We'll start class 4 with a quiz - you'll answer questions that touch on what you've learned in the classes so far.
The team will review the breakdown of marks available for the outline plan. We'll illustrate how to write this section of your report using practical examples. You'll then complete a think pair share exercise where you'll reflect on your research topic and outline plan and discuss it with a partner. This will help you write the first draft of your own outline plan.
You'll learn how to structure and write your extended essay and how to incorporate information from your sources into your essay.
You'll work with your table to put the example Seán Lester RSR in order from its title down to the review of the process. This will help you to understand how to structure your own research study report.
You'll be asked to complete either the first draft of your outline plan or of your extended essay before Class 5.
The outline plan is worth 15 marks out of the 100 marks available and has been allocated one page (approx. 250-380 words) in the History in Your Hands submission template 2025.
This template is based on the official Research Study Report booklet provided for Leaving Certificate History from the State Examinations Commission (SEC) website. Please read through the official booklet carefully for more guidance about submitting your report as part of Leaving Certificate History.
Click into each tab to the right to view the relevant section of the outline plan and use our handy checklists when completing each section.
Your teacher’s guidance is essential at this point - make sure you show them your outline plan before you proceed. Write a draft of the outline plan to start with, but finish it off properly after you have completed your extended essay. The final version may look very different to your first draft!
The outline plan is written using four headings:
• Define and justify the proposed subject of study (3 marks)
• Identify the aims of the study (3 marks)
• Identify the intended approach (3 marks)
• Identify the sources to be consulted (6 marks)
In this section you will set out clearly what you propose to study and why. You’ll describe what your project is about and explain why it is a worthwhile study.
Define: Clearly state what you’re researching - this is the foundation your project will be built on. Don’t just talk about the topic, clearly articulate the specific angle or perspective of your research. Focus your topic in - don’t try to explore too much in your essay. If your report title has a subtitle, make sure you cover that information in your outline plan.
Justify: State why it is a worthwhile study. Explain the historical significance and rationale behind your chosen topic. Try to situate it more in its historical context i.e. the setting in which it takes place. Describe why you selected this topic for your RSR and what interests you personally about this topic.
See the examples given for the Seán Lester study on Class 4 slide 7 and see the other examples of RSR outline plans.
Use our handy checklist to help you complete this section of the report.
NB: The 2017 Chief Examiners Report explained how failing to state the historical significance is a common area where marks are lost. You'll do this in the define and justify section.
In this section you set down your project aims i.e. write about the aspects of your project you want to find out about, or understand better. Try to describe 4 aims: 3 aims about the information in your essay and then one about improving your research skills with reference to the skills of a historian.
Think carefully about the questions you want to find out the answers to and keep these in mind as you do your research. Reflect on what you know already, what you are focusing on, and why you would like to learn more about your selected topic.
Make sure that your first 3 aims focus on the subject of your study, not on how you will do your research or the skills you will use. The content of your extended essay should address the aims you've set out in your outline plan, so your aims will help you structure your essay. When you have finished your extended essay you will more than likely need to adjust your aims to make sure they match the content of the essay.
Avoid vague or general aims, they should be clearly defined and specific - your aims won’t look like anyone else’s.
You’ll also refer back to your aims when you write your ‘Review of the Process.’ For more details about what you should include in this section see Class 5 slides 21-25.
This section should be written in the future tense, ‘‘I would like to discover...’, ‘I would like to find out about...’, ‘I would like to understand why...’, ‘I hope to discover...’, ‘I intend to establish why/when...’, ‘I aim to...’, etc. Use words like explore, investigate, assess, impact, consequences, causes, understand, develop, etc.
For a practical example check Class 4 slides 8-9 or see other examples of RSR outline plans.
Use our handy checklist to help you complete this section of the report.
In this section you clearly state how you’re going to go about researching and completing your research study.
This section provides a step-by-step guide on how you will do the RSR: how and where you’ll find your sources, how you’ll evaluate them, gathering and storing information, organising ideas, planning the extended essay. You should cover what you'll do with the information you find up to writing your first draft and making improvements. You should mention how you'll cross-check the information you find with other sources to make sure it's reliable.
Keep the report topic in mind when you're writing this section to make sure they tie in together. This section should also show how the actions you describe will achieve the aims you've set out.
It's important to state that you'll ask for your teacher's feedback and re-draft your work in response to their suggestions. Try to reference the skills of a historian in this section i.e. x will help me develop my skills as a historian as I'll be evaluating sources, cross checking information, spotting potential bias and condensing information.
