest as you cater to various elements of your paper.

3. Select your topic

Next, engage various resources and search for your main keyword to get relevant history research paper topics. This will broaden your options further, allowing you to select a topic that best evokes your curiosity.

You must narrow it down to two topics and engage various resources to determine the topic you can fully address with the available resources. This approach offers you a fallback option if you get stuck midway through writing your paper.

4. Research

Next, research the topic and jot down the ideas you gather on various topics. Record the source next to each idea and prepare a spreadsheet to capture references for used resources.

This will help you easily retrieve material if you need to elaborate on an idea and avoid omitting a reference on the ‘work’s cited section.’ Next, link your ideas and determine the suitable categories to chunk your paper if you are preparing a very long paper.

5. Prepare your thesis

Now that you are fully aware of your argument write your thesis statement. Note that this should be debatable and clearly express the main sentiments of your paper.

6. Make an outline

Finally, prepare an outline of the key ideas you have encountered during research. This will map out your argument and help you avoid ideas that may sidetrack you from your main argument.

The outline will also help you determine various gaps in your argument, helping you cover all the relevant details ensuring a solid argument.

7. Draft and write your paper

With your outline in hand, you can now prepare your paper. However, ensure to use simple language, only using technical terms where necessary instead of bombarding your reader with excessive jargon.

History paper format

The history paper is divided into the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

• Introduction – this section should analyze previous studies on the topic and why your study is relevant in your niche. Be keen to use a hook and present your thesis in this area to help readers determine your paper’s key idea.
• Body – this section highlights your main ideas, with each argument occupying its paragraph. Each paragraph should have a topic idea and evidence and be summarized with a statement expressing how the idea fits your thesis.
• Conclusion – here, you should reiterate your main argument and the thesis statement. Avoid introducing new ideas in this area, as it may create room for counterarguments and weaknesses in your paper.

History research paper outline

Introduction 

• Definition of the topic
• Analysis of previous research on the topic and weaknesses of existing research
• Hook to introduce your paper to your topic idea
• Thesis statement 

Body

Paragraphs:  

• Topic sentence: analyze the issue under study
• Evidence
• Show how your study complements the existing data

Conclusion

• Restate your thesis
• Summarize key points
• Highlight counterarguments that you may make against your suggestions

History topics for a research paper

Here are some quality history research paper ideas to help you start your paper.

Art history research paper topics

1. Comparing and contrasting Mesoamerican and Egyptian pyramids
2. The main principles guiding medieval arts
3. Analyze the portraits of your favorite artist
4. Why is photography phasing out fine art?
5. The influence of science on Greek structures
6. An analysis of Picasso and Leonardo Davinci
7. Cubism vs impressionism 

Interesting topics for history research paper

8. How white supremacy is replacing Nazis
9. The influence of religion on historical developments
10. Items that America borrowed from African culture
11. Comparing the ideals of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X
12. The impact of railway development on US future
13. Impact of colonizers on the colonized nations
14. Analyzing the view of racism from an African-Americans perspective

Music history research paper topics

15. Influence of the catholic church on renaissance music
16. A case study on the development of the Baroque opera
17. Why modern music is better than 90’s music
18. Why hip-hop is a misunderstood genre
19. Is jazz music fading off? Is jazz music obsolete?
20. Impact of music pirating on the industry
21. Analyzing the development of female musicians over history

US history research paper topics

22. How America amassed power during the world war
23. Analyzing the reasons behind US support in various wars across history
24. How WWII changed American history
25. Role of media in ending the Vietnam war
26. How ending slavery impacted the development of the USA
27. A case study on Malcolm X’s influence in achieving civil rights
28. Reasons for economic depression and approaches to avoid another depression

World history research paper topics

29. Analyzing the role of weapons in winning wars around the world
30. Impacts of the abolition of the slave trade
31. A tactical analysis of historical warfare
32. Analyzing the causes of WWI
33. How the Roman empire negatively impacted the worldwide leadership
34. An analysis of the role of David Livingstone to African culture
35. A case study of religions before 1000 AD

Final take

Writing a history research paper should not cause you sleepless nights. We hope this guide helped you get your paper on track. If you need more help with your paper, please engage our team for further guidance.

