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HISTORY
793
Historical
Methods
Allan
M. Winkler
Fall
Term 2002
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INTRODUCTION
This is a course on historical
methods for students pursuing an M.A. degree in History. It teaches a
number of basic skills professional historians need, whether they plan
to be teachers, researchers, archivists, editors, or librarians. These
skills include using both print and electronic finding aids, assembling
evidence, footnoting, editing, interviewing and writing. The course also
provides instruction in other basic skills necessary to succeed both in
graduate school and in the historical profession. These include taking
oral exams, interviewing for jobs, and publishing your work. Finally,
the course explores a variety of career alternatives, such as working
as an archivist or an editor, or a musuem professional that are open to
historians.
REQUIREMENTS
The course meets for one session
each week. Attendance is required. At each meeting, you will be expected
to have read the relevant material for the week. You are expected to purchase
the Chicago Manual of Style, Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb,
& Joseph M. Williams, The Craft of Research, and a course packet
that is available at the Oxford Copy Shop at 10 South Poplar Street. You
will also be expected to turn in the writing assignment for a given week
on Friday of that week, so that I can read and return the papers at the
next Monday meeting. The course syllabus, which details weekly assignments,
can also be found on the World Wide Web at the following address:
http://www.users.muohio.edu/winkleam/hst793.htm
GRADING
This course will be graded,
and final grades will be determined half on the basis of your written
work, half on the basis of your participation in class.
WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS
August 26. Organization
September 3.
Selecting
a Topic & Writing a Prospectus
- (Drew Cayton)
- READING:
Wayne C. Booth, Gregory G. Colomb, & Joseph M. Williams, The Craft
of Research, Part II (all but Chapter 6); 2 prospectus samples,
in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT:
Write a sample prospectus for a possible essay or M.A thesis. Limit:
3 double-spaced pages
- NOTE THAT THIS
IS MONDAY/TUESDAY EXCHANGE DAY, AND MONDAY CLASSES MEET ON TUESDAY
THIS WEEK
September 9.
Introduction to Library Resources
- (Jenny Presnell, Reference
Librarian, King Library) Room 57 King Library
- READING:
Andrew McMichael, Michael O'Malley, and Roy Rosenzweig, "Historians
and the Web: A Guide," and Mark Pitcavage, "History on Usenet: The
People's Forum," and related items that follow, all in packet; Beth
Juhl, "Red, White, and Boolean: Electronic Resources for American
History," in packet. In addition, browse through M. Neil
Browne and Stuart M. Keeley, History on the Internet: Evaluating
Online Resources and History: HITS. on the Web, and Patrick
D. Reagan, History and the Internet: A Guide, which I bring
the preceding week, and which can be passed around.
- ASSIGNMENTS:
Select a possible topic in your own field of interest and make up
a 2-page list of the most valuable printed finding aids in this area.
Then, select a possible topic in your own field of interest and make
up a 2-page list of the most valuable on-line finding aids in this
area. Using both print and on-line finding aids, make up a 1-page
bibliography of the most appropriate primary sources for this topic.
September 17.
An Introduction to Oral History
- (Margie Mclellan, Wright
State University)
- READING:
Cullom Davis, Kathryn Back, & Kay MacLean, Oral History: From
Tape to Type, Pages 124-139, in packet; James Hoopes, Oral
History: An Introduction for Students, Pages 110-120, in packet;
Marjorie L. McLellan, "Case Studies in Oral History and Community
Learning," in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT: Conduct
a 10-15 minute interview with a member of the History Department.
Turn in your tape and typed transcript.
- NOTE THAT THIS
IS A TUESDAY, AND WE WILL MEET FROM 11:00 AM TO 12:30 PM, AS A RESULT
OF YOM KIPPUR FALLING ON MONDAY THIS WEEK
September 23.
Using Material -- Cincinnati Historical Society Archives
- (Linda
Bailey, Reference Librarian, CHS)
- Meet in fromt of the Shriver
Center at 1:00 PM to drive to Cincinnati
- ASSIGNMENT:
Go through a box of archival material provided at the CHS and itemize
the kinds of documents and other sources you find. Turn in a 1-page
description of what you find.
September 30. Introduction
to PowerPoint and Excel
- (Jenny Presnell, King
Library & Kathryn Beckerdite, MCIS) Room
110 King Library
- ASSIGNMENTS:
Prepare a brief PowerPoint
presentation using at least 5 slides and one picture. Prepare an Excel
spreadsheet for your section.
October 7.
Footnotes and Endnotes
- READING:
Chicago Manual of Style, Chapters 15 & 16; Lynn Quitman Troyka,
Quick Access: Reference for Writers, in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT:
Find an article with at least 20 notes in APA form and rewrite the
notes in Chicago Manual form.
October 14. Book
Reviewing
- READING: Bruce
Mazlish, "The Art of Reviewing," in packet. Then,
read a new book or reconsider a book you have already read. Read
Allan Winkler's reviews of Why Do Ruling Classes Fear History?
and With Hiroshima Eyes, in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT:
Write 2 reviews -- 1 favorable, 1 unfavorable -- of the same book.
Make each review no longer than 500 words.
October 21. Editing
Documentary and Published Text
- READING:
Chicago Manual of Style, Chapters 2, 3, & 4; Mary-Jo Kline,
A Guide to Documentary Editing, Pages 81-151, in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT:
Photocopy a 3-page essay or article and edit it, making it half its
original length.
October 28.
