A process paper is a document explaining how you put together your NHD project. It has a 500 word limit (NOT including your the title page or annotated bibliography).

 

The structure of your process paper includes the following:​

 

Paragraph 1: How and why did you choose your project? This is the section where you describe and explain your topic. DO NOT introduce yourself in this section!!

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Paragraph 2: How did you conduct your research? This is the section where you explain how/where you gathered most of your research, and describe two to three of your most important sources, and how they helped you. If another person (like a teacher) helped you, feel free to describe how they helped you in this section. If you held an interview, describe it here.

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Paragraph 3: How did you create your project? This is the section where you describe how you chose your category (exhibit, documentary, etc.). How did your topic fit one category better than another? Did you have a bias towards any category/did you feel more comfortable creating one category over another?

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Paragraph 4: What is your historical argument? This is the section where you describe your CONNECTION TO THE THEME!!! This is the most important paragraph of your paper, and the one that the judges read prior to viewing your project. It shows the importance of your topic and how it relates to the theme.

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Paragraph 5: In what ways is your topic significant in history? This is the section where you describe the importance of your topic, and how it connects to a specific group of people or part of the world. It should describe your topic's long-time influence on the world.