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History Department Senior Thesis Seminars, 2010-11
(4391x-4392y)
The Senior Research Seminar, in which students write their senior essay, is a required course for all students majoring in History or European Studies. In the early weeks of the fall term students will select and refine their topics. They then devote the remainder of the fall term to establishing a set of primary sources on which their thesis can be based and exploring the secondary literature on their topic. By week 12, they will submit a draft section of the thesis, approximately 15 pages long.
Early in the second semester, students submit a complete first draft of their thesis. They then continue with their research and writing, refining their thesis throughout the semester. The completed thesis, which should run to about 40 pages (plus notes and bibliography), is submitted by mid-April. As students work on their own essay, they also serve as peer editors for their classmates.
Students work throughout the year, sometimes individually with their advisers, sometimes with their adviser and their peer editor, and sometimes with their entire seminar group. Since this is a year-long course, grades are given to the registrar only at the end of the academic year. Individual advisers, however, may choose to unofficially grade their students on their work for the first semester.
The final grade for the course is based on the following criteria and weighting:
- meeting deadlines throughout the year (i.e., handing in specified assignments on the
specified date), showing energy and ingenuity in research, contributing to the
learning process in section, and serving as a peer editor [together, 40%];
- the quality of the thesis itself, as determined by the advisor and an anonymous
second reader [60%]
Suggested Reference Work:
Kate Turabian, et. al., A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, paperback 7th edition (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2007).
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES:
Sept. 8 -- SO WHAT IS A THESIS ANYWAY?
Group meeting. Faculty will introduce students to the challenges that lie ahead. Students should be able to identify their research interests as specifically as possible at this meeting. On the basis of these interests the faculty will divide the students into seminar groups of 6-8 students. Students will then work with their advisors, over the next two weeks, to finalize their topic.
Sept. 15: -- SEMINAR MEETING - MODELS FROM THE PAST
Students meet in their seminar groups to explore the nature of primary research and discuss further what a senior thesis should look like. The faculty has placed several senior theses from recent years on reserve in the Barnard Library. Each adviser assigns one of these theses to be read and analyzed by the members of his or her section. For your assignment, check with your adviser as soon as you know whose section you will be in. Each student should read the assigned thesis, write a brief evaluation on the basis of the criteria set out below, and come to class prepared to discuss her reactions. Please pay particular attention to the choice and use of primary sources in the thesis you read.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WHEN READING (AND WRITING) A SENIOR THESIS:
1. Topic: A good topic should pose an interesting question that can be answered by available evidence. How well does the thesis do this?
2. Title: A good title is difficult to create. It should excite the reader's interest, while reducing the thesis's core idea to a few words.
3. Statement of Argument / Introduction: The introduction should draw the reader into the topic and make clear where the writer is going. The writer should pose an answerable question and articulate the argument she will construct to answer that question. Does the author accomplish these goals?
4. Discussion of the relevant scholarly literature / Historiography: A good essay is part of a larger conversation among scholars. How well does the author define the scholarly discussion to which she wishes to contribute? Does she make clear what others have said on the subject, what her own position is, and what she is adding to the debate?
5. Primary Sources: Perhaps the main requirement of the senior thesis is that it convey a coherent argument that is centered on and driven by original research in primary sources. How well does the thesis satisfy this requirement?
6. Broader Context: To be successful an essay must provide sufficient context to make clear how the particular issues being explored relate to larger social, cultural, economic, political, or intellectual themes. Authors generally rely on secondary sources to establish this context. How rich is the secondary literature that the author has explored? Has the author provided adequate context? Has she struck the right balance between analysis and context?
7. Analysis of Evidence: On what kinds of evidence does the author rely? Is the evidence used sufficient to satisfy the author's goals? Has the author constructed a convincing argument based on that evidence?
8. Organization: The longer a piece of writing, the more critical the organization. How well organized is this thesis? Do the chapter divisions make sense in terms of the overall argument? Are their smooth transitions between sections?
9. Details: Is the note form (either footnotes or endnotes may be used) proper and consistent? Does the author effectively use notes to convey useful information tangential to the main argument? Are quotations over 35 words indented?
Sept. 22: INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS [Begin at 5:10 due to history Department meeting]
Students will meet individually with their advisers to discuss the topics they wish to pursue.
Sept. 29: PRELIMINARY TOPICS DUE
Students should bring to this meeting a short thesis statement and a preliminary bibliography. The student’s thesis statement will then be passed along to the Barnard reference librarians in preparation for the following week’s meeting.
