Tools and Sources in Economic and Social History

Michaelmas term 2011

Professor Kevin O'Rourke, All Souls College and History Faculty, with Guest Lecturers

OBJECTIVES

This is a short hands-on course, designed to acquaint students with basic tools, techniques, and resources, and to impart unwritten, tacit professional knowledge.

COURSE ARRANGEMENTS

• The first meeting will take place at 2.00pm on Tuesday of Week 0, 4 October 2011 in the Wharton Room, All Souls College.
• Sessions will take place on Tuesdays at 2.00-3.30 p.m.  In Weeks 1 & 2, Tools and Sources meets in the Colin Matthew Room in the History Faculty. Week 3 is in the Computer Room, History Faculty.  The History Faculty is on George Street.
• Weeks 0 to 3 in Michaelmas term  

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

To meet course requirements, students are expected to read, attend and participate in classes in Weeks 1-3, and to undertake Faculty Training as indicated below.

Session 0: COURSE INTRODUCTION AND LIBRARY RESOURCES

Week 0 (Tuesday 4 October 2011), 2.00 pm

Wharton Room, All Souls College

• M.Sc./M.Phil./D.Phil. course orientation, and introduction to tutors
• Photographs
• Programme overview and course mechanics
• The Bodleian Library and its offshoots, College and Departmental libraries

Session 1: SCHOLARLY ETHICS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Week 1 (Tuesday 11 October 2011), 2.00 pm

Colin Matthew, History Faculty

Guest Lecturer: Mr Christopher Kissane, Balliol College

• *Yochai Benkler, The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom (2006), chs. 2, 12.
• *Paul A. David, ‘The Evolution of Intellectual Property Institutions and the Panda’s Thumb’, presented at the International Economic Association 1992

• John Willinksy, The Access Principle (2006), ch. 3, ‘Copyright’.
• *Hal Varian, ‘Copying and Copyright’, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 19, 2 (Spring 2005), 121-138.
• S. Vaidhyanathan, , Copyrights and Copywrongs : The Rise of Intellectual Property and How It Threatens Creativity (2001), chs. 1–3.
• *Jon Wiener, Historians in Trouble : Plagiarism, Fraud, and Politics in the Ivory Tower (2005), esp. introduction, conclusion [alternatively P. Hoffer, Past Imperfect (2004), conclusion; Ron Robin, Scandals and Scoundrels (2004), introduction, chs. 1–2.]
• *Jon Wiener, ‘Big Tobacco and the Historians’, The Nation (March 15, 2010), pp. 12-17

Session 2: USING PRICE DATA

Week 2 (Tuesday 18 October 2011), 2.00 pm

Colin Matthew, History Faculty 

• Faculty of History, Conventions for the Presentation of Dissertations and Theses  HUhttp://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/thesesconventions.pdfUH
• The former is based on Horace Hart, Hart’s Rules for Compositors and Readers at the University Press, Oxford, 39th edn (Oxford, 1983), and The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors (Oxford, 1981).
• R.M. Ritter, New Hart’s Rules: The Handbook of Style for Writers and Editors (Oxford, 2005).

• Also note:  http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/examregs/25-54_1_Regulations_governing_the_content_and_length_of_theses.shtmlU
• J. Barzun and H. F. Graaf, The Modern Researcher (many edns.)
• E. Gowers et al. The Complete Plain Words (many edns.)
• W. Strunk and E. B. White, The Elements of Style (3rd edn. 1979).

Session 3: MAPPING DATA

Week 3 (Tuesday 25 October 2011), 2.00 pm,

Computer Room, History Faculty, George Street

Guest: Eric Schneider, Nuffield College

ATTENDANCE LIMITED: register with UEric Schneider

• Students will learn how to visualise data geographically using a professional mapping package. Create thematic maps of historical data and produce publication-quality output.
• For those wanting a head start: http://tutorials.mapinfo.com/tutorials/Index.htm

Software: MapInfo 10.5.

History Faculty Graduate Training

PLEASE NOTE.  These times are subject to change.  Times in 2011, and further information, are available at:

http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/noticeboard/training_overview.htm

You are advised to attend the following:

1Michaelmas Term:

Monday to Friday Week 1, 2.30 Bodleian Tours by the History Librarian, Isabel Holowaty (booking required)

Wednesday Week 3, 2.00-4.00pm: INFORMATION FAIR at the Examination Schools (Convenor: Isabel Holowaty et al.)

Wednesday Week 4, 2.00-4.00pm: Information Skills Minimum Kit (Convenor: Isabel Holowaty et al. (booking required)

Wednesday Week 8, 2.00-4.00pm: Introduction to UK Archives (Convenor: Steve Gunn)

Where relevant, you may wish to attend the following:

Michaelmas Term:

Wednesday Week 5, 2.00-4.00pm: Writing your doctoral application (Convenor: Bryan Ward-Perkins)

Wednesday Week 5, 1.00-2.00pm: Information session about seeking admission to research in History after completion of an Oxford master's programme (Convenor: David Parrott, Director of Graduate Studies)

Wednesday Week 7, 11.00am-1.00pm: Planning research abroad (Convenor: Robert Gildea; student assistants)

Hilary Term:

Wednesday Week 1, 2.00-4.00pm: Oral Presentations (Convenor: Jane Caplan)

Wednesday Week 2, 2.00-4.00pm: Oral presentations: Power point and Visual technologies (Convenor: Bryan Ward-Perkins with Deborah Oxley, Victoria Brown and Clare Hills-Nova)

Wednesday Week 3, 2.00-4.00pm: Oral Presentations (Convenor: Jane Caplan)

Wednesday Week 5, 2.00-4.00pm: Writing a doctoral thesis (Convenor: Deborah Oxley)

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