7.1.22 Halfway To The Finish Line

This week we pass the halfway point of the summer A academic semester! The halfway point of the semester seems to mark a transition from the slower first half to the speedier, more intense second half of the semester. There is certainly building pressure as the semester continues - the end of the semester research project gets closer to the horizon each week.

Students will begin to shift their focus to research as the research paper approaches. They'll scour through libraries, archives and databases to find interesting sources to investigate. I, as a History Lab tutor, will shift my focus with them. My goal is to provide general advice to students and to guide them through specific assignments like research projects. However, History and Historiography isn't solely focused on research papers. Before tackling the research project students must complete a number of various papers. Response papers, also known as book reviews, are the most common. These assignments involve reading a scholarly secondary source - usually a book of roughly two-hundred pages - then writing an analysis of the author's argument that supports or refutes their thesis.

These can be somewhat daunting - after all, how is a mere student able to judge a true historical expert? This is why I think response papers are great for developing historical analysis skills - the goal is to analyze an argument and use the evidence available to agree or disagree, not to determine historical accuracy. Response papers encourage students to delve into the historiography of a subject and explore the conventions and pillars of the field. This includes gaining a familiarization of the respected names, general practices and accepted theories of a specific sub-field. This can be tricky for a lot of students. Many inexperienced history students assume the subject is just the recording of facts. Reviewing a book by a historical professional leaves no room for discussion of historical accuracy - the spotlight is on the historiography, not the history. The limit of two pages also encourages students to focus on the "big picture" of history and significantly streamline their arguments - streamling is another aspect of historical writing many inexperienced history students struggle with. I created an annotated sample paper students can examine to get an idea of the structure and overall direction of a response paper (linked below).

Sample Paper 1.pdf

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I also created a guide to Chicago-style citation (linked below). A history student must know how to cite the source they're analyzing!

Chicago Citation Guide.pdf

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Most of my effort this week has been focused on creating guides and providing tips for students on the discussion forums. Hopefully students will absorb this information, apply it to their response papers and see improvement reflected in their writing and grades!