Oct. 6: GROUP MEETING - LIBRARY RESEARCH TOOLS
Students meet as a group with reference librarians from the Barnard Library. By the time this class meets, advisers will have given the librarians a list of topics on which students plan to work. The librarians discuss the many specialized bibliographies and reference works available to students and give a brief demonstration of the use of electronic media in research. After this introductory session, students will be able to make individual appointments with librarians to refine their search for sources. Students should be sure to take advantage of the new computerized data bases available to them. They should also find a note-taking program, or devise a system for themselves, to keep track of their sources.
Oct. 13: SEMINAR MEETING - SUBMISSION OF THESIS TOPICS
Each students should bring to class (and be prepared to discuss) a one-page statement of her thesis topic and a bibliography of the primary and secondary sources on which she plans to rely. The bibliography should be divided into two sections. The first should include some of the primary sources on which the thesis will be based. The second should include scholarly articles and books.
(See Appendix B of the syllabus, which deals with bibliographic form, for guidance on preparing the bibliography.)
The thesis statement should define the problem the student wishes to explore. As she composes her statement, each student should ask the following questions: Have I chosen an important, interesting, researchable topic, one that poses a clear question, and one that can be answered by primary sources and available evidence? If not, what further refinements might improve my statement? ( For guidance, see Appendix C to this syllabus, "Shaping a History Senior Thesis Topic.")
Oct. 20: SEMINAR MEETING - SCHOLARLY DEBATES[Meeting to begin at 5:10 due to History Department meeting]
To facilitate the writing of the section of the thesis on scholarly literature, each student will bring to class (and be prepared to discuss) a two-page analysis of the TWO most important secondary works on which she will be relying. In making her presentation each student should answer the following questions: How have these authors explained the phenomenon that I am investigating? What assumptions have they shared? On what matters have they disagreed?
For instance, if a student wanted to explain some aspect of the rise of the predominantly white, middle-class woman's movement in mid-nineteenth-century America, she would find vigorous disagreement among scholars. Some have emphasized the growing similarities between women and men in educational attainment and work experience as critical to women's heightened aspirations. In contrast, others have pointed to the growing differences between men and women (some speak of "separate sexual spheres") in economic life as the key factor that enabled a vanguard of middle-class women to act on their own behalf. The student would need to explain these contrasting interpretations to her classmates and come to some provisional conclusion about how her particular research might contribute to this debate.
Occasionally, a student chooses a topic about which there appears to be very little prior discussion in the scholarly literature. If a student finds herself in this position, she should ask what larger debate among scholars might incorporate her interest. Every topic fits into some larger scholarly discussion. Here are some examples: debates over the causes of the rise of the modern state; debates over the meaning of sexuality in different historical epochs; debates over the ways in which national identities come to be constructed; debates over the meaning of consumption in modern culture.
Oct. 27: SUBMISSION OF THESIS PROPOSAL
Now that everyone has a topic and has thought about the place of her topic within the larger scholarly literature, it is time to submit a thesis proposal. The proposal, while brief (4-5 pages), is the first major stage of the writing process and should be taken very seriously. It should define the problem under investigation, discuss the issues involved, analyze the scholarly literature that already exists on the topic, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the available primary resources. It should also outline a suggested table of contents divided into 5 to 7 headings, followed by a brief summary of each section of the essay. Appended to it should be a bibliography of the primary and secondary works that will be used.
By this date each student should be assigned a peer editor from among her seminar classmates and should be assigned, in turn, to be someone else's editor. Being a good editor means being sufficiently acquainted with the topic of your author to be able to give meaningful advice. Refer to Turabian when in doubt about some aspect of the editing process. Each student should give one copy of her proposal to her adviser and another to her editor.
Nov. 3: SEMINAR MEETING - DISCUSSION OF THESIS PROPOSALS
Having carefully edited their authors' proposals, students meet in their seminar groups and each editor will present the work of her author. Students will discuss ways of strengthening each other’s work.
November 10 & 17: PAIRED CONFERENCES ON DRAFTS[November 17th meeting to begin at 5:10 due to History Department meeting]
Students begin writing a 15-page section of their thesis. Any section will do, beginning, middle, or end, but experience has shown that students have the greatest success when they start with the middle of their thesis; beginnings and endings are always the hardest. One portion of this draft must draw upon a central primary source; the primary research should not be deferred entirely to the spring term.
Authors and editors will meet in pairs with their adviser to discuss progress and problems.
