Working Historians

How Do I Find Secondary Sources for a History Research Project?

In this third episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel explains how they tackle the potentially vast body of existing secondary sources that will help them provide context on the research project. We discuss different ways to search for secondary sources, how to determine which secondary sources might be more useful or important than others, and the historian’s ethical responsibility to be familiar with the entire existing literature on the topic. 

 

Speaker timeline:

02:42 - CB Repass
03:20 - Matt Schandler
07:31 - Allison Millward
08:14 - Eric Greisinger
09:11 - Matt Schandler
11:08 - Allison Millward
11:45 - CB Repass
13:07 - Allison Millward
14:14 - Ryan Tripp
15:02 - Eric Greisinger
15:21 - CB Repass
15:34 - Rob Denning
18:13 - Matt Schandler
20:27 - Ryan Tripp
21:35 - Rob Denning

How Do I Develop a Historical Research Question?

In this second episode of our series on how historians research and write on historical topics, the panel tackles the importance and selection of a good research question, which will guide the historian throughout the research process. 

 

Speaker timeline:

01:00 - CB Repass
01:48 - Eric Greisinger
02:13 - CB Repass
02:28 - Matt Schandler
03:09 - Allison Millward
04:48 - Rob Denning
05:55 - CB Repass
06:15 - Ryan Tripp
06:51 - Rob Denning
08:14 - Matt Schandler
11:53 - CB Repass
12:00 - Rob Denning

How Do I Find a History Research Topic?

With this episode we are launching a new series on how historians research and write on historical topics, starting with the selection of a research topic and ending with the writing process. In this first episode, a panel of historians discuss the initial selection of a research topic.

 

Speaker timeline:

00:58 - CB Repass
01:58 - Ryan Tripp
02:48 - Allison Millward
04:31 - Eric Greisinger
05:31 - Allison Millward
05:36 - Rob Denning
06:10 - CB Repass
06:47 - Eric Greisinger
07:10 - Ryan Tripp
07:51 - Matthew Schandler
11:05 - Rob Denning
13:24 - Matthew Schandler
15:10 - Rob Denning
16:05 - Matthew Schandler

Legal Careers for Historians: Mathew Merz - Conflicts Analyst, Akerman LLP

Mathew Merz earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Southern New Hampshire University in 2020 and works as Conflicts Analyst at Akerman LLP. In this episode, Mathew discusses the research, writing, and analytical skills that he learned as a history major which have been particularly useful to his job as a researcher for a law firm.

 

Recommendations and Links:

Yuval Noah Harari, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (Random House, 2014) - recommended by Mathew Merz

Derry Girls, created by Lisa McGee, Netflix - recommended by Jimmy

“American Historical Association Action Alert Concerning Proposed History Standards for Virginia (February 2023)” - recommended by Rob

David Gilbert, “Inside a US Neo-Nazi Homeschool Network With Thousands of Members,” Vice News, January 29, 2023

Nilanjana Roy, “How Teen Vogue Got Political,” Financial Times, January 24, 2017

Library Careers for Historians: Nina Thomas - Manager, Westerville History Museum

Nina Thomas is the manager of the Westerville History Museum, which is part of the public library system in Westerville, Ohio. In this episode, Nina discusses her academic and professional background, life as a museum manager, the nature of the museum’s public outreach efforts, and what a museum manager might look for in job applicants.

 

Recommendations:

Westerville History Museum

Clint Smith, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America (Little, Brown, 2021) - recommended by Nina

Philomena Cunk - recommended by Nina

Jennifer Schuessler, “As Historians Gather, No Truce in the History Wars,” New York Times, January 8, 2023 - recommended by Rob

Business Careers for Historians: Deb Gogliettino - Associate Dean of Business Academics, SNHU

In this episode, Rob talks to Deb Gogliettino, Associate Dean for online Business Academics at Southern New Hampshire University, about the ways that her undergraduate degree in history has helped her business-oriented career, which included positions in human resources, business administration, and academics. We also discuss how history students can market themselves to non-academic employers.

Writing Historical Fiction: Paul Witcover - Author, Lincolnstein, and Associate Dean of MFA in Creative Writing, SNHU

In this episode, Jimmy and Rob talk to Paul Witcover, Associate Dean for the online Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Southern New Hampshire University, about his recent novel, Lincolnstein, and the skills and responsibilities required of authors writing historical fiction. 

