Planning, researching and writing the personal study common mistakes

Common mistakes

• Ignoring the context of historical events

  Students often analyze events without considering the broader historical context.

  Fix itAlways place events within their historical context to understand their significance and impact.

• Duplicating Content

  Students often choose topics for their investigation that overlap with Components 1 and 2.

  Fix itEnsure that the chosen topic is distinct and does not replicate any content from the other components.

• Over-reliance on Secondary Sources

  Students often depend too heavily on secondary sources without engaging with primary materials.

  Fix itIncorporate a balanced mix of primary and secondary sources to enrich your historical investigation.

• Confusing Primary and Secondary Sources

  Students often misidentify primary sources as secondary sources.

  Fix itRemember that primary sources are original materials from the time period, while secondary sources analyze or interpret those materials.

• Overgeneralization of Historical Events

  Students often make broad statements about historical events without providing specific examples or evidence.

  Fix itAlways support claims with specific evidence and examples to strengthen your argument.

• Neglecting to analyze sources

  Students often summarize sources without evaluating their significance or reliability.

  Fix itAlways analyze the provenance, content, and context of sources to support your arguments.

• Neglecting to include secondary sources

  Many students only list primary sources in their bibliographies.

  Fix itEnsure that both primary and secondary sources are included to provide a comprehensive view of the research.

• Neglecting to address the question directly

  Students often write broadly about a topic without focusing on the specific question.

  Fix itEnsure that every part of the investigation relates back to the approved question.