HIST/LAS 3401W: ARTICLE REVIEW ASSIGNMENT
In order to help students learn to read critically and then assess in writing the work published by historians, writing-intensive courses at the 3000-level in the history department now require an article review. This assignment also allows you to read in further depth about a topic of interest to you and share what you learn with your peers. In discussion section, you will sign up for the week in which you will review an article on a subject related to the topic of the course for that date (see back of this page). The reviews will be incorporated into discussions, so students are required to read posted reviews before section. The written review will be worth 5% of your final grade.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Sign up for a date and topic. (Make sure to put it in your own calendar.)
2. To search for appropriate articles, we recommend the following indexes from the library website (http://www.lib.umn.edu/articles/indexes.phtml): Handbook of Latin American Studies, Hispanic American Periodicals Index, Historical Abstracts, and Academic Search Premier. Many articles are now available online; others can be found in print in the basement level of Wilson Library. Leading academic journals for Latin American history include: The Americas, The American Historical Review, The Colonial Latin American Historical Review, The Colonial Latin American Research Review, Hispanic American Historical Review, Journal of Latin American Studies, Latin American Research Review. You may find articles in topical journals as well (e.g. on ethnohistory, legal history, women’s/gender history etc.). Articles published in anthologies (books with chapters by different authors on related themes) may also be acceptable.
3. Read abstracts and/or skim several articles to decide which are most interesting and written clearly enough for you to understand.
4. Email your TA the citations for two articles that you are interested in reviewing no later than9 a.m. on the Thursday before your review will be due. Your TA will approve one.
5. Read the article carefully, paying particular attention to the author’s thesis and the evidence s/he provides to support that thesis. (Review the advice on critical reading in Rampolla's Writing Guide, pp. 25-28.) Consult the footnotes/endnotes to see what specific sources the author uses and whether s/he is debating other historians.
6. Following the criteria in Rampolla's Writing Guide, sections 3b-1 and 3b-3 (pp. 29 and 31-33), write a review of the article that: (1) summarizes the author’s argument, (2) discuss how the author supports that thesis with evidence from specific kinds of sources, (3) if applicable, compare the article to other readings, and (4) conclude with a final assessment. See the example from a former student of the class as a model.
7. Format your review: 500-600 words (about 2 pages but do a word count to be sure), double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins. At the top of the page, provide the full article citation with correct formatting. One line down put Reviewed by: Your Name. Post it to Moodle at least 24 hours before your section. (All students in a given section should read posted reviews before class.) Also bring one hard copy to your section for the T.A.
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