1. The making history research project
Sarah Richardson

2. overview What is the research project? Preparation
Use of Primary Sources
Secondary Literature
Presentation of the Project
Marking Criteria

3. What is the research project?
A critical engagement with THREE primary sources
Presented as a webpage on your e-portfolio:
3,000 words including footnotes (or a video/podcast around minutes)
Should include a project outline/summary/abstract in which the intellectual aims of the project are set out; the main body of the project and a critical reflection

4. preparation Sign up for the workshops in the MRC
Decide on the question you would like to discuss and the primary and secondary sources you need to provide a critical reflection
Discuss these with your tutor (Dave Toulson also available for technical assistance)

5. Primary sources ARCHIVES
Modern Records Centre has a wealth of material (manuscript, printed, photographs, images and ephemera) on aspects of labour and political history. Also contains BP Archive.
The National Archives digital collections
The Wellcome Library digital collections
British Library digital collections

6. Primary sources KEY DIGITAL COLLECTIONS HELD BY WARWICK
Texts: Historical Texts; Nineteenth-Century Pamphlets; Women Writers Online,
Newspapers, periodicals and other prints: The Times Digital Archive; The Guardian and Observer; British Library Nineteenth Century Newspapers; Daily Mail; John Johnson Collection of Early Ephemera; Nineteenth-century UK Periodicals; The Burney collection of newspapers
Parliamentary: House of Commons Parliamentary Papers ; Hansard
All History Databases

7. Primary sources OTHER Personal archives – diaries, letters, ephemera
Film
Novels
Biographies and memoirs
NO LIMITATIONS – ANY PERIOD, ANY REGION, ANY TYPE OF PRIMARY SOURCE

8. Secondary sources Use module bibliographies for ideas
Historical Abstracts
Bibliography of British and Irish History

9. Some examples Women and political activism in Ireland
Assessment of Thatcher
Haig’s reputation
Soviet cinema
(Women and political activism in Ireland, use of MRC plus online sources; presented as a webpage)
Assessment of Thatcher, using a wide variety of sources – quantitative, political legislation, speeches etc. Embedded videocast (5.49)
Presented on YouTube. Reputation of Haig – print and popular culture.
Soviet cinema

10. presentation May be text, images, podcast or videocast
MUST INCLUDE: scans/screenshots of primary source material; short abstract and critical reflection; footnotes and bibliography; for oral presentations a list of references of works consulted
Best projects used a question/problem as a title. This avoids too much description

11. Marking criteria
10% on the project outline; 65% on the main analysis of project; 25% on your reflection
University/History marking criteria
Your project will not necessarily be marked by your seminar tutor

12. Any questions?