Week 1 (Sept. 9): Introduction / Taking Stock
- Zachary M. Schrag, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2021), chaps. 1–2.
- [Recommended] American Historical Association, “Statement on Standards of Professional Conduct” (2023).
- [Optional] American Historical Association, “Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence in History Education” (2025).
Week 2 (Sept. 16): What’s the Problem?
- Schrag, Princeton Guide, chaps. 3–4.
- [Recommended] Thomas S. Mullaney, and Christopher G. Rea, Where Research Begins: Choosing a Research Project That Matters to You (and the World) (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2022), Introduction, chaps. 1–2.
Week 3 (Sept. 23): Research in Progress
Students will present their research to the seminar in small groups. Each presentation should address the central question(s) motivating the research, the sources under consideration, and the current state of the project.
Research Statement due Sept. 27.
Week 4 (Sept. 30): National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (No class)
Students should arrange (in advance) to meet with their thesis advisors to receive feedback on their research statements. A substantive entry in the Research Journal is expected.
Week 5 (Oct. 7): The World of Sources
- Schrag, Princeton Guide, chaps. 5–7.
- [Optional] Mullaney and Rea, Where Research Begins, chap. 3.
Week 6 (Oct. 14): Where in the World?
- Schrag, Princeton Guide, chaps. 8–9.
Students will share some of the archives, databases, and other repositories they have identified in the course of their research.
Week 7 (Oct. 21): Sources Up Close
- Schrag, Princeton Guide, chap. 10.
Students will present their source analyses in small groups. Each presentation should identify the source(s) under examination, explain their significance for the thesis project, and reflect on their potential as well as limitations.
Source Analysis due Oct. 25.
Week 8 (Oct. 28): The Genre (Part 1)
- Selected recent honours theses (tbd)
Week 9 (Nov. 4): Problem Collectives
- Mullaney and Rea, Where Research Begins, chaps. 4–5.
Students will share their preliminary annotated bibliographies, organized according to their individual “problem collective.”
Week 10 (Nov. 11): Remembrance Day (no class) / Consultation
Students should arrange (in advance) to meet with their thesis supervisors to receive feedback on their annotated bibliographies.
Week 11 (Nov. 18): The Genre (Part 2)
- Readings to be decided.
Week 12 (Nov. 25): Mapping Your Thesis (Part 1)
Students will present their thesis prospectuses to the seminar. Each presentation should outline the central question(s) driving the research, the scope of the project, the sources and how they will be used, and the plan for completing the thesis. Students at more advanced stages are encouraged to share a thesis outline or other evidence of progress.
Week 13 (Dec. 2): Mapping Your Thesis (Part 2)
Continuation of Week 12.
Thesis Prospectus due Dec. 16.