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NHD Student Survival Guide
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Hello, Welcome, and What in the World is Going on?

Hello, NHD student! My name is Nora Sullivan Horner, an ‘18 and ‘19 NHD student here to welcome you to the wonderful world of National History Day! And I do mean it when I say world: over half a million students around the globe participate in National History Day (NHD) every year—and now you’re one of them! NHD is a one-of-a-kind opportunity. I’m here to help you make the most of it.

National History Day is focused on self-directed learning, teaching, and project-creation. Choose a topic that interests you, dive deep and learn all you can about it, and create an outstanding project to share with the world. It’s a program that strengthens your research, writing, critical thinking, organizational, interviewing, and interpersonal skills—skills you'll use for the rest of your life.

Sound good? Great!

Sound intimidating? No worries, that’s where I come in.

My Goal

I’ve already walked the journey ahead of you and I’m here to help you every step of the way. That’s why I wrote this guide: I want to give you the advice I wish I had when I was an NHD student. I’m here to offer what many NHD guides lack: a student perspective. I’ll tell you what you need to know, share advice and strategies, and provide helpful resources to help you get things done. My two years of NHD experience—all the struggles I faced and the successes that followed—are here in one place. I hope my guide can help you face those struggles and feel those successes.

Streamlined Table of Contents

Click an item to go to that specific section. A more in-depth index, which lists each individual question, table, and worksheet/quiz/media, is located at the end of the document.

A Little Bit About Me (a.k.a. Why I’m Qualified to Write This Guide)

I competed in National History Day in 2018 and 2019, placing 7th and 3rd at the national level, respectively. Over those two years, I learned how to conduct advanced, extensive research online and in archives, understand and analyze complex historical information, conduct in-depth interviews, craft and present compelling arguments, and create eye-catching and impressive projects. I treasured creating projects and going to competitions, and I want to continue being involved with NHD. I became an intern at the Massachusetts Historical Society to design, create, and provide resources for NHD students, parents, educators, judges, and affiliates. I helped to design a website, produce informational videos, write an in-depth NHD student guide, and create other learning resources. During my senior year, I did an independent study. I helped to mentor NHD students at my school, help organize and judge for the school competition, and assist the NHD teachers. This guide is the result of 2+ years of extensive NHD experience.

Some Extra Information

Everything you read here, unless otherwise stated, I’ve written. Whenever you see a box with dashed-lines, the text inside will deal directly with my personal experience. There will also be links to resources or places where I drew information.

Project Creation

Choosing a Category

The quick of it - NHD is all about you and what you want: you choose your topic, you direct the research, and you decide how to present that information. There are five project categories: documentaries, exhibits, papers, performances, and websites. You can work alone or in a group of up to five people (unless you choose to write a paper, which is an individual-only category). Each category has unique aspects and knowing what you enjoy and how you work will help you decide which type of project you want to do. This is another opportunity for you to truly make this project your own—and to make it enjoyable!

Your Project

What should I keep in mind? - You should research a topic that interests you and you should pick a category that utilizes your strengths. Choose something that you’ll enjoy! Here are a few questions you should consider:

Summary of the five project categories

Make sure to check out and take into consideration the individual rules for each category.

These can be found on the official website and in the official guidebook.

  • Documentary
  • Create a film with a time limit of 10 minutes.
  • Play with images, interviews, video/audio clips, and text.
  • Exhibit 
  • Construct a physical display that must be within 40 inches wide, 30 inches deep, and 6 feet high. There're a 500-word limit and 2-minute multimedia limit (music, videos, recordings, interviews, etc.).
  • Play with physical images text, decorations, and objects/props (including evidence).
  • Paper
  • Write a paper that's between 1,500-1,500 words, not including annotations, captions, notes, and appendices.
  • You can incorporate images, but the writing is the focus.
  • If you write a paper, you'll work independently!
  • Performance
  • Put on a play with a 10-minute time limit, with 5 minutes before and after to set up and clean up.
  • Use props, decorations/props, memorized scripts, and blocking to bring your topic to life.
  • Website
  • Design a website with a 2,500-word limit and a 5-minute multimedia limit.
  • Choose how many pages, what and where text/videos/images are, and play with fonts and colors.

Well, I thought very practically. I don't have a particular passion for websites or coding (and if you don’t either, you don’t need to be a tech whiz to make a website). I thought about accessibility: I wanted to be able to work on my project anytime, anywhere. I wanted to be able to share it easily with others. I also wanted to incorporate my artistic side. I love to create art, so I drew illustrations to make my website more personal, more unique, and make complex information more understandable. I also love design. I like to be able to control where I place images, videos, how many pages there are, how I interlink them, the theme, the font, the color—everything. So really, accessibility and flexibility. I loved creating a website. I learned so much over that first year that I wanted to make an even better website the second time around using my experience. I also didn't encounter any deal-breaking roadblocks to dissuade me from choosing the same category again. Explore all your options thoroughly. And if you compete for a second year, why not stick with the same category if you had a great time?

