Note: This is the syllabus for the spring 2010 version of this class. I do not plan a major
overhaul of the class before spring 2012, but some assignments and the schedule of
presentations will vary from what is presented here.
History 294-001
Seminar on Historical Method: Research Techniques
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Spring 2010, T 12:30-3:10 p.m.
Class location: Holton 341
email: seligman@uwm.edu
phone: 414-229-4565
Amanda I. Seligman, Associate Professor
office: Holton Hall 331
Office Hours: Mondays, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
or by appointment
The purpose of this class is to introduce students to the spectrum of techniques that
historians use to conduct research and evaluate evidence, including primary, secondary, and
tertiary sources. Students will learn about research methods by visiting various library
departments and conducting small research projects in them; listening to guest speakers talk
about specialized research methods; and reading about historical scholarship. Other topics of
critical importance to history majors that will be covered in the class include historical
argumentation and academic integrity. A major purpose of the course is to prepare students to
take History 600, the capstone course in the history major at UWM, which requires students to
produce original research papers based on primary sources. Accordingly, throughout the course
students will conduct small research assignments that constitute integral pieces of the kind of
larger projects completed in History 600.
Readings
Reading assignments for this course are available at the UWM bookstore and through the Golda
Meir Library electronic and traditional reserve systems, which can be found on the UWM library
web page: http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/. The books ordered for purchase are:
Marc Bloch, The Historian’s Craft: Reflections on the Nature and Uses of History and the
Techniques and Methods of Those Who Write It (New York: Vintage Books, 1953).
Peter Charles Hoffer, Past Imperfect: Facts, Fictions, Fraud—American History from Bancroft
and Parkman to Ambrose, Bellesiles, Ellis, and Goodwin (New York: Public Affairs,
2004).
Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th
edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007).
These books have also been placed on reserve in the library; there is also a copy of the 7th edition
of the Turabian book behind the Ask a Librarian Arch in the Soref Learning Commons. Previous
editions of Turabian have the basic information you will need to write correct citations (except
online sources), but the 7th edition does include new material that is part of the required reading
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for the course. The Chicago Manual of Style is also held behind the Ask a Librarian Arch. You
may also refer to the online shortcuts to the Chicago Manual of Style, available at
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html. Nonetheless, I urge you strongly to purchase
your own copy of Turabian, which you will refer to throughout the course and in History.
Grading policies
Course grades will be calculated as follows:
Assignment due:
 February 9: citation scavenger hunt: 3%
 February 16: Civil Rights in Milwaukee, website assignment: 5%
 February 23: Civil Rights in Milwaukee, archives assignment: 2%
 March 2: Imagine a Research Project, Archives: 10%
 March 9: Imagine a Research Project, Special Collections: 10%
 March 16: Imagine a Research Project, Microtext: 10%
 March 30: one paragraph on Bellesiles: 2%
 April 6: one page on Bellesiles: 3%
 April 13: Imagine a Research Project, AGSL: 10%
 April 20: list of factually based questions: 5%
 April 27: Wikiality: 10%
 May 4: Background/contextual paper: 10%
 May 17: historiography paper: 10%
 Participation: 10%
To receive full credit, all assignments must be turned by the beginning of the class period on the
day they are due. Late assignments can be accepted and evaluated for their quality, but the grade
will be reduced by one step of a letter for each day they are overdue. In the event of an
emergency, please contact me about the possibility of an extension. Failure to complete all
required components of the course may result in a failing grade for the course as a whole.
Note: errors in the formatting of footnotes and bibliographic items will have an adverse affect on
the grade for an assignment. All citations must comply with Chicago Manual of Style format.
This format will be discussed in class and can be found in a required book for this course:
Turabian’s Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th edition. This
book summarizes and gives examples of most citation forms from the Chicago Manual of Style
that undergraduate students should need.
