History

1. What makes History distinct?

A History EE must:

• investigate a historical question that is clearly situated in time and place

• analyse causes, consequences, significance and interpretations

• use primary and secondary sources with care and accuracy

• evaluate evidence, perspectives and limitations

• construct a clear, sustained argument

• show historical thinking, not narrative description

Your essay should feel like a genuine piece of historical research, not biography, politics or sociology.

2. What counts as a suitable History topic?

A strong topic is:

• historical, not contemporary

• sufficiently narrow

• based on accessible range of primary and secondary sources

• framed as a question about change, continuity, causation or interpretation

• situated in a specific time period

Examples of suitable topic types

• causes or consequences of an event or policy

• comparative studies of two historical developments

• analysis of the role of an individual with evidence

• significance of a turning point

• historiographical debates

• investigations into economic, social or cultural history

Examples of unsuitable topics

• topics with no historical timeframe

• simple biographies

• descriptive accounts of events

• essays that become politics or global issues

• topics too recent for meaningful scholarship

• topics with no available sources

• avoid "popularist" events such as Pearl Harbour. 

History requires distance, evidence and interpretation.

3. Using sources in History

Your essay must use both primary and secondary sources.

Primary sources may include:

• letters, diaries, speeches

• photographs, posters, cartoons

• newspapers or magazines from the period

• official documents or policy papers

• oral histories or interviews (used critically)

Secondary sources may include:

• historians’ interpretations

• academic analyses

• reputable books and journal articles

Avoid:

• unsourced websites

• popular history without scholarship

• unverified online accounts

• descriptive textbooks used as the main evidence

You must show understanding of origin, purpose, value and limitations when using evidence.

4. Research methods appropriate for History

Depending on your question, you may use:

• source analysis

• comparative case studies

• historiographical evaluation

• thematic analysis

• argument driven interpretation of evidence

• cross checking of perspectives

• contextualisation of events

Methods must be explained clearly and applied consistently.

5. What analysis looks like in History

Historical analysis should:

• connect evidence to your argument

• explain causation and significance

• include different interpretations

• integrate primary sources effectively

• remain focused on your research question

• avoid recounting events without analysis

You are expected to synthesise evidence rather than present it chronologically.

6. What evaluation looks like in History

Evaluation might include:

• strengths and limitations of your sources

• differences between historians’ interpretations

• reliability and bias in primary material

• implications of missing or incomplete evidence

• contextual limitations affecting interpretation

• reflection on why the issue matters historically

Evaluation should appear throughout the essay, not only at the end.

7. Common pitfalls in History EEs

Avoid:

• essays that retell events rather than analyse them

• overly broad questions that lack focus

• questions that simply summarise causes or effects

• overreliance on a single historian

• essays dominated by narrative or storytelling

• lack of primary source engagement

• topics too recent for meaningful historical distance

• topics with limited or inaccessible sources

These mistakes frequently contribute to low marks.

8. Model research questions

Here are examples of strong History EE questions:

1. To what extent did land reform policies contribute to social unrest in rural China between 1921 and 1927?

2. How far did propaganda influence civilian morale in London during the early stages of the Blitz?

3. To what extent did the role of women in the French Resistance contribute to the success of localised intelligence networks?

4. How significant was the Long March in consolidating Mao Zedong’s leadership of the Chinese Communist Party?

5. To what extent did the 1973 oil crisis reshape Japan’s industrial strategy between 1973 and 1980?

Each question is precise, analytical and supported by available sources.