Numbers, Numbers

Do I work independently or collaboratively? How do I decide? What do I do if there is a conflict? - I believe these to be some of the most impactful NHD decisions you'll make, if not the most important. Working in a way that's both productive and pleasant truly makes or breaks the NHD experience—not the topic or the category. This question is also, not coincidentally, the most personal one. Remember that friends don’t always make the best project partners. Here are some things to ask yourself:

Questions to decide your category and whether to work independently or in a group

  1. Know Yourself - What were other major projects you worked on for school? Did you work alone or in a group? What was it like, and how did the final product turn out? What was successful—and why? What were some benefits and challenges?
  2. Practicality - Do you have reliable access to a computer with internet access to edit documentaries, websites, or papers? Are you willing to spend the money to buy supplies for an exhibit or performance? Do you have the time and space to rehearse performances? In the end, each project will take the same amount of time to create and edit.
  3. Compatibility - Do you work best by yourself or with others? If there are other people, can you communicate clearly and well with them? Can you work together through personal and project challenges? Are you interested in the same topic and category?
  4. Work Ethic - What's your work style? Is it organized, or is it organic? Do you like focusing for hours at a time or spacing out many short work periods? Everyone working on a project must have the same work ethic and be able to communicate effectively to work well together. Otherwise, the workload won’t be distributed evenly—and that’s a pain!
  5. End Goal - How do you want the final product to look? Working with others means compromising your specific vision, but working alone means you don't have as many perspectives. Do you want to have complete control over the content and presentation or synthesize multiple ideas?
  6. Ultimately, it's who you choose to work with that makes all the difference—not whether that person is yourself or friends. If you know you work better one way, don't let anyone stop you from making that decision. If you allow others to influence that decision, then your NHD experience will be compromised since you didn't make such an important decision for yourself.

The most common problems and how to solve them

Problem: I have friends who want to work with me, but I don't want to work with them.

Solution: When you talk with them, underscore that your preference to work alone is because that’s how you work best. Perhaps you like complete control over what your project is about, how it looks, how you work on it, and when. Perhaps you just think it’s simpler to juggle only one schedule, or you prefer the challenge of working alone. If they're good friends, then they'll understand and support your decision.

Problem: I want to work with others, but I don't have a group.

Solution: Know that NHD isn't impossible if you work alone, or a breeze if you work together. Respect others’ decisions to work alone or with other people. They’re doing what they know is best for them, and in a way, best for you—you wouldn't want to be in a group with someone who doesn't want to be there. Second, don’t let their decision affect your relationship with them—their preference isn't a reflection on you, but rather a response to a challenging project. Third, try not to let their decision affect you too much. You may feel anything from frustration to sadness, but NHD isn't the be-all-end-all when it comes to your relationships. Ultimately, this is one project—your relationship with others extends so much farther than NHD. Who knows, working independently may be the most rewarding thing you’ve done yet!

Problem: I want to work alone, but I'm afraid of taking on such a big project.

Solution: If working alone on a challenging project seems intimidating, working with people you don't want to work with on a challenging project is worse. Plenty of students work in groups and alone and thrive. Working in a group isn't the easy way out, let me make that clear. Each person does the same amount of work, and it can add another layer of complexity when it comes to dividing the workload and scheduling meeting times. And remember, just because you’re not working in a group doesn’t mean that you’re working alone! You have parents, siblings, other family members, friends, other students, teachers, and mentors to ask for feedback and advice!

In the first year, I was sort of forced to be alone. There were two history classes, and my friends were together in the second class, so they naturally decided to work together. I panicked, finding myself without a group, but it actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise. What I learned, from watching others, is that friend groups aren’t always the greatest workgroups. A large project like NHD can add stress, frustration, and pressure to a friend group. The first year went so well that I naturally decided to work independently during the second year. And my friends? They all decided to work independently that year. In a way, from NHD, I found out more about myself and how I like to work. I love my friends, but when it comes to working, I prefer having complete control; I like being able to work as long as I want, when I want, and how I want. I like being able to realize my personal vision, I like being able to tweak and change any part of my project without conflict. I focus best alone, which is important because I also like to work in a very organized way. Sometimes I stayed up late and focused for hours and hours. If I were working with others, I’d be much more likely to start talking, get distracted, or take breaks—ultimately, getting less done. That said, I know projects that have done spectacularly because of the dynamic between team members, the interplay of ideas, and the determined cooperation. Do what's best for you.

Topic, Thesis, and Theme

The quick of it - This is where you begin! Your topic, your thesis, and the theme make up the foundation of your project. I recommend that you tackle them in that order. First, choose what you want to focus on, learn about it, get acquainted with its complexities. Second, form your own opinions and fight for them (this is crafting your argument/thesis). Third, blend the thesis with the annual NHD theme. Because the theme is always broad and open-ended, this shouldn’t be a problem—never worry about fitting your topic into the theme, you can always do it.

Choosing a topic

Two things the topic must be - The topic is the focus of your project, and you get to choose it! It can be anything—a person, an event, an idea. But keep two things in mind: one, the topic should have occurred 20-30+ years ago, long enough ago so that you can study both the short term and the long term effects. Second, the topic must be significant—you should show why it's important to history. Your subject doesn't have to be well-known. Some of the most captivating and impressive topics are those we never learn in history class or through mainstream media. No matter the topic, you should be able to argue that it had an impact on our world today!

What should I consider while choosing a topic? - Know that you can’t change your topic after the regional competition, so choose wisely! How? Think of yourself first and foremost. Don't think of parents, teachers, or judges. Ultimately, you're going to be the one working for months and months on this project, so the topic should be interesting to you. Try to incorporate your pre-existing interests or choose a topic you’re not familiar with but are interested in learning more about. I’ve got resources for both methods of topic selection!

During my NHD journey, I did both of these things. In the first year, I chose the Meiji Restoration, a crucial point in Japanese history that tapped into my long-standing love for Japanese culture and history. My second year, I went the other way—I chose the Haitian Revolution because I’ve always been interested in how and why nations do or don’t successfully develop. I'd never learned about the Haitian Revolution, so I took NHD as an opportunity to learn about something that interested me.

How to narrow a broad interest into a final topic: one example

Broad Topic: What is one of my interests?