 

Recommendations:

Paul Witcover, Lincolnstein (PS Publishing, 2021) - recommended by Rob

Victor Klemperer, I Will Bear Witness (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998) - recommended by Paul Witcover

Meet Me in the Bathroom, Will Lovelance, Dylan Southern, and Andrew Cross, dirs., (2022) - recommended by Jimmy

The Civil War, Ken Burns, dir. (1990) - recommended by Rob

Scotty Edler presents The Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid-19 (Part 2)

In this second episode on the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid-19, Rob Denning, James Fennessy, and Scotty Edler discuss the long-term political, social, economic, and cultural consequences of the plague and the flu, and they attempt to use those precedents to predict the long-term effects of Covid-19 on our own future lives.

Scotty Edler presents The Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid 19 (Part 1)

During the next two episodes, Rob and James talk to Scotty Edler about his research into the causes and consequences of three major disease epidemics: the Black Death, the Spanish Flu, and Covid-19. Here we discuss the historical contexts of each disease and the lessons learned from each outbreak.

Juneteenth: The Second Independence Day

In this episode, Rob presents his research into quick questions from his employer's communications office regarding the history of the Juneteenth Holiday. He does not provide quick answers.

Working Historians Roundtable: Watergate

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Watergate break-in, Rob and six fellow historians discuss the international and domestic political contexts leading up to the event, the break-in and subsequent investigations, and the short- and long-term consequences of Watergate on American political and constitutional history.

Thanks to historians Mike Green, Eric Morgenson, Ryan Tripp, Adam Lehman, and Joel Tscherne for participating.

Careers in History: Rob Denning - Associate Dean for History, SNHU

In this episode, re-broadcast from the Passion and Practicality podcast series, Rob discusses the skills that students learn while in pursuit of a history degree that will be valuable on the job market after graduation (even in fields that don't include the word "history"). He also describes some of the ways that students can prepare for the job market before graduation.

Special bonus feature: To see Rob present this on camera, click here!

Digital Careers for Historians: John Bertland - Digital Librarian/Content Specialist, Presidio Trust

John Bertland is the Digital Librarian and Content Specialist for the Presidio Trust in San Francisco, California. In this episode, we discuss John’s academic and professional background, his work at the Presidio Trust, and we end with a story about mules.

 

Recommendations

Harwood P. Hinton and Jerry Thompson, Courage Above All Things: General John Ellis Wool and the U.S. Military, 1812-1863 (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2020) - recommended by John Bertland

“Exclusion: The Presidio’s Role in World War II Japanese American Internment” at the Presidio Officers’ Club, recommended by Jimmy

Lizzie Johnson, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire (New York: Penguin Random House, 2021), recommended by Rob

Constitution Day 2021: Elections, Protests, and Transfers of Power

It’s Constitution Day, and we are celebrating with a roundtable discussion of elections, protests, and the transfer of political power in the context of the Constitution of the United States by a panel of historians including Natalie Sweet, Ryan Tripp, and Joel Tscherne. Associate Dean Robert Denning hosts the presentation. Listeners can access this presentation, and Constitution Day podcasts from previous years, on the Working Historians Podbean page, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and any other podcast app. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day is an American federal observance recognizing the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens by birth or naturalization. It is normally observed Sept. 17, the day the U.S. Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution in 1787 in Philadelphia.

Writing Local History: Joe Flickinger - High School Teacher and Local Historian

Joe Flickinger teaches high school history outside Cincinnati, Ohio, and is the Vice President of the Green Township Historical Association. In this episode, Rob, Jimmy, and Joe discuss how to research and write local history, with examples from Joe’s writings on the Bridgetown Cemetery, suburbanization in Colerain Township, and the bicentennial of Green Township.

 

Recommendations:

Joe Flickinger, A History of Bridgetown Cemetery: Quietly Serving Cincinnati’s Western Hills for over 50 Years (Berwyn Heights, MD: Heritage Books, 2021) - recommended by Rob

Alexis Coe, You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington (New York: Penguin Random House, 2020) - recommended by Joe Flickinger

Rachel Wolgemuth, Cemetery Tours and Programming: A Guide (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) - recommended by Joe Flickinger

Gideon Defoe, An Atlas of Extinct Countries: The Remarkable (and Occasionally Ridiculous) Stories of 48 Nations that Fell Off the Map (New York: Europa Editions, 2021) - recommended by Rob

All the Streets are Silent: The Convergence of Hip-Hop and Skateboarding, 1987-1997, Jeremy Elkins, dir. (2021) - recommended by Jimmy

Preserving History: Jennifer Bryant - Preservation Compliance Officer, Colorado State Historical Preservation Office (encore)

Encore presentation (and therefore outdated in just about every way): Jennifer Bryant is an instructor at SNHU and a preservation compliance officer with the Colorado State Historical Preservation Office. In this conversation, we talk about some aspects of the history of the American West, blindspots in history regarding violence against minority groups, and her career as a volunteer and professional agent for historic preservation.

