This handout describes what you should think about as a historian every time you pick up a primary source. It is the foundation for all our work with primary sources in this class.

This handout describes the basic goals and practices of writing within the discipline of history, including argumentation, use of evidence, and citation. It also includes a generic rubric that explains the major issues I consider when grading or evaluating historical writing. A final section describes principles for presenting historical scholarship through oral and visual communication.