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Doing History: Perspectives on Sources

Module description

This module will enable you to develop independent learning skills, understanding of the value and use of primary sources in history, knowledge of historiography, and critical and presentational skills. It is a progression from the level 1 core modules in History, and Sources and Skills. It will also help to prepare you for the Dissertation in your final year.

The module is compulsory for Single Honours History students. It is optional for Combined Honours History students, but a prerequisite for students wishing to undertake a Dissertation in History at level 3. The module is also available to students on other programmes as an option module.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module builds on work done at level 1 in the core modules in History, and in Sources and Skills modules. It is a guided independent study module, which aims to develop your independent learning, understanding of the value and use of primary sources in history, knowledge of historiography, and critical and presentational skills. It also serves as part of the preparation for the final element of independent study in history programmes at level 3 in the form of the Dissertation. 

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Evaluate changes in historiography and to identify significant historical debates
• 2. Identify an important topic of historical study and formulate a research question
• 3. Identify and access a range of suitable primary sources
• 4. Critically analyse primary sources

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Assess the work of scholars and handle different approaches in areas of controversy
• 6. Collate and critique data from a range of sources
• 7. Understand and deploy historical terminology in a comprehensible manner

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Conduct independent study and work
• 9. Digest, select and organise varied primary and secondary material
• 10. Produce, to a deadline, a coherent and cogent argument and analysis, developed through the mode of assessment

Syllabus plan

Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:

• Historiography and Methodology Essay
• Source Essay

In the module, you must first identify a specific topic of historical study. You will then complete two assessments on your chosen topic. The first is a historiographical and methodological essay, which explores how historians have approached this topic before, the key approaches and debates in the historiography, and the range of sources and methodological approaches available. The second is a source essay, in which you must analyse a minimum of 3 different types of primary source related to your topic.

You will receive general guidance about the module from the module co-ordinator and will be allocated in small groups to individual supervisors according to their broad areas of historical interest. Work for the module will be supervised on a group and individual basis as appropriate, including two formal meetings to discuss your topic ideas and how to write the two assessments. A series of lectures will introduce you to the basics of the module requirements, and research and analysis skills. There will also be a 2 hour workshop in Term 3 between you and your supervisor to reflect critically on the module assessments and discuss how lessons learned can be applied to your third year dissertations. 

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

As appropriate to the topic chosen.

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE – https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2136

Key words search

Sources; Portfolio; Doing History