Engaging Undergraduates in Primary Source Research

The published literature on the pedagogical significance of special collections and archives is limited,so it is important to include faculty members and librarians outside these areas in the conversation. The ten case studies in Engaging Undergraduates in Primary Source Research showcase innovative ways to incorporate primary materials into undergraduate research,including local archival and non-archival materials,digital and physical materials,and non-English language materials. These case studies focus on how students develop and practice skills related to finding, identifying, analyzing, interrogating, confronting interpretations, and constructing arguments using primary sources, and the collaborative process and methods to engage students in primary source research can be applied in other collaborative teaching efforts.

Format: Hardback
Length: 152 pages
Publication date: 07 September 2021
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Despite the vast array of primary sources that libraries have made accessible to their communities, the published literature thus far has primarily focused on the pedagogical significance of special collections and archives. To fully harness the wealth of primary sources and unlock their full potential in the undergraduate classroom, it is crucial that the conversation encompass faculty members and librarians beyond the realm of special collections and archives. The ten case studies featured in Engaging Undergraduates in Primary Source Research showcase the remarkable work of faculty members and their librarian partners from diverse areas of library operations. These case studies provide examples, strategies, and innovative approaches to incorporating a diverse range of primary materials into undergraduates' diet of secondary source research, encompassing both local archival and non-archival resources, as well as digital and physical materials, and materials in non-English languages.

Co-authored by faculty and their librarian partners, these case studies delve into how students cultivate and refine skills related to locating, identifying, analyzing, interrogating, challenging interpretations, and constructing and presenting arguments using primary sources. The emphasis on transferrable skills, as well as the diverse range of primary sources and teaching domains they encompass, makes it accessible for anyone interested to find exemplars from which they can draw guidance and inspiration to forge partnerships and revitalize students' learning experiences involving primary sources. Furthermore, the collaborative process and the methods employed to engage students in primary source research showcased in these narratives are not limited to primary sources. They can be readily applied to other contexts as well.

Weight: 549g
Dimension: 252 x 185 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538138915