HISTORY
HISTORY AND TEACHING FOR ERASMUS STUDENTS – 2015/2016
Please note that while this information is as accurate and up-to-date as possible, it does not replace the entries in the University
Prospectus and Calendar, which are authoritative statements and take priority. This handbook should be read alongside the
Academic Regulations Handbook and the Academic Quality Manual located online, and in case of conflict, the Prospectus and
Calendar take priority. This information sheet is a summary of the key points of the History Undergraduate Handbook (available
at http://www.keele.ac.uk/history/currentundergraduates/) which also includes links to relevant university documents. For fuller
details of the points explained below, consult that handbook. Furthermore, the history programme is in a constant process of
change and evolution, as new courses are introduced, policies are fine-tuned and circumstances change. Updates may be
distributed by pigeonholes, posted on the School notice boards or circulated to students by email as and when necessary: it is
your responsibility to take note of these changes.
ORGANISATION
and produce essays or its equivalent. Most modules also
have ONE 2-hour examination at the end of the semester.
The Director of Programmes, Dr Alannah Tomkins,
(CBB1.055) semester 1 and Professor Dominic Janes
(CBB1.057) semester 2 has overall responsibility for all
teaching & research in History.
The pattern of teaching may vary from module to module;
details are set out in each module’s handbook.
ASSESSMENT
The Deputy Programme Director, Dr Anthony Kauders
(CBB2.036) semester 1 and Dr Ian Atherton (CBB0.046)
semester 2 has overall responsibility for all undergraduates
studying history courses.
Assessment is made up of continuous assessment (essays,
seminar performance and portfolios) and written
examinations. The weighting of assessment may vary from
module to module; details will be in the relevant module
handbook.
CONTACT AND COMMUNICATION
We mainly use email to distribute news and essential
information – make sure you are a registered computer user
and check your email (as well as the KLE notice board) at
least once every three days. For History staff contact details
see http://www.keele.ac.uk/history/people/
CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT
Portfolios & Contribution in Seminars
You will be assessed on your participation in seminars – on
whether you have done sufficient preparatory reading and
thinking, and whether you are willing and able to contribute to
the discussion.
TEACHING
Lectures
You will also be required to keep a portfolio, which will help
tutors assess your level of preparation for each seminar. This
will be a short report prepared for each seminar. The report
could be a variety of things: short answers to a series of
questions; a set of notes; an exercise on a specific source; an
essay plan. Your tutors will let you know what they require. A
copy of the report will be collected at the beginning or end of
each seminar (keep another copy as an aid to your revision).
The complete portfolio should be no longer than 2,000 words.
Tutors may mark portfolios on a weekly basis, review them
half way through the seminar course, or mark them all at the
end. There is no standard prescribed response. You should
expect your tutor to outline his/her approach at the start of the
module. As students, you will need to get used to different
methods of teaching.
Each module consists of up to 10 lectures covering the
principal themes and events of the period in question. Lecture
lists are available through the KLE (Keele Learning
Environment). Attendance at lectures is essential because the
written examinations are based on the lecture courses plus
supplementary reading.
Seminars
In addition, modules include between 5 and 8 hour-long
seminars. These are taught in groups of around fourteen.
Attendance at seminars is compulsory. These classes may be
taught in a variety of ways: formal presentations by individual
students, followed by a group discussion of the set topic or
document; class debates in which everyone is expected to
participate; or group work in which students work together to
present some aspect of the topic or document under
discussion. In each module, you will be required to do one or
more essays or their equivalent for your seminar tutor.
Students who attend all seminars, make the required
presentation/s (if any), and make some contributions on the
basis of their reading can expect a mark in the range 40-60%.
Students who prepare well for seminars and make regular,
useful contributions to the discussion may score more highly.
Marks as high as 90% are only given for really outstanding
performance throughout the course. Those whose
contributions are poor or non-existent will score no more than
20%.
To summarise, in each semester you are expected to
attend one or more lectures a week for up to ten weeks
and one or more seminars a week for five to eight weeks
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Plagiarised essays are liable to a ZERO mark, risking
overall failure in that module and possible University
disciplinary action.
 Proofreading Guidance
If you decide that you would like someone to proofread
your work or you wish to use a proofreading company it is
very important that you read the document ‘Proofreading
– a Guide for Students.’ Failure to follow the guidance in
this document, if you have your work proofread, could
result in you being found guilty of academic misconduct
due to having unpermitted assistance. The proofreading
guidance document can be downloaded from the website
at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/studentappealscomplaintsand
conduct/studentacademicconduct/.
