Saint-Louis University - Bruxelles
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HIST1286 - Sources for the different periods of History


USL-B


Credits : 5

Lecturers :
Mode of delivery :
Face-to-face , first term, 60 hours of theory.

Timetable :
First term
Wednesday from 11:45 to 12:45 at Ommegang Om421
Tuesday from 09:30 to 10:30 at Ommegang Om421
Wednesday from 15:45 to 16:45 at Ommegang Om421
Tuesday from 08:30 to 09:30 at Ommegang Om421

Language of instruction :
French

Learning outcomes :
The course will enable the students in the second year of the standardized program of bachelor in History, to get an in-depth knowledge of the primary sources, research tools and secundary literature available for each period of History (namely Ancient History, Medieval History, Early Modern History, Modern and Contemporary History). It is building on the formation given to the first-years in the introductory course « Documentary Ressources for Historians » and has a distinctive focus on primary sources. It will help students with the researching and writing of their seminar papers, while on bachelor level, and of the master's thesis afterwards.
As an outcome of the present course, students should be able :
- to know the main types of primary sources for each historical periods and to asses their strengths and weaknesses ;
- to locate theses sources, whenever they be unedited, edited or available on line
- to decide what primary sources, research tools and secondary literature to use in order to solve a given research question
- to present the currents tendancies in historical writing for each of the four historical periods.


Prerequisites :
For the Bachelor in History :


Co-requisites :
None

Course contents :
For each of the four classical historical periods, the students are lectured on the main sources available to historiens. They will also learn how to locate and to use them. They will be in contact with various types of primary sources. They also will learn the main research tools and acquire familiarity with the secundary literature. They should not only developp this knowledge for each period but also master a transversal view accross the periods.

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :
Lectures, followed by some practical sesssion or individual exercices in the university library.

Assessment methods and criteria :
Written and practical exam, in two parts. The practical part takes place in the universtiy library. The exam is written and assessed by the four lectures as a team.



Recommended or required reading :
The course has a strong bibliographical part. Students will need to use bibliographical tools. One specific tool (in French) is provided for each historical period :
- Aux sources de l'Antiquité grecque et romaine (book)
- Heuristique du Moyen Age (syllabus)
- Heuristique des Temps modernes (syllabus)
- Heuristique de la Période contemporaine (syllabus)


Other information :
Bibliographical syllabus and various documents are available.