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Annotation: The primary aim of Procedures and Methods of Historical Research is to provide students with practical knowledge on how to formulate a research topic, define research goals, hypotheses, and objectives, and identify, process, and interpret relevant sources, including secondary literature, printed materials, and archival sources.
More broadly, the course seeks to establish a strong and coherent methodological framework for students’ future research, particularly for their master’s thesis, while also enhancing academic writing and research skills.
In addition to developing practical competencies, students will explore a range of theoretical and methodological approaches in history. Particular attention will be given to interrelated theoretical questions, including: What is the relationship between political power and history? How reliable are dates and facts in historical narratives? Is total historical reconstruction of an event possible? Does an “objective historical truth” exist? Can history – and the historian – be objective? How should historical events be interpreted?
Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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Aim of the course: The primary aim of the Methodology classes (i.e., Procedures and Methods of Historical Research and Methodology of Historical Science) is to provide students with practical knowledge of how to formulate a research topic, define research goals, hypotheses, and objectives, and identify, process, and interpret relevant sources (including secondary literature, printed sources, and archival materials). More broadly, the course seeks to establish a strong and coherent methodological framework for students’ future research, particularly for the preparation of a master’s thesis, while also enhancing students’ academic writing and research skills. In addition to developing practical competencies, students are expected to engage with key theoretical questions, such as: Is total reconstruction of a historical event possible? Can the historian be objective? How can history be interpreted? Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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Course completion requirements: Students are required to attend classes regularly; only two unexplained absences are permitted. They are also expected to complete assignments throughout the course and submit them on time. Active participation in class discussions is required. For visiting students (e.g., Erasmus or other international exchange programs): Students who did not attend the previous course in the Summer Semester (i.e., Methodology of Historical Science) are required to attend classes and actively participate in discussions. Preparation of written assignments is optional. The course is open to all new students, including Erasmus students, students of international exchange programs, and other interested students, who are warmly welcome. Evaluation Method: Grades will be based on active participation in discussions (25%) and the completion of regular study assignments (75%). Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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Structure and teaching methods: The course consists of seminars, discussions, and theoretical lectures. Throughout the seminars, students are expected to present and discuss their current assignments, including research topics, critiques of secondary literature, analyses of primary sources, and related work. Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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Other recommended courses: Methodology of Historical Science (Winter Semester) Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (16.02.2018)
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Syllabus Procedures and Methods of Historical Research: 1. Introduction into Method of Historical Research. 2. Primary sources: structure, types and classification. Published and unpublished sources. The main principles of archival research. 3. Possibilities and limits of the historian during the research of primary sources. 4. Primary sources critique. How to read and evaluate primary (and other) sources (reasons of creation of a source, origin of a source, context of the creation of primary sources, authors, etc.). 5. Non-academic sources (novels, sagas, movies, etc.). Movie as a primary source: possibilities and limits. 6. Assignment: Primary sources critique. Students' presentations and evaluation. Discussion. 7. Objectivity of the historian, or does an objective historical truth exist? Reconstruction of historical events and their interpretation. 8. Ideology and history: interrelations. 9. Terms and terminology. 10. Theoretical methods in history. Schools and approaches. 11. Political history, social and cultural history. History of mentalities, microhistory, Alltagsgeschichte or the history of everyday life, and others. 12. Conclusions. The final discussion. The theoretic lectures are followed by seminars (discussions). During the Summer Semester (i.e. course Procedures and Methods of Historical Research) students are required to prepare the following assignments: 1. Secondary Sources Critique The aim of this assignment is to process and critically analyze relevant secondary sources (i.e., secondary literature) related to the chosen research topic. Students are expected to provide a short analysis or review of several secondary sources. In their analysis, students should consider the following questions: What is the author’s opinion or approach to the topic? When was the work (book, study, or article) published? Could the historical context of its publication – such as the Cold War, a socialist or communist regime, political ideologies, social movements, revolutions, or emancipation efforts – have influenced the author’s perspective? Is the author biased? If so, why? Do you agree with the author’s arguments? Any other relevant analytical questions related to the topic. Each source review must be at least 200-220 words Students must process and analyze at least five to six secondary sources. The reviews should be presented in chronological order (from the oldest to the most recent). All assignments must include accurate references and a complete bibliography, citing the title, page numbers, and other relevant details. Footnotes should be used for references. Assignments must comply with standard academic formatting, including the student’s name, course title, pagination, references, and list of literature. 2. Primary Sources Critique After analyzing secondary sources, students are required to identify, process, and analyze primary sources relevant to their research proposal. Primary sources may be published (printed materials) or unpublished (archival materials, such as documents, reports, etc.). Students must process and analyze a minimum of five to six primary sources. While analyzing the sources, students should consider the following questions: When was the source created? What type of source is it (e.g., police report, official document, chronicle, etc.)? Who is the author of the source? For whom was the source intended? What was the purpose of its creation (e.g., propaganda, leaflets, secret reports, etc.)? Each source review should be at least 200-220 words in length. Students are required to process at least 5 primary sources. All assignments must include accurate references and a complete bibliography, clearly stating titles, page numbers, and other relevant details. Footnotes should be used for citations. Assignments must comply with standard academic formatting, including the student’s name, course title, pagination, references, and list of literature. 3. Final Essay. The final essay (2,700-3,000 words long) needs to contain a short summary of all previous assignments. In addition to that try to answer such question as Why did I choose this topic? What transformations did the project undergo (i.e. changes of time frame, methodology, objectives, etc.)? What are the most suitable theoretical methodological approaches for the topic? As well as other questions. Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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Literature: Recommended literature: Carr, E. H., What is History? Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1990. Social, economic, cultural history, memory studies: Green, A., Cultural history, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Online sources: Munslow, A., The new history [online], London: Routledge, 2014. Access from: http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/natl-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4692552 Recommended literature (in other languages): Cornelißen, Ch. (ed.), Geschichtswissenschaften. Eine Einführung, Frankfurt a. M., 2000. Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.02.2021)
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Registration requirements: The course Procedures and Methods of Historical Research follows on from the course Methodology of Historical Science (held in the Winter Semester). However, the course is open to all new students, including Erasmus students, students of international exchange programs, and other interested students, who are warmly welcome. Poslední úprava: Marková Alena, Mgr., Ph.D. (04.01.2026)
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