In this year-long required seminar for fourth-year Honours students, we will come together as a community to practice the craft of history. We will break down into concrete steps the process of historical research, and we will learn to tackle challenges ranging from identifying the underlying problems that motivate the research, understanding the potentials as well as limitations of the available sources, to developing a feasible plan for completing a thesis. Along the way, students will explore some common resources, and they will learn to serve as each other’s most trenchant yet gentle sounding boards.
Course Structure
This course will be conducted in-person in the seminar format. Students are expected to attend and participate actively in the weekly sessions.
Learning Objectives
This seminar is designed to facilitate students in the Honours program in History to complete their graduating theses.
Assessment of Learning (Term 1)
For more details on the individual components, see the Assessment section.
| Attendance/Participation | 20% |
| Research Journal | 10% |
| Preliminary Proposal | 10% |
| Source Analysis | 20% |
| Thesis Prospectus | 40% |
Assessment of Learning (Term 2)
| Drafts | 40% |
| Workshop Participation | 20% |
| Peer Reviews | 15% |
| Symposium Presentation | 25% |
Important Dates
| Sept. 9 | First session |
| Sept. 22 | Preliminary proposal due; Last date to withdraw without the “W” standing |
| Sept. 30 | National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no class) |
| Oct. 13 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Oct. 24 | Source analysis due |
| Nov. 10–12 | Midterm break (no class on Nov. 11) |
| Nov. 21 | Last date to withdraw |
| Dec. 9 | Thesis prospectus due |
| Feb. 8 | Draft #1 due |
| Feb. 16–20 | Midterm break |
| Mar. 15 | Draft #2 due |
| April 7/9 | Honours Symposia |
| April 16 | Thesis due |
Learning Materials
Unless otherwise noted, all required readings will be available online or through Canvas.
Office Hours/Learning Lounge
No doubt you will have questions. Feel free to contact the instructor (preferred to be addressed as Mr., Dr., or Prof. Shin) through email or via Canvas. The usual response time is within 24 hours (except for weekends and holidays). Please use your UBC email address if possible.
Office hours are by appointment (sign-ups).
A Learning Lounge has also been set up under Discussions in Canvas for students to post—and answer each other’s—questions. Respectful netiquette is expected and appreciated.
Acknowledgment
UBC’s Point Grey Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The land it is situated on has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam people, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history, and traditions from one generation to the next on this site.