Skillshare Video Plan

1. How to Structure an Argument

- 5-para structure (hamburger)
o Intro, p1, p2, p3, conclude
- Comparative structure
o X is similar to Y because of 1, but is different because of 2
o X and Y seem different because of 2, but are similar because of 1
- Source-analysis structure
o GEN. THESIS, source X, analysis, source Y, analysis, source Z, analysis, then
collective synthesis of them as a whole in a way that relates back to thesis, placing
authors in discussion with another, and then a conclusion that wraps it all up
- Persuasive essay structure (debate)
o Thesis/resolution, inherency/the current state, disadvantages (the bad things that
will happen if you DON’T take up and go along with the resolution), solvency
(how your resolution prevents those issues from happening), and a rebuttal
argument, which combats potential issues with your resolution
- Items that you ALWAYS need to incorporate:
o Thesis
o Introduction
o Sources, and source analysis
o Source synthesis (putting it all together)
o Strong conclusion
o Citations and bibliography

2. How to Write a Thesis and Introduction

- Constructing an argumentative or analytical statement (everything starts here)
- Hook, context
- Thesis (and mini-roadmap)
- MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A THESIS.
- Roadmap

3. How to Outline and Organize Your Paper (In General, History/ Art History)
- 5-paragraph
- Source-analysis/synthesis based
- Comparative
- Things every essay should contain:
o Introduction
o Abstract/roadmap
o A THESIS. I cannot state this loudly or clearly enough. If you learn one thing
from this video, let this be it: any paper you write needs a thesis.
o Methods/sources
o Discussion of each source
 o Loop each section back into the main topic, or interweave them with one another
in a way that supports your thesis
o Sources, tables/figs if necessary, and CITE THEM
o Footnotes or parentheticals
o Bibliography (making an annotated one might help, if you’re still in the planning
stages)
- The actual outline can be pretty simple: thesis, main points, quotations or central
evidence pulled from your main sources for each point, and a couple of bullet points on
your analysis of each point. It should look like the midpoint between an annotated
bibliography and a first draft… which is basically what it is! Skeleton-frame.

4. How to Find and Vet Your Sources

- NOT ALL SOURCES ARE RELIABLE. In general:
o .edu tags are good
o Check for academic journals
o Look at who funded the research, if you really want to get picky…
o For art/art history, make sure you’re citing who owns it—and make sure that the
version you’re looking at is actually the version you are supposed to be looking
at, and not a random edit. You want an image that’s owned by a museum,
custodianship, gallery, or journal.
o Primary sources are even better than secondary! Like the art history sources, these
will likely be owned by a museum or archive, if not a personal collection
o Google Scholar is your friend
o So is WorldCat, if you’re working through a university system
o Even Wikipedia’s not the end of the world… IF you’re looking through their
bibliography!
o Bibliographies in general are great! Look at what other people looked at!
o Journal collections are wonderful. JStor is your best friend. Also, librarians like
questions! I cannot emphasize this enough, ASK A LIBRARIAN.
- As you’re reading, keep track of quotations and page numbers—just do it from the start,
it’ll save you SO MUCH TIME later
- As you’re gathering sources, either mark your physical books with sticky notes, or save
digital ones in Zotero or a similar service. Again, saving yourself a TON of time later y
building a bibliography as you go, with your quotations already organized.

5. How to Effectively Analyze Your Sources—Synthesis

- Pick a source
o Identify a quotation
o Make sure you understand its context
- Explain what the source is for your reader (and why they’re significant, if you’re bringing
in information from a very, very outside source)
o Summarize what the quote is saying and why—don’t just restate it or paraphrase
o Contextualize in the context of your paper!!
o Always include—what does it mean
- Again, make sure you’re citing everything
- Make sure you have content in there that’s original—and make sure you’re looping it
back in to your thesis and central argument.
- Important questions to ask:
o What is the document?
o Are you handling the original, a copy, a translation, etc?
 How might transcription, translation, etc, mess with its meaning?
o What is the date/original context of the doc?
o Are there any doubts or issues out there that you need to consider? Remember,
“they say, I say” is always a valid course of action if you want to argue with other
folks in your field, just make sure you can back yourself up
o Why was the doc written? What were the author’s goals? What biases might they
have had that you need to take into account?
o Who was the intended audience for the doc? Who would have experienced
reading or looking at it in its original context?
o Exact quotations/specific things it SAYS, vs implications or how it’s been
interpreted
o Are you, as a researcher, reading or understanding this source differently than its
original intended audience would have?
o Does it leave anything out that you would want to consider? Can you find that
information anywhere else?
o And so on! You don’t have to write about every single one of these questions, but
they should all be part of your thought process as you’re putting together your
research.
- EXAMPLE: Look at my Magna Carta paper

