Historical Investigation ~ Practical Strategies for IB History Teachers ~

The Historical Investigation Key Elements 1500 to 2000 words (excluding citations, bibliography, title page) Conducted on a topic of historical significance excluding those that have taken place in the last 10 years Cites specific evidence taken from a good range of historical sources (primary and secondary; between 6-10 sources in total) Research is focused on a specific research question; the research question will become the title of the Historical Investigation

The HI: Plan of the Investigation 1. Begin with the topic—Any area of historical scholarship is legitimate for an HI topic, provided the research does not focus on events in the last 10 years. All topics must be approved by the teacher. Tips: Have students select topics from your course syllabus. This way students can engage in course specific research on a topic that is likely to appear, at least in some form, on their examinations. Topics from the Inter-War years and the Cold War have the most overlap with examination topics. Direct students to select topics for which a broad range of resources are readily available. Encourage them to explore both primary and secondary resources.

The HI: Plan of the Investigation 2. Develop a precise and clearly defined research question– The HI is designed to give students the opportunity to conduct research, select, evaluate and apply evidence in order to articulate relevant conclusions. It is nearly impossible to do this without crafting a focused research question that considers the limitations of the assignment. Tips Take your lead from old exam questions. Paper Two questions are perfect HI questions. Use the command term guide to construct research questions. The guide explains how questions should be structured given IBO interpretations of key question words. Ensure that the research question clearly limits the scope of the question so that treatment of the topic can be thoroughly explored in 2000 words.

The HI: Plan of the Investigation 3. Outline the methodologies used in the investigation. Students must explain how they have pursued the answer to their research question. This could include an overview of the approach to research, a thematic plan of development and an explanation of related material NOT included in the HI if appropriate. Tips Ensure that students explain why they used the research materials that will make up their bibliography. If relevant, make sure that kids make note of key historiographical themes that have defined their approach and conclusions. Kids should identify, or at least allude to, the answer to their research question in outlining their approach.

The HI: Plan of the Investigation Sample Plan Section A: Plan of the Investigation Question: With what justification can it be claimed that it was the leadership of Trotsky which promoted Red Victory in the Russian Civil War? Between 1918 and 1920, Russia was engaged in civil war between the Bolsheviks and their opponents. The civil war, which consolidated Bolshevik power, saw the emergence of Trotsky as the disciple of Lenin, due to his organizational abilities and leadership regarding the Red Army. To determine the extent of the contribution of Trotsky’s leadership to victory, the investigation will examine the nature and extent of the military reorganization of the Red Army, the impact of War Communism, problems inherent in the heterogeneous White/Green opposition and Czech Legion, the inadequacy of foreign aid during the Allied Intervention and objective factors, which benefited the Bolsheviks. Question is specific and appropriate for treatment within the investigation. Response to the question is suggested. Specific thematic explanation of the research methodologies and plan of development are outlined.

The HI: Summary of Evidence The summary of evidence must identify and describe all relevant, specific evidence gathered to answer the research question. Detailed information must be organized in a manner that reflects the methodologies outlined in the Plan of the Investigation. Every point of evidence must be referenced utilizing one standard referencing method. Tips Consider having students complete this section in point form. This will help kids avoid the including analysis in Section B. All evidence must be organized chronologically or thematically depending on the nature of the investigation.

The HI: Evaluation of Sources The evaluation of sources tests the student’s ability to critically assess the value and limitations of two sources, given the origin and purpose of those sources. Both sources must be relevant to the research question outlined in Section A of the investigation. The evaluation of each source must presented in it’s own paragraph. Full bibliographic details must be provided for each source. Tips Spend a significant amount of time explaining, practicing and reviewing the demands of OPVL assessment. It is not intuitive for many students. Encourage the kids to make use of questioning prompts to help shape their answers. Ensure that students select the two resources they found to be most useful in conducting their research. Have the kids use the words origin, purpose, value and limitations in formatting their responses.

The HI: Evaluation of Sources With reference to origin and purpose, identify the value and limitations of source A. Source A “ Britain risks annihilation.” The Daily Mail. London. 18 September 1909. The following is an excerpt written by an unnamed British general. “The risks of Britain’s position unarmed in the face of a Europe armed to the teeth cannot be too clearly realized by the British public.” 

The HI: Evaluation of Sources Origin: Source A is a newspaper article written by a British General. It was published in The Daily Mail, London on 18 September 1909. In most cases, the information needed to satisfy the requirements for origin can be found in the bibliographic information. Purpose: The article is intended to inform the British public of Britain’s inadequate armaments preparation in contrast to the rest of Europe and to expose the threat this posed to British national security. Purpose should always communicate the central message of the source and the audience for which it was intended.

The HI: Evaluation of Sources Value: The value of this document is that it offers a personal interpretation of Britain’s state of readiness in the years just prior to the outbreak of WWI. As a general, the author would have had first hand knowledge of Britain’s military preparation, as well as those of other European powers. In interpreting both value and limitations, the response focuses on the reliability of the document, given its origin and purpose, and not on the content of the article. Limitations: This document is limited in its usefulness because the author is an officer in the British military and may be attempting to promote greater military spending in order to serve a personal or, at most, military agenda. As such, the officer may be misrepresenting the situation in order to inspire alarm at Britain’s lack of readiness in the hopes that the public will pressure their government to pursue militarism. Also, this is one officer’s position and may not be representative of the military leadership as a whole. The selection of this article for publication may also reflect the interests, concerns or values of the newspaper’s ownership/editorial staff rather than accurately reflecting Britain’s state of readiness or the position of the British military.

The HI: Analysis The purpose of this section is to analyse the evidence presented in Section B in relation to the research question and with reference to the plan development outlined in Section A. No additional evidence may be presented in this portion of the investigation. In order to reach the upper mark bands students must consider the importance of the sources evaluated in Section C. Tips Ensure that students continue to reference evidence sited in this section. Failure to do so will result in a maximum score of 2/6. If relevant, students should attempt to explore current historiographical scholarship as it pertains to their research question. Encourage students to develop their understanding of the “values” they identified for their sources in Section C and incorporate these ideas as part of their analysis.

The HI: Conclusion The conclusion section of the historical investigation serves the same function as a conclusion in any argumentative essay. Students should provide an answer to their research question and summarize the evidence that lead them to that conclusion. Tips Ensure that students do not attempt to include any additional evidence in their conclusion. When reviewing their drafts, have students underline the answer to their specific research question in the body of the conclusion.

The HI: Sources and Word Limit Tips Ensure that the word count is between 1500 and 2000 words and is clearly stated on the title page. Encourage kids to explore a broad range of scholarly sources that are clearly focused on the research question. Instruct students on how to format their references in order to ensure consistent formatting throughout the investigation. For the purposes of the HI, the bibliography must be considered a “Works Cited” list. Unless a source has been referenced in the investigation, it cannot be included in the source list.