Course Description:
This seminar examines historical methods, techniques and sources relevant to graduate level research in History. Students will learn about research methods, research project design, historiography and theory, and strategies for locating and working with various types of sources. The major assignment for the course is a research proposal for their major research paper or thesis.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this course, students will:
- develop a research proposal that will underpin their major research paper or thesis.
- gain increased understanding of the concept of historiography and how to situate their own research in relation to existing debates in the scholarly literature.
- develop advanced skills in locating and analyzing various types of primary sources used by historians.
- develop their skills in framing core research questions and historical research projects.
- develop presentation skills through class participation, and presentation of their research proposals and other elements of their research.
Methods of Evaluation and Weights:
- Scholar of Significance paper - 10%
- Monograph X-Ray - 10%
- Archival Trip Planning Assignment - 10%
- Primary Source Assessment - 15%
- MRP/Thesis Proposal - 30%
- Participation and Engagement - 25%
Texts and/or Resources Required:
- Zachary M. Schrag, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021)
- Ian Milligan, The Transformation of Historical Research in the Digital Age (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022) ** Open access, downloadable for free.
- other readings, such as articles and book chapters, will be available through ARES and Courselink.
- this course will also use an emergent design for the selection of some readings. Many of the texts for this course will be selected by students, in connection with their particular MRP or thesis projects.
*Please note: This is a preliminary web course description only. The department reserves the right to change without notice any information in this description. The final, binding course outline will be distributed in the first class of the semester.
**Please login to WebAdvisor, once the course schedule goes live, for instructor and room information.
