HIST 980 Historiographical Research

This is the first course in the doctoral History dissertation sequence. In this course, the student will learn the key research skills to start the research and writing process. The student will also complete chapter 1.

Assigned readings and presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Class Overview.

Discussion: Avoiding Contemporary Pitfalls

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will post one thread of at least 250 words and 2 replies of at least 75 words. For this thread, the student must support his and her assertions with at least 1 scholarly citation and 1 primary source citation in current Turabian format. Each reply must incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current Turabian format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.

Video Discussion: Oral Examination

Video Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. The student will provide a 3–5-minute video thread in response to the provided prompt. The student must appear in the video, which will help the class to get better acquainted with one another. The student must also include a written 5–6-sentence abstract. Cite the scholarship in the written post in current Turabian format. Then, the student will reply to 2 peers’ video threads with written replies Each reply must be a minimum of 100 words and incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current Turabian format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.

Video Discussion: Mock Defense

Video Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. In this Video Discussion, the student will post a video defending his or her dissertation prospectus produced in the course. The student will provide a 8–10-minute video thread in response to the provided prompt. The student must appear in the video, which will help the class to get better acquainted with one another. The student must also include a written 5–6-sentence abstract. Cite the scholarship in the written post in current Turabian format. Then, the student will reply to 2 peers’ video threads with written replies. Each reply must be a minimum of 100 words and incorporate at least 1 scholarly citation in current Turabian format. Any sources cited must have been published within the last five years.

This is the overall research proposal that must be approved before proceeding with the course and the dissertation sequence. This assignment should include: 1) preliminary research statement, including a narrative explanation for major questions to be answered and an analysis of their importance, 2) bibliography of primary and secondary evidence (unannotated), 3) a research plan that explains the location of the primary sources needed to complete the project (archives, digital libraries, museums, etc.), a budget of time and expense to complete the project, and 4) a list of 3 potential directors of this dissertation. The list should be chosen from faculty with whom the student has worked with or think might help guide him or her.

The student will write the prospectus in current Turabian format. Any secondary source consulted for the narrative section should be properly footnoted. Of the roughly 75 entries, at least 15 must be primary sources. 25 must be secondary sources. The non-bibliographic portion of final submission will range from 13 to 17 pages in length. It should NOT exceed 17 pages. (CLO: A, B)

The student will write a critique of what is commonly believed to be the most important scholarly monograph for the proposed dissertation topic, even if only indirectly related. For this review, it is also essential to include differences in interpretation with two other texts. The review should be 2-3 pages in length, not including a title page or citations, and use current Turabian formatting. (CLO: A, D)

The first stage to building the historiographical essay requires that the student re-organize his or her bibliography. The student must know enough about the secondary scholarship and the significance of his or her proposed topic to categorize each entry of his or her bibliography. The student will categorize the scholarship according to methodology, school of interpretation, publishing chronology, and direct or indirect relevance to his or her topic. 

The student will categorize his or her major and minor scholarship according to methodology, interpretive school, chronological publication order, and relevance to his or her research. Once the student’s sources are grouped and ordered, the student will begin adding annotations that summarize the core arguments of each work. These annotations will later form the basis for sections of the Historiographical Essay Assignment.

The student will annotate the remaining categories of scholarly only tangentially related to his or her topic. Tangentially related scholarship likely includes general histories or histories of topics that the student may consult during his or her research. This scholarship assists with analysis, background information, or a larger historical perspective. (CLO: A, B)

The submitted assignment should be lengthy (approximately 4000 words), use proper Turabian citation, and focus on why and how historians change their interpretations about the student’s research topic over time. To assist the student, historiographical essays related to his or her topic may be available in scholarly journals and even on scholarly websites and discussion boards. (CLO: C)

The student will combine revised versions of previous assignments in this course to form the opening chapter of his or her dissertation. The student will write a 25–30-page chapter in current Turabian format. The chapter must provide: 1) an introduction setting the tone, context, and research questions of the dissertation, 2) examination of pertinent historiography relative to the research subject, 3) description of the intended research methodology, 4) and an overview of each intended chapter plus an examination of the major research questions covered in each. (CLO: A, D)

The student will search academic hiring sites. The student must choose a position (even one that expired in a previous year) to which he or she will write the cover letter. (CLO: A, D)

Within the three hour time limit, the student will fully answer the proposed question in a lengthy essay that demonstrates his or her comprehensive knowledge of his or her dissertation field. The quiz will contain 6 short-answer and essay questions.

The student will complete the quiz using supplied information on potential research directors. The quiz contains 6 short answer questions, has no time limit, allows unlimited attempts, and the last attempt will count towards the grade.