Seminars depend on the willingness of all participants to give serious attention not only to their
own ideas, but also to engage with the contributions of their peers. The allocation of 10% of the
course grade to participation reflects the importance of your active contribution to the group
throughout the term; your grade will reflect both the quality of your participation and the
regularity of your attendance. Listening respectfully is a part of participation. The participation
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grade will reflect not the overall quantity of your comments, but the quality of your contribution
to class discussion. Your participation grade will also reflect your attendance pattern. One or two
absences for serious illness or other genuine emergency may be unavoidable, but more than two
absences can be severely disruptive both to your own learning and to the intellectual
development of the other members of group. I do not require (or accept) written excuses for
absences from class, but I will be concerned by a pattern of absence no matter the reason.
Students with excessive absences can expect to receive a participation grade no higher than C+.
If you anticipate missing several class meetings, you should consider dropping the course.
Requirements for papers
 Double spacing [Exception: bibliographies are single spaced]
 At least a 12-point font
 At least one inch of margin at the top and bottom and each side of the page, to allow for
handwritten comments
 Page numbers throughout
 Formal footnotes, based on Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers,
Theses, and Dissertations or The Chicago Manual of Style. A summary of examples is
also available through my webpage, https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/seligman/www/.
Instructions for “Imagine a Research Project” assignments:
These instructions apply to assignments due on March 2, March 9, March 16, and April 13.
Note that each “Imagine” assignment due actually consists of two research proposals, one for
each of two different sources.
Important requirement: At least one of the sources that you use for at least one of these
assignments should be a non-U.S. based source. The American Geographic Society has many
non-U.S. sources. At least one of the sources must be from a period prior to the 20th century.
Some of the sources in Special Collections, Microforms, and the Archives are from before the
19th century. You may not use the same assignment to meet both of these requirements. When
you turn in an assignment to meet this criterion, please note it somewhere on the paper.
General Instructions:
*For all assignments, use primary sources only. Especially in Special Collections and the
American Geographical Society Library, pay particular attention to make sure that you have used
a primary source. If you are in doubt about whether something is a primary source, please talk to
me.
*Each Imagine a Research Project assignment should begin with a bibliographic citation for the
primary source in question using the Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian format.
*Write one paragraph describing the materials that the Imagined Research Project will be based
on.
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*Write one paragraph listing the questions that you could investigate using these sources. The
questions should go beyond factual questions (such as “How many people were arrested in West
Allis in 1937 as Peeping Toms?”) and move into the analytic realm (such as “Why did
Milwaukee residents send hate mail to Father Groppi?” or “What do nurse-romance novels
published in the 1950s reflect about gender relations in the American medical profession?”).
*Write one paragraph setting out a tentative argument in answer to one of the most significant
questions you posed in the prior paragraph. Because this is a proposal rather than a polished
paper, you do not have to try to support your argument with specific evidence at this time. You
should be sure, however, that the kinds of materials you identify in the first paragraph will
support the kind of argument you set out in this paragraph.
*Each Imagine a Research Project assignment should conclude with a short bibliography (3
items) of secondary sources that would shed light on your topic. Use the America: History and
Life or Historical Abstracts databases to identify the secondary sources. All citations should be
formatted using the Chicago Manual of Style/Turabian.
Special suggestions for each department:
Archives (due March 2): Begin by perusing the finding aids for the Archives Division, available
online at http://www4.uwm.edu/Libraries/arch/ and identify materials that seem intriguing to
you. For each of the collections you are interested in working with, go to the Archives Division
and request some of the boxes from that collection. When planning your time, keep in mind that
the Archives will provide you with only one box at a time and that materials do not circulate
outside of the Archives. You can ask the librarians in Archives to put materials on hold for you if
you will be working with them over the course of several days.
Special Collections (due March 9): Begin by using the Advanced Search function of PantherCat
and the Location drop-down menu to limit your search to the Special Collections Department. Be
particularly attentive to make sure that the item you request is a primary source. Go to the
Special Collections Department and request the sources of interest to you. When planning your
time, keep in mind that you will only be allowed one item at a time and that materials do not
circulate outside of Special Collections and cannot be checked out. Special Collections is a good
place to locate a primary source from before the 20th century. Keep in mind that Special
Collections hours are 10:00-5:00, weekdays only.