 Word-length
Unless you have been told otherwise, your essay
should be between 1,700 and 2,000 words long.
Essays which exceed the word-limit, or fall short of it, by
10% or more will incur a penalty of 10 marks.
Please hand in ONE hard copy of your essay to the School
office, and deposit ONE electronic copy into the KLE, by the due
date (e-mail attachments are NOT acceptable). Note that
electronic copies will be automatically scanned for
plagiarism. Failure to submit a copy via KLE will incur a
mark of ZERO.
Although marks are not directly deducted for absences,
clearly if you are not present without good reason, you
cannot be participating well in class, and this is likely to be
reflected in your total. If you have good reason for your
absence, please ring your tutor or the office in advance and
later confirm your excuse in writing. Medical certificates must
be provided for two or more absences for medical reasons.
Written work
Continuous assessment is primarily based on your written
work, usually an essay. The academic marking criteria are
given in the History Undergraduate Handbook. Essays
should be based on wide reading (and on more than just
general textbooks). Over-reliance on encyclopaedias (online
or otherwise) will be penalised.
 Essays must be word-processed, and must be
submitted both as hard copy and in electronic form
(see below). It is up to you to present your essay in a
legible form. Leave substantial left and right margins
(approx. 3 cm each). Use double-spacing and a font
size of 12 point. Indent the beginning of paragraphs or
leave a clear line between each paragraph. Poorlypresented essays will be penalised.
 Do not change the question or title given you in any
way without first consulting your seminar tutor.
Make sure that you always answer the question as set.
 Essays displaying poor or incorrect use of English
will be penalised. There is no excuse in essays or
other written work produced in the student’s own time
for grammatical or spelling errors. Please check your
grammar and spelling. An internally produced guide,
Studying History, is available online on the History web
pages at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/history/currentundergraduates/.
For help with punctuation and grammar please consult
L. Truss, Eats, Shoots and Leaves (2004) and/or the
recently published Oxford English Dictionary for
Students (2006). The marks awarded on academic
criteria will be reduced for poor English according to the
following tariff:
(a) the penalty for consistently poor grammar, such
that it makes the argument difficult to follow, is 10
marks;
(b) the penalty for poor punctuation, paragraphing and
sentence structure is 5 to 10 marks.
 Provide a full bibliography. At the end of the essay
list those books and articles you have used.
(a) The failure to give a full bibliography carries a
penalty of 10 marks;
(b) the failure to set the bibliography out correctly
carries a penalty of 5 marks (see the History
Undergraduate Handbook for examples of how to
set out references and bibliographic entries).
 Referencing
Your essay should include referencing (use the
footnoting function via ‘Insert’ on your computer).
(a) Essays lacking any references will lose 10 marks;
(b) Incorrect referencing (e.g. absence of page
numbers) carries a penalty of 5 marks.
 A style guide with advice on how to set out footnotes
and bibliography is available in the History
Undergraduate Handbook
 Plagiarism
Plagiarism is taken very seriously by the university. It is
the failure to acknowledge and indicate direct
quotations is (this applies even when the odd word has
been changed or the word-order has been altered).
Ensure that the following are clearly printed on your front page:
 Module title and number
 Name of your seminar tutor
 Your student number (all essays are marked
anonymously)
 Essay title
Make sure that your essay is stapled together through the top
left-hand corner. Please do not use paper clips (they come off)
or hand in essays in any type of plastic folder or binder
(removing these is time-consuming). You would be wise to
retain a duplicate.
You must also hand in a module evaluation form and a selfassessment form along with your essay.
Deadlines
The deadlines for written work are given in the relevant
module handbook.
LATE ESSAYS will be accepted only in extenuating
circumstances of a medical nature or its equivalent, which
must be agreed to by the Deputy Programme Director, and
MUST be supported (1) by a completed extenuating
circumstances form (available at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/academicadministration/forms/),
(2) by EVIDENCE in the form of a medical note or other
supporting information, as appropriate, and (3) by evidence of
the work on the essay completed at the date of your request.
Only the Deputy Programme Director in History has authority
to grant permission to submit late work to students registered
for the History programme, and within these strict limitations.