Science

Narrowed Focus: What is a subject that fits under my general interest?

Advances in medicine

Specific Examples: What are some events or people related to that subject?

The discovery of penicillin

The eradication of smallpox

The invention of Advil

Picking and Choosing:

Which topic is best connected to the theme?

Which topic has the richest information/sources available?

The eradication of smallpox

Final Project Topic: Voila! This is a possible focus for your project!

Eradicating Smallpox: Destroying a Disease

Examples of broad interests and specific topics

Broad interest

Specific project topic

Computer Coding

Ada Lovelace and the Turing Test

Hacking and Cybersecurity

The Development of Programming Languages

Astronomy

The Development of Telescopes

The Discovery and Documentation of Black Holes

Missions into Outer Space

Visual Arts

The Development and Impact of Renaissance Painting Techniques

The Waves of Art Movements and the Barriers They Broke

The Invention of Photography

Video Games

OXO: The First Video Game

The Brown Box: The First Home Console

Nintendo and Sega: What Video Game Rivalry Teaches Us About Innovation

Sports

Ancient Play: Sports and Athletics in Antiquity

The Racial Divide in Professional Sports

From Olympus to the Olympics: The Story of the Definitive International Sports Competition

Civil Rights

“What Will You Do, Mr. President?” The Fight for Women’s Suffrage

Jim Crow Laws and their Lasting Impact on Society Today

The Stonewall Riots: Fighting to Love

Click this link to check out a worksheet I made to help you create and choose project ideas!

How can I choose a new topic that interests me? -  Spend some time thinking about topics that interest you before you go looking at long lists of hundreds of subjects. They can be overwhelming, and only one will make the cut. Looking at all those other options can take away from what you want and what interests you. But, if you’re stuck, or if you want a broader idea of what’s out there, here are some good resources.

Topic lists

Click the URLs!

Here is a great list of topic areas and related institutions. Each one is a great jumping-off point that provides places for future research!

https://www.nhd.org//student-resources

Go to the site and then click “Helpful Research Links."

It says “novice,” but this website is an advanced source that provides topic ideas from a wide range of categories, as well as some background information on each one. This source list comes from mnhs.org.

http://education.mnhs.org/historyday/sites/default/files/Topic_NoviceList.pdf

If you want to get a little more interactive, take a look at this wonderful website that allows you to click through and explore different topics! This source list was found through mnhs.org.

https://pickingatopic.weebly.com/

Finally, if you really want a heavy-duty topic list (and you have looked at all the other links and spent time generating your own ideas) here it is. This source list comes from mnhs.org.

http://education.mnhs.org/historyday/sites/default/files/TopicsMinnesota.pdf

Should I choose a well-known topic or a relatively unknown one? - How many sources, both primary and secondary, about a topic do you think you can find? This is a critical factor in deciding what topic to choose. After that, I'd advise exploring topics that you hadn’t heard about before or lesser-known aspects of a familiar one. If a subject is well-known, it can be overdone. That said, don't let the popularity of something dissuade you from choosing it; if you like it, you should study it! Either way, try to make your project stand out. Maybe cover something new or take a new perspective on something we thought we knew, but, in reality, there is another side.

Should I focus on the local, state, national, or international level when choosing a project topic? - Everyone is going to go inter/national—and for a good reason! However, I'd suggest that you explore your local history! In exploring local and state history, you'll become more connected with your community, and, as a bonus, you'll most likely stumble upon a unique, uncommon topic. Remember, the unknown is an opportunity to educate!

I want to focus on Massachusetts history! - Great! Check out the Mass Historical Society’s list of topic ideas and sample resources! Talk to your teacher, get in touch with local or state institutions, and search around online! Get in touch with your Massachusetts pride! We're a very historical state :) click here to see various museums and galleries to visit.

Thesis Development Tips

The quick of it - The topic deals with what your project is about; the thesis deals with what your project is saying. Your thesis is a 2-3 sentence statement that sums up your argument. Remember: your NHD project is more than telling a story—it's asking questions, giving answers, and providing evidence. Your thesis must be debatable and not a summary of what happened.

What is a thesis? - A thesis is an argument—one that's unique and uniquely your own. Your thesis should be around 2-3 sentences long and establish an event, its context, its impact, and its importance. Your thesis must include facts, but what you’re saying should be debatable—that’s how you know it’s an argument.

When should I craft my thesis? Before or after I start research? - While you may be tempted to create a thesis immediately, I’d suggest waiting until you understand your event more thoroughly. After all, it's hard to make an educated, nuanced argument about a topic you haven’t fully explored yet! Creating a thesis too early can hem you in instead of allowing you to openly explore sources. Understanding your topic means more than just knowing what happened; it means having opinions on why those things happened and why they matter. This way, your thesis develops organically as your understanding of a subject naturally deepens.

What are the thesis building blocks? - Ask the following questions while you research and answer them in your thesis. What happened? What caused it? What came after it? How does it relate to the [annual theme]? When did it happen? Include a “where” only if it’s pertinent, otherwise the setting will be covered in a different page. Include a “who” only if a person is the topic of the project—any other major figure should get introduced as you go along in your project. Just keep asking: Does your thesis tell the story? Does it propose an argument? Is it clear? Is it concise?

Format your thesis to your advantage! - Use. Color. What are the critical events, points, ideas, or claims? Highlighting them by changing the color of the text can emphasize the key takeaways. Look at past winning projects to get good examples of this. It also adds to the aesthetic if you have a consistent color scheme.