You are likely to rewrite this section once you finish researching and writing your extended essay but for the purposes of the RSR you’ll write it as if you’re talking about actions you’ll be taking in the future i.e. ‘I will, I intend to…’
For a practical example check Class 4 slides 10-11 or see other examples of RSR outline plans.
Use our handy checklist to help you complete this section of the report.
After you have read through this information, use our handy checklist to help you complete this section of the report.
It is very important to state where you have gotten all the information you use in your research study report. If you use information you found in a source to write your own assignment or report, but don’t give credit to the author, you are stealing another person’s work – that is called plagiarism.
For this project and for Higher Level history, you will list your 3 most important sources in this section. (If you’re submitting a report as part of Ordinary Level History for the Leaving Certificate you would list 2 sources). See the general guidelines for your RSR sources before finalising your source choices. Make sure the full details of your sources are listed at the end of the page on the Outline Plan, not in the Evaluation of Sources section.
When you list your sources you’ll need to reference them correctly i.e. give all the important information about your sources. For more details about where to find these important details about your sources see pages 8-9 of the Shortcuts to success History exam guide.
You should provide enough accurate details about your source (also known as a reference) to make it easy for the examiner to find and check the source.
References for written sources should include at a minimum:
In the case of material sourced from the internet/online include at a minimum:
Use a referencing style like APA or Harvard style to format your sources consistently and correctly. Read more about how to do that in using a referencing style.
Number your sources
It's useful to number each source 1, 2 and 3 in your list. You can then use the numbers and the title of the article or book or the author’s name when referring to the source in the evaluation of sources section i.e. In source 1, Keown describes... You'll also use these numbers for your in-text citations (see citing your direct quotes). This will save you having to include the full details of the source, which will affect your word count.
Here is an example of what the sources to be consulted list would look like for a journal article, website and book if formatted in Harvard Style.
Sources to be consulted (sample list)
1. Keown, G. (2012) ‘Seán Lester: Journalist, Revolutionary, Diplomat, Statesman’, Irish Studies in International Affairs, 23(2012), pp. 143-154. Available at 10.3318/ISIA.2012.23.143
2. Lester, S. (2024) Europeana: Seán Lester Diaries 1935-1942. Available at https://www.europeana.eu/en/Seánlesterdiary (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
3. McNamara, P. (2009) Sean Lester, Poland and the Nazi Takeover of Danzig. Kildare: Irish Academic Press.
The extended essay is worth up to 50 marks out of the 100 available for your report. For this section, you will be marked on your historical knowledge, your research skills and your presentation. See the breakdown of marks in the marking scheme.
Here, you’ll be relating the results of your research in the form of a historical essay. You’ll be setting out the answers to the questions you had at the beginning of the report (detailed in the aims section of your outline plan). You'll also be relating the main findings and conclusions you’ve arrived at. You’ll also write a review of the process - this second section is covered separately in class 5. The extended essay and the review of the (research) process combined should be 1200-1500 words long.
The RSR is not just about commenting on the events relating to your topic. You need to go beyond regurgitating the facts about what happened: share your thoughts on the topic and explain why you hold those views. Your opinions should be based on the information you found in your sources - you should be analysing and evaluating that information and making conclusions based on that evidence. Your essay should show that you understand the role of evidence in the writing of history.
Identify the main points, make sure they’re all supported by evidence, and interpret their impact. Present your opinion while acknowledging and accepting there are other opinions. Mentioning those other opinions actually strengthens your research and shows you did your job. Never forget your RSR topic is highly likely open to interpretation - historians evaluate evidence, but that evidence may be open to more than one explanation. For the purpose of your RSR, the argument itself is the important part.
For this project and for Higher Level History, your essay should also show that you understand the broader historical context of your research findings i.e. the setting in which the historical event, idea, or object takes place.
Your writing should be objective and unbiased - aim for a fair and balanced treatment of the issues and try to keep your tone as objective as possible i.e. avoid using exclamation marks. Use simple, clear language and write in your own voice.
Use more formal language rather than colloquial language or slang i.e. use I will / did not / would not instead of I'll / didn't / wouldn't. If you're referring to a person i.e. Seán Lester in your essay, use their full name at the beginning of the essay, then refer to the person by their surname i.e. Lester. Never refer to them by first name only i.e. Seán stated that...'
