This Essay is separated into 3 sections:
Section 1: Identification and evaluation of sources
This section requires students to analyse in detail two of the sources that they will use in their investigation.
The sources can be either primary or secondary sources. In this section students must:
• clearly state the question they have chosen to investigate (this must be stated as a question)
• include a brief explanation of the nature of the two sources they have selected for detailed analysis,
including an explanation of their relevance to the investigation
• analyse two sources in detail. With reference to the origins, purpose and content, the student should
analyse the value and limitations of the two sources in relation to the investigation.
A crucial element of this section of the internal assessment task is formulating an appropriate question
to investigate. The six key concepts for the history course (causation, consequence, continuity, change,
significance and perspectives) can be a very useful starting point in helping students to formulate a
question.
Section 2: Investigation
This section of the internal assessment task consists of the actual investigation. The internal assessment task
provides scope for a wide variety of different types of historical investigation, for example:
• a historical topic or theme using a variety of written sources or a variety of written and non-written
sources
• a historical topic based on fieldwork, for example, a museum, archeological site, battlefields, places of
worship such as mosques or churches, historic buildings
• a local history study.
The investigation must be clearly and effectively organized. While there is no prescribed format for how
this section must be structured, it must contain critical analysis that is focused clearly on the question being
investigated, and must also include the conclusion that the student draws from their analysis.
In this section, students must use a range of evidence to support their argument. Please note that students
can use primary sources, secondary sources, or a mixture of the two.
Section 3: Reflection
This section of the internal assessment task requires students to reflect on what undertaking their
investigation highlighted to them about the methods used by, and the challenges facing, the historian.
Examples of discussion questions that may help to encourage reflection include the following.
• What methods used by historians did you use in your investigation?
• What did your investigation highlight to you about the limitations of those methods?
• What are the challenges facing the historian? How do they differ from the challenges facing a scientist
or a mathematician?
• What challenges in particular does archive-based history present?
• How can the reliability of sources be evaluated?
• What is the difference between bias and selection?
• What constitutes a historical event?
• Who decides which events are historically significant?
• Is it possible to describe historical events in an unbiased way?
• What is the role of the historian?
• Should terms such as “atrocity” be used when writing about history, or should value judgments be
avoided?
• If it is difficult to establish proof in history, does that mean that all versions are equally acceptable?
Bibliography
A bibliography and clear referencing of all sources must be included with every investigation, but these are
not included in the overall word count.
Word limit
The word limit for the historical investigation is 2,200 words. A bibliography and clear referencing of all
sources must be included in the investigation, but are not included in the overall word count.
Below are suggested word allocations for each section of the historical investigation. Please note that these
word allocations are suggestions only.
Section Suggested
word allocation
Word limit:
1. Section 1: 500 word limit
2. Section 2: 1300 word limit
3. Section 3: 400 word limit
