Primary Sources Essay (guided reading: individual supervision)

Semester and Year Offered: usually Winter Semester.

Course Coordinator and Team:This is a guided reading/independent study course. Each student is guided individually by a History faculty member whose own expertise matches the proposed thesis topic of the student.

Email of course coordinator:denys@aud.ac.in(Programme Coordinator in WS 2018, WS 2019)

Pre-requisites: none.

Description. Students meet with their designated faculty guide to decide on a plan for the semester of ‘approaching [discovering] the sources’ relevant to their research. Student and guide then meet opportunely over the semester to discuss the sources. At the semester’s conclusion the student submits to her/his guideanessay of 4000 – 6000 words. It is assumed that a significant part of the relevant ‘primary’ sources is physically located in Delhi (e.g., National Archives, Nehru Memorial Library) or is virtually accessible (e.g., in digital form). However, it is possible for the candidate to make short research trips elsewhere during the semester. The course therefore serves as an initial exploration of the ‘archive’ in whatever form is relevant to the candidate’s research.

Course Outcomes:

• Students will improve their skills in writing about historical ‘sources’ and learn how to evaluate them.
• Students will get to know the specific ‘archive’ from which they will conduct original research.
• Brief description of modules/topics: N/A.

Assessment Details with weights:

Reading List (indicative): N/A.