history corsework a level

help, i have to get my history coursework draft in by Monday 13th September and i have no idea how to start or how to find my historians,
I'm doing the fall of the roman empire and am really struggling to even start writing anything and have no idea how to start
can anyone help ?

Reply 1

frauschlange

11

Google the Wiki article (or related articles), then scroll down to the bibliography. Find entries that look relevant and their authors, then use scihub to find the full books/papers. Have a read of a few, and find around 3-4 ''primary'' historians you feel provide the best answer to your essay question (but also provide a range of interpretations).

Also, begin by writing what YOU believe were the reasons the Roman empire fell, then try and find historians that support/oppose your specific point(s). You only need to write a few sentences, so be really precise in articulating what YOU think. There is always bound to be historians that support your point, unless you write something very out there!

Reply 2

average_human

16

Original post by idontknowhow

help, i have to get my history coursework draft in by Monday 13th September and i have no idea how to start or how to find my historians,
I'm doing the fall of the roman empire and am really struggling to even start writing anything and have no idea how to start
can anyone help ?

I just finished A-Level History and so here are my tips for the NEA:

-I second this point about using Wikipedia-don't reference Wikipedia in your draft but scroll down to the bottom for the bibliography and you will find some really good sources there! This is also where I found my historians-once you have found a historian, make sure there is enough information on them to actually evaluate their views/historiography
-If you're really struggling to get into it, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and listened to podcasts-they might be a bit simplistic but it was a good introduction to the topic
-have about 3-4 different arguments on the fall of the empire, then try to base your research on that
-try and make a plan for your paragraphs - I can send you mine (it was on a completely different topic but it could help to see how to structure it)

I hope this helps and you are getting somewhere with your writing - how long does your draft have to be? :smile:

Reply 3

idontknowhow

OP

4

Original post by average_human

I just finished A-Level History and so here are my tips for the NEA:

-I second this point about using Wikipedia-don't reference Wikipedia in your draft but scroll down to the bottom for the bibliography and you will find some really good sources there! This is also where I found my historians-once you have found a historian, make sure there is enough information on them to actually evaluate their views/historiography
-If you're really struggling to get into it, I watched a lot of YouTube videos and listened to podcasts-they might be a bit simplistic but it was a good introduction to the topic
-have about 3-4 different arguments on the fall of the empire, then try to base your research on that
-try and make a plan for your paragraphs - I can send you mine (it was on a completely different topic but it could help to see how to structure it)

I hope this helps and you are getting somewhere with your writing - how long does your draft have to be? :smile: