Introduction to Historical Methods
HIST 05.306 section 8
Professor Kelly Duke Bryant
Rowan University
Office: Robinson 216K
Hours: W 6:15-7:15 pm, Th 10-noon, and by appointment
Course Meets: Thursday, 1:45-4:30 pm
Fall 2010
Department of History
Phone Extension: 3972
Email: duke-bryant@rowan.edu
Room: Education 2094
Course Description
This course will introduce you to the skills that all historians must use in research and writing. We will
learn how to conduct historical research and will challenge ourselves to think critically and creatively
about historical sources. We will also consider the process of writing in history, asking how we might
use and interpret evidence, and how to construct a convincing historical argument. We will address
such practical issues as proper citation format and how to avoid unintentional plagiarism, as well as
more philosophical ones, like what, if anything, historical objectivity means. The course will provide you
with many opportunities to practice and develop your skills through a variety of weekly assignments.
These learning opportunities lead, ultimately, to your final paper, which must be an original research
paper of ten pages.
In this course, you will also study the history of historical writing—historiography—and you will learn
about important shifts in approaches to history and about significant schools of thought. You will
encounter some of the theory that has shaped the study of history over the last two hundred (and
especially the last 50) years. Finally, you will learn to read critically and to evaluate secondary source
texts in terms of method, argumentation, and approach.
All of this culminates in a final research paper, ten pages in length, on a topic that you will choose in
consultation with your instructor. Although you may work any (approved) topic, I would strongly
encourage you to choose a topic related to African history and/or imperialism or colonialism. These are
areas that I know best, and as such, I will be able to offer more guidance in locating sources. The
Methods paper will become part of your portfolio, which you must submit in order to complete the
history major at Rowan. In addition, at least four of our other assignments may be used to fulfill
portfolio requirements. These are marked on the syllabus with an asterisk (*).
This course is designed to be rigorous and it will require a lot of hard work. I am confident that you all
will rise to the challenge.
Course Objectives
 You will learn about different kinds of primary sources and how to analyze them.
 You will learn to construct your own historical argument based on evidence, and to evaluate the
argumentation found in articles and books.
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You will succeed in conducting scholarly research in the library and on the internet, and you will
learn to properly cite your sources.
You will come to understand different genres of historical writing, including research proposals,
critical book reviews, article abstracts, and document analyses.
You will encounter major shifts and important figures in historiography.
You will write a paper based predominantly on primary sources.
Required books: The texts listed below are available for purchase in the campus bookstore. In addition,
several of our readings will be made available electronically.
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Mary Lynn Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, 6th ed. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s,
2010).
Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier, From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical
Methods (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2001).
Luise White, The Assassination of Herbert Chitepo: Texts and Politics in Zimbabwe
(Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003).
Course format
This is a seminar course, consisting primarily of classroom discussion and hands-on activities. As such,
our class will succeed only if you take ownership of it; that is, if you commit to taking your reading and
preparation seriously and to coming to class ready to contribute. To fully prepare for class and to make
progress on your research, you should plan to devote at least six or seven hours per week to Historical
Methods. I am confident that you will all show leadership in the classroom and that you will actively
pursue your own learning goals.
Learning opportunities: please note that I will post to Blackboard specific instructions for each
assignment.
1. Weekly homework assignments, meant to provide opportunities for you to practice your
history skills or to encourage you to reflect on the reading assignment for the week.
2. Weekly “paper progress” assignments, designed to help structure your research and to ensure
that you continue working on it all semester. You will be able to incorporate elements of these
assignments into your final paper. Two of these assignments (primary source analysis*, due
9/23 and article abstract*, due 10/14) may be included in your portfolio.
3. Research proposal and bibliography*, due October 7 in class.
4. Book review*, due October 14 in class.
5. Draft of final paper and peer assessment. The paper (10 pages) is due on November 18 and the
peer assessment on December 2. The research paper should be based on your reading and
interpretation of sources. You should endeavor to draw informed conclusions from your
primary sources.
6. Final paper* (10 pages), due during our final exam session. This version of the paper should
reflect revisions and improvements.
