A big part of a historian's job is to write clearly and concisely, using technically correct language and, for research papers, a standard format for citing sources. This manual covers those basic skills. All history papers need a thesis, or what could be called a main point, purpose, central focus, hypothesis, or argument. The thesis is usually stated explicitly near the beginning of the paper. All history papers should have logical paragraphs, headed by a topic sentence summarizing the main point of that paragraph.
Paragraphs are longer than one sentence but shorter than one page.
Preface quotes and summaries of ideas by identifying the author and what makes that person an authority. Give the full name of persons when first introduced. Do not call people by their first names or use titles. The same rules apply to women. If both Henry Ward Beecher and Catharine Beecher are under discussion, continue to use their full names to distinguish between them.