This course aims to develop students’ capacities in historical research and its writing. In particular, it will assist students to undertake a historical research project using primary source materials, and to present their work in a form appropriate to its subject matter, purpose and audience. Through a program of seminars and workshops, each student will formulate an independent research proposal, conduct research using a variety of historical sources, and construct a research output. Students will be invited to reflect on questions of theory, methodology, ethics, audience and presentation in historical research and communication.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. identify, analyse and select from a range of theoretical and historiographical approaches to interpreting the past in designing a methodologically sound historical research proposal;
2. locate and interpret a wide variety of primary source materials in libraries and archives;
3. locate and evaluate the relevant historiography;
4. provide and respond to feedback in the process of identifying and formulating solutions to complex historical questions; and
5. construct a substantial research-based historical project in a form suitable to its content, stated purpose and target audience.

Research-Led Teaching

This class will involve a close examination of archival holdings in four separate cultural institutions in Canberra and beyond. Assessments include oral presentations, a research proposal and a written paper. A preliminary seminar will be held at the ANU. 

Field Trips

There will be a site visit to the Noel Butlin Archives. Students will also be required to visit Australian War Memorial, the National Archives at Australia, the National Library of Australia and the Whitlam Institute at Western Sydney University.

Required Resources

Key readings for seminars will be available in Wattle in digital form. While you may wish to produce hard-copies of these materials, you can bring them to class on a laptop or tablet. No textbooks are required. These will be available from Library reserve and in many instances downloadable in e-form. 

Students enrolled in the online class should have internet access to participate via Zoom.

There will be incidental costs (e.g. transport) for students opting to undertake work with original archival materials off-campus. 

Recommended Resources

Whether you are on campus or studying online, there are a variety of online platforms you will use to participate in your study program. These could include videos for lectures and other instruction, two-way video conferencing for interactive learning, email and other messaging tools for communication, interactive web apps for formative and collaborative activities, print and/or photo/scan for handwritten work and drawings, and home-based assessment.

ANU outlines recommended student system requirements to ensure you are able to participate fully in your learning. Other information is also available about the various Learning Platforms you may use.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• written comments
• verbal comments
• feedback to whole class, groups, individuals, focus group etc

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). Feedback can also be provided to Course Conveners and teachers via the Student Experience of Learning & Teaching (SELT) feedback program. SELT surveys are confidential and also provide the Colleges and ANU Executive with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	This course will be delivered in intensive format in October 2023. During this period, students will participate in a combination of group seminars, site visits to archives, discussion with researchers, writing workshops and individual consultations relating to their research.The site visits and core seminars and workshops will take place from 2 to 6 October 2023. Additional workshops and student consultations will be scheduled during the remaining weeks of October. Final details will be made available on Wattle.

Tutorial Registration

ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage .

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Class Participation	10 %	<strong>2-4</strong>
Research Project Proposal	20 %	<strong>1-3</strong>
Oral presentation	20 %	<strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1–5</strong>
Research Paper	50 %	<strong>2–5</strong>

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines , which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Integrity Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Extenuating Circumstances Application
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure
• Code of practice for teaching and learning

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the Academic Skills website. In rare cases where online submission using Turnitin software is not technically possible; or where not using Turnitin software has been justified by the Course Convener and approved by the Associate Dean (Education) on the basis of the teaching model being employed; students shall submit assessment online via ‘Wattle’ outside of Turnitin, or failing that in hard copy, or through a combination of submission methods as approved by the Associate Dean (Education). The submission method is detailed below.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Class Participation

· Value: 10%

· Learning Outcomes: 2-4

Students will be assessed on their participation in class activities and completion of preparatory tasks for each session. Further details on expectations for class participation will be provided at the commencement of the course.

Assessment Task 2

Research Project Proposal

· Word Limit: 1500 words (excluding bibliography)

· Value: 20%

· Presentation requirements: double-line spaced on numbered A4 pages in doc. or docx. format

· Due: Deadline TBA

· Learning Outcomes: 1–3.

Your proposal should be for an essay based on original materials, not on a synthesis of secondary analysis. It cannot cover a large and sweeping field, but needs to be a smaller topic within that broader field. It should include:

What’s it about? The topic you have chosen to study, and the questions/hypotheses for investigation, as well as an elaboration of your angle or approach to studying and answering the question/s posed.