Such extensions are very much an emergency measure. As a
guide, they will only be granted in clear and genuine cases,
such as a sudden illness, a last-minute death in the family or
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your ability to think and perform as an historian. The
examinations are based on the lectures AND additional
recommended reading on the lectures. Essays which
simply reproduce lecture notes will score low marks.
the like. You will be required to show evidence such as
medical certificate. Extensions will not be granted in the
following cases:
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You have other essays to submit at the same time.
Time management is a basic skill you must learn; if
several deadlines coincide, then it is up to you to
arrange your study accordingly. Essays can be
submitted ahead of time!
A ZERO mark may be recorded for failure to attend the
examination without good reason. In any re-sit the maximum
mark available for the whole module will be 40%.
Scripts displaying poor or incorrect use of English will be
penalised. Please check your grammar and spelling.
Because you have not been feeling very well. If you are
seriously ill, especially close to the deadline, then this
may well constitute due grounds for an extension, but
not a bout of ‘Keele 'flu’ in the fortnight before, or a
hangover (and yes, this has been tried in the past!). In
the case of long-running ailments, it is your
responsibility to arrange an extension well before the
deadline.
MARKING SCHEME
Essays and examinations are marked on a 100 point scale:
70 plus
First class
60-69
Upper Second
50-59
Lower Second
40-49
Third
0- 39
Fail
A key text was not available from the library. Again, do
not leave your work until the last minute. If it looks as if
this is going to be a serious problem, your seminar tutor
may be able to suggest alternative sources.
The marks for all the elements of assessment (essay,
seminar, exam etc) are added together to get a percentage
grade for each module.
There is too long a print queue at the Library. There
always is at such times of the year. If using the
university system, you need to print your essay out in
good time.
The University Code of Practice on Assessment is at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation8/#d.en.19980
The computer spontaneously combusted/the goat ate
your essay/etc. It is your responsibility to look after your
work. Always keep back-up copies of work on a
computer and hold on to earlier drafts. It may be
possible to accept a draft or disk version as a stand-in
submission, but you must check first.
DISABILITY
Students with visual impairment, mobility or hearing difficulties
should inform the Deputy Programme Director as soon as
possible so that we may assist you as far as possible.
Students registered dyslexic should inform the Deputy
Programme Director immediately.
The University policy on long-term disability is at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/class/disabilityservices/disabilitystatem
ent/
Because you could not come in on the day in question.
Obviously, if your car breaks down and you live in
Chester or you break your leg while walking across to
hand in your essay, you have a good case, but you
must contact the Department as soon as possible. But
otherwise do not leave submitting your essay until the
very last day if there is any possibility of your being
away or otherwise engaged; you can submit it earlier,
instead.
FEEDBACK
It is important for you not only to know your academic
progress but also learn from your successes and difficulties.
Comments on coursework essays will be provided, generally
on a standard sheet. You will usually also receive comments
on your seminar performance, especially if above or below
average standard. These comments will be given to you at the
module feed back meeting. The feedback meeting is a
compulsory part of the module and non-attendance will result
in the issue of a departmental warning.
In other words, extensions will be granted freely in
emergencies, but only in emergencies, and must be
arranged in advance unless this is absolutely impossible. All
this may seem very brutal and uncaring, but these essays
count towards your final degree marks and thus must be
treated with the same rigour as exams. These are University
rules, not an invention of the School.
RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
If you are granted permission to submit late under
Extenuating circumstances rules you WILL have to
produce the work you have done up to that point.
The following statements, giving reference to information
given in university documents are detailed below:
University policy on absence for illness and other good
cause can be found in the Academic Regulations and
Guidance for Students and Staff at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation10/#d.em.2002
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The University’s Code of Practice on Equality and Diversity
can be found at http://www.keele.ac.uk/hrss/equalitydiversity/
Statements on all university procedures and policies relating
to plagiarism; assessment procedures and procedures when
students fail assessments; complaints procedures; appeals,
absence for illness and other good cause for absence;
academic warnings can be found at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/governance/actcharterstatutesordi
nancesandregulations/universityregulations/assessmentexami
nationsandappeals/
Written examinations
A written examination tests your ability to work under
pressure and within strict time constraints. Whilst the
general points for essays apply, we are looking here for
ability to construct a well evidenced argument in answer to
the question asked. Poor answers are those which do not
address the question asked. The written examination tests
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PLAGIARISM & CRASS DERIVATION
Study is no different from other activities, in that it requires
skills. Some you have, but others you will need to learn. Here
are a few brief suggestions. For more detailed advice see
Christopher Harrison, Studying History (Keele, 1996) on the
History website.
