Hawaii Pacific University
HIST 3900 Research and Writing across Time and Culture Section ____
Semester and year, meeting times
Instructor: Name, contact information and other relevant information about the instructor.
Course description: History 3900 provides general training in historical research and writing. The
course is not geared to history majors alone, but rather develops broadly applicable cognitive skills of
value to students in many disciplines. Among the skills developed in this course are source identification
and evaluation, generating an effective research agenda, formulating a research hypothesis,
constructing a persuasive argument, and enhancing written and oral communication skills. In addition,
the course explores the role and function of the historian and the value of historical approaches in a
multi-disciplinary setting.
Course prerequisite: One course from Research and Epistemology A
General Education Requirement: This course satisifes the requirement for an Upper Division Research
and Writing course. Since some majors specify which course is to be used to meet this requirement,
check the requirements for your specific degree program to determine whether the course can be used
for this requirement by students in your major. This course is one of two options for East West Classical
Studies and History majors and is the required course for Diplomacy and Miltary Studies majors.
General Education Student Learning Outcomes and the Five Themes: HPU’s general education
curriculum is focused around five themes. As an upper division research and writing course, this course
emphasizes the Communication Skills Theme and the Research and Epistemology theme and provides
students with opportunities to achieve the following related general education student learning
outcomes:
Written and oral communication and critical reasoning
Students will demonstrate critical reasoning in organizing thoughts, feelings, concepts, and information
for effective, clear, and accurate oral and written communication. (CS 4)
Students demonstrate critical reasoning in their written articulation of their working hypothesis/
hypotheses; in their evaluation of the historiography; in their choice of methodology/methodologies and in
their oral presentations of the same as well as in their oral responses to Socratic class discussion and
oral peer and instructor feedback. In the book review assignment, students demonstrate critical reasoning
in their evaluation of the scholarly monograph chosen and display such cognitive reasoning in their
written review. In writing their research paper, students demonstrate critical reasoning in their evaluation
of sources, organization of argument and evidence, in the quality of the exposition, and in the
persuasiveness of their conclusions. The completion of a persuasive research paper, built upon
appropriate primary and secondary sources, and adhering to the historical method, will demonstrate
fulfillment of this learning outcome.
Students will use reasoning skills, such as identifying assumptions, considering multiple perspectives and
positions including one’s own, making inferences, and drawing conclusions, to advance an argument
supported by reasons and evidence. (R&E 4)
Students employ the historical method and oral and written communication skills to outline their own
working assumptions and perspectives about their own research topic and the existing historiography
(canon of scholarly literature). Students receive collective, constructive peer and instructor feedback
regarding their assumptions, potential biases, and alternate interpretations of the existing historiography.
Information Literacy
Students will develop the information literacy needed to determine the validity of information sources
and apply these skills in communication environments. (CS 5)
Annotated bibliography: In combination with in class lecture & discussion about source material, students
critically evaluate the accuracy, authenticity, and value of individual primary and secondary sources and
articulate in writing their evaluation of the selected sources. Student selection and evaluation of sources
will demonstrate understanding of types, qualities, and utility of various information sources as discussed
in class. In the book review assignment students will critically evaluate the nature, quality, relevance, and
persuasiveness of the sources utilized by the monograph under review. The conclusions reached will be
conveyed in writing to the instructor for evaluation and to the rest of the class. In writing a compelling
research paper, students will demonstrate their ability to identify, evaluate, and utilize valid primary and
secondary sources
Students will analyze the content, argument, and rhetoric of sources; evaluate the credibility, reliability
and validity of sources; consider the influence of contexts. (R&E 3)
In developing an annotated bibliography, students summarize the context and viewpoint of each text
identified and evaluate the utility of such sources for their research project.
In the book review assignment, students critically analyze their chosen book as a historical source. They
will explore the book’s content, argument, evidence, and conclusions. In doing so, students will consider
potential biases, the author’s background, agenda, and intended audience.
In completing the research paper, students will demonstrate a mastery of historical textual analysis,
including the ability to summarize argument and content, and to critically evaluate the pertinence, validity,
and value of primary and secondary sources.
Performing Research
Students will identify a research question or problem, gather and organize relevant information, apply
appropriate problem-solving strategies, and communicate the results to others. (R&E 2)
In developing an annotated bibliography, students help to develop and refine their research question(s) in
light of existing scholarly work related to the chosen topic. In addition, the annotated bibliography assists
students in assembling, sorting, organizing, categorizing, and evaluating pertinent source material. In
evaluating the historiography, students gain awareness of multiple historical methodologies that provide
potential problem-solving models. Conclusions reached will be communicated in writing to both the
instructor and to class participants.
In completing the research paper students will demonstrate the skills needed to identify a research
question, to gather and organize the evidence necessary to answer the question, to identify and apply
appropriate methodologies and to communicate their reasoned conclusions in writing.
Students will utilize methods and technologies appropriate to the discipline to investigate research
questions, generate predictions, test hypotheses and/or solve problems. (R&E 7)
In the oral report on research students utilize the historical method & oral communication skills to: present
their research problem; to articulate their working hypothesis/hypotheses; to generate collective,
constructive peer feedback which will be critically evaluated for incorporation into the final research paper.
In the research paper students will utilize the historical method and appropriate technologies (e.g. internet
research, computerized statistical analysis, and E-books, among others) to develop and answer their
research question.
Remember that all UDRW courses must meet the following four requirements. This information does not
need to appear on the syllabus but is a checklist for instructors in planning the course syllabus.
1. These courses should require students to work with scholarly sources (such as those from peer
reviewed academic journals). For example, students may write research papers drawing on these kinds
of sources (either literature reviews or original arguments synthesizing information from these sources)
and/or do written assignments or give oral presentations where they summarize, critique or compare
and contrast such sources.
2. These courses should provide explicit instruction in how to find appropriate scholarly sources for the
relevant discipline.
3. These courses should provide explicit instruction in how to avoid plagiarism and cite sources in a
documentation style appropriate to the discipline.
4. These courses should prepare students to conduct research at the professional level required in their
discipline.
Note: Purple text shows places where specific course information must be filled in. Red text contains
explanatory notes to the instructor which should be deleted before using the syllabus. Course specific
student learning outcomes below may vary depending on the instructor and are provided as an example.
Course-Specific Student Learning Outcomes for HIST 3900
For History Majors, this course helps to fulfill the following History Program Learning Objectives:
--comprehend and apply various research and analytical methodologies to the study of history
while developing an appreciation for diverse historical viewpoints (HPLO 1)
--demonstrate critical analytic and reasoning skills useful in a broad spectrum of
academic and nonacademic endeavors (HPLO 6)
-- effectively and clearly communicate historical ideas both orally and in writing
(HPLO 7)
For the rest of these required syllabus items see the details in the faculty handbook. Delete this note
once the syllabus is complete. For online courses there are some additional requirements given at this
link.
Texts List textbooks with ISBN’s and include this language as well
All textbook information (pricing, ISBN #, and e-books) for this course can be found on the HPU
Bookstore website: hpu.edu/bookstore.
If you have any questions regarding textbooks, please contact the HPU Bookstore at:
Phone:
808-544-9347
Or e-mail:
jyokota@hpu.edu
mmiyahira@hpu.edu
Assignments and mode of evaluation
Summary of important dates and deadlines (if the schedule is a separate document and due dates are
not given with the description of the assignments).
Class rules and policies (including regarding attendance, late work and academic dishonesty)
Schedule of events (may be attached separately)