Historical Investigation- HOW TO PLAN YOUR IA

How should the investigation be organized?

5 SECTIONS:

A: Plan of the Investigation (3 Marks)

B: Summary of Evidence (6 Marks)

C: Evaluation of Sources (5 Marks)

O-P-V-L of two sources

D: Analysis (6 Marks)

E: Conclusion (2 Marks)

List of Sources and word Limit (3 Marks)*

TOTAL 25 Marks

• A bibliography or list of sources and all citations, using one standard method, must be included; any illustrations, documents, or other supporting evidence should be included in an appendix.
• None of these will form part of the word count.
• The word count for the investigation must be clearly and accurately stated on the title page.
• Internet sources should be used sparingly! (Databases are the exception.) Start with Wikipedia, but do not finish there!
• It is better to OVER-REFERENCE than to under-reference.

Section C: Evaluation of Sources (250-400 words)

This section should consist of:

• a critical evaluation of two important sources appropriate to the investigation

• explicit reference to the origin, purpose, value and limitation of the selected sources.

Sound familiar? It is basically the same as question #3 of a Paper 1 Exam!

Section B

Examples of analytical or

inferential statements

The positions he held enabled Stalin to successfully maneuver his loyal following into places of power. Ultimately, such actions had a profound effect on his rise to power

Stalin was a manipulative yet successful politician. He waited to hear what others had to say before figuring out a way to use the situation to benefit his own interests

The Five- year plan was well organized and helped to increase the prestige of the USSR abroad.

The Red Army suffered a grave loss at Stalingrad that had a significant effect on Stalin’s attitude to the war.

As Laver argued, Trotsky’s organizational skills helped him to lead the Red Army successfully.

Both of these situations were crucially important to Trotsky’s defeat and the success of Stalin.

Coal production increased by 33% under the First-five year plan. (Susemichel, 46)

Stalin held a position in each of the 4 major branches of the communist party. (Gambiani, 60)

As a young man before the revolution, Stalin would listen the opinions of others before making his own decision. (Correll, 171)

Under the first five-year plan, each factory had its own specific quotas to set. (Jones, 57)

The loss of 800,000 Soviet troops was a significant loss at Stalingrad (Prescott, 233)

Trostky was called an “effective organizer” by Historian John Laver (49).

Trotsky did not try to vote Stalin out of the Politburo in 1923. Furthermore, Trotsky had few allies in the Politburo. (Baldwin, 142)

Section D: Analysis

(500-650 words)

This section should consist of:

• an analysis that breaks down complex issues in order to bring out the essential elements, any underlying assumptions and any interrelationships involved

• an understanding of the issue in its historical context

• a critical examination of the factual material presented in section B

• an awareness of the significance of the sources used, especially those evaluated in section C

• a consideration of different interpretations of evidence, where appropriate.

The Historical Investigation

SECTION B: Summary of Evidence (500-600 words)

Part E – Conclusion (150-200 words)

Exactly as it sounds – a summary of evidence

Two format options:

1) list and cite evidence! - Bullet points and footnotes.

2) Or… you can write a 'narrative'

This section should consist of factual material that is:

• drawn from sources that are appropriate for the investigation

• correctly and consistently referenced

• organized thematically or chronologically.

The conclusion must be clearly stated and consistent with the evidence presented.

This section is a follow-up to section D. It requires an answer or conclusion, based on the evidence presented, which either partially or fully addresses the question stated or implied in the investigation.

Section A: The Plan of the Investigation

(100-150 words)

A Plan of the investigation

Students should:

• state the topic of the investigation, which should be formulated as a question

• define the scope of the investigation

• explain the method of the investigation.

All of this in ONE paragraph!

SAMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE

Bibliography

Cassutto, George. “Social Studies Resources.” 8 June 2003.

Online. Available http://www.ssr.com/hhssn/html3/article5.htm.

December 6, 2003.

“Conditions in the USSR in the 1930’s.” Journal of History. 6 Nov.

1999. Online. Available http://www.journalhistory.com/gn/html

February 24 2004.