Preparing for Oral Exams and Conference Presentations
- READING:
Michael C. Coleman, "Please Don't Read That Paper, or Speaker, Spare
That Audience," in packet; Peggy Pascoe and David Gutierrez, "Advice
for Graduate Students (and Other Colleagues): Getting on the Program
for the American Studies Association Annual Meeting," in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT: (1)
Speak with your advisor or with any faculty member in the department,
and bring to class several sample examination questions for the written
exam that precedes the oral. Be prepared to participate in a mock
examination during class. (2) Make a list of 3 conferences in your
field you would like to attend and note date and location.
November 4.
Applying for Jobs & Fellowships in the Historical Profession
- (Bob Thurston)
- READING:
Steven A. Leibo, "Using the Annual Meeting to Win a Postion at a Small
Undergraduate College: What Your Adviser Never Told You," in packet;
Lucy G. Barber and John Wood Sweet, "Successful Strategies for Interviews
at the Annual Meeting," in packet; Michael S. Foley, "Facing
the Indignities of the Job Market," in packet; Robert B. Townsend,
"Studies Report Mixed News for History Job Seekers," in packet; Robert
B. Townsend, "AHA Surveys Indicate Bleak Outlook in History Job Market,"
in packet; Robert B. Townsend, "Part-Time Faculty Surveys Highlight
Disturbing Trends," in packet; Robert B. Townsend, "Job
Market Report 2000: Job Openings Continue do Surge," in packet;
Robert B. Townsend, "Odds for Applicants Improving according
to Survey of Job Advertisers," in packet; Robert B. Townsend,
"New Data Reveals a Homogeneous but Changing Historical Profession,"
in packet; Becoming a Historian, A Survival Guide for Women and
Men, AHA pamphlet to be provided; NEH grant proposal by Allan
Winkler & related correspondence, in packet. Vita of Allan Winkler,
on World Wide Web Home Page (http://www.users.muohio.edu/winkleam/amw.htm)
- ASSIGNMENT:
(1) Write an application to NEH for a grant. Use cover page provided
in packet and limit your project proposal to 3 double-spaced pages.
(2) Prepare a 1- or 2-page vita of your own career.
November 11.
Career Options I – Museum Work
- (Jack White, formerly
Senior Historian at the Smithsonian Institution)
- (Peggy Shaffer)
- READING:
John H. White, Jr., "Baltimore and Ohio Transportation Museum,"
in packet; John H. White, Jr., The California State Railroad Museum:
A Louvre for Locomotives," in packet; John H. White, Jr., "The
Railway Museum: Past, Present, and Future," in packet; "Facadism:
Is This Really Preservation?" in packet; "An Interview with Spencer
Crew," in packet; Peggy Shaffer's Sheet on Public History, in packet;
Constance Schulz, Page Putnam Miller, Aaron Marrs, and Kevin Allen,
Careers for Students of History (2002 edition), AHA pamphlet
to be provided. In addition, browse through Mary Morris Heiberger
and Julia Miller Vick, The Academic Job Search Handbook and
Julie DeGalan & Stephen Lambert, Great Jobs for History Majors. Both
books are available at King Library. The Academic Job Search Handbook
is on reserve and Great Jobs for History Majors is in the
Reference section.
November 18.
Career Options II – Archival Work
- (Ed Rider, Archivist,
Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio)
- (Bob Schmidt, Archivist,
Miami University)
- READING:
Anthony A. Iaccarino, "Rethinking the Role of History Graduate Programs,"
in packet; James W. Cortada, The Historian in the Businessplace,"
in packet; Robin Wilson, "Career Success for some Ph.D.'s Comes by
Leaving Academe Behind," in packet; Lee Anderson and Kathy Penningroth,
"Is There Life after Graduate School? Maybe in Public History," in
packet; Ann Deines, "A Historian's Experience in the National Park
Service," in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT: Prepare
a 1-page list of possible public-history career options that might
interest you.
November 25.
Career Options III – Newspaper Work
- (Bob White, Editorial
Page Editor, Cincinnati Post)
- READING:
Patricia Nelson Limerick, "A How-To Guide for the Academic Going Public,"
in packet; Meredith F. Small, "Owing a Written Explanation to
the Widest Possible Audience," in packet; Allan M. Winkler; "Winning
hearts, minds," in packet; Allan M. Winkler, "Terror war
veering out of control," in packet; John H. White, Jr., "The
City of Seven Hills: go ahead, name them," in packet; Go to the
Op-Ed page of both local and national newspapers and read a selection
of pieces (and in the process, check out the Cincinnati Post
online at http://www.cincypost.com/opinion/.
- ASSIGNMENT:
Write a 700-word op-ed piece
on a subject of your choice.
December 2. Career
Options IV– Presses and Publication
- (John F. (Zig) Zeigler,
Senior Editor, The University Press of Kentucky, Lexington, KY)
- READING:
American Historical Association Ad Hoc Committee on Redefining Scholarly
Work, Redefining Historical Scholarship, (this can be found
on-line at: http://www.theaha.org/pubs/redef.htm);
Michael Goldberg,
"Adventures in Publishing: Writing Scholarly History for a General
Audience," in packet; Ronald Dale Karr, "Publication Patterns of American
Historians, 1950-1985," in packet; Diane Patrick, "Summer Publishing
Programs," in packet; List of Publishing Institutes, in packet; Sara
B. Bearss, "What Journal Editors Wish Authors Knew," in
packet; Toni Mortimer, "Demystifying Publishing," in packet;
Leonard Cassuto, "Breaking the Unfair Rules of Scholarly Publishing,"
in packet.
- ASSIGNMENT: Write
a one-page letter submitting a book or article manuscript to a publisher.
Return to Top of Page
Allan
M. Winkler
Department of History
Miami University
Last updated: September 3, 2002
URL: http://www.users.muohio.edu/winkleam/hst793.htm
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