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Interesting discussion…Unbiased historical narrative can also be extremely boring historical narrative. I think that we might want to consider balance as well as bias, that is presenting facts and opinions from all sides and drawing an “unbiased” conclusion. If wall we do as historians is write facts into narrative form then we are largely just rehashing what has already been recorded – or as one of my professors put it “recounting one damn battle after another!”I think it is okay in writing a scholarly paper to offer opinions supported by facts. We can never have all of the facts and my have to resort to stating our supported and learned opinion of why things happen the way they did. Based on the facts presented, why do we believe that the events occurred as they did — why did Meade not counterattack after Pickett's Charge? Why did the Soviet Operation URANUS succeed outside Stalingrad while its sister Operation MARS fail at Rzhev? Being a student of history, in my opinion, isn't just about “what” happened, but “why” it happened as well. Isn't that process how we discover and create knowledge?The difference between “good” history and “not-so-good” or even “bad” history is in the quality of the research, the balance of the facts presented, and the rationalilty of the argument and how well it is supported.Just my two cents (about all I have left in my budget this month!)
There are some I mark, and some I would never dream of marking! Mass market paperbacks (such as my current copy of Antony Beevor's Stalingrad – I've marked the crap out of that – highlights, margin notes, dog-eared pages… Same with John B. Lundstrom's The First Team and Kershaw's Hitler biographies… however, my hardback copy of Salisbury's 900 Days — not a chance. Chandler's Campaigns of Napoleon — not a chance. Same with Freeman's Lee's Lieutenants or Foote's triliogy. As for my first editions…. I think you get the picture.
This just proves that one can get a degree without leaving the house.
I'm sure if your really wanted to you could also get a degree without studying. For more info, check the spam in your inbox. ;D
You know… I heard an intersting comparison today about higher education and medicine. 30 years ago, simple surgeries required multiple day stays in the hospital. Even delivering a baby usually required a week's stay in the hospital. Now many deliveries are limited to an overnight stay. Two and a half years ago I had a hip replaced and stayed in the hospital for only three days. 30 years ago, insurance companies were paying for everything and outpatient clinics were seen as “voodoo medicine” — now, just about every community has an outpatient clinic and most of us don't think twice about outpatient procedures.What will the face of higher education be 30 years from now? Online offerings are, by and large, much cheaper than their residential counterparts — especially when you consider opportunity costs (working full time & being a part time student vs. being a full time student and working part time). At AMU, I'm paying $825 per course – plus books. I'm not paying any parking fees, technology fees, student life fees… My MA will cost me about $12 grand by the time I pay for all my books and fees… and having done a traditional elite 4 year undergrad and a non-traditional “night school” for grad school, I can honestly say that my online experience is superior to my residential or night school experiences. I sure as heck am learnging more – primarily because I'm more engaged (and, okay, maybe more mature… but that's debatable!).When I consider value, I'm not paying commuting costs to go to school. My tuition isn't paying for a crumbling physical plant or dormatories. My classes aren't taught by graduate assistants, and my school doesn't have their name on the side of some multi-million dollar football stadium (don't laugh, the Arizona Cardinals in the NFL play at University of Phoenix Stadium… I didn't even know that UOP had a football team!) Seriously, going back to the medical analogy, how long will it be before the ivy covered ivory tower is rendered largely irrelevant? More and more traditional brick and mortar schools are adding online components. More and more high school students are taking online college courses as an alternative to AP or IB courses. The next generation or two will be much more accepting of online education, and personally, I beleive that the higher education landscape will be significantly different in 20 or 30 years.Just my two cents….
Ugh! This topic stings me. I must go back to school before I get too old (say 35ish). 🙁
You know you might as well join the dark side and start back up sooner rather than later. You'll be happy you did it once you hit 40. ;D
What are you implying?!?! I guess I kind of resemble that remark (… at 47).