What is a bibliography in a research paper?

A bibliography is a detailed list of all sources consulted regardless of whether or not they are cited within the paper. Professors often use the bibliography to gauge how much research you performed in preparing your paper.

Usually, this part occupies the last page of your paper.

Why do I need a bibliography?

A bibliography is a crucial part of papers in various institutions. This section helps readers gauge the breadth of your research and acknowledges various resources used to structure your argument.

How to write a bibliography for a research paper

The style used when writing a bibliography for your research paper depends on the referencing method for your paper. Some general rules for presenting your bibliographies are:

• Bibliographies should be sorted in alphabetic order.
• When recording online materials, indicate the publication date as the date you accessed the material.
• Bibliographies should appear at the end of the paper after the ‘works cited’ section. However, they should appear before the appendix is included.
• When writing bibliographies by hand, ensure that you underline the book’s name.
• When gauging your final word count, do not calculate the word count for the bibliographies. As such, deduct the word count for this section and test if you have hit the target as prescribed by your tutor.
• When presenting a ‘works cited’ section, be keen only to list resources you used with an in-text citation.

When writing a bibliography in a research paper, you should follow this format:

Bibliography entry for books

When writing your bibliography entry for your book, you should start with the author’s last name, followed by their last name. Next comes the book’s title, publishing place, the publisher, and the publication date.

When writing your bibliography, the book name should be underlined. Similarly, put the book title in italics and properly capitalize each word in the book’s title.

Format: Author’s last name, first name. Title of the book. Place of publication. Publisher’s name. Publication Date.

Example:

Quoting a book with one author: McArthur, Kelvin. The Theory of Sustainability. Manchester: Long brook, 1997.

Quoting a book with multiple authors: Kelvin, Mark.G. Henry. A Guide to Economic Stability. New York: Madeley publisher, 2002.

Bibliography for a periodical

Unlike a bibliography from a book, a periodical bibliography starts with the last name, followed by a comma, the first name, then a period. A title then follows this in quotation marks and a period in the closing quotation mark.

You should highlight the magazine’s title within your bibliography, like the book.

Format: Author’s surname, author’s first name. “Title of article.” Month and Year of Publication: Page numbers.

Example: McArthur, Kelvin. “The role of the modern woman.” January 2014: 22-34.

Bibliography for a website

Unlike books and periodicals, the bibliographies for websites include lesser information. These bibliographies should include the URL, the author’s name, and publication date.

Format: URL. Author’s name. Date of publication.

Example: www.lifetoday.com. John Henry. 16th May 2008.

Writing an annotated bibliography for a research paper

An annotated bibliography is a critical evaluation of a source used to structure your paper. This helps your readers determine the relevance of your paper and best analyze the quality of used resources.

You should add the annotation for a bibliography under the listed bibliography. Some of the information included in the research paper includes:

• It should be limited to 150 words with a maximum of six sentences.
• The main focus of your paper.
• Your intended audience.
• Relevance of your topic to your field.
• What conclusions did you reach after your research?

Final take

Writing biography for a research paper is a fairly easy task. The tips covered in this paper should direct you to properly write your bibliography and make it easy for readers to follow your references.

This guide will help you buff your writing skills and get you on track with your psychology research paper. We will also cover some psychology research paper ideas to help you select a great topic for your discipline.  

How to write a psychology research paper

Writing a psychology paper does not have to trigger headaches and inspire feelings of inadequacy. You should follow these steps to help you ensure a quality paper.

1. Understand the nature of the assignment

The tutor’s instructions are crucial for preparing your paper. It is crucial to understand the type of paper you are expected to write from the information provided in the assignment.

