For other works, comparisons emphasize the effects of differing choices.

Memoirs make troublesome primary sources. Some memoirists hand some of the work over to ghostwriters, making it hard to determine which words truly reflect the views of the putative author.

The best historians follow Marvin, doing their best to explain human behavior not as the result of someone trying to do evil, but of people doing the best they can with what life has given them.

Most commonly, especially in journal articles, a historian leads with an exciting story plucked from the middle of the chronology.

Local and regional history can illuminate broader geographies.

In addition to letters written by characters in a plot, letters can set a scene.

The second optional part is the historiography, which highlights the novelty of the work’s findings. Table 13.1. Paragraph Budgets for Short, Medium, and Long Papers Five-Paragraph Essay Ten-Page Paper Thirty-Page Paper Introduction 1 2 8 Body 1 1 6 16 Body 2 1 6 16 Body 3 1 6 16 Conclusion 1 2 2 Total Paragraphs 5 22 58 LEDES

Yesterday’s scholarship can become today’s primary source.

The challenge is to make as bold a claim as you can support with evidence.