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HIST 301: Historian's Craft (Petty, Fall 2024)

Assessing a Book

Look at this book I found in the library catalog, the best place to find books and ebooks for history.

Questions to consider:

  • What is the Topic?
  • What is the Argument?
  • What are the sources?
  • How does it challenge existing publications on the topic?
  • Who is the author?
  • Where & when was this published?

NOTE: It's harder to limit your search to "peer reviewed only" for books. Pay particular attention to the publisher & author when deciding whether to use a specific book.

Summarize

Again, books can be summarized in a similar fashion as an article, though it may take more detail due to the size and scope of a book.

In the Title (year), Author studies Topic, arguing Thesis. Using Sources/methodologyAuthor challenges existing literature by unique aspect of work.