History 698D – Graduate Culminating Project Seminar

Syllabus and Survival Guide

Spring 2025

Wednesday 7:00 pm – 9:45 pm, Maple Hall 232

Instructor

Dr. Thomas W. Devine

Email: twd@pacbell.net Phone: (818) 677-3550

Office Hours: Sierra Tower 624, Tuesdays/Thursdays 2:30 – 3:30 pm and by appointment gladly given.

Spirit of the Course

In this seminar, you will demonstrate mastery of the historian’s craft as evidenced by substantially revising an existing research paper and delivering an effective 20-minute oral presentation in a conference setting. I will be here to help you. In fact, much of the time we spend together will be one-on-one. I will provide extensive feedback and suggestions, but, more importantly, I will be engaging you in a serious and on-going conversation about your work. It will be up to you to incorporate the work we do together into your final paper and presentation.

You will also leave here with a better sense of what it means to be a historian – someone who writes history, rather than someone who simply learns about history.

In keeping with the requirements of the American Historical Review, the preeminent journal of the historical profession, your paper should be original in content and analysis; no more than 8,000 words in length (not counting notes and bibliography); and conform to the notes/bibliography format of the Chicago Manual of Style.

Required Books & Other Materials

Kate Turabian, A Manual for Writers, 9^th Edition

William Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style, 4^th Edition

Additional Materials will be provided as handouts and posted on the web syllabus.

Course Requirements

• you will revise a research paper written in another course with the goal of turning it into an article of publishable quality

• you will prepare and deliver a twenty-minute conference-style oral presentation that summarizes and explains your paper’s research findings and field questions on your project from faculty and peers

• you will conduct supplemental primary source research to develop a substantive foundation for a historical argument and to strengthen the argument of your original paper.

• you will familiarize yourself with the historiography relevant to your research topic and situate your research in the context of existing scholarly literature.

• you will engage in the peer-review process by critiquing another student’s work and incorporating another student’s feedback into your paper.

Assignments, Deadlines, and Grading

· Self-analysis of existing research paper and statement of research goals due January 29 (5%)

· Peer Review Questionnaire due January 29 (5%)

· Journal article analysis of 1000 words due February 7 (5%)

Find two journal articles on a related topic (and ideally related to your topic), one in either American Historical Review or Journal of American History, and one in a more field-specific journal, and write an analysis of them: How do they begin? How do they blend primary-source research with broader historiographical issues? How are they structured? What degree of explanatory power do they provide?

The idea here is to help you focus on how your own paper should be structured and what you need to do to make it a finished product suitable for publication.

· Historiographical Paper of 1500 words due February 19 (10%)

Choose at least three secondary sources not used in your original research paper and explain how they contribute to the on-going conversation about your topic.

· Summary of New Primary Source Material, due March 5 (5%)

Identify and summarize the content of the additional primary sources you have located and indicate how they will contribute to your overall argument.

· Revised Draft due April 2 (5%)

This is a hard deadline. You will receive credit for meeting it.

· Presentation at Student Research Symposium April 23 (20%)

· Peer Review due April 30 (5%)

· Final Paper due May 7 (35%)

· Summary of changes between original and revised research paper, due May 7 (5%)

Assessment of the Final Paper and Research Presentation

In order for a student to pass the course, a three-person faculty committee will certify that the final paper meets the minimum standards for a culminating paper.

Final papers will be evaluated in each of the following areas on a scale of 1 to 4. Students must receive a minimum of 17 points to receive credit for the course.

1. The topic has been refined to the point that it represents a significant contribution to the field of history.

2. The revised paper makes a more sophisticated, analytical argument than the original.

3. The revised paper includes additional primary source materials derived from broadened and deepened research in archival and/or published primary sources.

4. The revised paper demonstrates thorough knowledge of the relevant secondary literature, which effectively frames the analysis.

5. The revised paper is clearly written, well-organized, and carefully edited.

6. The student demonstrates the ability to translate an academic paper into an effective oral presentation in a simulated conference setting.

Grading Scale:

4 – Paper meets the requirement at a level that establishes the work as appropriate for scholarly publication.

3 – Paper represents mastery of the field, but requires revision for publication

2 – Paper would require substantial revision to be considered for publication

1 – Paper lacks all requirements to be considered for publication

Your research presentation will be assessed by two faculty who are not familiar with your paper. At the class session on presenting papers, you will be provided with a copy of the rubric that will be used.

Course Policies

· All assignments are due at the beginning of class on the specified due date. If the class does not meet on the due date, the assignment is due via email at 7 pm.

· Any assignment that contains plagiarism (copying or borrowing from a source without crediting the source) will be not be accepted for a grade. Students who plagiarize will be referred to the Office of Academic Affairs for disciplinary action.

· The instructor reserves the right to modify the course schedule or assignments. Students will be given adequate notice of any changes.

A Word About Artificial Intelligence

Grammarly and AI such as ChatGPT are emerging technologies that, employed properly, can improve your writing. AI can be helpful in refining your reasoning and writing. Grammarly can correct some (though hardly all) writing issues. ChatGPT can be of use in compiling bibliographies and formatting citations. Use of AI, however, can quickly devolve into plagiarism. Never use AI to write whole sections of your paper. This is plagiarism and will be treated as such in this course. Turnitin flags AI and gives a percentage of its use. Papers written 35% and over by artificial intelligence will not be accepted.

Schedule of Meetings and Assignments

Jan 22 Group meeting: Introduction

Jan 29 Individual meetings throughout the week

Due by Wednesday at 7pm:

A self-analysis of your existing research paper and a statement of your research goals.

In 2-3 pages, you should describe the most important strengths and weaknesses of your original paper and how your research plans this semester will build on the former and address the latter.

Feb 5 Group meeting: How to Structure a Research Paper

Reading: Jennifer L. Weber, “’William Quantrill Is My Homeboy:’ Or, The Border War Goes to College”

Due by Saturday, February 7th: Journal Article Analysis

Feb 12 Group meeting: Historiography – “Joining the Conversation”

Due by 7pm: Completed Peer Review Questionnaire

Reading: William E. Leuchtenburg, “Franklin D. Roosevelt: The First Modern President”

Study Questions

Feb 19 Individual meetings throughout the week

Due by 7pm: Historiography Paper

Feb 26 Group meeting: Presenting an Argument and Locating Primary Sources

Mar 5 Optional one-on-one meetings throughout the week

Due: Summary of new primary source material