HIST 5370 - Shepherd

HIST 5370 Research Seminar in U.S. History

Dr. Jeff Shepherd

This graduate course is open to original research projects from all topics, themes, and time-periods in U.S. history, conceived broadly. This course is particularly useful for students working on an extended MA Paper, MA Thesis, possible chapter in a dissertation, or for students hoping to publish an article.

Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Quality, graduate-level research takes time. Start early.
• Always start with a keyword search in the library catalog. You might need to refine your search terms or do multiple keyword searches.
• Click on appropriate Library of Congress subject headings in catalog records to find more sources.
• Consult an archivist or library subject specialist.
• If possible, call or email an archivist before you visit an archives or special collections department.
• Start with secondary sources (i .e. books, scholarly articles, encyclopedias) for context and literature reviews.
• Mine bibliographies of secondary sources  (i.e. see what sources historians used).
• Take careful notes when reviewing primary and secondary sources.
• Make sure to document where images, quotes, ideas, etc. came from.
• Be prepared to visit multiple libraries and archives - sometimes in different cities or countries.
• Order books via Interlibrary Loan in advance of any deadlines.
• Proofread your papers carefully.