This is the first of two introductory core courses required of all history majors, history minors, and education majors with a concentration in history. In this course, students will learn the varied ways in which scholars interpret the past, focusing particularly on the evidence and arguments used by historians in their work. To that end, students will learn about the varieties of primary sources (textual, material, oral) as well as the varied methods historians use to analyze such evidence. In addition, students will practice analyzing primary source evidence in oral and written presentations, learn how to use the library for historical research, and how to discern scholarly arguments in secondary sources.

This course is the second of two introductory core courses required of all history majors, history minors, and education majors with a concentration in history. In this class, students will bring to bear the skills in historical sources and methods learned in HST 298 to complete a substantial independent research project. To that end, students will learn how to identify a historical question or problem about which to conduct research; how to find, obtain, and evaluate primary source evidence to research; how to build a secondary source bibliography using reference works, monographs, and scholarly journal articles; and develop and execute a coherent plan for writing and revising a substantial research paper (of at least 10 pages in length) based on an integrated use of both primary and secondary sources.