Research and Writing Seminar
Early America to 1840
History 803
Prof. Cathy Matson
Tues. 3:30-6:30
219 Gore
Office: 121 Munroe
Email: cmatson@udel.edu
The purpose of this course is to provide a setting in which to learn
more about the historian’s craft of writing, and to give you a forum for
researching, writing, and presenting a project in a collective experience.
You are expected to design a research project, investigate sources, and compose
bibliographies, drafts, and finished copies of your work. Along the way,
we will discuss some of the issues that arise when historians get into the
archives, try to get published, and are critiqued by other scholars. We
will address how you frame questions for research, how to make a historical
argument, how to find your sources, what to do when the idea that motivates
your study becomes too big or the sources too fragmentary, how to address
other scholarship in the field, and how to find our readers and publishers.
You will all have the chance to present your findings and to write constructive
criticisms of the work that other seminar members do. Your ultimate goal
should be to test ideas and research fields related to the dissertation you
wish to write, or to write a publishable article that stems from this semester,
or to get out and give a conference paper at a relevant conference. You
should make your project a goal-centered effort that is driven by your passions
and represents the best thinking, researching, and writing you can do.
Some of you already have your “big idea,” and will be prepared to present
a research proposal in the second week of the course. Others will have inchoate
thoughts about broad areas of interest in early American history, and will
want to begin narrowing down your ideas very early in the semester. You
may write on any topic in early American history, provided, in the first
instance, that it is one that can sustain your interest and will add to historical
scholarship, and in the second instance, that you can complete your research
and writing in one semester.
Your preliminary proposals (see below for when they are due, and more
about their format) should be about 3-5 pages long, and your bibliography
should be an extra page or so in length, depending on the nature of your
project. This proposal should make an argument, justify its place alongside
existing scholarship in that field, and explain how you will research the
topic. Drafts of your work will be critiqued in class and receive written
comments. The finished paper should be commensurate in length with the nature
of the project, but in no case will I accept less than 20 pages, fully documented
and polished. Your final paper should not exceed 40 pages, since that is
pushing the outer limit for publishable articles. Your papers will have
complete endnotes and bibliography, and will use Chicago Style. Everyone
will be responsible for reading your work and contributing to making it better;
your buddy will be giving you detailed comments along with the professor's
comments. This also means that at certain times, you will have to reproduce
your work in enough copies to do our work effectively, and deposit them where
we decide – please be timely and considerate about these rules. It also
means that you will have the responsibility of providing others with comments
of their work; please take this task seriously.
There will be handouts from time to time, and out of class assignments
that you will prepare in addition to your research. These are required parts
of the course, and will be graded along with the written research project.
Please be sure you have a mailbox in the department, and please be sure to
check it during the week so that you do not miss opportunities to do these
assignments.
Schedule of Meetings:
GET READY . . . .
Aug. 30: Review syllabus and organization of class;
Review objectives
Discuss what makes a good topic; how to select sources; how
to get started in the archives, what library “issues” you might have individually
Choosing buddies
For prospectuses
For critiquing drafts
For commentators of our “conference”
Sep. 6: Using historical archives, doing historical research with documents.
Keeping track of your sources and recording your findings
Narrowing down topics and bodies of sources
Understanding what a “good” source is in early American history
Discuss what will go into the prospectus – five essential parts
Thesis statement
Argument
Historiographical need for your work
Research strategy
Research locations
Bring to class:
List of five journals where you would like your essay to
appear
List of three conference where you could present your essay
Read pages that have been handed out on “Stages of Research,”
“What is a Prospectus,” and “Argument”
Prospectus is due Sept. 16 by 5 p.m.– put a copy in professor’s
mailbox, a copy in your buddy’s mailbox, and copies for everyone to read
in the GRR
Sep. 13: Individual conferences as needed – contact me by email with
research questions or appointments -- prospectus is due Sept. 16
. . . . . GET SET . . .
Sep. 20 Presentation of research prospectus – ca. 10 minutes
Buddies present comments – ca. 10 minutes
Everyone brings comments for each prospectus
Discuss nature of topics, strategies for research, argument of work, preliminary
findings.
Where to find sources that I need?
What happens when there are not enough, or the right kind of, sources?
How do I work in archives – who do I contact – what are the general rules
of conducting archival work?
How do I plan ahead?
Handouts on making oral presentations and being a responsible critic
Sep. 27 Continue Sep. 20
Discuss problems arising at this time with archival findings
. . . . . . GO!!!
Oct. 4, 11 Appointments as needed – Researching underway!!
Oct. 18 Interim reports on progress; changes of direction; startling
findings
Discuss “Essentials for Good Writing
What is a primary source?
-- see handouts given to you
-- everyone brings an example of documentary evidence being
used
What is a secondary source?
-- everyone brings a bibliography of secondary sources being
used
Read Handouts:
Doing Book Reviews and Reviewing Manuscripts
Writing Book Reviews
Being a good critic or reviewer
Reviewing journal manuscripts
Choosing the right readership
Preparing manuscripts for publication
Submitting work for review and publication
Knowing where to publish
Discussion about writing for historical journals,
What is refereeing, how do you distinguish among many journals; working
with deadlines, co-authoring, dealing with criticisms, meeting deadlines,
etc.
Attending and participating in conferences
Composing panels; protocols of participating in conference proceedings
Oct. 25 Appointments as needed – Researching continues!!
Nov. 1 Write-ups of preliminary research due:
-- significant portion of research is done,
-- a few paragraphs of solid writing is attempted
-- timetables for completing research, drafting research
findings
-- work on bibliographies: primary sources and secondaries
Nov. 8 Write, write, write – go back and research when needed, and
write, write, write
Nov. 15 Discussion about historical style and argument, using the
10 examples
Discussion of common errors in writing: read following segments of handouts:
Pointers for Better Writing
Slimming Down
Checklist of Sins
Fallacies to Avoid
Passive Voice
Introductory and concluding paragraphs
Transitions
commas
How to do bibliographies and footnotes: read handout pages
Nov. 18 (Fri) Paper drafts are due!!
Copy to prof., copy to “buddy,” and copy in graduate
research room
Buddy will write comments (and get comments)
All members of the seminar will read all drafts
Nov. 29 Drafts will be returned to you no later than today
– remember we have Thanksgiving break, so you may not get into the History
Department office easily – I will try to return
drafts to you as quickly as possible after Nov. 18. By class-time today,
the 29th, please be sure to have looked over
my comments to you, and be prepared to talk about what you need to do to
complete your project by December 13, the due date.
Proofreading symbols – see handout pages
Organization of our 803 Conference –
Poster and decide who to invite
Podium and conference etiquette
Presentations of 15 minutes or so
Comment by buddy of 15 minutes or so
Audience participation
Dec. 6 803 Conference in Munroe 203 -- presentation
of your research, organized comments delivered, general discussion by seminar
Dec. 13 Final drafts are due!!