Key details:

Assessment title:

Written assessment (individual): Written Research Task

Module Name:

Historical Perspectives

Module Code:

FC307

Assessment will be set on:

Week 15

Feedback opportunities:

Use feedback from Group Research Task to support this assessment; Written feedback after final submission

Assessment is due on:

Week 20

Assessment weighting:

60%

Assessment Instructions

What do you need to do for this assessment?

Task:

You will write a critical review of a source (history book or book chapter or scholarly article) connected to one significant historical event taught in this module.

The review should summarise and evaluate the source in order to decide whether it is trustworthy or not, and whether it should be used by historians to inform. their research.

Being critical does not simply mean criticising in a negative way. Instead, it requires you to question the text, and to present your judgement or evaluation of it reasonably.

Your review should include reference to at least one primary source.

Please note:

Your tutor will need to approve your choice of document in relation to the significant historical event. For this reason, you should try to find more than one document/significant event.

You should analyse the document from multiple perspectives where appropriate (e.g. social, political, economic, cultural, religious).

You should make use of the feedback you received from the Group Research Task as this assessment will be marked against similar criteria.

Structure:

Your review should have a title page. The title of the review should be connected to the book/article you have read and include a proper Harvard citation.

You may want to divide your review into sections that explain parts of your analysis.

A suggested structure for a critical review is the following:

- Introduction: briefly explain the purpose of your review, the topic of the text and include a brief statement of your evaluation of the text

- Summary: summarise the text, e.g. present the main ideas, discuss its important points, including the evidence the text uses to support its main argument

- Evaluation: organise each point you select into a paragraph, including your negative and positive points, checking authors’ ideas and biases, and making sure that your judgments or opinions are well supported by evidence from the original text and other sources.

- Conclusion: restate your overall opinions of the text (avoiding repetition).

All key points should be clearly presented by evidence; quotations and references to other works should be accurately cited and different historians’ viewpoints represented.

Theory and/or task resources required for the assessment:

All words or ideas from other sources must be fully cited. Students should use footnotes in the appropriate format.

The review should include a ‘works cited’ page with full citations of any sources used at the end of the review.

Referencing style.:

Your review will have a minimum of eight scholarly sources closely related to the document you are reviewing and the topic you have chosen.

You must include a Harvard style. Reference List at the end of your review.  A full bibliography is NOT required.

Expected word count:

You are expected to write approximately 1,500 words (+/- 10%).

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

· Use primary and secondary sources to review a historical document and analyse a historical period or event from different perspectives (e.g. social, political, economic, cultural, religious).

· Explain the significance of a given historical event or period to specific developments in their field of study/interest.

Submission Requirements:

You must include the following paragraph on your title page:

I confirm that this assignment is my own work.

Where I have referred to academic sources, I have provided in-text citations and included the sources in the final reference list.

The following formatting conventions should be followed:

• Font: Arial or Calibri or Times New Roman, size 12

• Double-spaced/1.5 with standard document margins

• Appropriate header

• Numbered pages

• Include a title page with the following information:

• Module Code (FC307)

• Class/Group (e.g. Group A)

• Module Title (Historical Perspectives)

• Assessment Type (Group research task - formative)

• Article Title and Author(s)

• Module Tutor Name

• Student ID Number

• Date of Submission

• Word count

• Use Harvard APA referencing conventions

• You must submit an electronic copy of your assessment to Turnitin as a Microsoft Word Document or PDF before the deadline stated above

You must submit the assessment electronically via the VLE module page.  Please ensure you submit it via Turnitin.

Assessments submitted after the submission deadline may incur penalties or may not be accepted.

How will this assessment be marked?

The assessment will be marked using the following areas and weightings:

- Content (30%): How comprehensive your review is in relation to the historical event and the source focussed on; how much breadth and depth is included with different points and perspectives offered.

- Analysis (30%): How well you analyse and evaluate the points and perspectives you cover; how insightful your comments are

- Use of sources (15%): How relevant your sources are’ how well you used them/referred them throughout the review to support your opinion.

- Academic integrity (15%): How correctly you have used paraphrase, citations, quotes and references; how accurately you have represented data and facts.

- Presentation and communication (10%): How well you used language to express your ideas; how well organised and coherent your review is.

You will receive a % mark in each of these categories.  The overall mark will be a percentage (0-100%).

How will you get feedback?

In addition to feedback and guidance given once your source and significant historical event has been agreed, your tutor will mark the assessment and provide you with a written feedback sheet.  You can use this feedback to guide your further learning on the module.