Doing History An Introduction to the Historian's Craft, with Workbook Activities

by Pojmann, Wendy; Reeves-Ellington, Barbara; Mahar, Karen Ward

• ISBN13: 9780199939817
• ISBN10: 0199939810
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2015-09-07
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

In this era of Twitter and text-messaging, which calls into question previously accepted notions of literacy, today's students need a new and more pragmatic approach to developing writing and research skills. While a number of guides to historical research and writing and several historical methodology texts have appeared in the past several years, no single text accomplishes what Doing History: An Introduction to the Historian's Craft does. Through a unique two-part organization, authors Wendy Pojmann, Barbara Reeves-Ellington, and Karen Ward Mahar offer specific assignments to identify students' weaknesses and build their skills. They provide concrete examples of historical approaches and theories and detailed guidelines to help students complete their work within the constraints of the academic term. The text integrates the complexities of historical research and writing into a single, comprehensive narrative without compromising depth and breadth. Its lively and accessible writing style helps students grapple with sophisticated ideas while also avoiding the pitfalls that commonly entrap them as they learn to think and write as historians. The book's intellectually engaging discussions of the discipline of history in Part One: the Historian's Craft are enriched by solid examples of published scholarship. Students preparing research projects will benefit from straightforward guidelines for the research and writing process. In addition, the integrated workbook in Part Two: Doing History Workbook Exercises allows them to hone their skills with assessment exercises and skill-building assignments.

Author Biography

Wendy Pojmann is Professor of History at Siena College.

Barbara Reeves-Ellington is former Associate Professor of History at Siena College.

Karen Ward Mahar is Professor of History at Siena College and the Co-Director of the American Studies Program.

Table of Contents

Preface
About the Authors

Part One: Handbook
Chapter 1:What is the Discipline of History
Chapter 2: The Development of the Discipline
Chapter 3: Historiography
Chapter 4: Primary Sources
Chapter 5: Research
Chapter 6: Writing

Part Two: Workbook
Chapter 1:What is the Discipline of History
Chapter 2: The Development of the Discipline
Chapter 3: Historiography
Chapter 4: Primary Sources
Chapter 5: Research
Chapter 6: Writing

Appendix
Glossary
Additional Readings
Index