Microtext (due March 16): In addition to holding many newspapers in microfilm format, the
Microform Collection in the Media Library holds copies of many other primary sources in
various microtext formats. Begin by using the Advanced Search function of PantherCat and the
Location drop-down menu to limit your search to a particular microtext format. Identify the
sources of interest to you and find them in the Media/Microform Room. When planning your
time, keep in mind that you will need to use the machines available in the Microforms Room to
read the sources.
American Geographic Society Library (due April 13): Begin by using the Advanced Search
function of PantherCat and the Location drop-down menu to limit your search to AGSL. Be
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particularly attentive to make sure that the item you request is a primary source. Identify sources
of interest to you and find them in the AGS collection. I strongly suggest that you use the
opportunity of using the AGS collection to meet the requirement that one Imagined Research
Project be based on a non-U.S. source. When planning your time, keep in mind that AGS hours
are M-F 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
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Administrative Notes:
If you need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course,
please contact me as soon as possible.
The librarian assigned to our class for instructional sessions is Mr. Ahmed Kraima. He can be
reached at aak@uwm.edu. Max Yela, the head of Special Collections, can be reached at
maxyela@uwm.edu.
All students are expected to observe University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee standards of academic
honesty. UWM’s policies regarding academic integrity are available at
http://www4.uwm.edu/osl/dean/conduct.cfm. For an excellent guide to understanding
plagiarism, see http://www.northwestern.edu/uacc/plagiar.html. This critical topic will be
reviewed in class. Students who plagiarize may receive not only a 0 for the particular assignment
in question, but also a grade of F for the entire course.
Academic Advising in History: If you have earned in excess of 45 credits and have not yet
declared a major, you are encouraged to do so. You must have declared and completed the
requirements of a major in order to graduate. If you either are interested in declaring a major (or
minor) in History or require academic advising in History, see the history department webpage,
http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/history/undergrad/major.cfm.
University Policies: See http://www4.uwm.edu/secu/SyllabusLinks.pdf for further information
about UWM course-related policies.
If you have any concerns about the course, want to talk about your academic progress, or are
interested in knowing more about history, please come and see me in my office hours or send me
email. I am also available for appointments at times other than my scheduled office hours.
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Schedule
Note: items marked (e) are available through electronic reserve
January 26, 2010
Introduction
February 2, 2010
Activities
1. Meet at 12:30 Library Instruction Room A in the North Wing of the Daniel M. Soref
Learning Commons (first floor west wing of the Golda Meir Library building), for an
overview of library searching using the new PantherCat interface and other databases.
2. Return to our Holton 331 classroom for a citation workshop. Bring your copy of
Turabian.
Reading:
1. Turabian chapters 3 and 15
2. (e) William Cronon, “A Place for Stories: Nature, History, and Narrative,” Journal of
American History 78(4) (1992): 1347-1376.
February 9, 2010
Activities
1. Meet at 12:30 Library Instruction Room A in the North Wing of the Daniel M. Soref
Learning Commons (first floor west wing of the Golda Meir Library building), Civil
Rights in Milwaukee website.
2. Return to classroom for discussion of reading and assignments
Reading:
1. Hoffer, introduction through chapter 1
2. (e) John Gurda, The Making of Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee County
Historical Society, 1999), pp. 358-376.
Assignment due: citation scavenger hunt
February 16, 2010
Activities:
1. Discuss readings and assignments
2. At 2:10, we will meet Ms. Ellen Engseth at Library Classroom B for introduction to the
Archives
Reading:
 Bloch dedication through chapter 1
Assignment due: March on Milwaukee—Civil Rights History Project website
 Imagine that you have been assigned to write a 20 page research paper of the kind that
will be assigned in History 600. The primary source basis for this imagined assignment is
the March on Milwaukee Civil Rights History Project website, available through the
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





UWM Golda Meir Library website at
http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm4/browse.php?CISOROOT=%2Fmarch
Peruse the website, examining the different documents and kinds of documents available.
