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Archival Methods and Historical Thinking

Program(s): Undergraduate Courses

In this course, students will be introduced to archival research methods and to the ways in which historians work with and interpret the sources they use in constructing historical narratives and arguments. We will visit Special Collections, explore digital archives, and consider the range of possible sources and archives, from texts held in national government archives to material objects, maps, audio or video recordings, and everything in between. We will also engage with the work of historians as they seek to make sense of the material they find in archives, considering questions of interpretation, narrative, and holes–that is, what is missing from archives. Students will gain an understanding of the mechanics of archival work and an appreciation for the complexity of historical thinking.

Remote or Residential

✓ Residential (On-Campus)

 

Course Considerations

This course is open to all undergraduates and is included in the Summer Institute in Social Research Methods. 

This course satisfies the methods requirement in the Public Policy Studies major and is an approved elective for the Latin American and Caribbean Studies major.

Course Overview

Start Date

June 10

End Date

July 12

Current Grade / Education Level

Undergrad / Grad

Program

Undergraduate Courses

Class Details

Course Code

HIST 29806 91

Class Day(s)

Mon Wed Fri

Class Duration (CST)

9:00

11:00 A.M.

Session

Session I

Course Length

5 weeks

Primary Instructor

Alex Hoffman

Academic Interest

Social Sciences (e.g., history, sociology)