7. Class attendance, participation, and presentations. I expect each of you to attend class and to
contribute regularly to discussions. You will also have several opportunities to talk to your
classmates about your research, and you will offer a presentation of your findings during our
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final exam session. Our classroom community values diversity of opinions and experience, and
seeks to create a comfortable and respectful environment for the exchange of ideas.
The various assignments count toward your final grade as follows:
Book review: 10%
Research proposal: 10%
Rough draft and peer review: 10%
Weekly homework assignments: 15% (you may drop your lowest score on an assignment)
“Paper progress” assignments (those not listed individually): 15%
Class participation and presentations: 15%
Final draft of research paper: 25%
Grading scale
A+: 97-100, A: 94-96, A-: 90-93
B+: 87-89, B: 84-86, B-: 80-83
C+: 77-79, C: 74-76, C-: 70-73
D+: 67-69, D: 64-66, D-: 60-64
F: below 60
Course polices
 Because of the fast-paced nature of the course, and because each assignment builds on work
completed in previous weeks, it is crucial that you turn your work in on time. I will not be able
to accept late homework assignments. This policy is in your best interest (so you do not fall
behind) and mine (so I can provide feedback in a timely manner).
 I will send important course announcements and other correspondence to you via your Rowan
email account. If you do not use this as your primary account, please make sure that you have
your Rowan email forwarded. Also, note that we will use Blackboard regularly, so please be
sure to check it. If you expect to have limited access to the internet, please notify me as soon as
possible.
 Regular attendance is required, expected, and central to your learning experience. If you must
miss class for an illness, university sponsored event, religious observance, family emergency, or
inclement weather, please contact me by email before or immediately after your absence. In
accordance with University attendance policies, absences for the above reasons are considered
excused, and you will have an opportunity to make up work. Unexcused absences will result in a
participation grade of 0 for the day, and missing more than two classes for any reason will result
in a maximum grade of “C” in class participation. In addition, because they disrupt the class and
distract other students (and your professor), the following will negatively affect your grade:
repeated cell phone use during class, recurrent lateness, and leaving class early.
 Rowan University has a licensing agreement with Turnitin, an online service to help prevent
student plagiarism. As part of this course we will use Turnitin for some written work. This will
allow both you and your professor to determine the originality of your work. If your work is
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submitted to Turnitin, it will be stored in the Turnitin database. You have the right to refuse
either to submit your work to Turnitin or have the university do so; availing yourself of this right
will not negatively impact your success in the course. If you do not wish to use Turnitin, you
must notify me by e-mail before September 16, 2010. If you object to the use of Turnitin, I will
use other procedures to assess originality.
For University policies governing classroom behavior, the use of laptop computers in class, and
other topics, please see the student information guide
(www.rowan.edu/studentaffairs/infoguide/). Use of a laptop in class is not necessary for this
course, and if you decide to bring one, it should only be used for educational purposes. Please
be considerate and refrain from checking Facebook, email, and other websites not related to the
class during our meetings.
Ethics and Academic Honesty
The University values and expects academic and personal integrity. Ethical violations include cheating,
plagiarism, fabrication, academic misconduct (including reuse of assignments). To avoid plagiarism, you
must properly cite direct quotations, paraphrased information, and facts that are not widely known.
Please use footnotes or endnotes following the Chicago Manual of Style. For more information on
Rowan’s Academic Integrity Policies, see the Student Information Guide, available at:
www.rowan.edu/studentaffairs/infoguide
Classroom Accommodations for Students with Disabilities
This statement on disabilities is from the Faculty/Staff Handbook: “Your academic success is important.
If you have a documented disability that may have an impact on your work in this class, please contact
me. Students must provide documentation of their disability to the Academic Success Center in order to
receive official University services and accommodations. The Academic Success Center can be reached
at 856-256-4234. The Center is located on the 3rd floor of Savitz Hall. The staff is available to answer
questions regarding accommodations or assist you in your pursuit of accommodations. We look forward
to working with you to meet your learning goals.”
Course Schedule
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September 2: What is history and why should we study it?
