Coursework Checklist (AQA A-Level History): Revision Notes

Coursework Checklist

This checklist provides comprehensive guidance for completing your A-Level History NEA (Non-Exam Assessment). Use it to review your work systematically before final submission, ensuring you meet all assessment requirements.

Basic presentation and formatting

Your coursework must meet these core requirements from the outset.

• Ensure your correctly worded historical question appears clearly at the top of your work.
• Include your full name and candidate number.
• Display your total word count at the end of your essay (must fall within the permitted range).

Introduction

Your introduction sets the foundation for the entire investigation and must demonstrate clarity from the start.

• Address the question directly and explicitly in your opening paragraphs.
• State your main line of argument clearly so that readers immediately understand your overall position (your ATQ - Answer To Question).
• Make your stance crystal clear rather than leaving readers guessing about your viewpoint.
• Signpost the main points of discussion that will follow. This means briefly outlining the key factors or themes you will examine, giving your reader a roadmap of your argument's direction.

Structure and flow

The overall organisation of your essay significantly affects how convincingly you present your argument.

Construct your essay so it flows logically throughout. This can follow either a chronological approach (moving through time periods systematically) or an argumentative structure (organising by themes or factors). The crucial test is whether the order of your arguments works to support your overall position effectively.

Avoid awkward placement of material. For instance, ensure content flows naturally rather than inserting discussions in illogical places (such as placing analysis of later events before establishing earlier context).

Paragraphs and linking

Each paragraph should function as a building block in your overall argument.

• Lead each paragraph with an excellent key point that clearly advances your argument.
• Every new section, paragraph, or main factor must link back explicitly to your overall argument.
• If you have identified a "named factor" (a central theme or cause you are examining), ensure this factor is reiterated in every section.

Maintain clear connections between paragraphs so your argument builds progressively rather than feeling like disconnected observations.

Evidence and referencing

Precise, properly referenced evidence is essential for historical credibility.

• Use specific quotes and statistics from your sources rather than vague references to "historians" or "arguments." Reference all evidence consistently and in the correct format throughout your work.
• Pay attention to referencing placement. Insert references at the end of sentences or before commas, not at random points within sentences. This maintains readability whilst properly attributing information.
• Ensure your evidence is precise, accurate, and relevant to the specific point you are making. Where possible, add dates to provide temporal context and demonstrate your chronological understanding.

Source analysis (AO2)

You must analyse three primary sources in depth. This section covers the key requirements for source work.

Source selection and variety

Choose three sources that cover a variety of types. Select from different categories such as speeches, paintings, letters, poems, cartoons, or other primary materials.

Time period coverage

Your sources must cover the 100-year period generally. For example, if your question focuses on 1815-1914, ensure your sources hit various parts of this period rather than clustering in one narrow timeframe. This demonstrates your investigation spans the required chronological range and avoids being too narrow or overly focused on a single era.

Linking to the overall question

Begin each source analysis with a clear link to your overall question. Use formulations such as: "One source which valuably demonstrates/illustrates/encapsulates the role of [insert named factor]..." This immediately shows how the source contributes to answering your central question.

Consistently link every point you make back to the value of the source for your investigation. Don't just describe what the source says; explain why it matters for answering your question.

Analytical framework

Analyse each source by covering these key aspects:

1. Content: What does the source actually say or show?
2. Purpose: Why was this source created? What was it meant to achieve?
3. Tone: What is the attitude or emotional quality of the source?
4. Audience: Who was the intended audience? How might this affect the content?
5. Provenance: Who created it, when, and in what context?

This approach demonstrates sophisticated source analysis rather than superficial description.

Limitations

Your analysis of each source must include a relevant limitation. Identify what the source cannot tell you, or how its context, creator, or purpose might limit its usefulness for your investigation. This shows critical evaluation rather than uncritical acceptance of source evidence.

Perspectives and chronology

Ensure your three chosen sources represent both different national perspectives and come from different chronological periods within your overall timeframe. This demonstrates breadth of analysis and prevents your investigation from being one-sided or temporally narrow.

Historiographical analysis (AO3)

You must analyse two historians' interpretations in depth, examining not just what they argue but how they construct their arguments.

Linking to the question and factor

Link your analysis of both historians explicitly to your chosen question or factor. Explain how their arguments relate to your overall investigation. Don't just describe what historians say; connect their interpretations to your central question.

Analysing convincingness

Focus on how convincing the historians' arguments are. Explain why their arguments might be persuasive or not, backing up your evaluation with your own knowledge. Avoid simply accepting their conclusions; demonstrate critical engagement with their work.

Content and methodology

Analyse both:

1. the content of the historians' arguments (what they claim) and
2. their methodology (how they construct their arguments and what evidence they use).

This demonstrates understanding of historiography as both interpretation and method.

Provide specific examples by examining their use of secondary sources and looking through their bibliography. Reference actual evidence of their research base and scholarly approach.

Historic context

Develop a critique of the historic context in which each historian was writing. Consider how the time period when they wrote might have influenced their interpretation. This demonstrates sophisticated understanding that all historical writing is itself historically situated

Conclusion

Your conclusion must bring your investigation to a clear and analytical close.

• Clearly reiterate your overall judgement in response to the question.
• Fully explain your final judgement, showing how the evidence and arguments you have presented lead to your conclusion.
• Ensure the conclusion is sufficiently analytical. Link other arguments discussed throughout your essay back into your main factor or argument, showing how everything connects to your overall position.

Bibliography

Proper bibliographic presentation demonstrates academic rigour and allows others to verify your sources.

• Display your bibliography clearly on a new page separate from your main text.
• Create a separate appendix for your three AO2 sources and another for your two AO3 historians. This organization makes it easy for markers to identify your key sources.
• Arrange your bibliography alphabetically by author surname.
• Use the correct formatting for different source types (books, articles, online sources, etc.).
• Include a sufficient range of sources to demonstrate the breadth of your research.

Remember!