Edit, edit, edit - Get as many people to look at your thesis as possible, especially experts and your history teachers! They'll ask the same questions and determine whether your thesis answers this or not. They can also help with inaccuracies, cutting words, and making the argument more nuanced. Of course, you should keep revisiting the thesis and doing all this yourself!

Thesis and Title Wording

The quick of it - In many ways, crafting your project’s thesis and title is very similar. For each one, you must condense your entire argument into a few sentences, even a few words. The conciseness of your thesis and title makes them powerful components of your project. They should, therefore, reflect the very heart of your work. Make your words count and make your project stand out—and you do that by being specific!

How can I choose compelling words for my thesis and title?  - Be specific, descriptive, and succinct. The title is the first thing people will see when they look at your project, so it should summarize your topic and your argument. Your project title doesn’t count towards your word limit, so don’t feel it has to be only a few words, but keep it snappy. Your thesis is the argument you're making, the heart of your project, so you’ll go into more depth here. You can, and should, tie back to the theme in both the title and thesis, but you must go beyond just writing theme words. How can you make your project stand out? Add adjectives and adverbs; they bring life and depth to your project.

 

When the theme was “Conflict and Compromise,” I chose the words “Destruction and Diplomacy” for a topic related to political revolution and cultural modernization. That said, you don’t even have to do that—when the theme was “Triumph and Tragedy,” my title was, “We Have Dared to be Free: The Forgotten Haitian Revolution.” With that website, I used an actual quote from a leading figure in the revolution—memorable quotes like that are killer, so use them if you have them.

Example topic: Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution

Basic Title

Better Title

Best Title

“Charles Darwin: Breaking Barriers”

“Charles Darwin: Breaking Barriers in Scientific Thought”

“Charles Darwin: Challenging and Changing Ideas of Evolution.”

This title tells me almost nothing about your project other than Charles Darwin is involved. Using the words “Breaking” and “Barriers” isn’t enough to differentiate your project because every project is about breaking barriers.

This is getting there. You’re telling me that Charles Darwin is involved in addition to telling me what he did—breaking barriers when it comes to scientific thinking. That’s much better, but you can get even more specific!

See how much better that is? Not only is it catchy (NHD loves alliteration, doesn’t it?) it’s also more specific—what exactly did Darwin do—and how? He didn’t just “break a barrier,” but he “challenged and changed,” which says more about the way he broke that barrier. Not just “scientific thought,” but “ideas of evolution.”

What is the difference between a thesis and a title? - The thesis argues an opinion/view on facts/context. The title hints at those facts/that context. The thesis is long and detailed, whereas the title is shorter and broad. After staring at one and then the other for hours, the differences can blur, but it’s important to remember that they're there!

Theme  

“Theme is a lens to look at history through. Theme gives you something to create an argument around.” — Kate Melchior, Massachusetts History Day Coordinator

The quick of it - Every year a new NHD theme is announced. Every project must relate to part of or all of this annual theme. Doing so is one of the core components of judging criteria—but don’t let that scare you! It’s easy to connect to the yearly themes because they’re so broad. Additionally, don’t feel you have to choose a topic that satisfies every component of the theme. For example, even though a theme may deal with breaking barriers, your project could focus on how a barrier wasn’t broken and why this failure occurred. That project will be just as interesting as one that deals with a successfully broken barrier.

Should the theme influence the topic I choose? - Nope! Even though the theme is very important, it shouldn't determine the topic you choose. It simply helps to guide and focus your project. You should definitely keep it in the back of your mind, but because it’s such a broad theme, almost any historical event can be spun to fit the theme. Never let the theme limit you.

For my first project, I chose the Meiji Restoration as my topic. The theme that year, Conflict and Compromise, was an afterthought. I first chose a topic that I already liked, Japanese history. Then I focused on an event that I wanted to learn more about, the Meiji Restoration. After learning a little bit more about the Restoration, I was able to identify aspects of the topic that lined up with the theme. I advise a similar process for you—choose what interests you first, the theme can come later. That said, the second year, I didn’t have a topic in mind beforehand, so I searched for a topic that fit with the theme, and I ended up choosing the Haitian Revolution. Both ways work well! See what comes naturally to you.

Research

The quick of it - This is the meat (or tofu!) of your project. The information you gain through research will build your project. It’s a critical process, and is one that never truly ends—there’s always more to learn! That said, here is also where you’ll use your critical-thinking to vet sources and select the best evidence to support your thesis.

How to Conduct Basic Research

Where should I start? - Wikipedia. Seriously. Wikipedia is more reliable than you’ve been told, as there’s a vast, strong community dedicated to keeping Wikipedia reliable and accurate. Wikipedia is a great place to start for an overview of your topic. Read through the entire article, and then check out the references and works cited at the bottom of the page. These are starting points for further research. Look up each source, see how accessible they are, see what each one covers, and determine which ones would be useful.

Where should I look? - Start online to get a wide array of works: lists of books, journal articles, videos, newspaper articles, pictures, etc. See how many you can access for free through library systems, online pdf/ebook databases, journal databases, and so on. See which ones you might have to buy or rent—online or physically.

Types of sources, how to identify them, their purposes, and examples

Type of Source

Identification

Purpose

Examples

Primary

Created during the period of interest by someone who participated in it/lived through it

- Allows you to personally analyze history

- Allows you to draw your own conclusions

- Helps to cultivate your skills as a historian

Book, document, movie, poem, song, story, painting, drawing, physical object, building, physical location, website (if the event happened during the age of the internet), oral history interview

Secondary

Created after the period of interest by someone who didn’t participate in it/live through it, but has an opinion on it

- Creates a bigger picture point of view, enhancing your understanding of historical context

Provides multiple analyses (from different viewpoints, i.e. historians, researchers, etc.)