Write a one-paragraph proposal for the paper you would write using these sources as the
driving force of the paper. If you use any direct quotations in the proposal paragraph, be
sure to include a correctly documented footnote.
In one sentence, write the thesis statement that you would argue for in the paper.
Write one paragraph that describes the specific evidence available that you would use in
the paper. For each specific document you mention, include a footnote with a correct
citation for the document.
Write a list of questions that you would need to answer in order to write the paper. The
questions can be factual, analytical, or a combination. There is no limit to the number of
questions for this section, but I recommend between 5 and 20.
Double space this assignment.
February 23, 2010
Activities
1. Meet at 12:30 Library Instruction Room A in the North Wing of the Daniel M. Soref
Learning Commons (first floor west wing of the Golda Meir Library building), for
follow-up to the March on Milwaukee project assignments.
2. 2:00 p.m. Guest speaker, Prof. Margo Anderson, on numbers and history
Reading:
 Hoffer, chapters 2 and 3
Assignment due: Civil Rights in Milwaukee archives project
 One page reaction paper: Spend time in the Archives department of the Golda Meir
Library using the originals of the documents and collections that you spent the most time
with in preparing the assignment due on February 16. Write one a 1-2 page reaction
paper that reflects on how the experience of using primary sources in person is different
from using them online. It should discuss both how you navigated the documents
differently (or similarly) and how the research project you proposed on February 16
would be different after viewing the documents in person.
 Single space this assignment.
 Turn in two copies, unless you would like to opt out of participating in the study by the
Digital Collections staff. If you opt out, you need turn in only one copy of the
assignment.
March 2, 2010
Activities
1. Meet in Library Special Collections, 4th Floor, Golda Meir Library
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Bloch, chapter 2
Assignment due: Imagine a Research Project based on Archives
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March 9, 2010
Activities
1. Meet in Library Instruction Room B in the North Wing of the Daniel M. Soref Learning
Commons for an introduction to Microtext
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Hoffer, chapter 4
Assignment due: Imagine a Research Project based on Special Collections
March 16, 2010
Activities
1. Guest speaker Emeritus Prof. Bruce Fetter, on maps as historical sources
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Bloch, chapter 3
Assignment due: Imagine a Research Project based on Microtext
March 30, 2010
Activities:
1. Meet in American Geographical Society Library, 3rd Floor, East Wing, Golda Meir
Library
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
(e) Bellesiles, Arming America, introduction and pages 266-267, and 445.
Assignment due:
 Write one paragraph summarizing Bellesiles’ argument.
April 6, 2010
Activities
1. Guest speaker Mr. James K. Nelsen, history doctoral student, on his career as an MPS
high school history teacher
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading: (e) The following articles, all in the April 2002 issue of the William and Mary
Quarterly:
1. Gross, “Introduction,” (pp. 203-204)
2. Main, “Many Things Forgotten: the Use of Probate Records in Arming America,”
(pp. 211-216)
3. Gruber, “Of Arms and Men: Arming America and Military History,” (pp. 217222)
4. Roth, “Guns, Gun Culture, and Homicide: the Relationship between Firearms,
the Use of Firearms, and Interpersonal Violence,” (pp. 223-240)
5. Bellesiles, “Exploring America’s Gun Culture,” (pp. 241-268)
Assignment due: free response, one page, single spaced: How do these readings affect your
interpretation of Arming America?
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April 13, 2010
Activities:
1. Meet in Library Instruction Room A for introduction to the use of tertiary sources
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Hoffer, chapters 5 and 6
 Turabian, pp. 77-80
Assignment due: Imagine a Research Project based on American Geographical Society Library
April 20, 2010
Activities
 Wikiality
Reading:
(e) Roy Rosenzweig, “Can History Be Open Source? Wikipedia and the Future of the Past,”
Journal of American History (2006): 117-146.