Or… make fur coats, yeah… spotted fur coats! Shouldn't take more than say, 100 puppies… okay, maybe 101…. ;D
I used notecards extensively back before the advent of personal computers (and cut & paste options that didn't involve scissors and tape!). I'd use them much like Professor Hatlie recommends in the link that is provided above, except that I would add a color code system along with the source numbers — use a magic marker to put a different color or mark for each source — just an enhanced visual aid when organizing.. One nice thing about note cards was that you could lay them out on a table and shuffle them around, building the framework of your argument – then use them to build your outline.I have long since abandoned them.What I do now is as I read, I will either highlight the book as I go, occasionally writing notes in the margins. At the end of each chapter / section, I go back and transcribe onto a legal pad (bibliographic info on the top of the first page, author's name(s) at the top of each subsequent page – sometimes I color code as well). If the source is one that I can't mark up (or don't want to mark up), then I keep the legal pad there by my side as I read – taking notes and noting page numbers. If I'm doing this, then at the end of each chapter I go back and review my notes and then add an analysis or summary – asking questions for further research or bringing in thoughts from other sources. When I finish with a source, I'll pull the pages off and staple them together.Frequently, I'll do what I call “reading in parallel” — that is I'll follow a campaign or certain aspect of a campaign in numerous books (reading three or four books at the same time, one chapter or section at a time — planning for an operation in four sources before going on to the execution, then reading “Day One” in multiple sources before going on to “Day Two” — a lot depends on how familiar I am with the topic). If I'm doing this, I'll keep all notes on one legal pad, but use a different color ink for each source.When it comes time to compose, I take over the table down stairs and flesh out my rough outline and start banging out my first rough draft.Don't necessarily recommend this method, but it works for me.
Okay Mr. Smarty Pants, define iconography for the class. 🙂
Well, according to the article that I'm about to post on Wikipedia…. ( ;D) …iconography has to do with the art and design of those cute little shortcuts that sit on your computer desktop. Developers at Apple have recently redefined the true art of iconography (something that Microsoft developers just can't quite grasp) and Apple has recently qualified for an NEA grant to expand the study of iconography as it related to the iPhone, iPod, and iTouch. the result is that the proper citation is now “iConography“. Hey, if I get it posted on Wikipedia, it has to be true, right?
Personally, I'm a graduate student pursuing an MA in Military History at American Military University, concentrating in World War II studies. I know that there are a handful of other AMU students here (that's how I found out about this site). I hold a BA in History from Davidson College in North Carolina and also an MA in Management from Webster University.Next?
Citing Wikipedia is common and absurd — it's like citing “The National Inquirer” — how long before people start citing “The Onion”?
It's sad to see my youth now considered history and my toys sitting on shelves in antique stores. It wasnt that long ago.
That does hurt, doesn't it?Like when my son a couple of years ago asked me about those big black CDs I had on the bottom shelf of the study — you know, LPs?
I was listening to Paul Harvey the other day and there was a study done proving that female art students are the most likely to be sexually active and male science majors are the least likely to be sexually active. I know this is totally unrelated to this thread, but I'd thought I throw it out there anyway. 🙂
Hmmm…. and to think, I married a fine arts major….
I guess I?m late to this discussion, but I want to throw my 2 cents into the pot.I believe that the Internet is an essential tool for research. The argument that some academics throw out ? that it?s too easy ? well, I?d equate that to saying ?go to the library, but dig into the stacks, don?t use the card catalog, that?s too easy!?Now, using the Internet is definitely a case of caveat emptor. There?s a lot of trash and out and out BS out there, but there are essential archives and source documents out there too. The number of archives with source documents out there is phenomenal. I?d much rather use the Internet to access the U.S. Army or Marine Corps archives collections of original source documents (unpublished memoirs, division war diaries, original operations orders, casualty reports, logistics reports, oral histories) than drive to Ft. Leavenworth, Carlisle, PA, or Quantico ? not to mention the National Archives or the Navy historical center?s website (http://www.history.navy.mil). Then there are sources like the Avalon Project at Yale University (http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/wwii.asp). As a student of history is my research through the web somehow less valid than if I were to drive/fly to New Haven ? where chances are I?d have to either handle facsimiles of these documents, or more likely, be restricted to viewing them online on a computer in the library?As far as digital books ? I do prefer to hold a copy of the book in my hand and I make great use of my local public research library. However, digital libraries can do one thing that dusty libraries cannot ? that is, they can guarantee that a copy of the book that I need (if it is in their collection) is available for my use. It will never be checked out by someone else, it will never be mistakenly filed on the wrong shelf, it will never be in use in another part of the library, and I will never be placed on a waiting list.Personally, I find the arguments against using APPROPRIATE Internet research sites akin to the ivory tower arguments against reading Homer or Thucydides in anything other than the original Greek. It?s not about how hard or easy the work is — it is about how thorough your research is and how cogently you present that information. It is about how you use that information to refine, create, or advance knowledge.
