Investigate

Investigate

You will need to conduct research in order to complete your historical investigation. There are many places from which you may source data. They include, but are not limited to:

  • books and textbooks

  • newspaper and magazine articles

  • journal articles

  • internet websites

  • eyewitness accounts

  • artefacts

  • online articles

  • television programs.

A student working on a laptop.

It is good practice to use a range wherever possible, demonstrating that you have employed wide research methods.

Complete the activity on Thera to practise the skills necessary to conduct historical research.

Complete the data collector worksheet (.doc 43kB) in order to begin thinking about where you may find information to assist you in your own historical investigation. You will need to submit this to your teacher as part of your proposal.

A proposal is a brief document in which you explain what you are going to research during your historical investigation. Usually you would include any research you have conducted to select your area of study and develop your question.

Here is a sample proposal (.pdf 50kB) relating to an investigation of Spartan women.

To put it simply, plagiarism is theft! Whenever you use the ideas or words of others in your work, you must also include where the information originally came from.

Examples of plagiarism include:

  • copying and pasting information that has not been written by you into your work

  • copying a friend’s assignment

  • downloading an assignment from the internet

Whenever you use material that is not your own you must reference your work. See How do I reference below.

For more information, explore the valuable information provided by the following websites.

There are several ways of referencing your work. The most popular methods used in historical works are the Harvard and the American Psychological Association (APA) styles. Ask your teacher what method is preferred at your school.

Take a look at this referencing guide for more information.