6. How to Write a Conclusion

- Essentially, you’re trying to sum up your argument in a neat and tidy way that leaves
your reader with a strong feeling that they understand your argument and why it’s right.
- Recap your main argument
o Restate thesis without copying it exactly
o Briefly sum up why this is important—find the so what moment. Why do you
care about this? Why should anyone?
- Your goal here is to synthesize, not to summarize. This is your chance to have the last
word—use it!
- Point to broader implications if you can
- Try not to start with “in conclusion,” “in the end,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Just
comes across as trite and not very good. Phrases like this will take a great paper and make
it feel amateur and unclear. Don’t do it, even if you’re tempted.
- Don’t end with a purely emotional appeal—your goal is to remind your reader that you’re
right, using the logic and evidence that you’ve spent the rest of the paper presenting!
Likewise, this is not the place to put extra claims or extra research—you’ve already done
that, and anything else will just confuse your reader. Your conclusion is just the place to
make that last concluding statement a strong one.

7. Issues to Watch Out For

- Tonal consistency! You want to maintain a formal tone and a general sense of fluidity
throughout the whole paper.
- Run-on sentences and fragments are both common with this style of writing. Do your
best to avoid them. In general, try to make sure that your spelling and grammar are okay
through the whole piece.
- Unclear pronouns (this, that, thing)
- Tense consistency
- PASSIVE VOICE (and to-be verbs)
- Accidentally not citing a source (plagiarism is bad, people)
- Formatting issues!! Make sure that you’re following the style guide for whatever your
field uses, whether that’s APA, Chicago, MLA, AAA, or another. I tend to follow
Chicago pretty closely, so I always make sure that I’m doing my title page, footnotes,
block quotes, and bibliography correctly. Each format has separate requirements, so I’d
make sure to have either a digital or physical style guide with you.
- In general, you’re going to have one of two issues with your work: either it will be too
short, and you’ll need a combination of more evidence and stronger analysis, or it will be
too long, and you’ll have to figure out some stuff to cut. Make sure you know your word
or page length requirements and find a way to stick to them! Writing to length is a skill
that takes time to develop, but you can do it! I believe in you!

8. Final Project and Further Resources

- Final project time! I suspect that if you’re here, someone else has already assigned you a
paper to write, and you’re looking for advice on how to do that. But because I believe in
you and your abilities, I’m going to give you another assignment on top of that!
- Your mission: Write a thesis-driven essay synthesizing a collection of documents or
images on a historical topic.
- Examples might include:
o comparing the Egyptian and Greek canons of proportion
o explaining the similarities and differences between predynastic and 18th-dynasty
Egyptian religious carvings
o Biblical motifs in Leonardo da Vinci’s early work
o The revolutions of 1848
o Victorian gender roles as depicted in 19th century art
o Post-world-war ideas of self as understood through sci-fi and fantasy literature
(compare the canons of Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and Narnia, for example)
- It’s really up to you! But you MUST include:
o A thesis
o An introduction, with a roadmap
o More than two sources (preferably at least one primary, and two secondary) each
of which with a full analysis
o Your own synthesis and interpretation of the materials you’re working with
o A clear conclusion
o Citations and a bibliography
- Feel free to look into other resources and style guides as you write. You may want to
check out the Purdue Owl or any other university’s style guides. Grammarly, spell-check,
the Hemingway App, those are all at least nominally free and can help you out.
- Now get writing, and good luck!