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Read (before class):
o Rampolla, 1-5
o Peter N. Stearns, “Why Study History,” available at:
http://www.historians.org/pubs/Free/WhyStudyHistory.htm
o Howell and Prevenier, 1-16
Due in class:
o Homework 1: Personal primary source assignment. What kinds of sources might a
historian in the future (let’s say in the year 2085) use to write a history of youth culture
in New Jersey during the 1990s and 2000s? Look through your personal possessions and
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select two items to bring to class: one should be easily interpreted by our future
historian, and the other should surprise or perhaps confuse him/her. Be creative! Your
items may be documents, but you may also want to bring other kinds of objects, images,
media, etc. Disclaimer: we will be using the items in class and I’ll ask you to do a “show
and tell.” You may want to think about this audience when deciding what items to
bring.
Class: Introductions, primary source “show and tell,” discussion, library scavenger hunt
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September 9: What is historical evidence? How do we interpret primary sources? What is the
difference between a primary and a secondary source?
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Read (before class)
o Rampolla, 6-14, 31-32 (section 3b-5)
o Howell and Prevenier, 17-44, 60-87
Due in class:
o Paper progress: Preliminary paper topic, 1 page.
o Homework 2 [Blackboard]: Primary source analysis, part 1.
Class: Visit to the Rowan University Archives, discussion, assignments for week 3 homework
September 16: New kinds of evidence: images, objects, linguistics, oral sources
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Read (before class):
o Barbara Cooper, “Oral Sources and the Challenge of African History,” in Writing African
History, ed. John Edward Philips (Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press, 2005),
191-215. [Blackboard]
o Phyllis M. Martin, “Contesting Clothes in Colonial Brazzaville,” Journal of African History
35, no. 3 (1994): 401-426. [Blackboard]
o Carolyn Keyes Adenaike, “Contextualizing and Decontextualizing African Historical
Photographs,” History in Africa 23 (1996): 429-437. [Blackboard]
o Rampolla, 74-75 (section 5c-2)
Due in class:
o Paper progress: locate one primary source or archival collection that seems relevant to
your topic and that you will be able to use online or visit in person this semester. Print
the first page of the collection’s website. Be prepared to speak in class about why you
think this collection is important for your paper.
o Homework 3 [Blackboard]: Primary source analysis, part 2.
Class: practice using primary sources, discussion
September 23: What makes historical truth? Is there such a thing?
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Read (before class):
o White, entire
Due in class:
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Paper progress*: Find two primary sources (4 or fewer pages long) that are relevant to
your topic. Read them closely. Write a paragraph analyzing each source (i.e. one
paragraph per source), using the “Tips for Writers” on page 11 of Rampolla as a guide.
These paragraphs should include some summary of the sources, but should also
evaluate them critically. You must submit your analysis through Blackboard, and bring a
copy of your source to class.
o Homework 4 [Blackboard]: Write a brief paper (about ¾ of a page, double-spaced)
reacting to the book by Luise White. I will post on Blackboard some questions to guide
you.
In class: library session, discussion
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September 30: What are secondary sources? How do we find them? How do we read and
interpret them?
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Read (before class):
o Rampolla, 15-34, 66-82
Due:
o Paper progress: Research question. Relying on the preliminary research you have been
doing, turn your paper topic into one open-ended question that you hope to answer as
you continue researching. An answer to this question should require you to analyze
evidence and draw new conclusions. You’ll need to type this and bring it to class. For
more guidelines, see Rampolla, 68-70.
o Homework 5 [Blackboard]: Historical paragraph.
Class: discussion
October 7: Paraphrasing, quoting, and citing. How to give credit where credit is due.
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Read (before class):
o Rampolla, 86-128
Due in class:
o Paper progress*: Research proposal including preliminary bibliography. Consult the
research proposal guidelines, which are available on Blackboard.
o Homework 6 [Blackboard]: Paraphrasing/quoting exercises.
Class: citation practice, discussion
Schedule individual meetings with the professor, between 10/7 and 10/14
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October 14: Writing the research paper. What is a thesis statement? What is a historical
argument?
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Read (before class):
o Rampolla, 39-65, 82-83
Due in class:
o Paper progress*: Article abstract.
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o Homework 7 [Blackboard]: Find a book review.
