HIST 503 Public History and Archival Methods

This graduate-level course introduces the student to the key theories, ideas, and most common techniques of a public historian.  Future courses will provide in-depth training and further development of the skills first practiced in this course. The course also introduces the student to the main professional skills of historical research, historiographical analysis, and research designs. 

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

No details available.

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussion: Three Minute Podcast

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will post a link to a publicly available recording of his or her three-minute podcast and summarize the podcast in no more than two sentences. The student will then post a 200 word reply to one peer.

The student will select a topic related to American history, modern European history, or the modern world before 2000 that best suits a public history project. The student will then write a 1- paragraph statement of the research topic and explain the key historical questions to be answered or resolved. The student will also provide a basic, preliminary bibliography that outlines the main primary and secondary sources for his or her research.

After deciding upon a research topic, the student will examine the topic in terms of the key weaknesses of historical interpretation that the LUO historians, Lukacs, and Trueman describe. The reflection must be 300 words in length. Any sources used must be cited according to current Turabian formatting standards.

In this assignment, the student will construct a research proposal providing the primary research questions his or her research will answer concerning the chosen topic. Then, the student will provide an explanation of the historical significance of the chosen research topic based on the course readings and presentations. The student will then provide a preliminary bibliography and budget for the project. The bibliography must include three primary sources, three secondary sources, three scholarly articles published within the last ten years, and one archived primary source located in a digital or physical collection. This assignment will make use of current Turabian formatting standards.

The student will learn how to use the digital resources of the Jerry Falwell Library and the importance of archival research. The student will compose an annotated bibliography with 15 primary sources and 8 secondary sources in Turabian format.

The student will examine the shifting interpretations of other historians concerning his or her research topic. The student will write 500 words describing the shifting scholarly treatments and why such shifts occurred and design a “bibliography” exhibit listing the most important works for his or her topic. This assignment will make use of current Turabian formatting standards.  

The student will conduct a formal oral history interview with a person pertinent to his or her research subject. The student must provide a minimum of 10 questions to ask the interviewee.

The student will work through the process of determining what objects should be preserved for his or her research topic and identify the people best equipped to do so. In 250 to 300 words, the student will explain five criteria by which he or she will decide what should be preserved for his or her research topic. The student should pick ten unique items to include along with a two-sentence explanation of how each item meets the provided criteria. The student will also provide an explanation of two historic preservation actors that can assist the historic preservation of these items. The student will also provide a one sentence explanation for each item regarding how it fits into the space explained in the Historic Exhibit Assignment. 

Oral History Interview Assignment

The student will conduct an oral history interview of a person connected to his or her research project. The assignment submission will include the release form signed by the interviewee, an interview transcription, and a 1-paragraph summary of at least 300 words. The summary must be on the interview process and how the information from the interview might be used in a public history project. The interview will be at least 30 minutes in length.

The student will create formal cataloging records for his or her oral history interview (and other historical artifacts). 

The student will create the layout for a public history exhibit based on his or her research project. The assignment must include no more than 250-word summaries for each component (Summative Narration, Space, Objects, Audience).

The student will create an interesting podcast examining an important part of his or her research project. The podcast script must be at least 450 words, but no longer than 500 words.