This course teaches the art and science of historical research. Its objective is threefold: to bring the insights of history to students’ lived experience, to train students to become informed and critical citizens who contribute to our globalized twenty-first century, and to teach how to read, write, and communicate effectively as a historian. After summarizing some key aspects of historical philosophy, the course introduces a selection of historical sources, historical methods, and recent historical trends primarily based on the instructor’s research and teaching expertise. The course ends with two workshops that guide students through historical essay writing, and a lesson that explores the prospects and challenges of doing history in our age. 

1. Introduction: Philosophy of History
2. Historical Sources (1): Official Archives
3. Historical Sources (2): Periodicals, Diaries, and Memoirs
4. Historical Sources (3): Maps and Images
5. Historical Method (1): Field Research
6. Historical Method (2): Quantitative Studies
7. Historical Method (3): Digital Humanities
8. Recent Trend in History (1): Empires and Colonialism
9. Recent Trend in History (2): Frontiers and Borderlands
10. Recent Trend in History (3): Race and Ethnicity
11. Term Paper Workshop (1): The Art of Historical Essay Writing
12. Term Paper Workshop (2): Tips on Historical Essay Writing
13. Prospects and Challenges of Doing History in the Twenty-First Century

• Tutorials (30%)
• Term paper (70%)

See the course outline.

See the course outline.

Attention is drawn to University policy and regulations on honesty in academic work, and to the disciplinary guidelines and procedures applicable to breaches of such policy and regulations. Details may be found at here.

With each assignment, students will be required to submit a signed declaration that they are aware of these policies, regulations, guidelines and procedures.

• In the case of group projects, all members of the group should be asked to sign the declaration, each of whom is responsible and liable to disciplinary actions, irrespective of whether he/she has signed the declaration and whether he/she has contributed, directly or indirectly, to the problematic
• For assignments in the form of a computer-generated document that is principally text-based and submitted via VeriGuide, the statement, in the form of a receipt, will be issued by the system upon students’ uploading of the soft copy of the assignment. 
• Students are fully aware that their work may be investigated by AI content detection software to determine originality.
• Students are fully aware of the AI approach(es) adopted in the course. In the case where some AI tools are allowed, students have made proper acknowledgment and citations as instructed by the course teacher.

Assignments without the properly signed declaration will not be graded by teachers.

Only the final version of the assignment should be submitted via VeriGuide.

The submission of a piece of work, or a part of a piece of work, for more than one purpose (e.g. to satisfy the requirements in two different courses) without declaration to this effect shall be regarded as having committed undeclared multiple submissions. It is common and acceptable to reuse a turn of phrase or a sentence or two from one’s own work; but wholesale reuse is problematic. In any case, agreement from the course teacher(s) concerned should be obtained prior to the submission of the piece of work.

The copyright of the teaching materials, including lecture notes, assignments and examination questions etc., produced by staff members/ teachers of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) belongs to CUHK. Students may download the teaching materials produced by the staff members/ teachers from the Learning Management Systems, e.g. Blackboard adopted by CUHK for their own educational use, but shall not distribute/ share/ copy the materials to a third-party without seeking prior permission from the staff members/ teachers concerned.