Home | Goals | Schedule | Assignments | Readings | Notes

Course Content

This course introduces you to historical research techniques and tools. You will discover the types of evidence used by historians and the ways they use and evaluate this evidence.

Course Goals

• To develop "historical mindedness"
• To identify, locate and evaluate historical evidence
• To understand the underlying organization of information hubs and sources (libraries, databases, web, journals, etc.)
• To conduct historical research using both traditional and electronic tools

Expectations

• Prerequisite Checklist
  • UW Net ID established
  • Library Barcode activated
  • Library PIN created
  • UW Internet Connectivity Kit (UWICK) or Proxy Server installed if using an off campus computer
  • Familiarity with MS Word

• Required Material
  For the final project you will need to purchase a 48 x 36 inch presentation board available at the University Bookstore for $4.31. You will also need a binder for the final project. Additional expenses may include photocopying and printing of material for the poster session.

• Readings
  In order to be ready for class discussions, students are expected to read all assignments prior to class. Reading assignments will serve as introductions to the materials presented in class, may be discussed in class and will be covered in the midterm.

• Class Listserv
  There is a class listserv. Students are responsible for checking their e-mail regularly for updates to readings, assignments, etc., which will be announced via the class listserv and to participate in any listserv discussions.

• Attendance
  Because of the hands-on and cumulative nature of instruction, it will be difficult to make up for missed classes. Consequently, students are expected to attend all sessions and participate in class discussions activities. Notify me, in advance or in a timely manner, if you are unable to attend a class or submit a scheduled assignment. If you must miss a class, you are responsible for learning the material covered.

• Behavior
  As in all their conduct at the University of Washington, students are expected to be courteous, respectful, and civil to the entire class. Reading unrelated materials, writing personal letters, reading e-mail, or doing work for other classes, for example, are distracting both to the instructor and to other students and are, therefore, unacceptable behavior. Please turn off all phones during the class time.

• Academic Honesty
  Students are expected to do their own work for all class assignments and to fully participate in any group work.

Grading

This is a 3 credit, graded course. Grades will be calculated on a 200 point scale and assigned upon completion and evaluation of the following:

• Class participation - 10 points
• Homework Exercises - 30 points
• Midterm - 50 points
• Final Project - 110 points
  • Proposal - 10
  • Narrative Statement - 15
  • Preliminary bibliographies - 10
  • Final Bibliography - 25
  • Research Process Paper - 30
  • Poster - 20

Your point total will determine your course grade as follows:

180 - 200 points	A [3.5 - 4.0]
160 - 179 points	B [2.6 - 3.4]
140 - 159 points	C [1.6 - 2.5]
120 - 139 points	D [.6 - 1.5]

Photograph: Detail from a 1943 Ansel Adam's photograph, "Group of girls standing in line formation, each one reaching both of her arms straight out to the side." Courtesy of "Suffering under a Great Injustice": Ansel Adams's Photographs of Japanese-American Internment at Manzanar.