When asked to write a literature review, you are tasked with summarizing the research and findings from previous work. Literature reviews are organized into an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

On the other hand, a lab report relies on findings established from experiments. As such, this type of paper should have an abstract, a methodology, a result, and a discussion section.

2. Select a relevant topic

After understanding the question, determine the limitations provided by your tutor. When a topic is prescribed, limit your research to the topic as guided by your tutor.

When provided with a general topic, it would be best to select a specific concept within the topic. This will help you focus on an argument and easily retrieve relevant materials for your paper.

When selecting topics in psychology, start by brainstorming various ideas that evoke your curiosity about the provided topic.

3. Gather materials that are essential for your research

Before diving into your paper, start by searching for materials to help you structure your argument and support your case. Since research is the backbone of a psychology research paper, you cannot afford to skimp on the quality of research.

When doing your research, store a meticulous record of your resources for easy retrieval in the writing phase and reference purposes. Also, jot down some ideas from various materials and record the source material against the ideas.

4. Prepare an outline

After you’ve gathered material for your paper, sort out the information in an outline, ensuring a logical flow building up to your conclusion.

Ideally, you should present the outline with ideas interlinking within the body. Also, the outline may be presented to your professor for correction before you turn your paper in for marking.

5. Draft your paper and Edit

After you have mapped your argument, write your paper and edit it for various grammatical and structural errors. However, you may delegate this section to a friend or a writing expert to help you buff out various issues and save your time for other commitments.

Psychology research paper outline

Introduction 

• Definition of the topic.
• Transition to thesis: background on the research and advancements in your field of study.
• A statistic/ hook to induct your reader into your topic/study.
• Thesis statement showing the relevance of your study.

Body

Paragraph one:  

• Topic sentence: analyze the issue under study.
• Evidence: provide data supporting the existence of the issue and its impact on the population.
• Show how your study complements the existing data. 

Paragraph two:

• Topic sentence: analyze a key factor causing the issue under study.
• Evidence: Analyze how you can control this factor to curb the emergence of the issue.
• Show how your study complements the existing data. 

Paragraph three:

• Topic sentence: analyze a solution to the issue under study.
• Evidence: Analyze the considerations to be made to ensure the optimal application of your solution.
• Show how your study supports the solution you are suggesting.

Conclusion

• Restate your thesis.
• Summarize your key points.
• Highlight various counterarguments that you may make against your suggestions. 

Topics for psychology research paper

Selecting relevant psychology topics for a research paper is crucial for an outstanding score in your paper. These topics should guide you in selecting an interesting topic for your psychology research paper.

Controversial topics in psychology for research paper

1. Psychological markers of individuals typical of child abuse
2. Are mental disorders the cause of homosexuality?
3. Analyzing the influence of social media on the sexual orientation of society
4. How learning disabilities impact family members and how to help children suffering such disabilities
5. How parenting can help avoid the likelihood of drug abuse in adult age
6. Impact of violent games on a child’s mental development

Criminal psychology research paper topics

7. A case study on mental disorders and the propensity to crime
8. Is capital punishment an effective deterrent to various calibers of crimes
9. An analysis of peer pressure in facilitating crime and solutions to curb this phenomenon
10. How divorce inspires crime in society
11. A case study of parenting behavior about antisocial behavior in later stages of development.
12. The role of schools in ensuring upstanding, law-abiding citizens

Cultural psychology research paper topics

13. A case study of the slave trade on European cultures
14. Analyzing the causes of political divisions in the USA
15. The impact of multiculturalism in the entertainment industry
16. How you can harness cultural diversity to help manage racism
17. Approaches to teaching cross-cultural communication and culture
18. How cultural norms have inspired feminism in the modern-day society

Developmental psychology research paper topics

19. How food packaging can promote healthy food decisions among younger children
20. An analysis of Vygotsky’s and Piaget’s principles in child development
21. How can developmental psychology be applied to rehabilitating drug addicts?
22. Impact of childhood attachments in one’s adult life
23. Can developmental disabilities be propagated through genetics
24. An analysis on causes of child abuse and mitigation approaches