Avoid saying “I think” in an historical essay. Write in third person i.e. 'Lester stated...she defeated...he understood' and try to get the viewpoints of historians to support your argument.
Try to break very long sentences down into two or three shorter sentences if possible.
Take Breaks - don’t try to write it all in one go. Taking short breaks will help you clear your mind and come back to your writing with fresh eyes.
When you have collected and organised all of your source material, you’re ready to get down to writing the first draft of your Extended Essay. Organise your essay under the different headings you’ve already identified where possible - your aims should help you choose these. You can then consult with your notes or Word files when writing your essay.
Make sure that you understand the research question i.e. the subject or topic outlined in your title. Keep the subject of your report in mind at all times so that you organise your extended essay in a way that makes sense. The information that you include in your extended essay should clearly relate to the main subject or topic.
Plan the structure of your essay carefully. The essay should have a clear, coherent structure: an introduction, body paragraphs with clear points and a conclusion. It should also have a logical flow so that events you describe in your essay are laid out in chronological order (an arrangement of events in the order in which occurred). See Class 4 slides 17-21 for a breakdown of what the structure of your essay should look like and build your essay from there.
You should know from reading through your sources what the key events that relate to your topic are. Make sure that you explain and discuss these well in your extended essay - don't omit any important events that relate to your topic.
Our examiners recommend including 6-10 direct quotations in your extended essay, if possible. These should be phrases or sentences taken word-for-word from your sources - either recording something that was said by the person being studied, or about the event being studied. One of these quotes should be taken from a historian where possible. Aim to take the quotes from each of your sources, don't take them all from just one source. Learn more about how to use direct quotes in your extended essay in incorporating information into your essay. You’re also encouraged to use facts and figures i.e. statistics taken directly from your source. You don't need to cite statistics - only sentences and phrases taken from your sources as direct quotes.
The introduction is the first paragraph of your extended essay. It should give some background information and a broad overview of what the essay will be about. Present your information clearly; make sure your introduction sets the context and states the thesis or main argument of your essay.
As a rule of thumb, your introduction should be 10% of the total word count for the extended essay.
This is an important part of the essay and together with the conclusion it should begin and end your essay effectively. If the examiner was to read only your introduction and conclusion they should understand what they missed in the middle, and where you stand on the issue.
As per A Guide to Writing Historical Research Essays for Second Level Students a good introduction will:
mention the historic element (the person, the place, the battle, the campaign, the change...)
outline the prevailing (common or popular) perception, or the main difference in opinion
waste no words - it should be as short as possible and as clear as possible (without dropping essentials)
In the body of your essay, address the main findings of your research. The argument you make in your main body paragraphs deliver on what you promised in your introduction, and offers depth to the summary in your conclusion.
The content of your extended essay should link back to the title of your report and to the aims in your outline plan. Each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea. Use topic sentences to introduce the point of each paragraph (see Class 4 slides 17-21), support it with evidence, and explain how it relates to your overall argument.
Use linking statements to connect the ideas in your body paragraphs together so that your writing flows logically and naturally. These tend to be keywords which hint at comparisons, contrasts, developments or detours between sentences and paragraphs. See some examples below as suggested in A Guide to Writing Historical Research Essays for Second Level Students:
likewise – similarly – consequently – as a result – finally – therefore – alternatively – however – on the other hand – instead – despite – while – nevertheless – although – for instance – especially – namely – as can be seen – as described – since.
You’ll bring the information from your notes into your extended essay using one of the following techniques: quotation, summary and paraphrasing. Use quotes and facts from your sources to back up your arguments. Our examiners recommend using 6-10 quotes in your extended essay - make sure to take these from all three sources. Every direct quote should be followed by a citation in brackets which points the examiner to where to find the direct quote. Learn more in incorporating information into your essay.
When you’re linking the evidence into your essay, mention the authors of the sources, or use the numbers you used to number your sources in the outline plan. There is no need to write the full reference out again.
Try some of these link words and phrases or the linking statements below to introduce evidence as suggested in A guide on how to research: Wicklow County Archives:
It is explained in Source 1 …that…
When I looked at Source 2, I discovered that…
Having read two different sources, one a primary source and the other a secondary source, it is now my understanding that…
Despite new research and evidence, many people still believe that…
Historians agree/disagree that…
A similar aspect in the sources was that…
A common element in all of the sources was…
Source 1 explains how…however, the opposite can be seen in Source 3, which states …
The account that is given in Source 2 is very different to the other sources, nothing like this occurs in…
Here you will state the conclusions that you have come to based on the research process. This part of your extended essay summarises what you have found out, it’s where you state if your opinion on the topic has changed or if it has influenced your beliefs or future actions in any way.
