Your capstone paper (1,500-2,500 words) should follow the structure of academic historical argument: introduction (research question, thesis, significance), background (necessary context for readers who may not know the topic deeply), argument (your evidence and analysis, organized around the key claims of your thesis), counterargument (the strongest objection to your argument and your response), and conclusion (what your argument means, its limitations, and what further research it opens).

Every empirical claim should be supported by specific evidence with appropriate citation. Every piece of evidence should be connected explicitly to your argument: say not just what the evidence shows but why it matters for your thesis.

Academic historical writing is characterized by precision (exact claims, not approximations), hedging (appropriate qualification when evidence is uncertain), and attribution (crediting sources for ideas as well as for quotations). These conventions exist to make arguments as honest and verifiable as possible.

Revision is not optional. The first draft of a historical argument almost always has structural problems that are invisible until after the writing is complete. Budget time for at least one complete revision cycle after receiving feedback.