The ultimate purpose of this course is to guide each of you through the process of conducting research and writing a research paper, which is an important way in which historians engage with their subject.  The approach of the course will be a step-by-step.  That is we will move methodically through the stages of research proposal, framing of your problem, research, and writing so that you  will be able to produce a well-written and well-researched, primary-source based essay.

The Nitty Gritty Stuff.
The course falls into two halves. In the first half of the course we will pursue two different activities simultaneously.  On the one hand we will engage with the different ways in which historians approach history by discussing debates historians have had on particular historical issues (historiography); the techniques historians use to write and research; and some of the guiding principles that drive their research.  At the same time, each of you will seek out a topic that you find interesting, and primary and secondary sources available either at the Cameron University Library or in one of the area repositories of documents (e.g. City Hall, Museum of the Great Plains, Fort Sill Museum, etc.).  Out of these two activities will emerge the following pieces of work: a research proposal, a book review, and a historiographic essay.  In the second stage of the course you will focus on writing a research paper, which must be properly documented, utilize significant primary sources, and present original analyses and will involve a drafting process.  You will also present a brief summary of your findings to your peers at the end of term.  All of your work will and must be done within one thematic area: the History of the Body.  And all research projects must address phenomena no more recently than 1980 and none can use the methodologies of oral history (i.e. no interviews) due to the legal and thus procedural complications entailed when using human subjects in research.

Specific Objectives: This course will emphasize the following two skill-sets:

I. The Historian’s Skills
• You will show your ability to analyze and evaluate historical texts in the research project that is the culmination of your work in the course.
• You will practice evaluating conflicting interpretations of past events and issues in
seminar discussions and in your written work for the course.
• You will demonstrate effective verbal communication through participation in seminar discussions and by presenting the final results of a research project to seminar participants and others.
• You will demonstrate effective written communication by completing the substantial writing requirements laid out for the course as defined below in the syllabus.
• Graduates will demonstrate appropriate computer skills.

II. Historical Thinking and the Historian’s Craft
• You will demonstrate your capacity for historical research in shorter analytical pieces and in two longer essays as outlined below in the syllabus; through our discussions of different historical approaches and sources you will also gain exposure to a range of approaches to historical research.
• You will show your ability to organize the results of historical research in the research paper and other writing pieces required in the course.
• You will present the results of your research in one presentations outlined below.
• In our discussions of historical research you will gain further exposure to the specialized terms and concepts used by historians.
• Our discussions will focus generally on thinking historically with a consistent focus on changes and the cause of change, with the concomitant ability to recognize continuities even amid change.

Acknowledgments:
Creating a course like this is a more collaborative enterprise than many. Therefore, I would like to give credit where credit is due for the course design below. I have used ideas or gained valuable insights from the following individuals in creating this course: Dr. Lance Janda, Dr. Richard Voeltz, and my students from the past several years in History 2133.

Texts:

Required:

A Centre of Wonders: The Body in Early America, edited by Janet Moore Lindman and Michele Lise Tarter (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2002).

Peter Stearns, Fat History: Bodies and Beauty in the Modern West (New York: NYU Press, 2002).

Recommended:
Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, revised by  Gregory G. Colomb and Joseph M. Williams (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2007).

All of the above books are available for purchase at the CU Bookstore.

Also Useful: Richard Marius (and in some editions Melvin Page), A Short Guide to Writing About History (whichever edition you happen to have).

Requirements:

Participation (100 points)

Discussion (60 points): Everyone starts term with 6 points of discussion credit.  In addition, you can receive up to 2 points for each regular class you attend for a total or 54 points.  Your mark for each day, with the exception of week sixteen when only your presence will be required, will depend on your participation in discussion and other classroom activities.

Research Presentation (60 points): Each of you will need to give a ten-minute presentation of the results of your work in week sixteen.  Guidelines will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.

Credit for Participation: A perfect score in participation is 100 points, meaning that a mimium of 90 points are required for an A, at least 80 points for a B, a least 70 points for a C, and a minimum of 60 points for a D.

Papers and Other Formal Assignments (500 points):

Research Plan (75 points): Should be no 400-600 words in length and detail the sections of the research paper that you propose to write,  the sources that you plan to use and their value and limitations, the secondary literature (broadly speaking) that you plan to engage with; and the so what question, i.e. why should one want to answer the question(s) you pose.  In order to turn in a research plan it is also mandatory that you turn in a preliminary research topic description of 125 to 200 words in which you describe 1) the primary source(s) you think you'll be using and 2) the question(s) you might answer with these sources.  It is also mandatory that you turn this in on time on pain of a 20-point deduction from your research paper (i.e. Senior Thesis) mark in addition to the 10% penalty on the assignment itself that will also be incurred and it is also mandatory that I approve of the topic.