Class: Thesis statements, arguments, and reviewing books
October 21: Why and how do historians disagree, or, what is historiography?
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Read (before class):
o Walter Rodney, “African Slavery and Other Forms of Oppression on the Upper Guinea
Coast in the Context of the Atlantic Slave Trade,” Journal of African History 7 (1966):
431-443. [find this article using JSTOR]
o J.D. Fage, “Slaves and Society in Western Africa,” Journal of African History 21 (1980):
289-310. [find this article using JSTOR]
o Howell and Prevenier, 146-150
Due in class:
o Paper progress: There is no written assignment due today, but be sure to work on your
research.
o Homework 8 [Blackboard]: Reading notes.
Class: discussion
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October 28: Historiography and theories about history, part 1: Positivism, empiricism, and the
influence of the social sciences.
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Read (before class):
o Howell and Prevenier, 88-99
o Leopold von Ranke, selections. Available at:
http://www.umass.edu/wsp/methodology/ranke/index.html#misc . Be sure to read
everything on the homepage, and to read all of the material found through the
following links: “Portrait of Pope Paul IV,” “The Unity of Truth,” and “A Historian Must
Be Old.”
o Jules R. Benjamin, “Writing About Secondary Sources,” in A Student’s Guide to History,
11th edition (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 2010), 70-77. [Blackboard]
Due in class:
o Paper progress*: Book review (read the excerpt by Jules R. Benjamin BEFORE you begin
to write). Select a scholarly monograph that is useful for your research. Read it
carefully and review it, following the instructions posted on Blackboard.
o Homework 9 [Blackboard]: Post a discussion question regarding the reading
assignment.
Class: discussion
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November 4: Historiography and theories about history, part 2: The “Annales School,” the new
social history, the new cultural history
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Read (before class):
o Howell and Prevenier, 109-118
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Clifford Geertz, “Thick Description: Toward an Interpretive Theory of Culture,” in
Knowledge and Postmodernism in Historical Perspective, ed. Joyce Appleby, et al (New
York: Routledge, 1996), 309-323. [Blackboard]
o “The Annales” (Fernand Braudel) in The Houses of History: A Critical Reader in
Twentieth-Century History and Theory, ed. Anna Green and Kathleen Troup (New York:
New York University Press, 1999), 87-109. [Blackboard]
o Rampolla, 83-84 (section 5e)
Due in class:
o Paper progress: Outline of your research paper—be sure to include your thesis
statement and to pay careful attention to your argument.
o Homework 10 [Blackboard]
Class: discussion
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November 11: Historiography and theories about history, part 3: Post-Structuralism and postcolonialism
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Read (before class):
o Howell and Prevenier, 99-109
o Edward Said, excerpt from Orientalism, in Colonial Discourse and Post-Colonial Theory:
A Reader, ed. Patrick Williams and Laura Chrisman (New York: Columbia University
Press, 1994), 132-149. [Blackboard]
o Dipesh Chakrabarty, “Postcoloniality and the Artifice of History: Who Speaks for ‘Indian’
Pasts?” in Contemporary Postcolonial Theory: A Reader, ed. Padmini Mongia (London:
Arnold, 1996), 223-247. [Blackboard]
Due in class:
o Paper progress: No written assignment due, but be sure to continue working on your
research.
o Homework 11 [Blackboard]
Class: discussion
November 18: The Rough Draft
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Due in class:
o Paper progress: Complete rough draft. Length of the paper: ten pages (double-spaced,
no extra spaces between paragraphs, 1-inch margins, 12pt Times New Roman font). See
instructions on Blackboard for additional information. Papers should be submitted to
www.turnitin.com . Use the submission link on our Blackboard page.
o No weekly homework assignment
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November 25, No Class—Thanksgiving
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December 2: Peer review
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Read Rampolla, 84-85 (section 5f)
Due: Peer review assignment.
Class: Peer review workshop
December 9: What can we know about history? How do we know what we know?
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Read (before class):
o Howell and Prevenier, 119-146
Due: No written assignment, but be sure to work on revising papers
Class: discussion
Final exam period: week of December 13, day, time, and location TBA
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Due: Final drafts of research papers
In class: Student presentations
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