Freedman, Charles. Stalin and the Great Purges: The Beginning

of the End. London. Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Rostov, Vladimir. The Myth of Joseph Stalin. London. Prentice

Hall, 1977.

Smith, Robert. The Rise and Fall of the Soviet Empire: A Study

of Transition. New York. MacMillan., 1999.

- a miniature extended essay

Sample Titles:

An investigation comparing a film and a written account of a historical event: How and why did the accounts of the storming of the Winter Palace in October 1917 differ in the film, October, and in the book, A People’s Tragedy, The Russian Revolution 1891-1924?

An Investigation of the Industrial Policies of modern communist states: To what extent were the first Five Year Plans of Stalin and Mao successfully implemented?

An Investigation into the Cold War: How can our understanding of the origins of the Cold War be aided by a study of different schools of thought on it’s origins?

An investigation of the Politics of the Russian Revolution: Why did Trotsky leave the Menshevik party and become a Bolshevik, and how important was his role in the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917?

EXAMPLE APPENDIX PAGE:

Appendix

Photograph A:

Photo of new tractors being driven from a factory in 1935

(Traynor, 188)

Document B:

Propoganda poster promoting Stalin as “one of the workers”

(Jones, 285)

Treatment of Sources etc.

SAMPLE TITLE PAGE:

"History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it." Winston Churchill

An Investigation into Soviet Domestic Policies:

To what extent was Stalin’s First Five Year Plan Successful?

John Smith

Candidate Number: 734-0134

History Internal Assessment (SL)

January 24th, 2012

Word Count:: 1956

Remember!

How you write is as important as what you write!

TE

* Full marks in Section E will ONLY be awarded if the word count is completely within the prescribed limits AND if the sources used are cited and listed correctly. If the citation of sources or word limit expectation is abused, additional marks can be deducted from other areas of your paper. (1500-2000 Words)

History IA

How should this investigation be organized?

5 SECTIONS:

OUR STUDENT WORK

Some investigations taken up by our students

If that's what you really want...

So when do we get started???

2010-12...“To what extent were the commanding authorities of Pearl Harbor informed about the attacks prior to its happening?”

2011-13...

How far were the ‘aggressive actions’ of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale justified - a study in perspectives with reference to Operation Blue Star, 3-6th June 1984

"Jalianwalla Bagh Massacre (April 1919) - The hand of Brigadier- General Reginald Dyer: 'The Saviour of India' or 'The Butcher of Amritsar'?"

Schedule…

Great! I can finally write a paper about Herman Göring's drug abuse!

The Historical Investigation is worth the effort!

Relative Value of the IA to your Final IB Grade

a. Standard Level (SL) Students: 25%

b. Higher Level (HL) Students: 20%

That is one quarter to one-fifth of your overall IB grade!

Today: Information about HI

Week 7: Find possible topics - check the library!!

Week 8: Possible topics - Feedback & Approval

Week 13: Part A

Week 15: Part B

Week 16: Part C

Week 17: Part D

Week 18: Part E

Week 19: Complete First Draft - Feedback

Week 26: Hand in Complete Final Draft!!!

THANK YOU

What is the Historical Investigation?

A written investigation of a historical concept(s), event(s), or situation(s) which has been narrowed and made as specific as possible.

Skills which need to be understood and conveyed in your investigation:

How to make strong arguments.

The tools of historiography.

The difference between narrative data and analysis of data.

How to provide the reader with an understanding of your appreciation for the limits of historical “knowledge.”

Suggestions:

Choose a topic which lends itself to analysis – a topic which is arguable or controversial is recommended.

Check the resources available to you before you settle on a topic.

Avoid dependence on internet sites

Write your thesis in the form of a question.

Make sure your thesis is focused - not too general.

Be sure to cite your sources frequently and properly!

Keep within the world limit. (NO MORE THAN 2,000 WORDS!)

STUDENTS OFTEN END UP COMPLAINING THAT THEY ARE INHIBITED BY THE 2,000 WORD LIMIT. TRY TO NARROW YOUR TOPIC!

"Some historians hold that history ... is just one damned thing after another." Arnold Toynbee