History: History Methods

Investigation of the theory and practice of history through critique of historians' methods, analysis of primary sources, and development of the research and writing skills necessary for constructing historical arguments. Prerequisites: History major; three hours in History; Sophomore standing recommended.

Prereq: 3 hours History; HST majors only; Minimum sophomore standing PACE students with permission and override

A: This course introduces students to the craft of historical research, including asking good questions, collecting data from primary and secondary sources, shaping new, research-based narratives, and conducting dialogues with other scholars and researchers. We will analyze and practice these methodologies by focusing on the historical field of witchcraft in the late medieval through the modern period, both in Europe and in the Americas. The class will culminate with a research project of the students’ own design, which will be broken down into graded component parts reflecting the stages of research, source evaluation, outlining, and drafting a final paper. B: This course has been designed with two broad goals in mind: 1) to provide sophomore-level UVM history majors with an opportunity to develop and discuss a sophisticated appreciation of the dynamic and almost always highly politicized character of historical knowledge; 2) to nurture within those students the ability to evaluate critically the methods of scholarship employed by professional historians, as well as the ability to practice those methods successfully on their own in future history courses. Through class discussions and writing assignments, students will also fine tune their appreciation of the fundamental skills cultivated through historical thinking that are widely applicable in any professional endeavor – careful analysis of evidence, logical organization of data, persuasive explanation of interpretive conclusions, and the polished written expression of ideas.