Students can click on the link here, to find a guide for reading one of the textbooks assigned in this course are based: Breisach, Historiography.

42.298  Historiography and Historical Methods

William V. Hudon
Department of History
Bloomsburg University
Office: OSH 105
Telephone: 389-4159
Summer 2007 office hours: M/W/Th 8:00-9:50AM, or by appointment.

e-mail: whudon@bloomu.edu

 

Historiography and Historical Methods

Textbooks:

***ALL ARE REQUIRED***

Ernst Breisach,  Historiography: ancient, medieval and modern, 3rd edition (Chicago:
    University of Chicago Press, 2007).

Mary Lynn Rampolla, A pocket guide to writing in history, 5th edition (Boston:
    Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007). 

Coursepack

Course requirements:

2. Class participation/quizzes. (25% of final grade)  To succeed in this course, not to mention its "sister" course entitled Research and Writing (42.398), you must engage historical materials directly and critically.  We will do so in class, utilizing study questions for each of the major readings in the course.  The discussions in which you must participate will be based upon those questions.  Brief quizzes may be given on the contents of Breisach, if the instructor senses that students are not doing this crucial reading.  Any such quizzes will be unannounced and very brief.  In the event of absence for an unannounced quiz, the quiz can be made up through additional class participation during regular discussion sessions.  There is continuous opportunity to improve this element of the final grade, through steady class participation.  Attendance, reading, preparation and participation are the keys to success in this course.

3. Term papers.  You will write three (3) papers in this course (total = 75% of final grade).  
    Historiographic essay:  One paper will be a 4-5 page historiographic essay.    This paper must argue a THESIS, and sustain that thesis with EVIDENCE from the sources being examined.  The evidence must appear as QUOTATIONS worked into your paragraphs in the form of DIRECT ADDRESS.  In this brief essay, review and explain earlier discussion by professional historians of an historical topic that is of interest to you.   You must review treatment in general works on the broader period you are studying, as well as in sources more directly related to the specific topic.  The essay must outline past and current historical interpretations advanced about the topic.  In order to trace historiography adequately, you will need to analyze approximately 18 to 24 secondary sources for this assignment.  The list should include works covering the general field in which you are working, as well as sources specifically addressing your more narrow historical topic.  Narrow down gradually from broader treatments to your specific focus, tracing the changes in historical interpretation on each matter.  This paper must be meticulously footnoted, indicating where various interpretations are to be found, including specific page numbers in the works of other historians.  Look at the sample historiographic essays on electronic reserve under the instructor's name in Andruss Library ("Historiography Samples 1-4") for ideas on how to set up the paragraphs and footnotes in your essay.  If carefully done, an expanded, revised and improved version of this essay might be usable--even wholly useable--as a portion of your paper for Research and Writing (42.398).  This essay is due on Thursday, 5 July at 12 noon, but early submissions will be gratefully accepted.  Preparation of a preliminary draft and a conference with the instructor about the draft is highly recommended.  (35% of final grade)

    "Locator" projects:  You will locate, identify, and write a brief (2 page) report on primary source collections and/or databases related to your historical interests.  In the report, describe in a detailed fashion, the sort of information that is contained in the sources you have located.  How large is the collection you are looking at?  What years does the collection span?  Who created the collection, and for what purpose?  Also, indicate what research questions might be addressed on the basis of these sources, if carefully analyzed.  Look at the sample locator projects on electronic reserve under the instructor's name in Andruss Library ("Locator 1", and "Locator Samples 2-3").  Information generated in completing this essay can be used in creating the prospectus (see below).  This report is due on Wednesday, 27 June, at 12 noon, but early submissions will be gratefully accepted.  Preparation of a preliminary draft and a conference with the instructor about the draft is highly recommended.  (15% of final grade)  
    
    Research prospectus/proposal:  You will, in a brief (3-5 page) essay, describe several things: the general area of history in which you are working, the specific topic within that field that you plan to investigate, some relevant primary sources related to the field, and the research questions that you hope to answer with these sources, all for a hypothetical research project.  The research questions for this assignment should be more fully developed than those identified in the locator project.  The questions can become more specific only as you, the researcher, become more familiar with the sources.  This is an essay, so it must be written in paragraph form.  A working bibliography, divided into primary source/secondary source sections, must be attached.  Look at the sample prospectus submissions on electronic reserve under the instructor's name in Andruss Library ("Prospectus Samples 1-2") as you prepare to put this essay together.  If carefully done, a revised and improved version of this essay might be appropriate for submission in the Research and Writing course (42.398).  This essay is due on Thursday, 5 July, at 12 noon, but early submissions will be gratefully accepted.  Preparation of a preliminary draft and a conference with the instructor about the draft is highly recommended.  (25% of final grade)

All these papers must be written in standard (that is, not bold) 12 point type, with one inch margins all around.  The papers must all have title pages in the standard form, and be secured with a STAPLE in the upper left-hand corner.  Pages must be numbered.  Additional written instructions applicable to paragraph organization and use of quotations in these and in other college-level papers are available by clicking on TERM PAPER GUIDE here, or by locating the hot link on my main page (http://facstaff.bloomu.edu/hudon).   Please note that this guide is really designed for the 3 page primary source analyses required in my survey courses, so the instructions are not all directly applicable to projects in Historiography and Historical Methods.  See the instructor with any and all specific questions concerning written materials generated for this course.