- Builds off of primary sources while directing you to new ones

Journal articles, textbooks, dictionaries, encyclopedias, books that comment/analyze, biographies, dissertations, newspaper editorial/opinion pieces, criticisms (source)

Tertiary

Created after the period of interest, compiling and summarizing secondary sources

- Summarizes other works

- Provides ideas for topics and further investigation

Almanacs, encyclopedias, dictionaries, guidebooks, manuals

Try this short, 11-question quiz to see if you can correctly identify a primary vs. a secondary source!

The best sources I used were books that were collections of primary documents, sometimes with expert commentary, sometimes not. These were absolute goldmines, so look for sources that are compilations of primary sources. When citing these books, note that they're secondary sources and that you should both include the “megabook” as well as the individual pieces within your bibliography.

How many sources should I use? - I can’t answer this question; there’s no “magic number.” The quality of your sources is more important than how many sources you have, though it’s best to have many excellent sources. My advice to you isn't to think of a number. Your bibliography will grow as you progress in your project. Instead, keep researching, keep looking for sources, even when project construction is well underway. Always be looking for primary sources that will help support your argument or for secondary sources that will help you understand the event. However, you must cite everything you incorporate or consult in the creation of your project.

But how do I actually research? - Start with a question. What do you want to know? Start with big questions, then smaller sub-questions dealing with aspects of the larger questions. Then, go looking for answers.

Here’s what I like to do. When I found a trustworthy and informative source, I searched for what looks good within that source. I didn’t go through the whole thing, unless it's short, and even then, I skimmed until you’ve found something relevant. I looked at chapter titles, the beginning of sentences, searched for keywords (command + F or control + F), played a video at a faster speed, etc. Then, I transcribed useful information into a master document that held every piece of information I found. I drew from this master document when I was creating my project.

Question, evidence, conclusion method - A technique that’s helpful when interacting with a source is the QEC (question, evidence, conclusion) method. Come up with a question about your topic, either before reading or after reading. When going through your source, mark/record each new piece of information you come across. Then, you can organize these pieces of information under the questions you asked, or, come up with questions which the facts answer. Either way, you then want to write a short conclusion summarizing the question and the answer(s) and how the two relate. Having bunches of these “QEC units” of questions, answers, and summaries are great to have and can be easily included in any type of project. This can be used for almost any form of evidence—don’t feel limited if it’s not text.

Make citations as you go - If you consult a source, create an annotated citation right away so you don’t forget.

How do I know when I’m done? - The truth is, you’ll never be “done.” There’ll always be something more you can do, something more you can say, something more you can improve. Research is a process that doesn’t have a finish line—unfortunately, or fortunately, NHD does have one. That said, you’ve finished when you’ve said what you needed in such depth that you’ve firmly supported your thesis. Try showing your project to others to see if they feel like you’ve made your argument!

A little bit about interviews - Interviews are a great way to get more information and present them in a professional way. There are interviews with secondary sources, like professors, and with primary sources, called oral history interviews. NHD doesn’t want to dissuade you from secondary source interviews, but does emphasize oral history interviews, since it allows you to use primary evidence and maintain your student voice. Neither are required, but if you have the opportunity, you should always shoot for one, at most three to four, but remember quality over quantity. Interviews are impressive additions to any project that can incorporate them and also build crucial skills you’ll need throughout your professional life.

Here is a recording I made talking more about interviews, and here is one about archives!

Check out the email/voicemail template I made for when you want to reach out to an interview subject!

Visiting an archive -

When my project topic was the Haitian Revolution, the teacher I was working with suggested visiting the John Carter Brown library at Brown University down in Providence, Rhode Island. I’d accessed the online archives, since they were in the process of digitizing their entire collection, but she strongly encouraged me to make the journey there myself for the same reasons I shared with you. Visiting an archive allows you to touch pieces of history, helping you to feel more connected to your topic in a different way. This was the first time I’d ever been in an archive, and didn’t have any idea of what I should do or what I was looking for. After talking to two wonderful archivists there, they quickly helped me to familiarize myself with the place. They showed me how to use their electronic system to ask for a certain piece to be brought out for you to examine. I brought out a large document covered in tables of different values and figures documenting profit, quantities of sugar, and slave populations. I actually had included a picture of this table in my website, but seeing it in person was stunning. It was elaborate, colorful, and made everything somehow more real to me--the fact that someone sat down to make this, that it was living evidence of a horrific period in history. Visiting this archive was definitely one of the high points in my second year, and I talked a lot about it during the following competitions. I updated the two wonderful archivists I’d met there on the competition, and when I was visiting colleges, I stopped by the JCB library to say “hi!” to them!

Putting it All Together

Annotated Bibliography and Process Paper

The quick of it - Every project is required to have two additional elements: the annotated bibliography and the process paper. The annotated bibliography is a record of all the sources you used. The process paper is a record of how you built your project from the start. Make sure you don’t neglect these materials—they’re just as important as the project. Judges will look at them, and their quality will affect the judges’ decisions.

General Annotated Bibliography Information

What is an annotated bibliography? - A bibliography is a record of all the sources you used in the creation of your final project, even the ones you didn’t incorporate into it. An annotated bibliography is like a regular bibliography, except you write around three sentences for every source you cite. It's essential to have an accurate and comprehensive record for two reasons. First, you can demonstrate the quality of your information and the extent of your research, which judges will want to see. Second, you can better avoid plagiarizing information.

Is there a word limit for the annotated bibliography? - As a whole, there is no word limit for the annotated bibliography. However, each annotation cannot exceed two or three sentences.

