Seminar:  Mondays:  5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Battelle-Tompkins TBA
 

Instructor:  Robert Griffith	Office: 139 Battelle-Tompkins
Office Hours:  Mondays --Thursdays, 2:00 -5:00 p.m. and by appointment.	Tel: 202-885-2419
E-Mail: bgriff@american.edu	Griffith's Home Page

 

About the Course	The Schedule	Blackboard
Library& Other Resources	Recommended Readings	Assessment

Please note: while this syllabus is reasonably complete, I will make alterations in it from time to time as circumstances change or as new opportunities for learning present themselves.  I will normally identify such changes with the icon:

About the Course: This goal of this seminar is to help you conceive, plan, research, write and present an original work of scholarship on a topic of your choice in U.S. history.

You must select a topic that is a) of interest to you; b) for which accessible secondary and primary sources exist; c) which constitutes an original contribution to historical scholarship; and d) which can be completed in a semester.  Your topic must also be one that falls within the competence of the instructor (or some other faculty member who is willing to serve as a secondary advisor). You should prepare your paper with a specific audience in mind, either the readers of a scholarly journal and/or those in attendance at a scholarly meeting.  You will be required to identify two or more scholarly journals to which you might reasonably submit your paper, as well as the annual meeting of two or more scholarly meetings at which you might reasonably present it.  (In either case, you will be required to prepare your paper in two formats: as a scholarly article and as a “talking paper” that you might give at a professional meeting.).

Alternative Formats: Your project may be presented in one of three format:

1) The preferred format is a that of a scholarly article of approximately  30-40 pages, not including footnotes.

2) You must also create a shorter "talking paper" that you will present at a conference.  Members of the class will be required to present a preliminary version of their work at the CAS Research Conference on (no fooling) Saturday, April 1.  You are very strongly encouraged to create your "talking paper" as a Power Point presentation.

3) You are welcome to present your research as a web site, incorporating not only traditional methods of presenting research, but also (where appropriate) scanned and/or web-based documents, images, sounds, etc.  Please note, however, that such presentations must meet the same very rigorous standards applied to traditional papers.  Indeed, in some ways the expectations for these presentations may be even higher.  Like the more traditional scholarly paper, your web-based presentation must be accompanied by a "talking paper," which you could present while guiding an audience through your web site.

4) You may also use the class as a workshop in which to prepare your dissertation prospectus. You may do so, however, only following discussion with both myself and your major advisor.  For details, see the University's Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations at: http://www.library.american.edu/about/services/dissertations.html. Please note that you will also be required to prepare a "talking paper" version of your prospectus.

The Importance of Community:

Because scholarship is a collegial, as well as an individual, enterprise, you will be asked to share your work with others at every stage: seeking (and offering) advice, and revising your work in light of the comments by your classmates and the instructor.  Your grade for the course will be based not only on the quality of you own paper, but on the quality, quantity and usefulness of assistance that you lend to others in the course.

The Groups: Each of you will be placed in a virtual (e.g., Blackboard) study group. Each group will have its own group discussion board (in addition to the entire Class Discussion Board). From time to time you will be required to post your work on your Group Discussion Board.  You will also be required to post significant and substantive comments on the work of the other members of your group.  To post your essay, click on the Assignment and then on "Add a New Thread." To comment on a classmate's essay, click on the "reply" button.  Because such collaboration requires that you post your work in a timely fashion, I will enforce deadlines rigorously and reduce scores by a half-grade for each day the assignment is late.

Blackboard:

The power of the traditional seminar rests in its interactivity, on the ability of a small group of people to read and comment on one another's work.   Blackboard, the University’s “course management software,” provides a wonderful means of enhancing the seminar's interactivity by "virtually" expanding the seminar beyond the limited time and physical space in which it "actually" meets. In geek speak, we refer to these latter characteristics as "asynchronous" and "aspatial."  Blackboard provides a virtual classroom environment where you may find a link to this syllabus and other course materials, including readings available via the Library's Electronic Reserve. Blackboard also provides "discussion forums" in which you will be required to post your weekly assignments and comment on the work of your classmates.  To access the newest version of Blackboard, click on http://blackboard.american.edu/.  Login, your Eaglenet ID and Password.  Click on History 752.001.  To learn more about Blackboard, click on: http://www.american.edu/cte-consulting/blackboard.htm. 

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Recommended Readings:

Anthony Brundage. Going to the Sources: A Guide to Historical Research and Writing. 2nd edition (June 1997). Harlan Davidson.
 
