HIS 3931
History Honors Workshop—Fall 2011


Prof. Howard Louthan
Flint 218
louthan@ufl.edu
273-3381
Office Hours
    Wednesday: 11:00-12:30
    Thursday: 4:00-5:30


Teaching Assistant: Erin Zavitz
zaviter@gmail.com
   Tuesday: 2:00-3:00 pm
   Flint 218

Course Location and Times
Section 5002--Tuesday, Periods 8-10 (3:00-6:00); Flint 109
Section 4062--Wednesday, Periods 6-8 (12:50-3:50); Matherly 102


Seminar Description
Nearly all the work students undertake in the History Honors Program is done individually.  Though students cooperate with an advisor who directs the project, writing an Honors Thesis is a task that demands substantial self-discipline and enterprise. The thesis is the most substantial piece of scholarly writing that an undergraduate can undertake in the history department at UF. Students who are considering applying to graduate school in history are especially encouraged to write an Honors Thesis. But doing a thesis is also a valuable experience for students who love history but have chosen other career paths. A solid thesis can serve as a superb writing sample for future employers and graduate schools in all fields.

Most students who write an Honors Thesis complete the bulk of their research in fall semester though many begin this work in the summer especially if they are relying on archival and other non-published sources.  Students normally use winter break to begin the writing process.  Spring semester is traditionally spent writing and revising the thesis, filling holes in research and preparing an oral presentation for the Spring Honors Conference.  Obviously, the specific schedule you design will be developed in consultation with your advisor.

The mandatory Spring Honors Conference will take place on Saturday, April 14 at the Matheson Museum in downtown Gainesville. 

Alongside the thesis, students will take an Honors Seminar in fall semester, the Thesis Workshop.  The Thesis Workshop has been designed to help hone your research skills and organize the writing and formal presentation of your thesis.  It gives honors students the opportunity to work alongside others who are engaged in the same enterprise.   Here you will have the chance to discuss your project, address general problems and develop strategies that will help you produce a more effective Honors Thesis. 

University of Wisconsin--Writing Handbook
 

Seminar Schedule

Week One (August 22-28)
Introduction to the course; discussion of Honors Program and spring Honors Conference;
Student introductions and discussion of expectations
Highlight resources available for Honors students
Library session details
Planning social event for two sections to meet
    Assignment: Set up librarian meeting; consult with advisor; begin compiling annotated bibliography


Weeks Two-Three (August 29-September 11)
Individualized library sessions—mandatory meeting with research librarian
Brief report on library resources for your topic
Entry interviews (September 6 and 7)
Discussion: Effective oral presentations
Discussion: Identifying your thesis in a broader field
    Assignment: Brief summation of library meeting; identification of resources
    Annotated Bibliography (8-12 items; both primary and secondary) (see UW Writing Handbook)

  
Week Four (September 12-18)
Thesis prospectus due (Guidelines: Harvard Handbook, 57-8)
Prospectus presentations-Peer Exchange
    Assignment: Thesis Prospectus


Week Five-Six (September 19-October 2)
Crafting effective oral presentations
Oral Presentation Schedule
    a. Assignment: 7 minute PowerPoint presentation on research topic--Oral Presentation Rubric (Critique of partner's presentation)
    b. Paragraph statement identifying your thesis in a broader field (include a reference to 2-3 scholars with whom your work is in dialog)
    c. ***Mandatory meeting 1 with advisor: Reviewing and revising the prospectus; brief paragraph report on meeting with advisor



Week Seven (October 3-9)
Short paper (2-3 pages) due on a major primary source you intend to you use in your research.  Your paper should address the following topics: What is the format of the primary source (e.g. book, manuscript, private correspondence, etc.)?  Who was the author?  What was the source’s original purpose and how did it come to be preserved?  What potential problems might you encounter using and interpreting the source?  How do you expect to use it in your research?   Most importantly, how does the source contribute to the overall argument of your thesis?  Those of you who are working with unusual or non-traditional sources can modify the questions if need be.   Please write your paper as a formal essay but with a target audience of fellow students who do not necessarily know anything about the source or its context.   Come to class prepared to discuss your source and paper with the other students in the seminar.
    Assignment: Primary source analysis


Week Eight (October 10-16)
Critiquing a thesis—select a thesis from department library
(Guidelines: Harvard Handbook, 59)
    Assignment: Thesis critique and presentation


Week Nine (October17-23)
Short paper (2-3 pages) due on a major secondary source (book or article) related to your thesis topic.  Your paper should summarize the main argument of the work and discuss the primary sources the author used to construct the argument.  Come to class prepared to discuss the work and its relationship to your thesis project with the other students in the seminar.
    Assignment: Secondary source analysis; Research Contract


Weeks Ten-Twelve (October 24-November 13)
No formal class; devote these weeks to research and meeting with your advisor
Develop thesis outline that you will exchange along with your prospectus to a seminar partner for peer critique.  You MUST meet with your thesis advisor to review the outline you develop.
Your outline should give a chapter-by-chapter synopsis of what you expect to write about and should also indicate clearly how the chapters are related to each other.  Your structure may change at a later stage in the process, but the course is designed to conclude with some type of structure in place to assist you begin the first draft of the Honors Thesis. 
Items due
    Assignment: See assignments for Week 13
***Mandatory Meeting 2 with advisor, update on thesis outline; brief paragraph report on meeting with advisor
       

Week Thirteen (November 14-20)
Peer critique presentation and discussion--details concerning this assignment will be sent to you by email during the three week stretch of independent study
(Guidelines: Harvard Handbook, 67-70)
    Assignment: Fulfill Research Contract
                         Outline and Advisor meeting
                         Peer critique report on Outline
                         Introduction Exercise
                        


******Thanksgiving Week (no class)*******


Week Fourteen (November 28-December 4)
Revised outline and introduction due
Semester reprise—general development of thesis from beginning of the semester; how has your vision for the thesis changed
Writing Workshop--Introductions
   

Week Fifteen (December 5-December 7)
Exit Interviews
    Assignment: Revised Outline; Thesis Introduction (5-7 pages); 3-3-3 Exercise
Bring all items to your exit interview on either Tuesday or Wednesday