Library Research Colloquia for History Senior Essays

Fall 2008

Overview

The Yale History Department requires all senior history majors to complete a library research colloquium during the fall semester. To fulfill this requirement (and avoid a mark of "unsatisfactory" on the fall semester transcript) students need to register for and complete any one of a number of research classes offered during the first two weeks of October. The library draws on curators, archivists, and subject specialist librarians to teach these sessions, and classes are offered in a large number of fields and specialties.

Recommendation

We recommend that students consult The Craft of Research (Booth, et. al.), a wonderfully instructive guide to constructing and completing a research project. The second part of the book (chapters 3 through 6) is especially relevant to the initial stages of the senior essay, as it discusses how to turn a general interest into a viable research question. There are multiple copies of the newly released third edition of The Craft of Research in the Bass Library, as well as non-circulating copies in the reference collections of the Bass Library and the Yale Law School Library [call number: Q180.55.M4B66X2008].

Additionally, librarians have put together this research guide to help senior essayists begin their research.

How to Register

THE REGISTRATION PERIOD FOR THE 2008 SENIOR ESSAY COLLOQUIA IS CLOSED.

Colloquia Offered in Fall 2008

European History

Ancient and Classical, to the fall of Rome (Time and Place TBD)
Early Modern Europe, 1500-1800 (Wed. 1 October, 4:30-6 or Thursday, 2 October, 5-6:30)
Medieval Europe (Time and Place TBD)
British and Commonwealth History (Friday, 10 October,  11:00-12:30)
Modern Europe, 19th & 20th centuries (Monday, Sept. 29  at 4-5:30  OR  Tuesday, October 7, 4:30 – 6pm)
Slavic History (Time and Place TBD)

Africa, Asia, Commonwealth, Middle East, and Latin American History

African History (Time and Place TBD)
Arabic Middle East, North Africa, Islamic Topics (Time and Place TBD)
Chinese History (Time and Place TBD)
Japanese History (Time and Place TBD)
Korean History (Time and Place TBD)
Israel and Judaica (Time and Place TBD)
Latin America   (Fri., 10 Oct. 1:30-3:00)
South Asian and Southeast Asian Topics (Time and Place TBD)

U.S. History

Colonial America, 1607-1763 (Time and Place TBD)
American Revolution and the New Republic, 1763-1820 (Time and Place TBD)
Native American (Time and Place TBD)
Western and Borderlands U.S. History (Time and Place TBD)
19th-Century America, 1820-1900 (Time and Place TBD)
American Civil War and Reconstruction (Time and Place TBD)
Twentieth Century U.S. History, 1900-1945 (Time and Place TBD)
Postwar America, 1945-Present (Time and Place TBD)
Foreign Relations and Using Government Documents (Time and Place TBD)

Topical Fields

History of Science & Medicine (Tues., 30 Sept. 4-5:30; Fri., 3 Oct. 11:00-12:30pm; Wed., 8 Oct. 4-5:30)         
History of Gender and Sexuality  (Time and Place TBD)
Yale University-related Topics (Time and Place TBD)
Research in the Beinecke Library (Time and Place TBD)

© 2008 Yale University Library This file last modified 09/22/08 Send comments to Gregory Eow. Research Services and Collections, Sterling Memorial Library.