Historical Methods and Source Evaluation for Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies

This course is designed to provide an introduction to historical research methods, in particular the characteristics of various types of primary sources and basic techniques of source evaluation and criticism, with a focus on the areas of nonproliferation and terrorism studies. It is specifically intended for graduate students who have already taken lecture-oriented undergraduate or graduate courses dealing with terrorism or nonproliferation.

The class will be divided into several separate portions. The first portion will provide basic information about historical research, touching upon both philosophical issues (e.g., the nature of reality [ontology], human perceptions of reality [epistemology], etc.) and methodological issues (e.g., the distinction between primary and secondary sources, internal versus external source criticism, etc.). The second portion will provide some illustrative examples of the primary source research carried out by the two instructors, which students will analyze and discuss in class. In the third portion, everyone in the class will read selections from diverse primary source materials concerning both terrorism and nuclear age studies. Given that several states have already developed chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons programs, and that certain violent non-state groups espousing extremist political and religious ideologies have expressed an interest in acquiring and deploying these so-called “weapons of mass destruction” (WMD) against their designated enemies, it is necessary for students interested in nonproliferation and terrorism to learn how to access, analyze, and evaluate the reliability of primary sources dealing with both terrorism and proliferation/nonproliferation cases. During the fourth portion of the course, students will be working independently on the individual research topics they have selected, which must involve the utilization of some primary historical sources. During the fifth and final portion, each student will give an oral report in class to present and analyze his or her own research findings, which will then be discussed by the entire class. By the end of this last portion of the class, if not earlier, students will submit their completed research papers, which must involve the use of primary historical sources. The course requirements are as follows: regular attendance and active participation in class discussions (30% of grade), an oral report to be delivered in class (30% of grade), and a 7-10 page research paper (40% of grade).