Research Seminar

2019/2020

Academic Year

ENG

Instruction in English

6

ECTS credits

Delivered by:

Department of History

Type:

Compulsory course

When:

2 year, 1-3 module

Instructors

Borisova, Tatiana Y.

Chunikhin, Kirill

Course Syllabus

Abstract

This course aims at providing guidance in writing MA dissertations. The Research seminar elaborates on diversity of methodologies of possible usage and strengthens research skills. In the first year, this research seminar teaches students basic aspects of a historian’s craft. The course consists of five modules: 1) History in Practice: Research Skills; 2) Academic Rhetoric; 3) Oral History; 4) Visual Methods in History; 5) Crafting Research and Writing

Learning Objectives

• In the second year, besides presenting original research, students are expected to contribute to discussing peers’ works. Every project presented will undergo internal peer-review. At least two reviewers will be assigned to each student. Effective analysis of historical evidence is a crucial aspect of the historian’s craft, and a major requirement for satisfying gatekeepers within the discipline. Therefore, an MA dissertation should demonstrate a student’s ability to critically engage with sources.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• Able to make management decisions and ready to take responsibility for them
• Able to work with information: identify, evaluate and use information from a variety of sources for scientific and professional purposes (including with a systematic approach)
• Is able to create and edit scientific and popular texts, to present complex historical information in a publicly accessible form
• Is able to perform interdisciplinary interaction and cooperation with representatives of other fields of knowledge while solving research and applied tasks

Course Contents

• Introduction
• Sessions on Chapter 1
• Sessions on Chapter 2
• Presentations of first versions of MA Thesis

Assessment Elements

• Class engagement
• review
• MA chapters

Interim Assessment

• Interim assessment (3 module)
  0.1 * Class engagement + 0.5 * MA chapters + 0.4 * review

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• Rafoth, B. (2015). Multilingual writers and writing centers. United States, North America: Colorado State University. Libraries. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.82F6891C

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• ARMITAGE, D., & GULDI, J. (2015). AHR Exchange: The History Manifesto: A Reply to Deborah Cohen and Peter Mandler. American Historical Review, 120(2), 543–554. https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/120.2.543
• Carretero, M., Berger, S., & Grever, M. (2017). Palgrave Handbook of Research in Historical Culture and Education. [London]: Palgrave Macmillan. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=1357585
• DeBlasio, D. M. (2009). Catching Stories : A Practical Guide to Oral History. Athens, Ohio: Swallow Press. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsebk&AN=818131