Preserving History: Jen Bryant - Facility Management Compliance Specialist, National Park Service (update)

Jennifer Bryant appeared in our third episode back in 2017, and in this episode Jimmy and Rob catch up with Jen to discuss her new job and then wander down a variety of historical footpaths to discuss environmental history, the American West, historical memory, and the future history to be written about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consultant Careers for Historians: Bob Irvine - Consultant, PARC Resources (encore)

Dr. Bob Irvine teaches history in the Master of Arts in History program at SNHU and is a consultant for Parc Resources in Oregon. In this episode, Dr. Irvine talks about his research and teaching interests, water reclamation projects in Kansas during the twentieth century, and the historical skills he uses in his job as a consultant.

Consultant Careers for Historians: Bob Irvine - Consultant, Parc Resources (update)

Bob Irvine teaches history in the Master of Arts program at Southern New Hampshire and is a consultant for Parc Resources in Eastern Oregon. In this episode we discuss what Bob has been up to since his last interview in 2017, including new projects in collaboration with Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

Teaching Careers for Historians: Chris Kline - Learning Community Facilitator (encore)

Christopher Kline, an instructor and Learning Community Facilitator for Southern New Hampshire University, discusses his research and teaching interests, why the Whiskey Rebellion broke out in post-Revolutionary Pennsylvania, the evolution of his career, and advice for students looking to break into careers in history. Professor Kline has worked as a history tutor, a member of a museum board, and an adjunct instructor at community colleges and universities.

Teaching History: Chris Kline - Senior Manager of General Education Evaluation Faculty, Western Governors University (update)

Chris Kline is the Senior Manager for General Education at Western Governors University. In this episode, Rob, Jimmy, and Chris discuss Chris’s decision to start a doctoral program, the online student experience, the real estate market, the changing work habits that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, the January 6 Insurrection, the need for better education in source analysis and critical thinking, and the lessons we learned about the American government after the 2020 election and the insurrection

Researching Irish Spies: Kate Schaefer - Historian and Adjunct Instructor, SNHU

Kate Schaefer teaches history at Southern New Hampshire University. In this episode, Kate discusses her research into female spies during the Irish Rebellion of 1916 and World War II. And then there is some chatter about the Sisters of Mercy and the CIA’s suggestions for disrupting Zoom meetings, kinda.

 

This episode’s recommendations:

Sarah Rose, D-Day Girls: The Spies who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped win World War II (Penguin Random House, 2020).  

Trevor Ristow, Waiting for Another War: A History of the Sisters of Mercy, Volume I: 1980-1985 (GWK, 2019).

Simple Sabotage Field Manual (Office of Strategic Services, 1944), available at Project Gutenberg.

Season 2 Trailer

Season 1 lasted for four years, and then Rob put the podcast on hiatus because, I dunno, pandemic? Exhaustion? While searching for the meaning of life, he found his old chum Jimmy Fennessy on a remote mountaintop and the two decided to get the band back together and work on Season 2 of Working Historians, which will be bigger and better than ever before! There’s even a website now. In this episode you get a brief teaser of what you can expect from Season 2, however long that one may last.

Update for Soundcloud Subscribers

The Working Historians podcast is switching its hosting site from Soundcloud to Podbean, so Soundcloud subscribers should consider re-subscribing through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or any of the other dozens of podcast apps out there. In this episode, Rob provides a teaser for upcoming changes to the podcast (including a new website).

Peter Milich - Historian

Dr. Peter Milich is a historian who specializes in Russian, Soviet, and Eastern European history. As a witness to the collapse of modern nations like the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, Rob and Pete discuss the state of modern international affairs.

This episode’s recommendations:

Alfred McCoy, “The Rise and Decline of US Global Power” (October 25, 2017), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GygmGSwvcI

Dominic Lieven, “The Tsar Liberates Europe? Russia against Napoleon, 1807-1914” (October 8, 2009), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzElqomAATI

Daniel Junge and Steven Leckart, dirs., “Challenger: The Final Flight” (2020), https://www.netflix.com/title/81012137