Methodology: Texts and History MET5310

In order to complete the course, students must:

- Participate in the obligatory search course (not for students who have passed SAM5030). Registration lists will be made available in Canvas if there is more than one course offered.

- Participate in the seminar on academic writing (minimum 75% obligatory participation)

- Participate in the in-depth evaluation of the curriculum and/or of the learning environment, if such evaluation is stipulated in the relevant term

Part A:
- Attend the lectures on historical theory and the linguistic turn (minimum 75% obligatory participation)

- Pass the in-class test on theory and the linguistic turn

Part B:

- Attend the lectures and seminars on historical method and project design (minimum 75% obligatory participation)

- Pass the in-class test on historical method

- Register the topic of the dissertation (100-300 words)

- Fill out and submitt the digital student-supervisor contract

- Write and have approved a project description (ca 1000-1500 words). The following is a recommended outline of the project description:
1) Research question and brief discussion of why this should be studied
2) Primary material, including delimitation and motivation
3) Method
4) Preliminary structure of the thesis

Part C:

- Write and have approved an annotated bibliography which presents ca. 300 pages of self-chosen literature and relates it to the thesis the student will write (2000-2500 words)

Depending upon the number of students enrolled the spring semester og 2022, Parts B and C may run as independent studies with more limited course meetings.

When course requirements are not fulfilled this will count as one examination attempt, unless you withdraw within the set deadline (1 May).

The course is assessed as pass/fail, based on whether or not the course requirements are fulfilled. All course requirements must be fulfilled in order to pass. The course must be passed before students will be allowed to begin their thesis.

Part A. Historical Theory and the Linguistic Turn

KNOWLEDGE

The student has:

- Good knowledge of recent developments in historical theory and the linguistic turn

- Good knowledge of research ethics in relation to the study of historical sources

SKILLS

The student can:

- Reflect on the relevance of theoretical questions and the linguistic turn for historical study

- Make informed decisions about the use of historical evidence based on current discussions in research ethics

Part B. Historical method

KNOWLEDGE

The student has:

- Good knowledge of questions concerning primary and secondary historical sources and a broad range of methodological questions in historical research

SKILLS

The student can:

- Choose and delimit the source material and research question for a thesis within history

- Make use of historical method in order to design a master's thesis in a historical topic

Part C. Thesis-related study

KNOWLEDGE

The student has:

- Good knowledge of the academic discourse of which the thesis will be a part

SKILLS

The student can:

- Find and critically assess secondary literature relevant to the writing of a master's thesis