When should I start writing my annotated bibliography? - The moment you start the research process. Record everything—you can always delete later if a source doesn't end up being useful. I'm serious about starting immediately. It might seem tedious citing everything as you go, but it's infinitely better than scrambling last minute, looking for old links and books. Start now—you'll thank yourself later.

How detailed should my annotated bibliography be? - Cite. Everything. That. You. Use. Even if you don't take direct quotes from a source, if it helped you along the way (helped you understand an event, a historical figure, etc.), you must cite it. Be specific, too.

How should I format my annotated bibliography? - Here are the guidelines from the official NHD website at https://www.nhd.org/annotated-bibliography. It’s not required to organize your primary and secondary source sections into subsections (e.g., primary documents, secondary documents, etc.) Therefore, don’t do it. Save yourself the time and effort.

Check out this awesome checklist worksheet for writing your annotated bibliography to help ensure you don’t forget to include anything!

Citations

Are there citation rules for each category? - Yes. These can be found on the official NHD website at https://www.nhd.org/annotated-bibliography.

What information should a citation contain? - Guidelines can be found at the official NHD website at https://www.nhd.org/annotated-bibliography.

My go-to online citation machine is BibMe. Chegg provides it, which is an education technology company. It's free, though now and then you may need to fill out an ad survey to continue using it for free. Most of the required information is filled in automatically after writing the URL (of a website, online text, video, etc.), but it pays to double-check. BibMe automatically orders the entries alphabetically and gives you a space to write an annotation right then and there, which you totally should do. Write about how you used the source. This part should be in the past tense. If you ever use a physical copy of something, either cite it by hand or find a digital copy and cite that. There are many free and open libraries containing vast collections of books, documents, pdfs, etc.

Annotations

How do I write good annotations? - A good annotation 1) briefly describes a source, 2) states why a source was useful/what it taught you, and 3) states how it helped you create or inform your project. Your annotation should rarely exceed three sentences. Write them with care, as judges will read them, but keep them snappy and don't waste their time.

Example of annotating a source, step by step: General Green’s Diary

Say I'm writing about a specific war and investigating the reasons that one side lost. Suppose I come across a diary entry written by someone who lost that war, called General Green. In this particular diary entry, he describes the poor morale of the soldiers. To the right is the annotation that I'd write for such a source.

“This diary entry, written by General Green, documents the poor morale of the soldiers, provides a possible reason for Green’s loss, and gives a key insight into the battle. I used this primary source to support my argument that defeat was a result of internal conflicts and not the strength of Green’s opponent.”

These two sentences are jam-packed with information. Let’s break down what I wrote:

Sentence One: General Information

What’s the source, who’s it connected to, what's it saying, and why does it matter?

“This diary entry…”

State what kind of source it's right off the bat.

“...written by General Green…”

If the source is related to someone (and it normally always is), identify who that person is.

“...documents the poor morale of the soldiers, provides a possible reason for Green’s loss, and gives a key insight into the battle...”

Explain what the source is saying and why what it's saying is important. Don’t include the actual information that you pulled.

Sentence Two: Connecting the Source to your Project

How does the source matter, in relation to your project?

“...I used this primary source…”

It’s nice to state whether the source is primary or secondary.

“...to support my argument that General Green’s defeat was the result of internal conflicts and not the strength of Green’s opponent...”

How did you use the source? Tie back to your argument as many times as you can. Seriously. If you didn't use the source as evidence for your argument, talk about how it bolstered your understanding of an event, a person, an influence, etc.

Simply Put…

  • What's the format of the source?
  • What person is connected to it?
  • What's the source saying?
  • Why does what the source is saying matter?
  • Is this source primary or secondary?
  • How did you use it in your project?

General Process Paper Information

What's a process paper? - 500 words dedicated to documenting how you made your project from start to finish, with certain things you must write about.

Check out this awesome checklist worksheet for writing process papers to help ensure you don’t forget to include anything!

What to write in your process paper

Questions to answer

Required to answer from the official guidebook.

  1. How did you choose your topic, and how does it relate to the annual theme?
  2. How did you conduct your research?
  3. How did you create your project?
  4. What is your historical argument?
  5. In what ways is your topic significant in history?

During my second year of participating in NHD, I had the opportunity to get some one-on-one feedback. A valuable piece of advice that I received—and one I want to share with you—is this: don’t just answer their questions, ask and answer some of your own. What that means is talk about what you learned! Discuss the different questions you explored and how you went about answering them. You can include the actual answers you got, but you don't have to.  Alternatively, you could talk about how you have yet to find out those answers, but how you plan to keep exploring with further research. If that's the case, you could mention the direction you'll take with your research in the future.

When should I start writing my process paper? - In the weeks before the deadline. You should be thinking about the things you'll write throughout the process, but this is something you can save until later—but remember, “later” doesn't mean the night before!

How detailed should my process paper be? - Cover everything you feel is relevant while answering the big questions, but don't get into the nitty-gritty details—there is a word limit! The process paper is kind of a highlight reel for your project creation.

Construction and Presentation

The quick of it - This is where it all comes together! But really, most of the construction will happen naturally as you gather information. Here you’ll find information about what all projects must present, how to make you project look nice, how to stay organized, how to manage stress, and how to cut down on words.

The essential five components of every project - No matter the topic or the category, it’s useful to think of a project comprising five sections: historic context, immediate context, event, immediate effects, and long-term effects. Covering these areas ensures that you have done enough research, presented enough material to inform your audience, and build your argument. Having this structure also adds a level of organization and flow to your project. 

Try this short, 10-question quiz to see if you can identify and distinguish each of these 5 key periods!

