This course is particularly designed for students who intend writing a research thesis in the future. It aims to assist students to undertake research in history using primary source materials. It involves discussion of questions of method, ethics, and style in historical research and writing. Each student will be helped to formulate an independent research proposal and encouraged to conduct research using a variety of historial sources, such as published and archival written documents, oral history, objects, architecture, cultural landscape, and visual sources such as photographs and film. Excursions are arranged to various relevant institutions in Canberra (such as the National Library, the War Memorial, National Film and Sound Archive, the National Archives of Australia, the Noel Butlin Archives, the National Museum of Australia). 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. Students will be encouraged to experiment with historical writing. Different approaches to writing history and possibilities for innovation will also be discussed. Writing workshops are part of the course and are designed to encourage students to reflect on their work, to write more effectively, and to offer each other constructive criticism and support.

Writing: The primary goal of the Researching and Writing History course is to introduce students to the practices, problems, and strategies involved in the writing of history. With this goal in mind, this unit will address issues of style, narrative, argument, and the ethical and literary decisions involved in the movement from the collection of evidence to the written essay. Accordingly, students in the course will acquire the ability to:

• 1. develop a research proposal.
• 2. frame an argument.
• 3. use evidence in generating a readable narrative.
• 4. see writing as a process of creation and revision.

Research Skills: Many of the tasks involved in historical research continue to reflect traditional skills. These skills involve the finding and use of paper, microfilm, and microform documents, the use of collection finder's guides and hard-copy bibliographies, and the use of published materials that may be considered too ephemeral or unwieldy to be made available electronically. In other words, the ability to master traditional (library or archive-based) research will continue to be necessary for the historian. Accordingly, students in History 2139/6506 will practise:

• 5. navigating the library (both virtually and physically).
• 6. using finder's guides for document collections.
• 7. undertaking archival research.
• 8. analysing and assessing evidence.
• 9. emphasising sources as evidence for argument.

Information Technology and Management: Development of electronic resources continues apace. Yet this does not necessarily mean that they are all equally reliable or entirely trustworthy when it comes to historical research. History 2139 aims to sharpen your critical skills in terms of:

• 10. using electronic databases, bibliographies, and text storage sites to best effect.
• 11. navigating and discriminating between resources posted on the internet.
. 12. employing digital technologies to manage your own research.

a 4,000-word research essay (in three stages)  (80%), which assesses Learning Outcomes 1-12; and one exercise interpreting source material (750 words)  (20%) which assesses Learning Outcomes 2, 3, 8, 9.

Seminars and excursions, class contact average three hours per week.

Completion of 18 units in History.

If you believe you have met the prerequisites for this course, but are having difficulty enrolling, please contact the convenor of the course for a permission code.

HIST3005 Third Year Honours Seminar

Howell, M., & Prevenier, W., From Reliable Sources, Cornell, 2001.

Curthoys, A., & McGrath, A., (eds)Writing Histories, Monash Publications, 2000.