Writing UK History Essays: Sources, Historiography, Argument
Primary vs secondary sources, the historiographical move, and what UK history examiners actually reward.
UK history essays reward source-driven argument over narrative. A 2:1 essay tells the story; a first-class essay debates the story.
The historiographical move
Position your argument relative to existing historians. Phrase like 'Smith (2018) argues X, but the evidence supports Y' is exactly what markers look for. This signals you've read the field, not just the textbook.
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