HIST 204 - Introduction to Historical Methods

3 Credits: (3 lecture)

Course Description
This course offers students the opportunity to become historical detectives and produce an original scholarly work.  Students will learn to distinguish between evidence and interpretation (primary and secondary sources), work with local materials and organizations, on-line archival materials, and learn how to evaluate other historians’ interpretations of the past. In addition, students will study various historical philosophies, historiography, possible careers, and the skills central for history majors. 

Prerequisite ENGL 101

Rampolla, M. L. (2021 ). A pocket guide to writing in history. 10th ed. Macmillan.

Objectives
The student will be able to:

A. Identify different approaches to historical study.

B. Evaluate a historical argument for its use of evidence and possible biases.

C. Demonstrate an understanding of significant historical trends, historiography, jobs in the field of history, and the responsibility of the historian.

D. Examine ethical problems and historical data from a variety of social and professional perspectives and interpretations via the use of primary and secondary sources.

E. Produce an original written and presented work of historical scholarship, based upon a variety of resources including primary and secondary sources.

F. Utilize a variety of historical resources such as databases, archives, local organizations, primary and secondary sources.

G. Utilize the professional standards of historical scholarship including research methods, documentation of sources, proper use of quotations and paraphrases, and acceptable evidence based writing.

H. Cite sources properly following the Chicago Manual of Style for footnotes and/or endnotes and bibliographies.

Content
A. Past and present historical interpretations and theories

B. Approaches to critically reading, writing about, and analyzing historical sources and works

C. Historical sources- primary and secondary sources, print and visual, multimedia and artifacts

D. Locating and navigating sources including local archives, historical societies and locations, online databases and archives, oral histories, the internet, and government organizations

E. Producing and presenting a work of original research based on local history

F. Careers in history and expectations of the professional historian

G. Chicago Manual of Style including use of bibliographies, footnotes, and the proper usage of quotations

Student Evaluation
Objectives A-D: quizzes, exams, and written assignments

Objectives E-H: an original research project utilizing a variety of primary and secondary sources as well as local historical resourcesBibliography
Ancestry Library Edition

Booth, W. C., Colomb, G. G., Williams, J. M., Bizup, J., & FitzGerald, W. T. (2016). The craft of research. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Fold3 Library Edition

Frakes, R. (2004). Writing for College History: Houghton Mifflin.

MacMillan, M. (2010). Dangerous games: the uses and abuses of history. New York: Modern Library.

Salevouris, M. (2015). The methods and skills of history: a practical guide, 4th ed: Wiley-Blackwell.

Turabian, K. (2020). Manual for writers of research papers, theses, and dissertations: chicago style for students and researchers: University of Chicago Press.