Historical
Methods Course Description: This
course will demonstrate the research and writing methods utilized by
professional historians, as well as introducing students to some of the
most important methodologies currently shaping academic history.
Through a series of readings, discussions, and exercises, students will
gain a more systematic understanding of how to frame a historical
question, how to research that question using primary and secondary
sources, and how to organize the material into a publishable paper for
a peer-reviewed journal. In addition, other areas of concern to the
professional historian will be addressed, including how to write a book
review, how to organize a conference panel, and how the profession of
academic history has developed since the nineteenth century.
Course Objectives: The objective of this class is to develop in students the skills necessary for advanced historical research. By the end of the course, students will be able to identify the underlying methodologies of other historian’s work, and to more systematically develop a coherent methodological approach in their own writing. Furthermore, students will be able to understand and engage with the theoretical and methodological major debates that continue to shape the profession. Course Requirements:
Students are required to produce an original research paper on a topic
of their choosing, as approved by the instructor, of between twenty and
thirty pages in length. The paper should be based on original research
in primary sources, and be suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed
academic journal. Students are required to attend and participate in
each class discussion. All required materials should be read before
that week’s class, and students should come to class prepared to pose
specific questions raised by that week’s readings. In addition,
students are required to complete an original book review, an annotated
bibliography, a journal article outline, an outline of their research
paper, an abstract of their research paper, and a written critique of a
fellow student’s work. Deadlines for this work, and the percentages
they represent of the student’s final grade, are given below. Required Books for All Students: David H.
Fischer, Historians’ Fallacies (Harper Trade, 1970) Lynn A. Hunt, ed., The New
Cultural History (Univ. of California Press, 1989)
David Cannadine,
ed., What is History Now? (Palgrave
Macmillan, 2004) Bonnie G. Smith, The Gender of
History: Men, Women, and Historical Practice ( Michel Foucault,
Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison
(Alfred A. Knoph, 1995)
Peter Novick, That Noble Dream:
The 'Objectivity Question' and the
American Historical Profession (Cambridge Univ. Press,
1988) Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of
Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Univ. of Chicago
Press, 1996)
Reserve
Grading: Annotated Bibliography, Journal Article
Outline, Paper Outline and Abstract, Book Review, and Peer Critique:
25% Research Paper: 50% Grade Scale: Attendance and Discussion Participation: All students are required to attend and participate in each class meeting, and come prepared to raise specific questions about the readings for that week. Annotated Bibliography, Journal Article Outline, Paper Outline and Abstract, Book Review, and Peer Critique: Each of these smaller assignments will be discussed in greater detail as its due date approaches. Most are designed to ensure that students make steady progress towards the completion of their research paper. For this reason it is necessary that they be turned in on time to receive full credit. Research Paper: The
research paper should be based on original research for this class, but
written within the student’s area of historical specialization. It
should conform to the length and citation style of the student’s target
journal for publication, and be between twenty and thirty pages in
length, excluding bibliography. The paper will be evaluated on the
accuracy and originality of the argument, the structural coherence and
overall unity of paper, and the accuracy of the mechanical execution of
the paper. Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act should follow these steps: 1) Provide documentation of your disability
to the 108 Student Services Building, attached to Parking Garage #2, telephone: 644-9566; e-mail: website: from FSU home page, go to Current Students and then to Student Life and Resources. 2) Bring a statement from the - - - Week by Week Schedule for the Class - - - Week
One: Introductory Meeting Tuesday,
August 29 –
Discussion of the Online Discussion of
how to locate finding aids in your field –
Tour of Special Collections in Strozier ( Online Chapter One: The
Sources: The Basis of Our Knowledge of the Past (pp. 17-42) Research
Bibliography (pp. 151-195) Simon Shama,
“Clio has a Problem,” New York Times Magazine, (find this on
your own, any format is acceptable) Week
Two: Discussion of Historians’ Fallacies Tuesday,
September 5 – Due in Class: One to two
pages where you identify the following: What is your
field?
What are the major journals in your field?
What are the primary finding aids in your field?
What is available in Strozier?