Wayne C. Booth et al., The Craft of Research : From Planning to Reporting (2nd. edition, 2003).

Martha Howell and Walter Prevenier, From Reliable Sources: An Introduction to Historical Methods (2001)

Thomas Mann, The Oxford Guide to Library Research, 2nd edition, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998).

Kate L. Turabian, John Grossman, and Alice Bennett, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6^th revised edition (Chicago:  University of Chicago Press, 1996).

See also, Melvin E. Page, A Brief Citation Guide for Internet Sources in History and the Humanities (February 20, 1996), an online guide to citing internet sources, modeled on Turabian's A Manual for Writers.

William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White, The Elements of Style, 3rd edition (New York: Macmillan, 1995).  Originally written by William Strunk (and available on-line by clicking on The Elements of  Style), this slender volume was updated by E.B. White in the late 1950s.  A little fussy for contemporary sensibilities, it is still an invaluable guide to good writing.

Marc Trachtenberg, "Doing Cold War History: A Practical Guide" at: http://www.polisci.ucla.edu/faculty/trachtenberg/guide/guidehome.html
Designed specifically for students pursuing research in the Cold War era, this Guide is nevertheless useful for any student beginning a serious research project.

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For details on using AU's Bender Library, see: Using the AU Library.

EndNote:  Students in the Research Seminar are strongly urged to purchase a copy of this amazing bibliographic tool, which simplifies and automates library research, note-taking and, especially, the footnoting of papers, books and articles.  For details, see the EndNote web site at: http://www.endnote.com/.  I will invite AU Senior Reference Librarian Mary Mintz to give an EndNote demonstration very early in the semester.  The AU Bookstore offers copies of EndNote at the heavily discounted price (online at: http://www.journeyed.com/itemDetail.asp?T1=71122773%20R%20Y19).  The sooner you obtain and begin using this powerful tool, the better.

Power Point: You are strongly encouraged to employ Power Point in presenting your research.  Those who are not familiar with Power Point may take advantage of the workshops by the Center for Teaching Excellence http://www.american.edu/academic.depts/provost/teachingcenter/.  If there is sufficient interest, I will schedule a demonstration for our class meeting on March 20.

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Monday,  January 16: Martin Luther King Day.  No Class.  

Assignment 1: BEFORE CLASS BEGINGS: 

By Tuesday evening, January 17, I would like for each of you to do the following:

1. The Questionnaire:  You should have received by now an e-mail attachment with a questionnaire.  Please fill out this questionnaire and return it to me by e-mail in advance of our first class. If you have not received a copy, please download the questionnaire (click here), fill it out and return it to me as soon as possible.

2. Your Blackboard Homepage: Create a class "homepage" for yourself  by going to Blackboard, entering your Eaglenet ID and Pass Word, and clicking on "Tools" and then on "Homepage."   By all means attach a photo or link to your own webpage (if you have one).

3.  An Intellectual Autobiography: Prepare a brief (500-750 word) "intellectual biography," in which you tell us a little about yourself and your background: where you grew up, your education, the classes  (undergraduate, graduate, history, other) and ideas that have really excited you; your goals, both immediate and long term.  Post your intellectual biography on Blackboard's Class Discussion Board. 

Monday, January 23: Introduction to the Class. 

Assignment Two.  Selecting and Defining Your Topic

1.  Selecting a topic is extremely important.  For help with this, click on Selecting a Topic.  If you have not settled on a topic, you may wish to consult a sheet I prepared last year for senior history majors entitled: Varieties of U.S. History.  I also urge you to read Marc Trachtenberg's thoughtful Cold War History Research Guide.  Though it is focused on the cold war, much of the advice he offers is relevant to selecting any topic.

2.  By no later than Friday, January 20, you should post to on the Class Discussion Board, a brief (2-to-3 paragraph) description of  your topic and its significance.  Describe your proposed study and explain its significance.  Why does it matter to you?  Why should it matter to others?  What is the problem you plan to investigate?  The question(s) you will answer?   For details on preparing this assignment, (and questions you should address), click on Defining Your Topic: A Template.

3 ) By no later than Sunday, January 22, you should post a thoughtful and substantive comment ("response") to each of the initial postings by your classmates.

EndNote Demonstration (tent).  Computer Classroom, Bender Library (basement). 5:30 p.m.

Assignment Three. Assessing The Literature

1) By no later than Friday,  February 3 you should post a brief (approximately 1250-1500 words) essay review assessing  the scholarly literature on your topic, with an indication of what your research will contribute to that body of literature. Use this essay to more clearly delineate the issues raised by your investigation.  What are the issues that other historians have raised regarding your topic?  How will your paper address those issues?

