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2021/2022

Methods and Techniques for Historical Research

Code: 100373 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500501 History OB 2 0
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 3 2
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 0
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 1
2504216 Contemporary History, Politics and Economics OT 4 2
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Ignacio Diaz Sierra
Email:
Ignacio.Diaz@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
Yes
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

Anglès

Teachers

Montserrat Jiménez Sureda

Prerequisites

Reading and understanding Catalan and Spanish correctly. It is desirable to have basic competency in English.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The main objective of this module is to introduce students to the methods and techniques they will require to conduct historical research in an autonomous and rigorous way. It combines theoretical and applied classes to acquantain students with historical research, what resources are available for them and how should a project be designed. They will also have the chance to work with a wide variety of sources and analyse them critically to generate new knowledge.

Competences

    History
  • Applying specific methods and techniques from other social sciences.
  • Applying the main methods, techniques and instruments of the historical analysis.
  • Developing critical thinking and reasoning and communicating them effectively both in your own and other languages.
  • Identifying the main historiographical tendencies and critically analysing their development.
  • Students must be capable of collecting and interpreting relevant data (usually within their area of study) in order to make statements that reflect social, scientific or ethical relevant issues.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must develop the necessary learning skills in order to undertake further training with a high degree of autonomy.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Applying the necessary abilities in order to assess and spread historical knowledge.
  2. Communicating in your mother tongue or other language both in oral and written form by using specific terminology and techniques of Historiography.
  3. Identifying the main and secondary ideas and expressing them with linguistic correctness.
  4. Mastering the main techniques of historical research.
  5. Organising and planning the search of historical information.
  6. Properly using the specific vocabulary of History.
  7. Solving problems autonomously.
  8. Using the characteristic computing resources of the field of History.
  9. Using the methods and techniques of demography in the historical analysis.
  10. Using the methods and techniques of economy in the historical analysis.
  11. Using the methods and techniques of sociology in the historical analysis.
  12. Utilising the information collection tools such as bibliographical catalogues, archive inventories and electronic references.

Content

  1. Historical research and source criticism
  2. Designing research projects
  3. Archives
  4. Written sources:
    1. Cartography
    2. Administrative documents
    3. Legal and judicial documents
    4. Notarial documents
    5. Historiography
    6. Diaries, letters and memoirs
    7. Media
    8. Literature
  5. Other sources and the importance of interdisciplinary research:
    1. Archaeological record
    2. Ethnoarchaeology
    3. Oral sources
    4. Landscape Archaeology

Methodology

This module has a theoretical part, which will be taught through lectures, and an applied part, which will include in-class training and individual projects. Students need to have good language skills to present the results obtained through group and individual projects to their peers and the teacher.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Theoretical classes and practices at classroom 54 2.16 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 15 0.6 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11
Type: Autonomous      
Individual activities 75 3 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11

Assessment

1. First written assessment (30%).

2. Second written assessment (30%)

3. Module project (30%).

4. Active involvement in in-class source analysis (10%).

 

Attendance to classes and other activities is important.

The teacher will duly inform students (Moodle, SIA) about the assessing procedures and how they can review corrections. Individual cases will be taken into consideration. Students have the right to revise their results and the teacher will establishe the necessary mechanisms to do so.

Second-chance examinations will follow the general regulation of UAB and it will consist on a single test that will take place on the date established by the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. The highest mark that can be achieved through this exam is a Pass (5/10) and it cannot be used to improve grades that are higher than 5/10.

Those students who do not submit at least 2/3 of the assessments will be considered "non-assessable".

If students commit any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation of the assessment of an exercise, they will be awarded a 0/10 mark in that exercise. If this behaviour continues, the final mark of the module will also be a 0/10.

If students are unable to physically attend assessment, the process of evaluation will be adapted (without modifying the weigh of the exercise) according to the possibilities offered by the digital tools of UAB. Homework, activities and class participation will take place through forums, wikis and/or discussions through Moodle, Teams, etc.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Delivery of a paper 30 % 2 0.08 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 7, 6, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11
Exams 60 % (30% + 30%) 3 0.12 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 7, 6, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11
Oral presentations, activity at classroom 10 % 1 0.04 1, 2, 4, 3, 5, 7, 6, 12, 8, 10, 9, 11

Bibliography

1. Corominas, Joan: Onomasticon Cataloniae,  Ed. Curial,  Barcelona1989-1997.

2. Nomenclàtor oficial de toponímia major de Catalunya.  Generalitat de Catalunya; Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya. IEC, 2ª ed. 2009.

3. Pesos, mides i mesures dels Pïsos Catalans. Ed. Curial, Barcelona 1990.

3. Corbella, Jacint: Història de la medicina catalana, vols. 1 i 2, Barcelona 2016-2017.

4. Calbet, J.M. – Escudé, M.M.: Història de la medicina, P.P.U., Barcelona 2009.

5. Botet i Sisó, Joaquim: Les monedes catalanes: estudi y descripció de les monesdes carolingies, comtals, senyorials, reyals y locals propries de Catalunya, IEC, Barcelona 1908-1911. 

6. Crusafont, M.: Història de la moneda catalana. C.G. Barcelona 1986.

7. Vilarrubias Solanes, Felio: La forma y el ser en el protocolo, ceremonial, heráldica y vexilología. Universidad de Oviedo. Oviedo, 2003.

8. Sagarra i de Siscar, Ferran de: Sigil·lografia catalana: inventari, descripció i estudi dels segells de Catalunya. IEC, Barcelona. 1916-1932.

9. Riquer, M. de: Heráldica catalana. Ed. Quaderns Crema, Barcelona 1983.

10. Tamayo, Alberto: Archivística, diplomática y sigilografía. Ed. Cátedra, Madrid 1996.

11. Cruz Mundet, José Ramon: Manual de archivística. Ed. Fundación German Sánchez Rupérez, 5ª ed. Madrid 2003.

12. Manual d’Arxivística i gestió documental, Ed. Associació d’arxivers de Catalunya, Barcelon 2009.

13. Fluvià i Escorsa, Armand de: Qui eren els meus avantpassats. Nou manual de genealogia. Institució Catalana de Genealogia i Heràldica, Barcelona 2012.

14. Salazar y Acha, Jaime de: Manual de genealogía española. Hidalguía, Madrid 2006

15. Hey, D (ed.): Oxford companion to local and family history. O.U.P. Oxford 2008.

16. Sánchez Arcilla-Bernal, J.: Compendio de historia del derecho. Ed. Dykinson, Madrid 2009.

17. Todorov, T.: Los abusos de la memoria, Barcelona 2000.

18. Pasamar, G.: Ha estallado la memoria, Madrid 2015.

Software

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