Book Review (75 points): Must be 4-5, double-spaced pages in length, written in Times New Roman font with a 12-pt. pitch.  In this review you must evaluate comparatively the essays in Comparison and History according to the standards I will set in the specific guidelines for the assignment.  No late or short papers or drafts will be accepted without penalty.

Historiographic Essay (150 points): Must be 6 to 8, double-spaced pages in length written in Times New Roman font with a 12-pt. pitch. and engage with five different perspectives derived either from academic articles in peer-reviewed journals (see me if there is any doubt in your mind as to what an academic article is) or books all of which must be connected to your research topic.  This paper should set you up to write the introduction to your research paper.  Therefore you must choose a topic close to the focus of your research paper.  Specific guidelines for this paper will be provided. No late or short papers or drafts will be accepted without penalty.

Research Paper (200 points): Must be 14-15 pages in length and engage with 20 different sources, 5 of which must be significant primary sources (with one at least 30-40 pages typed in length or equivalent) and the remainder secondary sources.  A specific breakdown of the various sections of the paper will be provided and you are expected to adhere to it.  You must receive approval from me for your paper topic and, if a subject specialist is available and willing to help, you must consult with him or her as you pursue the project.  No paper topics covering a subject that is post-1980 will be accepted and no oral history projects will be permissible.  The project must have a standard critical apparatus: that is footnotes (or endnotes) and a bibliography, for both of which you must use the style rules laid out in Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.  The research paper is worth one-third of the mark in the course.  In addition, there is a mandatory drafting process for the research paper.  Your paper will receive an automatic 20-point deduction for each draft submitted late and an equal deduction for each page a submitted draft is short of the required length for that draft.  There will also be a 20-point reduction from the final mark for inadequate participation in the peer-review process.

Standard Guidelines for Written Work: All writing for this course should adhere to following general standards.  All papers and work pieces should be typed, double-spaced and in Times New Roman font with 12-pt. pitch.  Margins for all papers should be one inch all around.  Finally,  all papers should be written in clear, standard English with correct punctuation and grammar and should be appropriately footnoted.  I recommend that you consult Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations for any questions on mechanics such as punctuation and grammar and for questions on documenting your work.  Also please use a dictionary or a spell-checker!  Nothing makes your work look worse than poor spelling.  Due dates for the papers are listed below.  General guidelines for the papers will be available by clicking the hypertext in this sentence. In those cases where they are necessary, you will be able to access specific guidelines for the writing assignments by looking for hyperlinks in the general descriptions of these assignments listed above.  All written work for this course must be original and never have been turned in for credit in another course.

Course Component	Component Point Value
Participation	100
Research Proposal	75
Book Review	75
Historiographic Paper	150
Research Paper	200
Total of All Categories	600

Classroom Environment: Talking to your classmates or others outside the context of classroom activities is rude and will not be tolerated.  Reading outside materials, listening to music, taking telephone calls on your cell-phone, and similar non-class related activities are equally unacceptable.  I expect all students to be respectful of one another's right to speak and express opinions.  Disagreements and different viewpoints are welcome, but debates should not involve insults.  Finally, food and drink are permitted in class as long as courtesy is observed; e.g. if you haven't quite finished your cup of coffee, do bring it along to class, but turning the classroom into a cafeteria is not permissible.  

Late Papers: The following policy applies to all papers written for this course.  No late final drafts will be accepted.  Late preliminary drafts and preliminary or final drafts of insufficient length will result in a deduction of 10% from the paper's final mark for each such infraction and will not be marked once the deadline for the submission of a subsequent draft has passed.  There are two reasons for this policy.  First, I want to treat everyone equally, since I believe that all of you ought to have an equal chance at success.  Second, I do not want anyone to fall behind, because your success in this course depends on your keeping up with the work.  While this policy is explicity stated for the research paper it also applies to the book review, the research plan, and the historiographic essay you will write.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the representation of the work of another as your own. In all of the writing you do for this course you must make clear to me which ideas in a paper are your own and which come from someone else. This is especially important for any formal essays you write. In such essays you must cite all primary and secondary sources you use in accordance with the proper conventions. I will hand out a sheet explaining the basics of citation before any formal essays come due.  If for some reason you do not receive a copy of this hand-out, know that you will not be exempt from following its guidelines.  In cases of plagiarism, the Department of History and Government at CU follows the plagiarism policy in the current "Student Handbook," as described in sections 4.07 and 4.08 of the CU Code of Student Conduct.  Penalties for plagiarism as defined by the Student Code of Conduct include:

Please heed this warning as I am quite serious about it.