2) By no later than Sunday, February 5, you should post a significant and substantive comment (response) to each of the your classmates' original postings. Suggest additional readings, questions, approaches (always in a constructive manner).

Monday, February 13: Assessing the Primary Sources.

Assignment Four. Assessing the Primary Sources 

1) By no later than Friday, February 10, you should post an  annotated list of the most important primary sources you intend to use in your paper.  Indicate the scope of these materials, where they are located and any difficulties that you anticipate in using them.  Are there additional resources may be relevant to your topic, but which you will not be able to use due to the constraints of time, location and/or classification? 

2) By no later than Sunday, February 12, you should post a substantive comment (response) to each of your classmates postings.

Monday, February 20  No Class Meeting.  Work on Paper.

Please post a brief 1-2 paragraph progress report no later than Monday, February 20.

The class will not meet during the next several weeks, but students are encouraged to use Blackboard to pose questions, seek help, offer advice, and so on.  Of course, as always, the instructor is available via e-mail, telephone, during office hours and by appointment.

Please post a brief 1-2 paragraph progress report no later than Monday, February 20.

Monday, March 6: Class Meets.  Progress report due in Advance.

Assignment Five. Progress Report 

1)  Prepare a fuller progress report of roughly 6-8 pages (1500-2,000) words, using as a rough guide Defining Your Topic: A Template.  I will be looking for a more sharply defined focus.  Your discussions of relevant secondary and primary sources may be brief, limited to those that are most critical.  You should discuss the disciplinary context of your study and audience (as described in the template).  You should also include a brief work schedule.  Report should be posted to the class Discussion Board no later than Friday, March 3. 

2)  By no later than Sunday, March 5, you should post a substantive comment on each of your classmates postings.

3)  We will meet on Monday, March 6, to review your progress and plan for the remainder of the semester.

 
Spring Break: March 13-17

Monday, March 20: Work on Paper

Monday, March 27: Preparing for Saturday's Presentation.

Assignment Six. Preparing for Saturday's Presentation.: an outline of your presentation should be posted on on the Entire Class Discussion Board Board no later than Friday, March 24th.  You are encouraged to create and post Power Point presentations. You should review and post comments on the outlines of your classmates no later than March 27.  We will review and discuss the presentations in class.

Saturday, April 1: The Ann Robyn Mathias Student Research Conference, Battelle Tompkins, 9:00 a.m.

Assignment Seven: Presenting Your Paper

Each of you will be required to make a brief, 10-15 minute presentation on your work to date at the annual CAS research conference on Saturday, April 1.

Your presentation should be carefully organized and should in no instance exceed the recommended time.  It should include a discussion of a) the problem you are seeking to explore and/or the question(s) you are attempting to answer; b) the scholarly context in which your work is located; c) the primary sources you are using; and d) an at least preliminary discussion of what you have discovered. 

You are strongly encouraged to employ Power Point in presenting your research.  Those who are not familiar with Power Point may take advantage of the workshops by the Center for Teaching Excellence http://www.american.edu/academic.depts/provost/teachingcenter/.  If there is sufficient interest, I will schedule a demonstration for our class meeting on March 20.

Monday, April 3:   NO CLASS. Work on Paper

The class will not meet during the next several weeks, but students are encouraged to use Blackboard to pose questions, seek help, offer advice, and so on.  Of course, as always, the instructor is available via e-mail, telephone, during office hours and by appointment.

However, you will be divided into small reading/writing groups to assist one another with the writing of your papers.  See Group Discussion Board. 

For useful guides to writing, see Professor April Shelford's Guide to Common Writing Problems and Bob's Tips on Writing.
 

Monday, April 10: NO CLASS. Work on Papers.

Monday, April 24: Assignment Eight (1): First Draft Due.

1)  By Friday, April 21, you will have submitted a first draft of your paper and posted it on your Group Discussion Board. 

2)  By Sunday, April 23, you will have posted additional comments and suggestions on the papers of each of the members of your group on your Group Discussion Board.

During class there will be an opportunity for you to meet with your group to discuss  improvements in your papers.

Members of the seminar will receive extra credit for reading and commenting on undergraduate history day papers.

Monday, May 1: Last Class Meeting. 

During class there will be an opportunity for you to meet with your group to discuss  improvements in your papers.

Monday, May 8:  Assignment Eight (2): Final Draft of Papers Due

By Monday, May 8, the final draft of your papers must be posted on the Entire Class Discussion Board.