Aesthetic basics  - This advice mainly applies to projects with strong visual aspects.

Organization basics - This is a rundown of things that I liked to do during my two years. Feel free to use all, some, or none of my suggestions!

How can I best manage stress? - The NHD process can be stressful from the beginning to the end. Some parts are unavoidable, like the nerves you feel before going in for a judge interview on competition day or before the projects that have moved on are called out. But the process can be equally rewarding and less nerve-wracking if you can manage the stress.

Here’s my golden “rule.” If you ever feel incredibly overwhelmed, lost, or shot through with anxiety walk away from your project. Walk. Away. Take a breather for at least 10 minutes. Do something else, other homework, a hobby, walk around outside, listen to calming music, or do a 10-minute mindfulness meditation (I really suggest this). If, at the end of the 10 minutes, you still feel the nagging desire to either run back to your project or away from it, take another 10. Take as long as you need, but don’t use this as an excuse to procrastinate. By the end of your break, you shouldn’t feel the way you did before it. And sometimes, just take a night off, and tackle it the next day.

Sources and solutions to stress

Unsure of what to do?

  • Meet with your mentor/teacher/anyone who can give you advice on your project.
  • Take a hard look at your work—there’s always something you can do. Where can you cut words? Where can you write more clearly? Are any text/pictures/videos/information irrelevant? Would it be better placed elsewhere and something added in its place? Or would the addition of anything enhance the section/your project?
  • There’s always something to do, so write improvements down as they come to you.

Overwhelmed by what to do?

  • Write down everything you know you need to do. Don’t worry about missing items, whatever stands out to you is worth working on. And don’t freak out if your list is long--don’t look at it all at once, either.
  • Start small, start easy--do those types of tasks first. As you check things off your list, your confidence will grow, and you can tackle more and more complex tasks.
  • If you try a task and it stumps you or begins to look like it’ll take a long time, switch to something else and come back to it later.
  • Create a schedule for what you want to do and when.
  • Meet often with your mentor to make sure you’re on the right track and to keep getting new insights.
  • Soon, you'll be confident about what you accomplished and in control what to do next.

Unconfident in your work?

If you worry about the quality of your work, you care about it. You care about how it looks, how it sounds, the information it presents, the argument it makes. And because you care, you’ve worked hard on it. You have. You want it to be the best you can make it, and you’ve taken steps to get as close to your best as you can. Trust the people you consult, believe them when they like it, and earnestly incorporate their advice if you agree with it (it's your project, after all!). Your effort will shine through to everyone who views it, whether they’re a parent or a judge.

Uncertain about the future (moving on, competition day, judging interviews, etc.)?

Focus on how much you have prepared and everything you’ve done. And accept, despite your work, that there are some things you have no control over. You don’t know the quality of the other projects, how other students interview, what's going through the judges’ heads. As much as you can, release yourself from the results. Instead, be proud of all the work you have done! All the late nights building and refining, all the interviews, all the hours spent researching, writing, and rewriting sentences, all the times you’ve met with mentors. Take happiness and satisfaction in what you have done, whether you move on, place or not. You have done very difficult work well.

Techniques for reducing your word count

You have to balance cutting down words and the fluidity/completeness of the text. If you cut too much, your sentences can sound blocky and unnatural—and you can go over the word limit oruse valuable words unnecessarily if you’re too lengthy. These are my general suggestions, but always go with your gut and with what works the best in a specific context. The word counts of the before and after sentences are given as [before/after].

A website for counting words - It’s crucial to keep accurate and up-to-date word counts. Copy and paste your text into https://wordcounter.net/.

  1. Sometimes, small words can be cut without sacrificing the fluidity of a sentence, such as conjunctions, articles, and prepositions. Look at the next example.

  1. Make contractions everywhere. Instead of saying “they are” write “they’re” and so on. This also goes for possessives. Instead of saying “the fierce opposition against the ruling party exploded into war” write “the ruling party’s fierce opposition ignited war.” You also get rid of “into,” an unnecessary preposition. [10/7]

  1. Whenever there are numbers, write them without spaces. Any space in the text marks the beginning of a new word, even if it’s just around a hyphen. Instead of “1980 - 1990” or “1980 to 1990,” you should write “1980-1990.” [3/1]
  1. That said, a complete date such as “January 1st, 2001,” is counted as one word, according to the official guidebook. You can view more word-counting policies there, but most of them are obvious.

  1. Linking with dashes. If, after writing a sentence, you have more to say, you can sometimes link it with an em dash (—) to show you’re quickly adding something more. Here’s an example sentence: “Her early life was marked with tragedy. When she was a child, both of her parents died before she was sent into exile with her only living relative.” To shorten it, you could instead write: “tragedy marked her early life—as a child, her parents died, and she was sent into exile.” [28/17]

  1. Slash words with slashes. Sometimes, if you want to mention two adjectives you can include them both with a slash between them. Instead of writing, “her paintings featured novel and shocking subjects,” you could write, “her paintings featured novel/shocking subjects.” [7/5]

  1. Always write in the active voice. Instead of writing, “He was assassinated by a secret agent,” you should write “a secret agent assassinated him.” [7/5]

  1. Symbols. You can use symbols such as stars or arrows to represent "significance" or "cause/effect" to cut down on words spent on analysis. See my story in the box below.

  1. Use gerunds. That is, verbs ending with "-ing."  Here's a long sentence: "When the center was first attacked, the war began, which led to thousands of deaths on both sides between 1980 and 1994." The shorter version could read, "the center’s first attack triggered the war (1980-1994), leading to both sides suffering heavy losses.” [22/15]

Alone, each of these techniques cut 5-10 words, but when they’re used consistently throughout an entire project, this can total to hundreds of words. Don’t expect large numbers of words to disappear in one edit, unless you’re removing an entire section of text.

