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A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, Eighth Edition
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History is a brief, inexpensive, and easy-to-use guide to the writing and research skills needed for undergraduate history courses. Its concise yet comprehensive coverage of every step of the research and writing process—including detailed advice on documenting sources and avoiding plagiarism—have made A Pocket Guide to Writing in History the trusted choice in history.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
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September 30, 2016The book A Pocket Guide to Writing in History by Mary Lynn Rampolla is an excellent resource. This book can help guide a researcher through all history projects. In my opinion this book is a great guide to doing research, projects, notes, and writing the outcomes. This book was published in Boston/ New York by Bedford/St. Martin’s in 2015, making it a reliable source of its time. This book had great tips on research guide lines, but it could add more information on the organization of a paper.
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History covers many different subjects. This book covers the basics of history and why it should be studied, evaluating and finding sources, the correct way to do history assignments, writing papers, plagiarism, and citing sources (Contents). This book covers a broad span of the process of writing for history. This book includes a lot of samples as well for further information and process. The last chapter of the book includes citing sources in correct format as well, making it a reliable source for anyone planning on writing in history.
The strengths of this book includes the hundreds of tips for research. This includes finding reliable sources in chapter 2. This chapter gives definitions and evaluation tips for resources. In the next chapter, Chapter 3, it talks about how to use these sources effectively. This makes it easier to incorporate research found in to the work that is being done. It also gives amazing tips on writing a thesis statement on page 55-57. The last example is that the book give great tips to help center your research by providing guidelines for a research question on page 34-35.
The weakness of this book includes a weak cover of a great outline for a paper. The book goes into great detail for finding, evaluating, and using sources. It also covers writing the paper very well. However, it gives very little tips and guidelines to writing a good outline, something that is important to organizing thoughts and research throughout the research project or paper. What information that can be given is one pages 101-102. However, there is little information and no example for a basic history research paper. With this addition of information, the book would be a much more complete guide to writing in history.
In conclusion, the book has strong strengths in its many tips for sources, citations, writing, and evaluating; however, it lacks a strong outline section. This is important because a strong outline often leads to a strong paper. This book was very enjoyable and I plan on taking many notes from it to help with my future research. In an overall rating, I would recommend this book to anyone who plans on writing about history or studying it. This book is an excellent resource that should be introduced to many writers and researchers of history.
A Pocket Guide to Writing in History covers many different subjects. This book covers the basics of history and why it should be studied, evaluating and finding sources, the correct way to do history assignments, writing papers, plagiarism, and citing sources (Contents). This book covers a broad span of the process of writing for history. This book includes a lot of samples as well for further information and process. The last chapter of the book includes citing sources in correct format as well, making it a reliable source for anyone planning on writing in history.
The strengths of this book includes the hundreds of tips for research. This includes finding reliable sources in chapter 2. This chapter gives definitions and evaluation tips for resources. In the next chapter, Chapter 3, it talks about how to use these sources effectively. This makes it easier to incorporate research found in to the work that is being done. It also gives amazing tips on writing a thesis statement on page 55-57. The last example is that the book give great tips to help center your research by providing guidelines for a research question on page 34-35.
The weakness of this book includes a weak cover of a great outline for a paper. The book goes into great detail for finding, evaluating, and using sources. It also covers writing the paper very well. However, it gives very little tips and guidelines to writing a good outline, something that is important to organizing thoughts and research throughout the research project or paper. What information that can be given is one pages 101-102. However, there is little information and no example for a basic history research paper. With this addition of information, the book would be a much more complete guide to writing in history.
In conclusion, the book has strong strengths in its many tips for sources, citations, writing, and evaluating; however, it lacks a strong outline section. This is important because a strong outline often leads to a strong paper. This book was very enjoyable and I plan on taking many notes from it to help with my future research. In an overall rating, I would recommend this book to anyone who plans on writing about history or studying it. This book is an excellent resource that should be introduced to many writers and researchers of history.
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January 14, 2026free me
September 28, 2016
The book A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, was a quick and easy to understand book that helped the reader to go step by step through the writing process. A pocket Guide to Writing History is a simple to understand theory book, but can be seen as overly simplified.
Written by Mary Lynn Rampolla and published St Martin/Bedford in January of 2015. Rampolla is an assistant professor of history in Washington D.C. Rampolla specializes in medieval studies, and is not only published but presents frequently on this topic. The book covers a range of topics that would help students such as how to prevent plagiarism, and proper note taking skills . Rampolla's book is written by a history professor for history students to learn common errors and prevent them.