Like most of you, I would imagine, when I write, I tend to write “A LOT” — which of necessity dictates a couple of re-writes.So, when I'm approaching a paper I'll, of course, pick my subject matter and generally leave my thesis open. I know that I want to write about some aspect of “X”. I'll do overview and “context” reading and reseach – outlining as I go. Personally, I tend to “over-research”. Throughout the course of outlining and reading, I'll shape my thesis – which of course, drives more research (did I mention that I tend to “over-research”?). Although I may have an idea deeply seated in my mind, I try to keep my options open well into my research – otherwise I find myself pursuing facts to support my thesis rather than remaining objective. For me, it is essential that I remain objective in collecting information as I believe that it only makes my paper and my argument stronger.So, when I finally sit down to write I usually have a tough time actually starting – instead I'm constantly turning ideas over in my mind, trying to answer additional questions or pick up more detail. At this point, my outline has undergone numerous revisions — it's not a highly detailed outline, but general subjects and events tied in with major argument points, counter-arguments, and quick notes to point out superfluous details. I'll skip my introduction and opening paragraphs and jump straight into the meat of my first main topic – although sometimes I'll start with my conclusion – then I'll drive through the paper usually writing WAY TOO MUCH. Once I'm on a roll, I'll pound the keyboard in marathon sessions. Then I'll let the paper sit for a day or two, review my notes, re-read and commence re-writing. At this point, I finalize my thesis, write my opening paragraph, re-write the paper and conclusion. The first draft rarely looks like the final copy.Now for the really sick part — I've pulled out papers written for a class a year ago, re-read them, and then re-written them, or pick a new thesis and started a stronger “sister” paper to the first one, picking up on a subject raised in the original paper but not pursued. So, yes, that ends up being a paper written for no class or any publication — merely put back in the notebook and back on the shelf to be (maybe) pulled out at a future date in support of another class. For example, a paper on the role of “Strategic Opportunism” in the Italian campaign of 1943-44 led to a paper on the Allied command “brain-drain” in Italy as the best commanders (and assets) were pulled to England for Overlord.BTW – I'm not sure I could write a decent paper without an outline and at least one re-write.
I have a couple of thoughts on this…1 – Tenured professors – or those that seek tenure – generally (as mentioned) are not part of the real world. They don't have calluses on their hands and don't have a thorough understanding of the “by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow”.2 – A college / university campus is insulated (speaking in generalizations here), and the leftist utopian is for the entire world to be insular — everyone treated equally and protected… and necessities are met by an omnipotent overseer (government, college administration).College campuses don't “produce” anything. There is little in the way of physical goods produced (other than papers, tests, books, knowledge, etc… hard to run a society on that). Everyone has access to the library, dormatories, dining facilities, classrooms… it's all there, and people are free to pursue their intellectual passions. All of the necessities are taken care of and provided (through tuition monies and endowments). Trucks bring in the food to the dining facility – and the dining facility staff, as well as the staff that runs the physical plant, are largely invisible — they generally are not a part of the the college society, they are apart from it.So, in my humble opinion, the leftist leaning of the college utopian society is self-perpetuating… provided that everyone's needs are met. Provided Mom & Dad, the endowment, or government student loans keep coming in and keep everything running smooth, it is an intellectual utopia. Nevermind what goes on outside the campus “walls”.