Nov. 22 [the Monday before Thanksgiving]: SUBMISSION OF 15-PAGE DRAFT
Students must submit two copies of their 15-page drafts, one to the adviser, the other to their editor. All drafts must be properly annotated and include a full bibliography. Editors then have one week to edit and prepare comments on their authors' work.
Readers should keep the following questions in mind as they edit: Has the author made clear how primary sources relate to the larger issue being explored in her thesis? Does the author paraphrase when she should paraphrase, and does she quote when she should quote? Is each quote properly analyzed and properly introduced? Is proper note form followed, both for the primary source and any secondary sources relied on for context? Are there any grammatical lapses? How might the writing be improved? Is the organization of the essay clear to the reader? Does each section clearly relate to the overall argument?
Nov. 24: NO MEETING (day before Thanksgiving)
Dec. 1: PAIRED CONFERENCES - DISCUSSION OF DRAFTS
Students will meet with their adviser and peer editor to discuss their drafts and to plan ahead for the spring term.
Dec. 8: Paired Conferences – Discussion of Drafts
Students will meet with their adviser and peer editor to discuss their drafts and to plan ahead for the spring term
Christmas Take-away: Please keep in mind that the second fifteen pages of thesis is due three weeks into the second semester, and the completed first draft of the thesis is due the first week in March.
**** WINTER BREAK ****
SPRING SEMESTER, 2011
Jan. 19 - Jan. 26: PAIRED CONFERENCES[1/26 meeting to begin at 5:10 due to History Department meeting]
Each student will meet with her peer editor and her adviser to discuss progress on her research and writing, as she completes the first draft of her thesis.
Feb. 2 - SUBMISSION OF NEXT 15 PAGES OF THESIS
Students submit two copies of the next 15 pages of their thesis (properly annotated), one to their editor, the other to their adviser. Each author should provide a few words of introduction and an outline of the thesis, to indicate how this section fits within her larger project.
Feb. 9: SEMINAR MEETING - PRESENTATION OF WORK IN PROGRESS
Each peer editor presents the work of her author, and students discuss how each thesis might be further strengthened.
Feb. 16 – Feb. 24: PAIRED CONFERENCES[Conference to start at 5:10 due to History Department meeting.]
Students meet with their editors and advisers to discuss progress and problems as they complete the first full draft of their theses.
Mar 2: **SUBMISSION OF FIRST DRAFT OF THESIS**
Students should submit two copies of their thesis, one to their peer editor, the other to their adviser. Drafts should be complete, properly annotated, and with a full bibliography.
Mar. 9: SEMINAR MEETING – PRESENTATION OF THESES
Each peer editor presents the work of her author, and students discuss how each thesis might be further strengthened. Use the "Questions to Consider When Reading (and Writing) the Senior Thesis," found on page 2 of this syllabus, in commenting on each other's theses.
Mar 16: SPRING BREAK
Mar. 23 – Mar. 30: PAIRED CONFERENCES[March 23 conference to begin at 5:10 due to History Department meeting.]
Students meet with their editors and advisers to discuss progress and problems as they revise their theses. This is the period of the year that students usually find the most rewarding, for it is only after an author has completed a full version of her thesis that she can really refine what she wants to say and gain mastery of her material. After gaining this mastery, it becomes easier to strengthen and clarify the written arguments, to remove unneeded passages, and to add missing transitions.
April 6 – April 13: SEMINAR MEETING - PRESENTATION OF THESES
Each student gives a prepared oral presentation of her completed work to her seminar group. These presentations should be clearly organized, and planned ahead of time, with an introduction of the topic, a summary of the research, and a concise conclusion. [Students may shrink from presenting their completed work before it is truly complete, but experience has demonstrated that distilling one’s entire thesis to a brief presentation helps students refine the introduction to their thesis. Furthermore, the feedback from the rest of the group can highlight areas that require further clarification or amplification in the actual text.]
April 20: **SENIOR THESIS DUE**[Submission at 5:10 due to History Department meeting.]
Each student submits two copies of her thesis, bound in plastic covers at Village Copiers or any similar store, to her adviser.
April 27: SENIOR THESIS PARTY
All faculty and students are invited to celebrate the completion of their work together. Time: 4:10-6:00; Room, TBA.
A NOTE ON GRADING:
Two faculty members, the adviser and a colleague, will read each thesis and determine a grade for it. Criteria used for determining the grade for the course can be found on the first page of this syllabus; criteria for grading the thesis itself can be found on page 2 of this syllabus.
APPENDIX A: ANNOTATION
WHEN TO USE NOTES: