History as an academic discipline has dramatically changed over the last few decades and has become much more exciting and varied as a result of ideas from other disciplines, the influence of postmodernism and historians' incorporation of their own theoretical reflections into their work. The way history is studied at university level can vary greatly from history at school or as represented in the media and Doing History bridges that gap. Aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students of history this is the ideal introduction to studying history as an academic subject at university. Doing History presents the ideas and debates that shape how we do history today, covering arguments about the nature of historical knowledge and the function of historical writing, whether we can really ever know what happened in the past, what sources historians depend on, and whether historians’ versions of history have more value than popular histories. This practical and accessible introduction to the discipline introduces students to these key discussions, familiarises them with the important terms and issues, equips them with the necessary vocabulary and encourages them to think about, and engage with, these questions. Clearly structured and accessibly written, it is an essential volume for all students embarking on the study of history.

Recent history—the very phrase seems like an oxymoron. Yet historians have been writing accounts of the recent past since printed history acquired a modern audience, and in the last several years interest in recent topics has grown exponentially. With subjects as diverse as Walmart and disco, and personalities as disparate as Chavez and Schlafly, books about the history of our own time have become arguably the most exciting and talked-about part of the discipline. Despite this rich tradition and growing popularity, historians have engaged in little discussion about the specific methodological, political, and ethical issues related to writing about the recent past. The twelve essays in this collection explore the challenges of writing histories of recent events where visibility is inherently imperfect, hindsight and perspective are lacking, and historiography is underdeveloped. Those who write about events that have taken place since 1970 encounter exciting challenges that are both familiar and foreign to scholars of a more distant past, including suspicions that their research is not historical enough, negotiation with living witnesses who have a very strong stake in their own representation, and the task of working with new electronic sources. Contributors to this collection consider a wide range of these challenges. They question how sources like television and video games can be better utilized in historical research, explore the role and regulation of doing oral histories, consider the ethics of writing about living subjects, discuss how historians can best navigate questions of privacy and copyright law, and imagine the possibilities that new technologies offer for creating transnational and translingual research opportunities. Doing Recent History offers guidance and insight to any researcher considering tackling the not-so-distant past.

Now in its fourth edition, this popular text offers a unique perspective on teaching and learning history in the elementary and middle grades. Through case studies of teachers and students in diverse classrooms and from diverse backgrounds, it shows children engaging in authentic historical investigations, often in the context of an integrated social studies curriculum. The central assumption is that children can engage in valid forms of historical inquiry-collecting and data analysis, examining the perspectives of people in the past, considering multiple interpretations, and creating evidence-based historical accounts. In each chapter, the authors explain how the teaching demonstrated in the vignettes reflects basic principles of contemporary learning theory, thus providing specific examples of successful activities and placing them in a theoretical context that allows teachers to adapt and apply them in a wide variety of settings. New in the Fourth Edition Expanded coverage of world history in two new chapters Integration of new technologies to support history instruction Updated classroom examples, bibliographies, and references

In this era of Twitter and text-messaging, which calls into question previously accepted notions of literacy, today's students need a new and more pragmatic approach to developing writing and research skills. While a number of guides to historical research and writing and several historical methodology texts have appeared in the past several years, no single text accomplishes what Doing History: An Introduction to the Historian's Craft does. Through a unique two-part organization, authors Wendy Pojmann, Barbara Reeves-Ellington, and Karen Ward Mahar offer specific assignments to identify students' weaknesses and build their skills. They provide concrete examples of historical approaches and theories and detailed guidelines to help students complete their work within the constraints of the academic term. The text integrates the complexities of historical research and writing into a single, comprehensive narrative without compromising depth and breadth. Its lively and accessible writing style helps students grapple with sophisticated ideas while also avoiding the pitfalls that commonly entrap them as they learn to think and write as historians. The book's intellectually engaging discussions of the discipline of history in Part One: the Historian's Craft are enriched by solid examples of published scholarship. Students preparing research projects will benefit from straightforward guidelines for the research and writing process. In addition, the integrated workbook in Part Two: Doing History Workbook Exercises allows them to hone their skills with assessment exercises and skill-building assignments.

Reflections on the crucial importance of including the perspectives of the marginalized and the non-elite in our historical accounts. In the 1960s, historians on both sides of the Atlantic began to challenge the assumptions of their colleagues and push for an understanding of history “from below.” In this collection of writings, Staughton Lynd, one of the pioneers of this approach, laments the passing of fellow luminaries David Montgomery, E.P. Thompson, Alfred Young, and Howard Zinn; offers an account of the decline of trade unionism based on the narratives of workers and his efforts as a lawyer to assist them; and makes the case that contemporary academics and activists alike should take more seriously the stories and perspectives of Native Americans, slaves, rank-and-file workers, and other still-too-frequently marginalized voices.

For over thirty years, Carol Kammen’s On Doing Local History has been a valuable guide to professional and “amateur” historians alike. First published in 1986, revised in 2003, this book offers not only discussion of practical matters, but also a deeper reflection on local, public history, what it means, and why it is done. It is used in classrooms and found on the shelves of local historians across the U.S. The third edition features: Updates to chapters that focus on the current concerns and situation of local historians A new chapter on how the field of history cooperates with other arts A new chapter on writing a congregational history Updated references With the same passion (and now even more experience) that drove her to write the first edition, Kammen has brought her seminal work into today’s context for the next generation of local historians. The new edition ensures that this classic will continue to move anyone interested in public history towards a better understanding of why they do what they do and how it benefits their communities.

This book is a practical introduction to digital history. It offers advice on the scoping of a project, evaluation of existing digital history resources, a detailed introduction to how to work with large text resources, how to manage digital data and how to approach data visualisation. Doing digital history covers the entire life-cycle of a digital project, from conception to digital outputs. It assumes no prior knowledge of digital techniques and shows you how much you can do without writing any code. It will give you the skills to use common formats such as XML. A key message of the book is that data preparation is a central part of most digital history projects, but that work becomes much easier and faster with a few essential tools.