Go beyond just summing up what you’ve already said - include some sort of observation or analysis backed up by a historian. i.e. historical analysis. Try to have an observation or some analysis that you hold back until the conclusion to make your essay stand out.
If writing about a historical figure, sum up their achievements and have some observations/analysis about their legacy.
To finish off the conclusion, you'll offer a broader perspective by providing a 'look to the future'. You might touch on the implications of your research, future directions for the research or potential outcomes based on the essay's arguments. This lends the conclusion a sense of closure and completeness and offers the reader something to reflect on.
As a rule of thumb, your conclusion should be 10% of the total word count for the extended essay.
In this section you'll:
Restate your main argument (revisit your aims)
Summarise your key points
State if your opinion has changed or if the information will change your future actions
Clarify your own position
Identify or list the evidence from your sources (brief mention only)
Combine your key points - show how they relate to each other
State if you have any unresolved questions
Suggest further potential areas of historical research for the topic
Reflect, offer broader perspective to conclude essay
Avoid including any new information
Remember, the first draft is just the beginning - there’s no need to aim for perfection from the start. It’s an opportunity to flesh out your ideas and see how they fit together. Seek feedback from your teacher when you’ve completed your first draft - their guidance is essential.
Refine the content of your extended essay
Review your essay to see if your arguments make sense and are well supported. Your introduction and conclusion will change depending on how you reshape the main body of your essay. Refine your extended essay until it clearly and effectively communicates your argument.
Check the title matches the essay content
Where you have included a date in your title make sure the date(s) suits the content of the essay. For example, if your draft title said ‘1945–46’, but you have a good deal of information relating to the years 1940–44 and/or 1946– 49, use ‘the 1940s’ in the title instead.
Make sure the title of your research study report suits the content of your essay:
Keep the title if you are satisfied that the content of your essay matches the title
Change the title if you have included extra information which does not fit the exact title you started with
Spelling, punctuation and grammar
You'll lose marks if you make spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes in your report. Use the spell check function in the Word document or check the Word template for red wavy lines that appear under words to highlight them - there may be an issue that needs to be corrected. Right click on the underlined word and view the word(s) suggested - select the correct one if it fixes an error.
Watch out for UK vs U.S. spellings - characterises vs characterizes, behaviour vs behavior for example. Change the settings in Word to UK/Irish English and it will highlight US spellings for you.
Remember to capitalise proper nouns - i.e. the name of a particular person, place, or object. Examples are Seán, Paris, and the White House. Make sure that people's names are spelled consistently throughout your report.
Make sure you’re using the correct spelling of words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. (Remember that for academic essays you should avoid using contractions like it's, they're and you're where possible - you should use it is, they are and you are instead).
There are three main ways to add the information you note down from your sources into your extended essay: direct quotation, summarising or paraphrasing. Click on each tab to find out more.
With direct quotation you take a section word-for-word from one of your sources and add it to your essay i.e. For a time, Lester was known as the 'man with the most dangerous job in the world.'
Also remember:
EXAMPLE
Original text:
The 'Leipzig incident' served as a catalyst for the Nazi factions in Danzig, encompassing both the party members and the senate, to vehemently criticise Lester. They accused him of acting as a spokesperson for the democratic opposition and of intruding in the internal affairs of Danzig. This reaction suggests a heightened sensitivity to external commentary or intervention, particularly from figures perceived as supporting democratic ideals contrary to Nazi ideology. It also reflects the strained political atmosphere of the time, where any external critique or involvement was met with aggressive rhetoric and accusations of meddling in sovereign matters.
Summary
The 'Leipzig incident' led to Nazis in Danzig accusing Lester of speaking for their political opponents and interfering in Danzig's own matters.
When you paraphrase you:
To paraphrase effectively:
EXAMPLE
Original text:
‘The Leipzig incident’ was also the signal for the Danzig Nazis, both party and senate, to unleash a tirade of abuse against Lester, accusing him of being a mouthpiece for the democratic opposition as well as ‘meddling in Danzig's internal affairs’.
