This course is an introduction to the discipline of history and a survey of research methodology as employed by historians. Unlike other undergraduate courses in the history curriculum, it is not a study of the past. Instead, it is the study of the philosophy of history, investigative techniques, and the mechanics of historical research. This course will also provide an introduction to American historiography, namely the systematic study of the major historians of the United States and their work. As well, this course will provide a research practicum during which students will be able to employ the material they are surveying as part of a project, the topics of which will be of their choice within the limits of the course. It is anticipated that this course will be of great usefulness to those who wish to teach history at any level or those who aspire to graduate study in any discipline, but especially in history, political science, or law. It will also provide techniques of research and expression useful in business and employment after the B.A.  

Students will gain an understanding of the following skills: historical research in primary documents and secondary sources, proper note-taking and research skills, organization of materia, and the methods of writing a seminar paper. They will also gain an understanding of the schools of historiographical interpretation employed by historians of the United States.
 
 

Students may take this course under only by permission of Instructor. For that reason, the requirements of the course assume a relatively high degree of self direction and motivation on the part of the individual student. There will be only fourteen meetings of the seminar during the semester, with the majority of each meeting devoted to discussion, dialogue, and participation by each class member. Hence, much of the grade as an evaluation of the student's performance will be based upon the assessment made by the instructor. On at least four occasions, students will be asked to deliver oral reports on special topics and subjects. They will be expected at all times to be prepared for class and participate in seminar discussions. In addition, there will be one formal examination over the content of the course and a 20 page term paper which will be the graded part of the research practice. It is anticipated that weekly participation in the seminar, the grade on the examination, and the research practice will each compose approximately one third of the final grade. Graduate students will undertake a special, additional project of their choice in consultation with the instructor.

Carr. What is History.Vintage Books. 1961
Mark T. Gilderhus. History and Historians: A Historiographical Introduction. Prenice Hall. 2003.

Students will also be consulting the following, which they may secure at many places or online:
Turabian. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Disseratations. Chicago. Numerouse editions.
  

The Seminar will be oriented around three units of the course. They are as follows:

Unit I: This Discipline of History -- This will include meetings 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Unit II: The Historiography of the United States -- This will include meetings 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Unit III: Research Practicum and Historical Methods -- This will include meetings 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14.

A more complete delineation of these units, along with the reading assignments, may be seen below:

UNIT I

Meeting 1 Sept 3 "The Discipline of History"
    1. Course Introduction
    2. Aids to Finding
    3. Research Topics

Meeting 2, Sep 10. "The Philosophy of History"
    1. What is History?
    2. What is Historiography?
       

Meeting 3, Sep 17. "Historical Research and Evaluation"
    1. Use of Sources
    2. Basic Mechanics 

Meeting 4, Sep 24. "Methods of Expression and Conventions"
    1. Introduction of Historical Interpretation
    2. Research Reports
           

UNIT II

Meeting 5, Oct 1. "U.S. Historical Literature, Part I"
    1. Schools of Historiography
    2. Bibliographic Review and Criticism
   

Meeting 6, Oct 8. "U.S. Historical Literature, Part II"
    1. Bibliographic Review and Criticism
    2. Reports on Historians of Note
 

Meeting 7, Oct 15. "U.S. Historical Literature, Part III"
    1. Bibliographic Review and Criticism
    2. Reports on Historians of Note

Meing 8, Oct 22. Examination
 

UNIT III

Meeting 11, Nov 12. Research Practicum

Meeting 12, Nov 19. Research Practicum

First Draft of Completed Paper due by 5:00 pm on Monday, Nov 28 in my office.

Meeting 13 Dec 3. Presentation of Papers

Meeting 14, Dec 10. Presentation of Papers.

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