Assignment due: At this point in the semester, you have imagined a total of eight different
research papers you might write using primary sources available in the Golda Meir
library. When conducting primary source research, historians often have questions about
the material that can be answered quickly and easily using tertiary sources introduced in
class last week. Pick three of the Imagine a Research Project proposals that you
developed in the early part of this semester; at least one should be a non-U.S. based
project and at least one should be based on materials produced before the 20th century.
For each of the three research projects, produce a list of 4 factually-based questions.
Using the library’s tertiary sources, find answers to those questions. Turn in a list of the
questions and their answers. Each answer should conclude with a precisely
footnoted citation (including page numbers) where those answers can be found. You
should also indicate which primary source is guiding each of the imagined research
projects, and provide a bibliographic citation for that primary source.
April 27, 2010
Activities
1. Guest speaker, Professor Michael Gordon, on oral history
2. Discuss readings and assignment
Reading:
 Hoffer chapter 7 and conclusion
Assignment due:
Part I: find three articles on historical topics on Wikipedia.org. One article should be
good, one article should be bad, and one article should be excellent. You should use
your own best judgment in deciding what counts as bad, good, and excellent. List
these articles, indicating which you think was excellent, good, and bad, including the
date and time you accessed them. Print the first page of each article and turn it in.
Part II: for each of the three articles, find a corresponding (as close as you can get)
article in a specialty print encyclopedia (such as those found in the reference room).
Try to avoid general reference encyclopedias; part of the point of this assignment is to
familiarize you with the breadth of tertiary sources available to you. Make
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photocopies of these articles and on the photocopies write citations indicating where
they came from.
Part III: write a short paper (2-3 pages) comparing the Wikipedia articles to those from
the specialty encyclopedias, in answer to the question: “What qualities make a tertiary
source good and useful for historical research?” Use specific examples from the
articles you have selected. The focus of the paper should be about what works and
does not work in all six articles; the paper should not try to answer a question about
whether Wikipedia articles are better or worse than those that appear in specialty
encyclopedias. In writing this paper, you should think about such issues as the
interpretive power of the article; the accessibility of the prose; the level of factual
detail; the visual layout of the information; and any other issues that strike you as
relevant. Turn in copies of the print articles (with citations noted on the copy) with
your paper.
May 4, 2010
Activities
1. Guest speaker, Prof. Jasmine Alinder, on using visual sources, especially photographs, in
doing historical research
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Bloch chapter 4
Assignment due: Pick one of the four Imagine a Research Project assignments that you
completed earlier in the semester. Gather secondary and tertiary sources that provide you
with background information on the topic. Write a 3-4 page paper that sets the stage for
an intensive study based on the primary source. As an appendix, write one page that
identifies and describes the primary source (one paragraph) and explains what new
insights into the topic that study of the primary source would provide. The purpose of this
paper is to provide context, background information for a projected research paper. All
information should be cited using correct Chicago Manual of Style formats.
May 11, 2010
Activities
1. Guest speaker, Ms. Ellen Engseth, on her career as an archivist
2. Discuss readings and assignments
Reading:
 Bloch chapter 5
Assignment due, Monday, May 17, 4 p.m., in Amanda Seligman’s mailbox on the 3rd floor of
Holton Hall: Using the topic of the assignment completed for May 4, use America:
History and Life or Historical Abstracts to identify ten of the most significant books and
articles on that topic. Write a complete, alphabetized bibliography for all of these items
using correct Chicago Manual of Style format. Read at least two of the sources. Write a
short paper (3-4 pages) that compares, contrasts, and relates the major arguments made
by the authors of these articles. The paper should not be a comparison of the contents of
the works but should instead focus on analyzing how they approach their topics. Be sure
to include on the bibliography page a citation for the primary source guiding this paper.
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