HIST.5020, Intro to Archives UML, Prof. C. Carlsmith

HIST.5020, ‘Intro to Archives’
UML, Prof. C. Carlsmith

Journal Guidelines

A critical part of this course is the opportunity to reflect upon the experience in multiple ways. These reflections—whether completed through writing assignments, public presentations, direct conversation, or personal meditation—are an important means to acquire a deeper understanding of what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how well you are doing it.

The ten (10) weekly journal entries required for this course are a first step in encouraging reflection about your experience with archives. In addition to helping you document your daily and weekly experiences with archival theory and practice, the journal should also serve as a permanent record of your achievements and challenges there. The journal entries should also serve as an important component of your Final Portfolio.

Here are some guidelines and helpful tips as you compile your service-learning journal entries:

Journal entries should be made at least once per week, as per the syllabus. Additional entries are welcome. If you wait too long to make entries, the value of the journaling experience is substantially diminished.
Each entry should be individually dated, and distinct from the other entries.
A subject heading/title for each entry (i.e., “Choosing my archival placement”, “What I learned at Center for Lowell History”) will make it easier to find them later, and to see at a glance what kinds of topics you tend to write about in your journal.
The journal can be written at anytime during the week, but immediately after class, or following a visit to an achive, is typically best, as the events are most fresh in your mind.
The journal should be kept electronically in a file called “Journal_YourName”, or in a composition book, or in a loose-leaf binder, with your name on it.
Back up your electronic journal regularly. I recommend to keep multiple versions, with the most recent date as part of the title (e.g., “Journal_Carlsmith_9.4.13”, “Journal_Carlsmith_9.23.13”.) Thus even if one file becomes corrupted you should have the others. You can also print the pages in your journal as you write them, and then you always have a reliable backup copy.
You are free to write about whatever aspect of the course or placement you wish. A useful prompt is “What? So What? Now What?” The first question asks you to describe what you have been doing in class or in your archive. This is primarily factual; you can include events, people, dates, etc. The second question asks you to consider the significance of the class content or archival work you are performing: why is it important? To whom? The third question asks you to look forward and speculate about next steps. How will you use your prior and current experience as a springboard to the next step? What is necessary to get there? What kind of deadline(s) are approaching?
Additional prompts may be offered by the instructor as the semester progresses.
The instructor will review the journal three times during the semester (late Feb, late March, late April). On the day of each Journal Review, you will submit an electronic file or paper copy to the instructor with your journal entries. He will review them and offer suggestions/observations about your work to date.
Journals will be evaluated on the basis of the number and quality of entries. The journal is worth 10% of your overall grade.
This is a new type of assignment, and thus feedback/suggestions are very welcome.

HIST.5020 Journal Guidelinesrev. 1/27/20181/1