Due: Friday, 24th August

Weighting: 10%

This task is composed of two parts (see below). After reading the document 'Choosing and Preparing your MHIS301 Research Project' (on iLearn) and having selected your primary source base for the research essay you are to write a primary source report.

This task is getting you to reflect on the source and to think critically about it. It is both a description of the source and a reflection on its historical relevance. A key component of this task is to develop a research question. This question might change in the course of completing the research essay. However, it is important to start the process sooner rather than later.

Part 1: You should consider the following things in relation to this task. ask the following questions of your source:

1. What is it?

2. Who created it and why?

3. When and where was it created?

4. What was the audience?

5. What can we determine about the historical period and/or topic?

6. Limitations (what can't we know by looking at the source on its own)?

7. What questions does it raise?

Part 2: Compose an historical question

Using your chosen primary source as a stimulus, develop a question about your proposed topic which relates to your primary source. What are you going to investigate? What are you interested in about your source? What question/s come to mind when thinking about your source? Why did you choose your source?

NB: Where possible include a link or image of the source when you submit this task in turnitin.

Due: Friday, 13^th September

Length: 1250 words

Submission: turnitin link

You are to write an annotated bibliography focussing on 5 key works. An annotated bibliography is a list of books, articles, documents that you have found which are going to be useful to your research project. The purpose is to inform the reader about the relevance of the works to your project. It should identify the key argument/s of your chosen sources and why or how they relate to and help inform your question. You have up to 1250 words, which is roughly 250 words per book.

You can use either book chapters or journal articles but your bibliography must include one complete book.

Below are a list of useful resources for writing an annotated bibliography. As the University of Cornell suggests, doing this task is all about concise exposition, succinct analysis and informed library research. It is also about you understanding your historiographical base.

References for Annotated Bibliographies

https://student.unsw.edu.au/annotated-bibliography

http://guides.library.cornell.edu/annotatedbibliography

https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/11132/WE_Writing-an-annotated-bibliography.pdf

Due: Weeks 10 and 11 (Friday, the 18^th or 25^th October)

Length: 5 minutes

Submission: All external students (OUA and External) will submit their presentation using VoiceThread. There are specific and very clear instructions on iLearn about using this tool which is very user friendly. Before you do this task, you will need to read these carefully.

The Task:

You are to make a 5 minute presentation to your peers about one key piece of evidence used in your research. This will involve briefly outlining your topic and identifying the leading research question. You can consider the following:

• What is your evidence and why is it significant?
• How did you come across it and why is it of interest to you?
• What it reveals to you.
• What other sources it relates to or sheds light on.

You will be assessed on your ability to present clearly and engagingly, and your ability to edit content to the required timeframe. This assessment task is designed to assess your oral communication skills, and your ability to organise and deliver information in non-written formats.

As you are all working on different subjects, this will be a wonderful opportunity to hear about everyone’s discoveries and special interests. You will be expected to be able to answer audience questions afterwards.There is a function in Voicethread for everyone in the class to see and hear your presentation and to ask you questions AND for you to answer them.

Due: Friday, 1st November

Length: 2,500-3,000 words

Submission: turnitin

You are to write a 2,500-3,000 word research essay on your chosen topic/question. This should include between 10-15 references (as a minimum). Your chosen primary source should feature in the essay and you can, of course, use more than one source if you wish.

Format

Submit essay via turnitin link on iLearn and include the following:

• The essay question
• 1.5 spacing
• Page numbers
•  
• Referencing – please note, only footnotes will be accepted.

Check Guide to Essay writing link on iLearn

The seminars for this unit are set around a different discussion theme each week. There are compulsory set readings for each week, accessible on iLearn via the Leganto reading lists tab. All OUA students are expected to keep up with the readings from week to week and contribute to the online discussion forum where the unit convenor will post questions for discussion each week.

The unit convenor understands how challenging external study is and how easy it is to get behind as we move through the material fairly quickly. It is for this reason that external students need to see the online discussion forum as their virtual classroom and that they contribute each week to the discussions. This not only fulfills the requirements of the unit but keeps you in touch with your peers and the unit convenor. It is also a great place to share ideas, information and questions.