All students studying Ancient and Modern History are required to conduct an historical investigation into a topic of their choice during the Preliminary Course. This historical investigation provides the opportunity for you to further develop your investigative, research and presentation skills. You can complete one main study or a number of smaller studies.
Be positive about undertaking an historical investigation. This resource will support the process so that you know what you have to do.
The first thing to do is select the topic you are going to investigate. Choose something that you are interested in so that you enjoy the work, and almost certainly write better.
The topic you choose can relate to any historical period. It can be to do with something you have studied, or will study, in the Ancient History or Modern History Preliminary Course, but it does not have to be from that area. You could, for example, investigate a topic related to your family history such as a relative’s involvement in one of the wars.
You must make sure that your topic does not overlap, or duplicate significantly, any topic in the Preliminary Course, or in the Modern or Ancient History HSC Courses you will be doing later.
In other words, you are allowed to do a topic which has something to do with a topic you have already studied this year or will study in future, but it must be different from the work you have done, or will do, on that topic. For example, you could investigate a person or an event in one of the wars you will be studying in Ancient or Modern History, but it must be a person or event that will only be covered briefly, or not at all, in your regular work.
For History Extension you have the range of possible historical topics and issues across the complete spectrum of historical time as a starting point.
You should not do your essay on a case study, e.g. Napoleon, if it is your focus case study for the HSC. Carefully check the wording of current syllabus guidelines.