3.5.4 Writing the conclusion

• In your conclusion, you must first restate the research question.
• You should analyze evidence and arguments to provide a clear and concise answer to the research question.
• Steps for writing a historical investigation conclusion in the correct order

  1️⃣ Restate the Research Question

  2️⃣ Summarize Main Points

  3️⃣ Analyze Evidence and Arguments

  4️⃣ Provide a Clear and Concise Answer

  5️⃣ Address Limitations and Implications

  6️⃣ Offer Suggestions for Further Research

  7️⃣ Conclude with a Final Synthesis
• What is an example of a research question for a historical investigation conclusion?

  $How did social attitudes towards slavery influence the secession of Southern states \in 1861?$
• Summarizing main points in the conclusion reaffirms the arguments and the evidence used to support the thesis.
• When summarizing main points, you should restate key arguments from the essay.
• Match the evidence type with its description:

  Primary Sources ↔️ Original documents from the time

  Secondary Sources ↔️ Analyses of historical events
• Evidence is used to construct a coherent and well-supported historical interpretation.
• What primary source could be used to analyze the secession of Southern states in 1861?

  Declarations of Causes
• What is a clear and concise answer to the research question "How did social attitudes towards slavery influence the secession of Southern states in 1861?"

  Social attitudes significantly influenced secession
• Acknowledging limitations in evidence or sources is essential when addressing limitations in a conclusion.
• Discussing the broader significance of findings in a conclusion addresses their implications
• Why is it important to restate the research question in the conclusion of a historical investigation?

  To refocus the reader
• Conflicting evidence or unresolved questions should be acknowledged when summarizing main points in a conclusion.
• When analyzing evidence, primary sources include letters, diaries, and official documents
• What should one address when constructing a coherent argument in historical research?

  Conflicting evidence
• The moral defense of slavery was a key factor influencing Southern secession according to the study material.
• Steps to address limitations and implications in a conclusion

  1️⃣ Acknowledge limitations

  2️⃣ Discuss implications
• What are three key areas for further research related to the secession of Southern states?

  Social disparities, political motivations, economic interdependence
• To conclude effectively, one must synthesize main points, address limitations, propose future research, and emphasize the study's significance