2018.20 - Basic Course in Historical Method


Course number
2018.20
Title
Basic Course in Historical Method
ECTS
10
Prerequisites
Upper secondary school or equivalent
Purpose
To give the students basic knowledge of scientific historical methods and techniques and to provide them with the basic skill to evaluate historic research and to apply historic sources.
Content
Through examples of historical research, sources and other materials, the students will be acquainted with historical research methods. The course begins with literature on historical research, where different views on historical research methods and techniques will be introduced. Thereafter the students will work on assignments that are founded on historical sources and critical questions related directly to the sources. The course is divided into two parts – one theoretical part and a longer exercise part, where the focus is sources and assignments.
Learning and teaching approaches
The teaching is organized as lectures, discussions, and home assignments. The students will be required to submit at least 2 but given the opportunity to submit 3 assignments.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to: • Characterize historical sources • Understand and articulate the historical scientific vocabulary • Reflect critically upon the historical epistemological cognitive processes • Critically analyze historical sources: how historical sources can be utilized as individual sources and as a part of a whole • Analyze and evaluate the proportionality between different types of historical sources • Write a clear and coherent text, adhering to historical traditions • Given a certain set of historical sources: Analyze historical events • Critically analyze a set of historical sources with the objective to answer a given question.
Assessment method
Oral examination based on the home assignment. The examination assignment is a predefined 5-day home assignment by the end of the course. The students will be given a set of sources accompanied by questions that they are required to answer. A prerequisite for the exam, is that the students have submitted, and passed, at least 2 of the 3 assignments mentioned above.
Examination
External
Marking scale
7-
Bibliography
Will be available at the department
Contact
Hans Andrias Sølvará