HISTORY 240: PRIMARY SOURCES IN HISTORY

UW-Marathon County

Spring 2003

Brett Barker, Ph. D.

Class: TR 2:30-3:45     Room 192

Contact Information:

Office: 330                                           Office Hours: TR 11:00-12:00 and by appointment

E-mail: bbarker@uwc.edu                    Telephone: 261-6250

Course Objectives:

            This course examines primary sources, and how historians use them. Its aim is to give students a basic understanding of primary sources, and the role they play in historical research. By the end of the semester, students should have gained specific knowledge and skills in the following areas:

Knowledge: a demonstrated understanding of the following:

--what a primary source is, and how it differs from a secondary source

--the different types of textual and non-textual primary sources, and the specific uses and problems associated with each type

--the nature of historical research, and the specific challenges faced by historical researchers

Skills: success in this course will also require demonstration of the following:

--the ability to choose a research topic, find out what has previously been written on that topic, and discover what primary sources are available to research the topic

--the ability to create a bibliography of secondary sources on a topic

--the ability to frame a research question about your topic

--the ability to read primary sources critically

--the ability to place primary sources in their historical context

--the ability to produce a research paper that analyzes a set of primary sources to answer a research question 

Attendance: You must attend class. Discussion of your research and the problems you encounter is an integral part of the course, as is listening to other students’ progress reports and offering constructive criticism. Experiencing the process of historical research, and discussing the process with other students and the instructor, is as important to your success in this class as the final research paper you will produce.

Text (required):

Mike Palmquist, The Bedford Researcher

Class Meetings, Readings, and Assignments Schedule:

Week of           Topic                                       Bed. Res.          Assignments

Jan. 21             Introduction                              1         

Jan. 28             Choosing a Topic                     2

Feb. 4              Finding Sources                        5-6                   Research Proposal

Feb. 11            Managing a Project                   4

Feb. 18            Secondary Sources                                           Description of Sources

Feb. 25            Research Question/Internet       3                      Bibliography

Mar. 4              Progress Reports                                              Research Question

Mar. 11            Primary Sources: Analysis         8

Mar. 18            Spring Break                            7

Mar. 25            Primary Sources: Types            9         

Apr. 1              Primary Sources: Transcribing

                         and Incorporating                    10, 13

Apr. 8              Documentation and Citation      11, 16, 19        Outline

Apr. 15            Writing a Research Paper         12

Apr. 22            Revising                                    14                    Rough Draft

Apr. 29            Final Reports                           

May 6              Final Reports                                                    Final Paper

Grading:

20%     Attendance, Participation, and Oral Reports

20%     Progress Assignments (Proposal, Sources, Bibliography, Question, Outline)

10%     Other Written Assignments (Exercises, Bedford Researcher activities)

10%     Research Notebook

10%     Rough Draft

30%     Final Paper

Research Notebook:

Each student will keep a research notebook. It must be bound, not loose leaf, and contain a written record of the research process. Sources, contacts, ideas, and research data should all be kept in it. By looking at it, the instructor should be able to recreate the research process. When you turn it in with your final paper, it should constitute the equivalent of “showing your work” in a math class.

Other Assignments:

During the course of the semester, you will receive handouts about the other assignments listed on the syllabus.