Rampolla's book is a great introduction book that is in a simple layout, and smaller to help readers follow and understand the topic better. Rampolla breaks the book down into sections with key themes such as units on plagiarism, working with sources, and then a section dedicated specifically to history. Within each main theme Rampolla then breaks it down into key ideas in which she elaborates further. The section entitled Writing a Research Paper is especially useful for those in the historical field by helping you go through each step to the process and explaining in depth each portion to writing a paper properly. In this unit using the sections on locating sources, helps students understand distinguishing each type from one another as well as how to best locate them for research. Following the sections on sources Rampolla discusses proper note taking this not only flows well but help with the step by step process of researching, presenting it in this fashion helps create a linear thought process with researching.
Although Rampolla sets up the book in an easy to read and follow fashion the use of simple grammar and modern connections can be seen as irritating for upper level students. The book provides a basic understanding for students just entering into college, but for a student who is versed in writing it can seem basic, and not very informative. Rampolla's use of modern connections such as her reference to Harry Potter in the very beginning can intrigue some readers while turning off others looking for more in depth information. More advanced students may find the information to be basic as things such as plagiarism and preventing it has been taught throughout college and at a higher level is already well known, and knowing to properly cite is nothing new to students. Rampolla provides a great source for introducing students to writing, but it can be to simple for those at an upper level.
At a college level the book A pocket Guide to Writing History is a quick and easy to comprehend book for writing history, although it can be seen as to simple for a college student in their third or fourth year. The book is great for those just entering into the field of history to help them understand common mistake that students make. By knowing these mistake students can prevent themselves from making them and have better papers, as well as studying skills. Overall I would give this book a 4 out of 5 rating for providing an excellent source of information for a wide range of students, but found the over simplification to be frustrating.
Written by Mary Lynn Rampolla and published St Martin/Bedford in January of 2015. Rampolla is an assistant professor of history in Washington D.C. Rampolla specializes in medieval studies, and is not only published but presents frequently on this topic. The book covers a range of topics that would help students such as how to prevent plagiarism, and proper note taking skills . Rampolla's book is written by a history professor for history students to learn common errors and prevent them.
Rampolla's book is a great introduction book that is in a simple layout, and smaller to help readers follow and understand the topic better. Rampolla breaks the book down into sections with key themes such as units on plagiarism, working with sources, and then a section dedicated specifically to history. Within each main theme Rampolla then breaks it down into key ideas in which she elaborates further. The section entitled Writing a Research Paper is especially useful for those in the historical field by helping you go through each step to the process and explaining in depth each portion to writing a paper properly. In this unit using the sections on locating sources, helps students understand distinguishing each type from one another as well as how to best locate them for research. Following the sections on sources Rampolla discusses proper note taking this not only flows well but help with the step by step process of researching, presenting it in this fashion helps create a linear thought process with researching.
Although Rampolla sets up the book in an easy to read and follow fashion the use of simple grammar and modern connections can be seen as irritating for upper level students. The book provides a basic understanding for students just entering into college, but for a student who is versed in writing it can seem basic, and not very informative. Rampolla's use of modern connections such as her reference to Harry Potter in the very beginning can intrigue some readers while turning off others looking for more in depth information. More advanced students may find the information to be basic as things such as plagiarism and preventing it has been taught throughout college and at a higher level is already well known, and knowing to properly cite is nothing new to students. Rampolla provides a great source for introducing students to writing, but it can be to simple for those at an upper level.
At a college level the book A pocket Guide to Writing History is a quick and easy to comprehend book for writing history, although it can be seen as to simple for a college student in their third or fourth year. The book is great for those just entering into the field of history to help them understand common mistake that students make. By knowing these mistake students can prevent themselves from making them and have better papers, as well as studying skills. Overall I would give this book a 4 out of 5 rating for providing an excellent source of information for a wide range of students, but found the over simplification to be frustrating.
December 12, 2019
Very helpful, a tool for academic writing a professor encouraged. I actually used and relied on this much more than I thought I would.
November 3, 2023
A good guide for Chicago Style formating
July 20, 2019
Pocket Guide to Writing in History is an exceptionally handy book. It is well written and well organized. Mine will be very dog-eared, virtually.
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October 16, 2017Read for my Research Methods class
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews