HIST6506 Researching and Writing History
| Offered By | School of Social Sciences |
|---|---|
| Academic Career | Graduate Coursework |
| Course Subject | History |
| Offered in | Second Semester, 2009 and Second Semester, 2010 |
| Unit Value | 6 units |
| Course Description | This course aims to enable students to undertake original research in history. Questions of method and ethics in historical research and writing will be discussed, and students will undertake research exercises and a research essay. Each student will be helped to formulate an independent research proposal based on primary evidence, and will be encouraged to conduct research using a variety of traditional and non-traditional historical sources (i.e. published and archival written documents, oral history, material culture, place and cultural landscape, and visual sources such as photographs and film). Excursions will be arranged to various collecting institutions in Canberra (the National Library, the War Memorial, National Film and Sound Archive, the National Museum of Australia, the National Archives of Australia, the Noel Butlin Archives) and staff at each of these institutions will supply an introduction to the strength of holdings, relevance to historical research, and methods of access to the collections. Finally a series of writing workshops will encourage students to experiment with historical writing, reflect on their work, and offer each other constructive criticism and support. |
| Indicative Assessment | 1,000 word research proposal (20%), a 4,000 word research essay (60%); and two 1,200 word exercises interpreting source material (20%). |
| Workload | Seminars and excursions, class contact average three hours per week. |
| Course Classification(s) | TransitionalTransitional courses are designed for students from a broad range of backgrounds and learning achievements, which provide for the acquisition of generic skills; or an informed understanding of contemporary issues; or fundamental knowledge for transition to Advanced or Specialist courses. |
| Areas of Interest | History |
| Incompatibility | HIST6505 Third Year Honours Seminar |
| Prescribed Texts | Howell, M., & Prevenier, W., From Reliable Sources, Cornell, 2001. |
| Preliminary Reading | Curthoys, A., & McGrath, A., (eds) Writing Histories, Monash Publications, 2000. |
| Academic Contact | Professor Matthews |
The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.
