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• Postgraduate study:
• Courses
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• Work placement
• Study resources
• Student support
• Research
• Campuses
• Choose Kingston
• Disability and mental health support

Doing History: Theory Methods and Practice

• Module code: HS7001
• Year: 2018/9
• Level: 7
• Credits: 60
• Pre-requisites: None
• Co-requisites: None

Summary

This core module provides students with knowledge and skills vital to successful postgraduate study of History at Master's level and beyond. Its year-long duration facilitates students' transition to higher level study and research, providing both continuity and a solid base for in-depth and new exploration of historical theory, method and practice. The module follows a thematic approach based on these three important aspects of ‘doing history'.

At Kingston we always emphasise the importance of debate and in this module we particularly encourage students to learn and appreciate how the discipline has evolved and is still evolving, and how it changes over time. We explore how historical enquiry has encompassed topics such as monarchy, diplomacy and politics and, more recently, cultural, gender, public and many other histories; and we encourage students to explore links between history and current policy-making. The module considers historical methodologies in all their varied forms: quantitative, qualitative and electronic. Under the auspices of the University's Centre for the Historical Record the module pays particular attention to the growing importance of digital technologies in both the study and representation of history in 21st century; and emphasises the importance to historical enquiry of archives – and archivists. Through exposure to current thinking and participating in current debates in history, our Masters students benefit from the History team's varied and extensive experience and expertise in research, writing, broadcasting and of course teaching.

In this module we deploy a range of teaching and learning methods including seminars, workshops and practical sessions, including a series of ‘mini-projects' which facilitate students' engagement with historical theory, method and practice. These draw on local and other archives and other repositories of information and they include instruction in various techniques ranging from oral history to digital history. By the end of the module students will have acquired a valuable set of transferrable skills which will enhance their employability not only in history and heritage sectors but in a much wider range of careers.

For students interested in pursuing a career in the heritage sector there is an opportunity in this module to undertake a short work placement at an institution whose focus is on heritage.

Aims

• To familiarise students with major debates between historians as a means of illustrating the evolution of history as a discipline.
• To enable students to explore the range of theoretical approaches to history which have developed as the discipline develops, including political, social and cultural approaches to history.
• To familiarise students with the theory and practice of archives and the various methods used to store and retrieve historical records; and to equip students with the skills necessary to identify, locate and access a range of historical records and archival material.
• To equip students with skills to make effective use of digital historical resources and to enable them to evaluate and interpret historical records.
• To introduce students to different methodological approaches to historical research, such as qualitative and quantitative analysis, comparative research and use of case studies.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this module students will be able to

• Demonstrate awareness of the existence, value and limitations of some of the most important and influential debates between historians and show an appreciation of the evolution of history as a discipline and the different theoretical approaches such as political, social and cultural.
• Identify, locate and use archives and archival material, especially those relevant to their field of study; and show an understanding of different types of archives (eg manuscripts, oral and visual collections) and their role in historical research.
• Demonstrate an understanding and awareness of different methodological approaches to historical research, and the ability to select the most appropriate methodology for a project of their choice.
• Interrogate and analyse digital resources in history.

Curriculum content

The module is delivered as three interlocking themes:

1. Debates and theories in history

• What is history?
• Social history
• Gender history
• Cultural history
• Imperial history

2. Practical approaches to historical research

• Designing a research project – choosing your sources and selecting the methodology
• Web resources in history - what is available and how reliable is it
• Using quantitative methods to study historical resources
• Use of oral history in historical research

3. Identifying and using historical resources

• Why archives and historical records are important to the historian.
• Methods of locating and identifying appropriate archives and historical records, in the UK and overseas.
• Comparing and contrasting different archives and different types of archival material.
• Understanding the limitations of archives.
• Visiting and undertaking research in archives.
• Using libraries and online bibliographic resources to construct a bibliography.

Teaching and learning strategy

Debates and theories in history: delivered through seminar series.

Practical approaches to historical research: delivered through mix of seminars and workshops.

Identifying and Using Historical Resources: delivered through mix of either 2 hour lecture/seminars (archival material) or mix of 1 hr seminar and 1 hour workshop, (web-based resources). Also includes visits to archives and other libraries. Students who opt to undertaken a work placement do so as part of this element of the module.

A Research in History seminar series runs each teaching block at which members of the department and external speakers will discuss their research projects. The Seminar Series is open to the public but MA students are expected to attend.

Breakdown of Teaching and Learning Hours

Assessment strategy

Summative assessment will be by portfolio which provides students with the ability to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of key theories, methods and approaches to the study of history. There are three elements to the portfolio which reflect the module's three themes. The first and third elements account for 30% each of the final mark, while the second element accounts for 40%.

The first element (30%) is an academic essay of 3,000 words on debates in history. Students will choose from a list of case studies provided, which will reflect the debates covered during the module, to discuss historiographical and theoretical debates relevant to their choice. Students can choose to answer a question provided on their topic of choice or develop their own question with supervision from the topic expert. The essay will provide students with the opportunity to reflect on the wide variety of approaches to historical research which exist, and how theory and method shape the history which is created.

The second element (40%) is linked to methods in historical research in a methodology mini-project. It invites students to choose one of two options which require the use of different methodologies used by historians in their research.

