Greetings and Happy Friday!
Our team met today to review two papers, a 2021 submission as well as 2020 submission. Since a previous intern worked on submissions from last year, much of my focus pertained to citations over context. The 2021 paper represents a unique approach compared to other works we reviewed. Although previous submissions included some historiography, this particular paper is a historiographical essay which focused primarily on the literature of King George III. For the next few papers, Abigail and I are committed to aid Dr. Farless in the completion of the remaining 2020 submissions. Additionally, we are – still - compiling a list of tips for future authors. Each week seems to present new questions. By the end of the semester, we hope to have solid checklist that will not only help authors adhere to the standards of the Journal of the Florida Conference of Historians but also help authors – ourselves included – in other academic work. We plan to meet after the Thanksgiving break on Monday, 29 November, for the review of more 2020 papers. By the end of the same week, Friday, 3 December, all interns will meet over Zoom for our final presentation!
The following are a few tips or questions we discussed this week. Abigail pointed out an author’s use of quotations found in the opening or closing of a paragraph. Her past experience was guided to avoid such usage. Dr. Farless suggested some students are often instructed by professors to produce a desired number of quotations, however, she further noted that we should pay attention to what is included in the statements. Additionally, we should try not to quote but to just paraphrase and cite secondary sources. This could change in the event of comparing the works of other historians or historiography. Usually the primary source, according to Dr. Farless, is the “show me evidence” of an essay. We also discussed the necessity to maintain consistency of tenses. For the most part, writers of history should primarily use past tense. According to Mary Lynn Rampolla, author of Pocket Guide to Writing in History, present tense is permitted “when referring to the work of other scholars” and “when discussing the contents of documents, artifacts, or works of art…”[1] With this in mind, Dr. Farless suggested some professors may have other preferences. For instance, regarding the work of a historian, we could remain consistent with past tense as in “Dr. Farless argued,” or utilize the present tense with “Dr. Farless argues.” With exception to quoting scholars or primary sources, a historical essay should be written in the past tense. Viewing documents from another perspective helps to catch undesirable results. If an author uses -ing verbs often, a quick word search of “ing” will display all entries – including any non-verbs - to highlight words often overlooked. The search bar at the top of a Word document is a helpful tool for checking my own work too!
Happy Editing!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here’s a quote from Abraham Lincoln’s “Thanksgiving Proclamation” on 3 October 1863 in the midst of the Civil War:
It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gracious gifts of the Most High God] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that, while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation, and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union.[2]
Wishing everyone a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!
[1] Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 2nd ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2018), 80. [2] Abraham Lincoln, “Thanksgiving Proclamation from 3 October 1863,” https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/transcript_for_abraham_lincoln_thanksgiving_proclamation_1863.pdf.