Citations, Annotated Bibliography, and Process Paper
National History Day requires that citations be formatted in Turabian or MLA style. Style guides can be found at your local library or you can consult the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
Annotated bibliographies not only show the reader the quantity and quality of your sources, the annotations inform the reader how you used your sources. Try not to only describe the source, but explain why it was important to your project. Check out the National History Day Annotated Bibliography Resource Guide! Another great resources is NoodleTools, an online platform that helps students organize resources and create their bibliography.
The process paper is required for all categories except paper. In no more than 500 words, you must answer four questions: how you chose your topic, how you conducted your research, how you selected your category, and how your project relates to the theme. This is your chance to show the judges all the work you put into your project.
Primary and Secondary Sources
Primary and Secondary sources can be confusing! Fortunately there are many online guides to help you decide whether something is a primary or secondary source. The NHD Contest Rule book describes primary and secondary sources on page 9. A primary source is something written down by an eyewitness or someone who lived through the time period you’re researching. Primary sources can come in a lot of forms! However, articles, books, or papers written after the time period or by someone who did not experience an event is a secondary source. Interviews with someone who lived through an event are primary sources, but interviews with an expert who did not live through the time period are a secondary source.