Conference: History of Wyoming/
American West (Hist 5605)
Syllabus, Spring 2006
Phil Roberts History Lounge
Office: 356 History, 766-5101 or 5311 Wed., 6:10-8:40 p.m.
Home: 745-8205 E-mail: philr@uwyo.edu
Course Objective: This course will explore the major issues involving the people, politics, economy, environment and culture in Western history through individually-assigned reading, researching, writing and class discussions..
Course Requirements: The course grade will be based on drafts, bibliographies, a final paper, class participation, and commentary on other papers. The final product will be an intensive primary–source research essay suitable for publication in a history journal or as a chapter or significant part of a longer project such as a book or thesis. The essential requirement for this course is diligent reading and thinking about historical issues. Additionally, because history is ever-changing and contemporary issues are based on earlier events, students are expected to read about historical issues regularly as articles appear in the national and regional press and in professional and scholarly journals. Grades will be based on completion of a research paper/essay, reviews of the work by colleagues and oral contributions to class discussions.
Course Procedures: The class will use an e-mail list, to be compiled during the initial class, as well as the professor’s mailbox in the main history office to exchange notes, bibliographies, and papers. When discussion of the student’s rough draft comes due, he/she will print out copies of the draft or make the paper available by electronic means so that it may be read by all members of the class.
Formal Paper: Each student will complete a formal essay/research paper which may take one of several forms, the topic for which will be chosen in consultation with the instructor. It may be a chapter of a longer study such as a thesis, dissertation or book. It may be a self-contained article about a particular issue in history.. Whatever the form, the product should be the result of careful reading of existing works on the topic as well as sound, careful, original research. Presentations based on "rough drafts" will be scheduled during each of the last classes of the semester. Consistent with how scholarly journals deal with submissions in the field, students will be subject to peer review, not from outside experts, but from the other students in the class. This process will be done constructively. Each student will be expected to read all the papers in the class and prepare a commentary on the essay of one other student. Given that each of us has different goals for the project (as a thesis chapter, an article for possible publication, etc.), the “style” and length may differ from student to student.
All students will be expected to have read and critiqued each presenter's paper before the night of his/her presentation. Each will provide the presenter with constructive suggestions which may take the form of a brief written report or legible suggestions written on the draft.
Each presenter will be responsible for seeing that each student in the class receives a copy of the rough draft on April 12, two weeks before the presentation is to be made. Each student will be responsible for making enough copies for all members of the class. Unfortunately, students may not make copies in the history department. (Don't even ask). Therefore, plan on using the student union copy center, Kinko's, etc. If students wish to utilize electronic means, ask the professor for procedures. Following (constructive) class critiques of drafts, students will have substantial time to prepare the final, formal document.. Each student in the class will serve as "commentator" to every other student. Therefore, everyone will be expected to have read the paper. He/she will return the paper to the writer, with relevant suggestions appended, on the night of the writer's presentation. Comments ought to pay particular attention to substantive aspects of the paper, such as the thesis, the argument(s), the evidence, and major stylistic aspects. The final product, due no later than the last day of the semester (May 4), should conform to a recognized style, preferably Chicago Manual of Style or a recognized alternative. Deadlines are important; therefore, no late papers will be accepted.
The presentations will be made in a "public forum" in which others from the scholarly community as well as from the community at large will be invited to attend. This will be held the evening of April 26. All students are expected to attend on that evening.
Required Materials:
1. Access to five history journals: Western Historical Quarterly, Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Western Legal History, Annals of Wyoming, Montana: Magazine of Western History, along with familiarity with all state/regional history journals relating to the West, accessible in Coe Library’s serials collection.
2. Access to and familiarity with secondary materials relating to the student’s project.
3. Familiarity with contents of significant archival collections relevant to one’s project.
4. Access to primary archival materials.
Grades:
Outline/Bibliography/Final Paper:
75%
Course
Participation, Presentation of Research, Peer Reviewing:
25%
Outline of Topics, Meetings and
Assignments
Jan. 11: Introduction
Jan. 18: Principles of Choosing Publishable Research Projects.
Feb. 1: Utilizing Public Archives.
Feb. 8: Using Oral History as Research Source.
Feb. 15: "Unconventional" Research Sources.
Feb. 22: Documenting Research: Footnotes, Bibliographies
TERM PAPER BIBLIOGRAPHIES ARE DUE TONIGHT.
March 1: Research possibilities/principles..
March 8: NOTE A CHANGE IN SCHEDULE: Tonight will be a research/writing night. NO CLASS. Contact the instructor as to the progress of your project at some point during the week. You should be well along in the writing with the research component essentially done by this point.
March 15: SPRING BREAK. NO CLASS MEETING.
March 22: Writing Night (no class)
March 29: Principles of Critiquing History Papers
TERM PAPER OUTLINES ARE DUE TONIGHT
April 5: Writing Night (no class)
April 12: Rough Drafts due tonight for distribution to rest of class.
April 19: Critiques of rough drafts. All students should be prepared to discuss the papers tonight.
April 26: Public Presentations of Research (Oral reports arranged and organized in the form of a paper presented to a history conference—maximum length for each presentation: 20 minutes). Reception to follow.
May 4: No formal class.
THE FINAL PAPER IS DUE TONIGHT. This is the last day of the semester. Late papers will not be accepted because the professor will be out of town, beginning on May 7.