“the Nanjing Massacre”
these are research papers, it is expected that primary and secondary sources other than the textbook will be used. Go to the
website (http://www.lib.uwo.ca)to find the academic primary and secondary resources. Generally, at least 8 sources (this does
not include textbooks, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) are expected to be consulted for an essay of this nature.

The point of any essay is not simply to reiterate what one finds in source material on a particular topic. An essay should
present one’s interpretation/understanding of a topic, or an aspect of a topic, and to articulate that as precisely and
coherently as possible. Thus, an academic essay is not simply a list of facts, no matter how good the facts are. Therefore,
the essay should have a thesis, or area of focus. This does not necessarily take the form of an argument per se, but it does
have to let the reader know what you are trying to get across in the paper.

Most important!Attention:

How to write a research paper?
1. Investigate topic(Must form a thesis statement!)
2. Transforming topic into a “research question” and your essay will be the answer to the question. You need a thesis
statement.
3. Doing research (only for academic books),the primary and secondary history resources Must be used
– Bibliography
– Library catalog (lib.uwo.ca)
– Journal database (databases- history- history 1601E study guide)
– Web search
4. Build your arrangement
– Overall point – arguments point
– Chronologically or subject
5. Writing the essay
– Introduction
1. introduce your topic
2. state your thesis
3. roadmap
– body paragraphs:
– conclusion
1. re-state thesis and arguments