Plagiarism, the unacknowledged copying or close
paraphrasing of passages from published or unpublished
sources, is a form of cheating. In other words, if you copy
material out of other works, even if you have carried out
superficial paraphrasing and/or editing, without making it
clear that this is what you have done, then you are
plagiarising. If you are not sure quite where plagiarism
begins, then this is something you might want to raise with
one of your seminar tutors or your Personal Tutor.
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Plagiarism in written work at any level will be referred to the
School’s Academic Conduct Officer, and if proven, to the
Director of Academic Services and renders the offender
liable to University disciplinary action. A statement of
university policy on plagiarism and other academic
dishonesty can be found in the Academic Regulations and
Guidance for Students and Staff at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation8/#d.en.19990
(section 12 of regulation 8). Guidance on the avoidance of
plagiarism can be found at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation8/#d.en.19990
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Crass Derivation occurs when a student has cut and pasted
work from a website or book but cited its source. Although this
cannot be treated as cheating like plagiarism, the student has
deployed little effort or intellectual skill in writing the essay and
the work will also be awarded zero.
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THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
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The university library may initially seem dauntingly large and
uses a form of classification you may not have encountered
before. Despair not; there is help at hand. The Library staff
give invaluable guided tours at the beginning of the year.
There is a useful guide, How to use the library, and a series
of Fact Sheets relating to specific services; some are also
available online (http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/li/). After
reading these, the best way to find your way around is to
browse. A couple of hours early on spent wandering around
and seeing what is available will repay dividends later.
Manage and use your time effectively. Some find making
a weekly schedule or work-diary listing formal
commitments and other work to be done helpful (and a
diary is crucial to enable you to keep track of
appointments, e.g., with your Personal Tutor).
Your first priority in a lecture is to listen carefully. Don't try
to take down everything the lecturer says. Listen critically.
Go over your notes later; what you do not understand
follow up in discussion with friends and through reading.
Prepare for your seminars. There is nothing worse than
having total ignorance exposed. That said, be prepared
to risk an opinion. No one expects you to know a great
deal at this stage; what is required is an honest approach
to the question under discussion.
It is not for nothing one is said to read for a degree. The
more you read, the more you will get out of the course.
Don't stay with textbooks; once you have the broad
outline, try specialised articles and monographs and/or
some primary source material. If a book bores you,
discard it because you will get nothing of value from it. If
all books bore you, you'd better leave now!
Be economical in your note-making. If you copy from a
book or article into your notes, put it in inverted commas
in your notes; this will prevent inadvertent plagiarism.
Writing should be a creative and enjoyable experience,
but you do need certain skills. Here are some tips. Use
simple sentences. Avoid passive verbs (for the most
part). Don't use words you don't know the meaning of
(don't try to show off!). Check your spelling and grammar.
Your tutor will be looking for the following in your essay (and
in your examination answers) which you might consider using
as a check-list:
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The most important classification area for History students is
D. This is subdivided by a second letter according to country
(such as DA for Great Britain, DC for France), and then by
numbers. Within any country general works come first, then
works on more particular aspects of that country's history,
such as political, military or social life, then works in
chronological order, and finally works on local history.
Spend half an hour browsing through the collections relating
to any one country and you will soon get the idea.
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How well informed are you?
Have you understood the implications of the
question set?
Have you marshalled your material effectively?
Do you present your argument and its supporting
evidence in a coherent fashion?
DIFFICULTIES
If you encounter apparently insuperable difficulties, please
consult your seminar tutors, the Erasmus/Overseas/
American Exchange tutor, (myself, email:
a.d.kauders@keele.ac.uk).
Many other subjects of importance to historians are
classified in other areas; for instance, ecclesiastical history
will be found in BR and BX, economic history in HC, social
history in HN, legal history in KE and so on.
Dr Anthony Kauders
Deputy Programme Director
September 2015
The main library catalogue is online, accessible either in the
Library/Information Services building, or elsewhere at
http://opac.keele.ac.uk/.
Works which are in high demand are often placed in the
Short-term Loan library, to which there is a Library Guide.
STUDY SKILLS
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