• The first option is an exercise in historical data analysis and interpretation. Students are asked to answer research questions on child health in 19th/early 20th centuries using the Centre for the Historical Record's digital resource, Historic Hospital Admission Records Project (HHARP), and quantitative analysis skills acquired during the module. Once the analysis is complete students must produce an illustrated report of 2,000 words and charts in which the results of the analysis are presented and interpreted in an historical context. 

• The second option is to prepare an oral history project, including defining the research question, identifying themes and constructing outline of questions to be asked. Students are expected to conduct at least two 30 minute interviews and produce a 2,000 word report which discusses use of oral history in historical research and a reflection on the process. Recordings should be submitted as part of the assessment.

The third element (30%) enables students to demonstrate their understanding of archives and their role in historical research. This assessment is linked to the Dissertation Module. Students should choose to focus on an archive/museum or digital repository they identify as relevant to their dissertation project where possible (if this is not practical then they can choose any archive, museum or digital repository (agreed with the module leader) which will be the focus of a 2,000 word essay, discussing the archive in the context of knowledge acquired during this module. Students who opt to undertake a work placement submit a 2,000 word essay based on their work experience.

Formative assessment and feedback will take place throughout the year and will include:

• individual student presentation on set readings in seminars, with class feedback on the presentation
• draft essay plan for section 1 of the summative assessment
• quizzes in computer classes to assess students' ability to use online finding aids and archival catalogues
• peer review of short writing tasks associated with specific topics throughout the year

Mapping of Learning Outcomes to Assessment Strategy (Indicative)

Elements of Assessment

Achieving a pass

It IS NOT a requirement that any major assessment category is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.

Bibliography core texts

• Cameron, Sonja and Sarah Richardson, Using Computers in History (Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2005).
• Claus, Peter and John Marriott, History: an introduction to theory, method and practice (Harlow: Pearson Education, 2012).
• Cohen, David J., and Roy Rosenzweig, Digital History: a guide to gathering, preserving and presenting the past on the web (Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press, 2005).
• Evans, Richard J., In Defence of History (London: Granta, 1997).
• Hobsbawm, Eric, On History (London: Abacus,1998).
• Hudson, Pat  History by Numbers: An Introduction to Quantitative Approaches (London: Arnold, 2000).
• Jordanova, Ludmilla, History in Practice (London: Arnold, 2000).
• Millar, Laura L., Archives: Principles and Practices (Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2010).
• Tosh, John, The Pursuit of History, (London: Longman, 2009).

Bibliography recommended reading

• Barber, Sarah and Corinna Peniston-Bird (eds), History Beyond the Text (London: Routledge, 2008).
• Berger, Stefan, Heiko Feldner and Kevin Passmore (eds), Writing History. Theory and Practice (London: Hodder Education, 2003).
• Biggam, John, Succeeding with your Master's Dissertation: A Practical Step-by-step Handbook, (Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill, 2008).
• Colley, Linda, ‘The difficulties of empire: present, past and future', Historical Research, 79, 205 (2006), 367-82.
• Dobson, Miriam and Benjamin Ziemann (eds), Reading Primary Sources (Abingdon: Routledge, 2009).
• Downs, Laura L., Writing Gender History, 2nd edn. (London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2010).
• Gascoigne, John, ‘The Expanding Historiography of British Imperialism', The Historical Journal, 49, 2 (2006), 577-92.
• Goodrich, Amanda, 'Understanding the Language of 'Aristicracy', 1700-1850', The Historical Journal 56. 2 (2013), 369-98.
  Kitching, Christopher, ‘Archives and History in England Since 1850' 
• Harvey, Karen, History and Material Culture: A Students Guide to Approaching Alternative Sources (Abingdon: Routledge, 2009).
• Hennink, Monique, Inge Hutter and Ajay Bailey, Qualitative Research Methods (London: Sage, 2011).
• Jordanova, Ludmilla, ‘How History Matters Now' 
• Krippendorff, Klaus, Content Analysis: an introduction to its methodology (London: Sage, 2004).
• Lambert, Peter and Philipp Schofield (eds), Making History: An introduction to the history and practices of a discipline (Abingdon: Routledge, 2004).
• Marshall, Peter J. (ed.), The Oxford History of the British Empire Vol. II: The Eighteenth Century (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001).
• Purvis, June and Amanda Weatherill, ‘Playing the Gender History Game' and Corfield, Penny J., ‘A Reply to Playing the Gender History Game', Rethinking History, 3, no. 3 (1999), 333-341.
• Purvis, June, 'From 'women worthies' to poststructuralism? Debate and Controversy in Women's History in Britain', in June Purvis (ed.) Women's History: Britain, 1850-1945, (London, 1995), pp. 1-22.
• Roper, Michael, ‘Between Manliness and Masculinity: The "War Generation" and the Psychology of Fear in Britain, 1914–1950', Journal of British Studies, 44. 2 (2005), 343-62.
• Rosenwein, Barbara H., ‘Worrying about Emotions in History', American Historical Review, 107. 3 (2002)
• Stockwell, Sarah (ed.), The British Empire: Themes and Perspectives (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008).
• Tosh, John, ‘Why History Matters',  History & Policy paper (2008)