Sports psychology topics for research paper

25. A case study on sports injury and approaches to reduce the rate of injury among athletes
26. Should athletes diagnosed with a concussion be barred from engaging in sports
27. How to identify overtraining and ways to ensure efficient exercise without over-exhaustion
28. Is heredity a factor behind sports success?
29. A case study on body control in the success in various sports
30. Analyzing the reasons for obesity regardless of a strict training routine

Final take

Are you preparing for a research paper on psychology? These tips should guide you in preparing your paper and selecting a topic relevant to your assignment. If you need assistance structuring your paper, our experts are on cue to help prepare unique outlines and guidance on your assignment.

This guide will highlight the term paper outline, the process of writing a term paper, and tips to help ensure an outstanding paper.

What is a term paper?

A term paper is a research paper that gauges your mastery of content at the end of a semester. This type of paper is heavily dependent on research and is often analytical. In most cases, students may be required to find a common problem in their discipline in light of the covered content.

How to write a term paper

Often, the term paper contributes a significant portion to your final score and may at times be used as the CAT assessment. It is thus crucial to acquaint yourself with writing a term paper to ensure quality results.

The key steps to guide you as you write your term paper are:

1. Research

Since a college term paper is meant to give your tutor a glimpse of your writing skills, it is critical to exhaust your argument to ensure a quality score. Here, it would help if you gauged the existing research to establish various aspects of the issue under study.

Although you may feel well-versed with the topic, research is crucial to help you avoid plagiarism. This is often because many of ‘your’ thoughts are already highlighted in existing research.

Also, research will offer you a better understanding of your topic, helping you approach the problem from various angles.

2. Select your topic

Here, think of a specific problem under the question assigned within your term paper. The topic should cover an exciting issue to help retain your interest during the research and writing phases.

Also, steer clear of unfamiliar topics as they may limit you in applying various concepts you have encountered over the semester. Before diving into writing, ensure that you prepare an outline and gauge the completeness of each argument.

It would be best to leave wiggle room in the research phase if you have to change your topic midway through research.

3. Select your thesis

After settling on your topic, prepare a thesis statement that highlights the critical argument of your paper. Preferably, the thesis statement should be a debatable topic and evoke curiosity in your reader.

4. Prepare an outline: how to write an outline for a term paper

After research, you should compile your ideas logically and ensure that your argument flows towards your ideal conclusion. When working on your outline:

• Place related ideas in subsequent paragraphs to highlight the similarity.
• Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, followed by the evidence and a closing remark highlighting how the idea complements your research.
• Use short phrases with the main keywords to easily trace the flow of your ideas.

5. Write

Next, write your paper and edit it for grammatical errors, plagiarism, and fallacies in your argument. You may consider using various editing tools to make this process easier for you.

How to write a conclusion for a term paper

The conclusion is a critical element for a term paper. This section should summarize your topic, restate the thesis and highlight your main argument.

For this, read through your paper and weigh the argument that best encapsulates your idea. It is crucial to avoid new discussions in this section, resulting in an incomplete paper.

How long should a term paper be?

A term paper should range between six and seven pages. Each page should contain a maximum of three paragraphs and be organized from the introduction, body, and conclusion.

What is a term paper proposal?

A term paper proposal explains why a research subject is relevant to the field under study and to the student. Some institutions may require the proposal before getting approval for your term paper.

How to write a term paper proposal

When writing a term paper, it is crucial to research the topic and prepare an argument outline. The key elements to highlight in your term paper proposal are:

• Title
• Objectives
• Research question
• Thesis statement
• Methodology
• Outline

Final take

Writing a term paper does not have to cause you tons of stress. The points highlighted in this term paper should help you structure your paper and develop a quality argument. If you need more help with your paper, engage our experts today!