Course outline and assignments:

Introduction
    29 May
    ---Review of syllabus, understanding "historiography," "Fatal Triangle" article.

Unit 1: Understanding historiography: change in historical interpretations over time; initial steps in historical research.
    30 May--19 June
    ---Discussion of chapters in Breisach, Historiography, utilizing the questions on the study guide.  Come with written responses to those questions, so that you can participate effectively.  During a portion of each of these classes, we will review basic steps in the research process so that you
can get started on your projects.  Among those topics are Library of Congress Subject Headings, library catalog searching, J-Stor, hunting primary historical sources, hunting secondary historical sources, reading secondary sources critically. 

Unit 2: Historical research methods: archival research.
    20--21 June
    ---Go with your group, either on 20 or  21 June, to the University Archives (3rd floor, Andruss Library) to meet with Mr. Dunkelberger, the Bloomsburg University Archivist.  He will provide an introduction to the use of archives in historical research, and an introduction to the holdings of the Bloomsburg University archives, which you can use in your research for this and other courses.

Unit 3: Writing for this course...the historiographic essay and the prospectus.
    25, 26 June.  Writing the historiographic essay and the prospectus/research proposal.  Bring copies of the samples on electronic reserve, as well as your copy of Rampolla, Pocket guide.  These sessions will be abbreviated (ending at 10:45).
   
Unit 4: Independent instruction in historical research methods and writing
    27, 28 June--2, 3 July
    ---No class meetings...independent research days.  Locator project due on Wednesday, 27 June at 12 Noon (via hard copy in the instructor's office, OR as a Microsoft Word attachment to an e-mail message).
    ---Make appointments to see the instructor privately for help with writing projects. 
    ---Professional quality writing is created only through the process of drafting, redrafting, and polishing (then re-polishing) written materials.  Use the days in this unit to get this done for your historiographic essay and for your prospectus.  The process requires two basic things on the part of the author: soliciting advice, and lots of hard work.  Come to me for the advice, always bringing the current draft of the assignment about which you need advice.  Beyond that, you do the work.

    **Prospectus and Historiographic essay are due on Thursday, 5 July at 12 noon.**

***NOTE: While I do not anticipate any circumstances that would necessitate alteration of this syllabus, all due dates and assignments listed here are subject to change.  Any necessary changes will be announced in class and appropriate adjustments will be made to the webpage syllabus, which is the "official" version.  The official, webpage version supercedes any printed copy.***

Letter and number grade equivalents:

A = 92 and higher; A- = 89-91; B+ = 85-88; B = 81-84; B- =78-80;  C+=74-77; C=70-73; C- =67-69; D =60-66; E =59 and below.

Statement on plagiarism:
    Plagiarism, whether accidental or deliberate, is defined in this class as follows.  "Exact word plagiarism": using three or more words of another author in succession, excluding proper nouns.  "Parallel plagiarism": setting up sentences in a paragraph, or even in one sentence alone, where the structure and/or content, and/or ideas there expressed parallel the structure, content, and ideas in the work of another author.  Neither of these forms of plagiarism, whether created deliberately or accidentally, will be tolerated in this class.  If plagiarism is detected, a grade of E for the assignment--or for the course--shall be issued at the discretion of the instructor.  Fabrication of evidence and other forms of academic dishonesty will be treated in an identical fashion.  (See the Academic Integrity Policy in The Pilot, the Bloomsburg University student handbook.)

Statement on classroom behavior:
    Disruptive classroom behavior will not be tolerated.  Such behaviors are defined as 1.) verbal, physical, or psychological threats, harassment, and physical violence; 2.) refusal to comply with reasonable directions from the instructor; 3.) repeatedly arriving after class has begun or leaving class early; 4.) distractive talking, including speaking out of turn or monopolizing discussion; 5.) use of any electronic device not related to class during the class period; 6.) use of an electronic device related to class but in a manner that restricts discussion/learning; 7.) use of alcohol, tobacco products, or controlled substances.  If any such behaviors take place in class, the disruptive student will be asked to leave and not allowed to return until the matter is adjudicated through the Office of Student Standards.