Assignments
Historiography UnEssay
Shelley Rose
UnEssay At a Glance
- Week 8: Project Plan & Annotated Bibliography due
- Week 11: UnEssay Draft Due
- Week 13: Peer Review
- Week 15: Digital CSU Showcase
- Finals Week: Final Project Due
Instructions
Students will create an UnEssay in which they analyze one or two subdisciplines of history studied over the course of the semester. The UnEssay will be at least 2500 words, will include footnotes formatted in the Turabian or “Chicago” style of citation, and will combine the primary and secondary sources students encounter during the semester. Planning assignments are included in this section. UnEssays are due during the final examination time period. We will discuss this project throughout the semester.
Employ your knowledge of the historiography to support your argument and narrative framework (i.e. periodization, coverage, content)
- Tips and Examples for Historiographical Analysis and Writing
LibGuides
- University of Guelph Library, “Write a Historiography,” Updated October 22, 2026. https://guides.lib.uoguelph.ca/Historiography.
- Alan Witt, “What is a Historiography?,” University of Rhode Island LibGuide. https://uri.libguides.com/historiography
Historiography Essays/Articles
-
Campbell, Jodi. “Transatlantic Histories of Iberian Women and Families.” Journal of Women’s History 30, no. 3 (2018): 170-176. https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/jowh.2018.0035.
- Conrad, Sebastian. “Enlightenment in Global History: A Historiographical Critique.” The American Historical Review 117, no. 4 (October 1, 2012): 999–1027. doi:10.1093/ahr/117.4.999.
- Fritzsche, Peter. “Did Weimar Fail?.” The Journal of Modern History 68, no. 3 (September 1996): 629–56. doi:10.1086/245345.
- Penny, H. Glenn. “Historiographies in Dialogue: Beyond the Categories of Germans and Brazilians.” German History 33, no. 3 (September 1, 2015): 347–66. doi:10.1093/gerhis/ghv081.
Example Student Historiographical Writing
- Rose & HIS 299 Fall 2022 Students, Intro to Historical Studies: Student Research and Resources – Fall 2022, Michael Schwartz Library at Cleveland State University, https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/historicalstudiesstudentresearch/. See the Press Releases.
Format
You are welcome to choose a format that fits your audience and argument. All projects must be 2500 to 3000 words and use Chicago Style footnotes for references.
For example:
Visual essays could be created as a StoryMap (https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/modern-world-history/chapter/storymap) that includes at least 2500-3000 words. All sources must be cited using the Chicago Manual of Style (footnote/bibliography).
FAQ: You may choose to write an academic essay. Here are the expectations: Essays should be 2500-3000 words. Bibliography & page numbers are required. All sources must be cited using the Chicago Manual of Style. If you choose this option, indicate the audience of your essay and potential place you could publish it.
Resources & Examples
Resources
- Now & Here, “Resources.” https://nowandhere.org/resources
- Zines and other resources for creating digital products for UnEssay projects.
- Includes “Public Style Writing Guide” and “Public Domain Image Source Guide” among other useful pages.
Examples of Digital Storytelling & Public UnEssay Formats
- Cleveland Latin American Mission Team exhibit: https://csuhisppg.shelleyrose.org/exhibits/show/clam/context
- Ostentatious and Ordinary Object Stories: https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/eac/part/objectstories/
Grading
Refer to the rubric. UnEssays will be graded on your ability to follow the directions above as well as formatting and organization. This includes using the proper formatting for Chicago Style Footnotes. Be sure that you construct a clear, concise argument that demonstrates the importance of your argument for the subdiscipline.