Paraphrased text:
The Leipzig incident served as a trigger for the Nazi party and government in Danzig to strongly criticise Lester. They charged him with being a spokesperson for those opposed to their views and with interfering in the internal matters of Danzig.
It's useful to follow a referencing style like Harvard or APA when referencing your sources (i.e. giving the important details about the sources). Follow the guidelines for that style to format (lay out) your references consistently and correctly. It's best to use the referencing style advised by your teacher - they'll be able to share a style guide that will help you format the references.
See Class 5 slides 6-14 for more information or click on the APA or Harvard tabs to check how to format references in those styles. Contact your project support team member if you're unsure about how to format the reference for a particular source.
Here are examples of what the references (source details) for a book, a journal article and a website look like in APA style. Follow the layout of the examples given below to format your references correctly in the sources to be consulted section of your outline plan. In your list of sources to be consulted, the references should be laid out alphabetically by author (see sample list below).
Printed Book: Author. (Year of publication). Title (Edition number if it is not the first edition). Publisher.
Example: McNamara, P. (2009). Sean Lester, Poland and the Nazi Takeover of Danzig. Irish Academic Press.
Journal article: Author(s). (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of journal, Volume number(Issue), Page numbers. URL or https://doi.org/
Example: Keown, G. (2012). Seán Lester: Journalist, Revolutionary, Diplomat, Statesman. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 23(2012), 143-154. https://doi.org/10.3318/ISIA.2012.23.143
Website: Author. (Date the web page was published/last updated). Title of webpage. Website name. https://doi.org/ or URL
Example: Lester, S. (2024). Seán Lester Diaries 1935-1942. Europeana. https://www.europeana.eu/en/search?page=1&view=grid&query=sean%20lester%20diary
Sources to be consulted list (laid out A-Z by author):
1. Keown, G. (2012). Seán Lester: Journalist, Revolutionary, Diplomat, Statesman. Irish Studies in International Affairs, 23(2012), 143-154. https://doi.org/10.3318/ISIA.2012.23.143
2. Lester, S. (2024). Seán Lester Diaries 1935-1942. Europeana. https://www.europeana.eu/en/search?page=1&view=grid&query=sean%20lester%20diary
3. McNamara, P. (2009). Sean Lester, Poland and the Nazi Takeover of Danzig. Irish Academic Press.
Here are examples of what the references (source details) for a book, a journal article and a website look like in Harvard style. Follow the layout of the examples given below to format your references correctly in the sources to be consulted section of your outline plan. In your list of sources, the references should be laid out alphabetically by author (see sample list below).
Book: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) Title. Edition. Place of publication: Publisher. Series and volume number if relevant.
Example: McNamara, P. (2009) Sean Lester, Poland and the Nazi Takeover of Danzig. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
Journal article: Surname, Initial. (Year of publication) 'Title of article', Title of Journal, Issue information, Page range. Available at: DOI
Example: Keown, G. (2012) ‘Seán Lester: Journalist, Revolutionary, Diplomat, Statesman’, Irish Studies in International Affairs, 23(2012), pp. 143-154. Available at 10.3318/ISIA.2012.23.143
Website: Surname, Initial. (Year that the site was published/last updated) Title of website. Available at: URL (Accessed: date).
Example: Lester, S. (2024) Europeana: Seán Lester Diaries 1935-1942. Available at https://www.europeana.eu/en/search?page=1&view=grid&query=sean%20lester%20diary (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
Sources to be consulted list (laid out A-Z by author):
1. Keown, G. (2012) ‘Seán Lester: Journalist, Revolutionary, Diplomat, Statesman’, Irish Studies in International Affairs, 23(2012), pp. 143-154. Available at 10.3318/ISIA.2012.23.143
2. Lester, S. (2024) Europeana: Seán Lester Diaries 1935-1942. Available at https://www.europeana.eu/en/Seánlesterdiary (Accessed: 4 December 2024).
3. McNamara, P. (2009) Sean Lester, Poland and the Nazi Takeover of Danzig. Dublin: Irish Academic Press.
All project participants can get dedicated support from a member of the project team. Please get in touch with the team member listed for your school below if you have a question, or if you'd like feedback on your research study report.
Dominican College Griffith Avenue
Hayley Brabazon: hayley.brabazon@dcu.ie
St Vincent's Boys Secondary School
Killian Downing: killian.downing@dcu.ie
Trinity Comprehensive Ballymun
Celine Campbell: celine.campbell@dcu.ie