Who has been here before? A discussion of key secondary sources that allow you to establish the intellectual or scholarly context of your investigation. This is often referred to as a review of the literature, or the historiography. It can be helpful to think about with whom – among historians – are you having a “conversation”?

What/where’s the evidence? An assessment of accessibility and size of your source base; a description of the archive you will assemble for the study; an assessment of how you will deal with the evidence in a manageable, imaginative and intelligent way.

What methods will you use? These could include theoretical approaches (e.g.: gender / comparative/ microhistory / economic / transnational / political / postcolonial etc) and analytical or interpretative methods for dealing with the evidence (close reading of language / art historical methods / reading against the grain / statistical analysis / prosopography etc).

Why does it matter? A discussion of the significance of the topic and question/s, including key theoretical or historiographical issues. This is the “so what?” question. What makes this question and topic worth studying? What will it contribute to historical knowledge and understanding? What misunderstandings or inadequate interpretations might it help to correct? Who will care?

Please append a bibliography, which does not otherwise count towards the word-limit. Some annotation is permissible.  Otherwise, divide your bibliography into two categories, Primary Sources and Secondary Sources. Subdivide the categories as/if appropriate. For example, Primary Sources would list original materials you’re going to consult via the National Archives, followed by those you might read in published/edited collations of material.

It is important that you make effective use of material available in, or resources accessible from, Canberra. 

While you need not read every page of every source at this stage, it is crucial that you do a fair amount of research in preparing your proposal. Do not attempt to write the proposal by using one source or by ‘re-writing’ out of another book. Spend equal amounts of time assembling your archive of primary sources and reading in the secondary scholarship – so that you can bring both of them together in your proposal.

Assessment Task 3

Oral presentation

o Duration: 15 minutes plus discussion time.

o Value: 20%

o Due: Deadline TBC

o Learning Outcomes: 1–5.

You will be asked to give a presentation to the class on the topic of your research project, exploring issues relating to the research problem, existing scholarship, methodology and source base.

Assessment Task 4

Research Paper

· Word limit: 4000 words (see below for critical explanation)

· Value: 50%

· Presentation requirements: double-line spaced on numbered A4 pages in doc. or docx. format              

· Due: Deadline TBA

· Estimated return date: a Wattle collection point will be available from the release date for final results in early December

· Learning Outcomes: 1–3, 5.

This is the major assessment piece for the semester and should demonstrate your learning from the course and ability to apply it in executing a research project that you have designed and carried out.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of the ANU culture as a community of scholars. The University’s students are an integral part of that community. The academic integrity principle commits all students to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support, academic integrity, and to uphold this commitment by behaving honestly, responsibly and ethically, and with respect and fairness, in scholarly practice.

The University expects all staff and students to be familiar with the academic integrity principle, the Academic Integrity Rule 2021, the Policy: Student Academic Integrity and Procedure: Student Academic Integrity, and to uphold high standards of academic integrity to ensure the quality and value of our qualifications.

The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 is a legal document that the University uses to promote academic integrity, and manage breaches of the academic integrity principle. The Policy and Procedure support the Rule by outlining overarching principles, responsibilities and processes. The Academic Integrity Rule 2021 commences on 1 December 2021 and applies to courses commencing on or after that date, as well as to research conduct occurring on or after that date. Prior to this, the Academic Misconduct Rule 2015 applies.

 

The University commits to assisting all students to understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. All coursework students must complete the online Academic Integrity Module (Epigeum), and Higher Degree Research (HDR) students are required to complete research integrity training. The Academic Integrity website provides information about services available to assist students with their assignments, examinations and other learning activities, as well as understanding and upholding academic integrity.

Online Submission

You will be required to electronically sign a declaration as part of the submission of your assignment. Please keep a copy of the assignment for your records. Unless an exemption has been approved by the Associate Dean (Education) submission must be through Turnitin.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

Individual assessment tasks may or may not allow for late submission. Policy regarding late submission is detailed below:

• Late submission permitted. Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

The Academic Skills website has information to assist you with your writing and assessments. The website includes information about Academic Integrity including referencing requirements for different disciplines. There is also information on Plagiarism and different ways to use source material.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure. Extensions may be granted for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information.
In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service – including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy.
If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes.

Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Access and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents all ANU students