Researching the Past (ARTS90008)

The subject, conducted as six fortnightly seminars, introduces commencing graduate students to various tools and traditions of reading, writing, researching and thinking about the past. The subject will touch on a range of key methodological approaches in historiography over the past half century. Its intention is to focus students' attention on issues to do with researching and communicating knowledge of the past and on discussion of the broader role and claims of historical scholarship. We will consider changing modes of historical writing and publication, as well as the place of the PhD itself in historical training.