Are their resources in other nearby libraries? (UF, the
Library of Congress)
What do other authors in your field use as sources? (look
at bibliographies)
Week
Three: Thinking About Sources Tuesday,
September 12 – Due in Class: One paragraph
describing your paper topic Annotated List
of other major authors who have written on your topic Brief description of your strategy for setting your work apart from theirs
(if possible – I realize this may be difficult for some at
this stage)
Examples: In use of primary sources
Alterations in related fields with implications for your
topic
Aspect of the topic not yet addressed by other historians Identify your three
target journals as possible sources for publication
(ranked as best, mid-range, and ‘safe’) Locate and photocopy
their submissions criteria in the journal
Demonstration of Online Primary Sources and Finding Aids
- The National Archive
- Old Bailey Online
- National Register of Archives
Online
Anthony Brundage,
Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and Writing
(Harlan Davidson, 2002), pp. 29-67
Chapter Three: Finding Your Sources: The Library Catalog
and Beyond Ronald Fritze,
et. al., Reference Sources in History: An Introductory
Guide ( Univ. Press,
1990) Chapters One and
Two (pp. 3-57) Week
Four: The New Cultural History Tuesday,
September 19 – Week
Five: Sources and Structure
Tuesday, September 26 – Due in Class: Annotated
Bibliography primary and secondary sources for your paper. Annotations
need not be long, but they should indicate the contribution that each
source, or group of sources, will make to your paper. Online Brundage, Going to the Sources, pp. 68-86. Chapter 5,
Engaging with Primary Sources: The Research Paper. Wayne Booth, The Craft of
Research, pp. 183-238. Chapter 12,
Planning and Drafting Chapter 13,
Revising Your Original Argument Chapter 14,
Introductions and Conclusions Howell and Prevenier,
From Reliable Sources, pp. 43-87.
Chapter 2: Technical Analysis of Sources Week
Six: What is History Now? Tuesday,
October 3 – Week
Seven: The Structure of an Article Tuesday,
October 10 – Due in Class: Diagram of two
Articles: Pick two articles from your target journals and map out what
each paragraph of that article does. What role does each paragraph play
in advancing the overall argument? When condensed down, is there a
pattern or overall flow that is more readily apparent? Online William Kelleher Storey, Writing History, pp. 59- 107
Antoinette Burton, Archive
Stories, pp. 27-44, 159-183.
Durba Ghosh,
“National Narratives and the Politics of Miscegenation”
Jennifer Milligan, “‘What is an Archive?’ In the History
of Modern Week
Eight: The Gender of History Tuesday,
October 17 – Week
Nine: Issues in the Profession Tuesday,
October 24 – Due in Class: Outline of
Research Paper, and a one-Page Abstract of your paper, with the thesis
statement in bold. Also, everyone should bring in a complete
Call for Papers and submission guidelines for a conference relevant to
your field. There will be an in-class discussion of what makes a good
panel for an academic conference, and how to group papers and write a
panel abstract. Online Allan Wolfe, “The Solemn Responsibilities of
Book Reviewing,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, Below all available on JSTOR,
in the March 2004 issue of The Journal of
American History Elliott J. Gorn,
"The Historians' Dilemma." Richard Wightman Fox, "A Heartbreaking
Problem of Staggering Proportions." Joyce
Seltzer, "Honest History." Emma J. Lapsansky,
"An Honor System for Historians?" Michael Grossberg,
"Plagiarism and Professional Ethics--A Journal Editor's View."
Week
Ten: The Uses of Theory Tuesday, October 31 – Due in Class: Book Review
of Discipline and Punish Week
Eleven: That Noble Dream, First Discussion Tuesday,
November 7 – Week
Twelve: No Class- Individual Meetings - Tuesday, November 14 –
Meeting Time: _______________________________ Week
Thirteen: That Noble Dream, Second Discussion Tuesday, November 21 – DUE IN CLASS: First six papers
due in class “AHR Forum: Peter Novick’s
That Noble Dream” with articles by Hexter, Gordon, Hollinger, Megill,
Novick, and Ross, American
Historical Review 96 (June 1991): 675-708. (available
on JSTOR) Week
Fourteen: Peer Critique Tuesday, November 28 – DUE IN CLASS: Second six papers
due in class Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Week
Fifteen: Peer Critique Tuesday,
December 5 – Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________ Paper: ____________________________ Commentator: _______________________
Back
to the topic home page
|