During my first year, I created and used a set of symbols to denote things like an event’s background, cause, significance, and effects. These symbols made my project unique, more visually appealing, cut down on words, and impressed judges! The second year, though, I chose not to use this system, and my project didn’t suffer. Often times, those aspects are obvious from the text itself. It’s completely your own choice whether to include them or not.

Competition Day

The quick of it - Competitions are the second core piece of NHD—without them, all your hard work wouldn’t be showcased and recognized! At competitions, your project gets evaluated by two or three judges who decide if your project will move on to the next level according to established criteria. Competing is the most stressful—but also the most fun—part of NHD. This section of the guide will talk about logistics, and the judging process and interviews.

Levels of competition

How do I move on? - To move on, after examining your project and interviewing you, the judges must decide that your project meets or exceeds the judging criteria. For some categories like documentaries, there will be run-off rounds, where the top ten entries are identified, notified, and then re-evaluated together. 

Three things to do to prepare for competition day

  1. Double-check everything - Do you have all your materials in order? Have you spell, grammar, and fact-checked everything? Are all parts of your exhibit set up? Are your props and costumes in order? Are your website links working and your multimedia playing? Does your documentary run smoothly? Is your paper in good physical condition? If your project relies on technology, is it set up? Do you know how to use it? If a judge needs to download software to view multimedia, have you provided safe, legal, and accessible links so they can do so? Do you have your copies of your bibliography and process paper? Are they in proper condition?
  1. Extra copies:
  1. All categories should bring 4 copies of your process paper and annotated bibliographies.
  2. Documentaries are recommended to bring their projects online, on a thumb drive, and on your laptop.
  1. Review your knowledge - Go over your project. Do you know the ins-and-outs of your topic? If asked, could you answer about any aspect of your project? Do you know enough so that you could answer a question about something not presented in your project but related to your topic? Don't worry too much about this step. After spending so much time working on your project, you'll have absorbed a lot of information. The purpose of this step isn't to learn or relearn, but to refresh your memory. Trust that you already know everything that you need.
  1. Practice judging questions - There are helpful resources online that outline sample judging questions. Review these by yourself, with a friend/parent, and if you're working in a group, definitely practice asking and answering these types of questions.
  1. If you're working in a group, you should also focus on how to answer questions equally. You can establish a talking order or who should speak about sources, construction, etc. However, try to be flexible here: the judges want to make sure that each member of the group knows enough about the project. They might ask out of order or one specific person a specific question. In these cases, go with the flow—you should all feel prepared. And while you can receive input from your teammates, they shouldn't answer the question for you.

What does the judging process look like? - Judges look over all projects in the same category and number (individual or group project) in a period spanning multiple hours. A judging session is around 15 minutes long and comprises reviewing your project with the judges and answering their questions. I recommend that you get to where you need to be 15 minutes early so that you have time to adjust and prepare.

Although it's nerve-wracking, try to stay as calm and confident as possible. You put so much work into your project, and your judges will see it. Trust yourself. You know what you need to know, you did the work, and you're adaptable enough that if you're asked a question you hadn’t prepared for, you can give a satisfactory answer.

What are the judging questions like? - There are two types of questions: process and content. Process questions focus on how you created your project, whereas content questions focus on the information your project contains.

I guarantee that you'll answer basic process questions like:

  • “Why did you choose this topic?”
  • “Why did you choose your project category?”
  • "What was the creation process like?”
  • “What are the strengths and weaknesses of the project?”
  • “What problems arose, and how did you address them?”
  • “How did your project change over time, and what more is there left to do?”
  • “What was the most helpful (primary) source you encountered?”
  • "Is there anything else you’d like to talk about that we haven't talked about today?"

The open-ended question is the perfect opportunity to be less of a student historian and more of a person. Take the time to talk about yourself and your journey with NHD. I'd advise against talking about something content-related—the judges just spent 15 minutes reviewing content with you and, probably, much longer before seeing you. You might talk about yourself and your thoughts. I have always expressed 1) my excitement for getting this far, 2) my gratitude to those who've helped me along the way, 3) my thanks to the judges and other NHD officials for taking the time to make NHD possible, and 4) expressing how the NHD experience has challenged me and helped me grow. Finish off with a heartfelt thank you, and you’re good to go!

Resources for sample judging questions -

Check the worksheets section to view a list of 20 judging questions you’ll likely hear — this is a resource given out to judges at competitions, check it out!

What are some tips for a good judging interview? - Interviews are more of an art than a science, but here are some of my essential guidelines:

It's important to remember that the interview isn't the make-or-break factor in deciding whether your project will move on or not. Your project should be able to stand on its own, meaning if it's a good project, that should be apparent without any input from the creator(s). Of course, try your best, but don’t stress if it doesn’t go perfectly. Instead, focus on making your project the best it can be so that when interviews roll around, the project will speak for itself and you can be there to supplement it—and show it off a little :)

What are the judging criteria? - Instead of reinventing the wheel here, here are the official evaluation forms. Note that there are two evaluative sections, historical quality (80%) and clarity of presentation (20%).

Worksheets

  1. Choosing an NHD Topic Worksheet
  2. Annotated Bibliography Checklist
  3. Process Paper Checklist
  4. Interview Email/Voicemail Format
  5. 20 Typical Judging Questions

Index

This is what the guide will cover. If an item is underlined, it's a graphic/table/list or an interactive quiz. Each item has a link that brings you to that section in the guidebook.