Research and Phil. of History

Ch. 9: Evaluating Sources (February 13)

  • Public History

    • history for the wider public, not just academics

    • tell the story in an accessible way

      • ex. documentaries, video games (Oregon Trail)

    • Ken Burns’ documentary “Civil War”

      • writing for popular audience

      • can paint incorrect picture

      • can we learn from historical movies that are not grounded in history/historical accuracy?

    • sources on the society and ideas of a certain time period

      • shows stories that were projected and embraced

      • helps to understand the societal ideas that were widely accepted at the time

        • ex. Birth of a Nation, MASH

    • people will create sense of history in any situation/from any source

Ch. 10: Evidence (February 15)

  • primary and secondary sources

  • primary source as building block of secondary source

  • newspapers as complicated primary sources

    • not direct witnesses, but interview witnesses

    • share characteristics of secondary source

  • memoirs

    • rely on the memories of multiple people

    • outside sources

  • primary vs secondary based on how it is being used

    • how book effects the people who read it - primary source

    • book as history - secondary source

    • shifting perspective

  • not all sources are written records

  • be educated about writer, editor, publisher

  • what is a primary source is in the eye of the historian

  • how the event was viewed

  • internal criticism

    • looking at a source from different angles

    • subtext

Ch. 11: Oral Histories, Statistics and Photographs (February 20)

  • oral history - recorded memories

    • memories best made in 20s and 30s, not perfect

    • bank of oral history to use in conjunction with other sources

    • developed as a modern field of history since 50s and 60s

    • look at more people than just those who could write

      • old history - everyday people’s stories get lost

    • useful in recent history

    • right way to do oral history

      • build relationships with interviewees

      • consent form

      • anonymity

      • interview people in their own space (comfortability)

    • devote time to background research knowledge

  • quantitative history

    • base information

    • PROS

      • accuracy/precision/specificity

      • data vs. anecdotes

      • helps observe big picture trends

      • collective portrait

    • CONS

      • not personally insightful

      • cant answer questions alone (why, how?)

      • most sources are written

      • data is still interpreted by historian

      • outliers

  • photographs

    • can be altered

    • staged

    • not ruled out as useless, just have to be careful

Ch. 12: Interpretation (February 28)

  • summary generalization

    • “common-knowledge” statement

    • obvious

    • “The Democratic Candidate, Bill Clinton, won the presidential election of 1992”

  • limited interpretive generalization

    • a claim that must be supported with evidence

    • “The Democratic party won the presidential election of 1992 in part because independent candidate Ross Perot split the opposition votes to Bill Clinton.”

    • historians use

  • broad interpretive generalizations

    • thought-provoking

    • even massive amounts of evidence cannot answer

  • interpretation bound to evidence

  • support evidence, don’t be overwhelmed by personal bias

Sample Essay:

  • arguments, main evidence, connect to larger debates

  • proposal - 500 word description with preliminary thesis, describe key sources, annotated bibliography with 3 primary sources, 5 secondary sources

    • annotated, short description of what is in source